With the recent changes to my blog here, I finally figured out how to get zero spam. The recipe is quite simple:
1. Close posts from comments from more than a few weeks ago. Close them all. Nothing to spam. See "Settings" and "Discussion"
2. Set both "Comment author must fill out name and e-mail" and "Users must be registered and logged in to comment". These settings are in "Settings" and "Discussion". Check them.
3. If you want comments, enable registration in "Settings" and "General" then check "Anyone can register". Of course, you can uncheck it, too.
4. Set up the plugin "Register Plus" and use the captcha settings.
Then you don’t need Akismet or any other anti-spam plugins, if your blog isn’t on the hitlist of spammers. It should be fine.
I have been pretty aggressive on my spam settings, but I’ve had enough. On this blog, I’m one comment away from turning off comments altogether. And many of the plugins I used to use are just too much work or don’t work well: Spam Karma II, Intense Debate, Akismet…