Jetonomy handles this with a trust level system instead of relying purely on captchas. Here is how it works:
- Trust Level 0 (new users) — can post and reply but cannot embed links, upload images, or send DMs. This kills 90% of spam because spammers need to post links.
- Automatic promotion — as members post, reply, and receive upvotes, they automatically move to Level 1, then 2, then 3. You configure the thresholds (e.g., 5 posts + 10 upvotes = Level 1).
- Akismet integration — every post and reply is checked against Akismet automatically. Spam gets caught before it is published.
- Flag system — trusted members can flag suspicious content. After X flags (configurable), content is auto-hidden pending moderator review.
- IP tracking and bans — persistent spammers can be banned by IP or silenced (can read but not post).
You can still enable reCAPTCHA v3 or Cloudflare Turnstile as an additional layer — both run invisibly in the background without any user interaction. But most communities find the trust level system alone reduces spam by 95%+ without any captcha friction.
