I speak from practical experience when I say that operating/hosting a large forum like this is not easy, and not always fun for all. The first line of defense against spammers *should be* active moderation. Simply put, there's little anyone can do stop the most tenacious spammers. So each post needs to be read, all categories need to be read frequently, and black lists/white lists created and actively maintained. I agree with the OP that all these captchas and questions is merely a form of harassment to your real customers and, while they *might* help, are merely a bandaid to a chronic condition - the scourge of spam.