Fighting comment spam with Defensio

Our server has a comment spam filter called Defensio available for your use in fighting comment spam. To activate Defensio, you need to perform three steps: activate the Defensio plugin, sign up for a Defensio API key at Defensio.com (so your plugin can talk to Defensio’s servers), and supply your key to the plugin.

1. Activate the Defensio Plugin

  • Go to your blog’s dashboard at http://blogname.wmblogs.net/wp-admin/
  • Click the “Manage” tab and the “Plugins” sub-tab
  • Click the “Activate” link to the right of the description of the Defensio plugin.

Activate Defensio within Manage Plugins

2. Get a Defensio API Key

  • Follow the “free API Key” link from the Defensio plugin description
  • On the Defensio site, type in your blog’s URL (e.g., blogname.wmblogs.net) & click “Proceed to Sign Up”
  • Fill in the fields to sign up with Defensio.
  • Once you submit, you’ll receive an email from Defensio with a link to click. When you click on the link in the message, the page you’re directed to will contain your API key, which is a string of characters. (Ignore the bit about installing the plugin–it’s already installed!)
  • Copy the string of characters from your key to paste into Defensio.

3. Configure your Plugin with the API Key

  • Return to your blog’s Dashboard at (http://blogname.wmblogs.net/wp-admin/)
  • Click the Options tab & click to open the (new) Defensio sub-tab
  • Paste the Defensio key into the “Defensio API Key” field & click “Save Settings”

Defensio Key

  • You’re done! Defensio will now monitor each comment your blog receives & try to determine which ones are Spam.
  • You’ll now see a “Defensio Spam” menu option added to your “Comments” tab. Don’t neglect to return here to see how Defensio is doing–you may need to correct a false positive (good comments marked as spam) or false negative (spam comments that weren’t quarantined) a time or two before Defensio gets its act together–but you’ll quickly find how handy it is to have an electronic helper when it comes to sorting out comment spam.

Questions?
For more information on Defensio, see the Defensio FAQ.
You can also always email wordpress at wmblogs dot net.

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