This website has long been beleaguered by comment spam. It's a problem that afflicts a lot of sites that allow reader comments.

The spammers, through use of various bots, post comments advertising all the usual shit that spam emails also promote. You know the sort of thing, Viagra, Cialis, porn, online gambling etc etc. Their comment generating programs are sophisticated enough to be so random in their comment content, author name and email address that it's almost impossible to automate detecting, removing and blocking them.

So, I'm left to wade through the 10-30 spam comment emails a day, and use my SQL knowledge to dream up the most efficient queries to remove as many of these comments as possible, in the least number of queries.

Having investigated several third-party solutions, I'm left thinking that it's all too over-complicated to be much fun.

Now, MovableType (makers of the software I use for DMfM content management), have come out with v3.0, which has some major comment spam blocking features.

So, sometime soon, I will attempt an upgrade.

Stop laughing.

Yes you. Stop it! The sniggering with your hand across your mouth isn't fooling me either, it's still mocking.

Whilst we all know the grief an MT (MovableType, not Max Turner) upgrade causes, I think it's a risk worth taking.

Here's the thing though. If it works, you'll all have to register, in order to be allowed to leave comments on the site. It's a short, one-screen registration, but it means I'll be free from the clutches of the spammers.

Heck, I might even update the site more often! Well, only when I have time, between buying viagra and penis enlargement solutions - purely for product evaluation purposes, you understand. I'd claim it was a gift for a friend, but that sounds even weirder.