False Positives

does the plugin have a way to insert these comments again in the DB or do I have to do it manually?

How can I test the response sent to the users when they are seen as Spam?

How can they avoid it? since one of them sent the same comment three times until he quit, I guess.

I tried to post a comment and I got the “Enable Javascrit + Cookies” message and I have them enabled, which worries me even more!

I use W3 Total Cache with Object and Database caching. I had compatibility issues between plugin before caused by that, could it be related?

I opted to disable this plugin since I can’t trust it ??

I did a search through all the txt file: 31 false positives (7 users) from 989 spams.

Hi IvanRF,

I’m sorry to hear about the issue you’re having, and I’ll be happy to help.

At the top of the support forum there is a sticky post that we ask users to read first because it guides you to excellent troubleshooting options we have already put together for our plugin users.

Please take a few minutes to work through the Troubleshooting Guide and FAQs, as these solve over 90% of issues users have. (Please be sure to follow all the steps, not just read through them.)

Hi, you claim ZERO False Positives but I had 5 false positives (from 3 different users) over 728 spams.

Yes, the plugin’s claim about zero false positives is still accurate. What you’re describing is not a false positive.

As noted in FAQ #3:

In the rare event you are getting reports from multiple users that their comments are being blocked, these are not false positives — it means you most likely have a conflict that is preventing the plugin from functioning properly or there is another issue in play.

There is an FAQ that applies specifically to your situation: FAQ #9 – Q: I think a legitimate user or comment may have been blocked. What’s going on here and what do I do?

This particular error is not likely to be a problem with the plugin.

Please note that it’s extremely rare for users to have this particular issue after working through the Troubleshooting Guide and FAQs. We ask that all plugin users please make reasonable effort to do some troubleshooting on their own, as there are far more of you than there are of us. ??

Please take special note of Troubleshooting Step 9 and FAQ #9 as they relate specifically to the issue you are dealing with, and will give you the steps to proceed forward.

From the Troubleshooting Guide:

If this message comes up consistently even after JavaScript and cookies are enabled, and after clearing your browser cache, then there most likely is an installation problem, site configuration issue, plugin conflict, or JavaScript conflict.

If the information provided doesn’t solve the issue for you, we’ll need a bit more info from you on the specifics, and we’ll need to email back and forth, so please head over to the WP-SpamShield Support Form, and take a moment to fill out a support request. That will allow us to help you diagnose this, find out what the real issue is, and get things working right for you.

– Scott

Please note that the WP-SpamShield Support page is our main support venue, not the WordPress forums here, so that will always be the best way to get a quick response and resolve any tech support issues.

It’s funny that you marked this issue as “resolved” when it’s not, and you told me to give you the chance to give support. Well, here I am.

First, I should clarify something. I do know what a False Positive is. Here you can find an essay about SMS Spam Filtering I did years ago.

Numbers:

• 989 SPAM and 1 HAM classified by the plugin in 4 days
• from the 989 SPAM, 31 were HAM
• thus, 31 False Positives

Now, I saw how my site was blocking comments with Javascript/Cookies messages.

I do believe what you claim about your algorithm, since there are lots of good reviews for the plugin. However, you can’t ignore the facts that I’m presenting and try to work on a solution at least.

To start with, make a test environment and install W3 Total Cache with Object and Database caching enabled. I also have Page Cache, Minify and Browser Cache enabled in the plugin.

I was receiving a constant flow of spam to the site, so I’m pretty sure that caching is the one to blame here. I don’t have time to make a full test on this, but you should.

Hi Ivan,

As I mentioned in my first response, this is not our main support venue…the WP-SpamShield Support Form is. I marked it as resolved because there are no more steps for us to take here. (That doesn’t mean we are done helping you.) From here on out, it’s up to you to take the next step and work through the FAQs and Troubleshooting Guide, then submit a support request.

So my marking it as resolved, was only for right here on these forums…we are still very willing to help you fix your issue. It wasn’t intended to seem dismissive.

Keep in mind that in order for us to provide high-level support, we have to have a system, and the forums here do not accommodate that.

We’ve been doing tech support for this plugin and its predecessor for almost a decade. You really should trust me when I say that over 90% of the issues are resolved by working through the Troubleshooting Guide and FAQs.

We do an insane amount of testing on different servers, OS’s, PHP versions, and make sure it is compatible with top plugins, and especially caching plugins. WP-SpamShield detects nearly every caching plugin out there, and accommodates. So we’re already way ahead of you on W3TC. ??

The errors you’re experiencing mean that the JavaScript that adds the validation code to your site via jQuery isn’t getting added. I took a look at your site real quick, and I can already see a number of issues that the Troubleshooting Guide would help you fix.

Just a couple thoughts… It could have something to do with your minification. One of the biggest problems with minification is that it can quite often create jQuery problems. (We know a thing or two about this….we have a minification plugin, and we’ve worked with other minification plugin authors.) If you disable caching, clear your cache, and then disable minification (just during testing). Then submit a test comment to your site. jQuery has to be handled carefull in minification, and not all plugins do it right. It needs to stay in the header to maintain compatibility with all plugins.

For example, I don’t see the main jQuery file loaded anywhere in your minified files. That would cause the error you’re having. This is covered in FAQ #15: Make sure that you have not moved jQuery to the footer, and that no other plugins have interfered with jQuery.

I realize you have an opinion on what a false positive it. That’s perfectly fine. I’m not trying to insult your knowledge. However, when something is preventing a plugin from doing its job, that’s a conflict or configuration error, not a false positive. I make this distinction because these are issues that break other plugins as well, so they should be fixed. These aren’t algorithmic errors, these are technical errors. The error you’re having is in the JavaScript and Cookies Layer, not the Algorithmic Layer.

Trust me, I don’t want false positives any more than you do. We are committed to ZERO False Positives. When a user brings one to us that is a legit false positive, we usually fix it within a day. This does not happen very often. Like I mentioned above, it is extremely rare for users to still have the issue you’re having after working through the tech suport resources we’ve provided. If it doesn’t, just submit the support request, and we will help you diesgnose the issue. Give it a shot, we’re actually pretty nice people. ??

Since you’re a developer, working through the Troubleshooting Guide and FAQs won’t take you very long.

– Scott