Not to get sidetracked, but you brought this out above. One of best things you can do as a moderator, is to provide the "Must Read" essential articles. Tell people that you expect them to read them before posting.

Then, in your registration form, you can use a spam eliminating question based on a question/answer that someone can only get from one of the articles. That way, you can be assured that people read these articles even before posting here.

Just a thought. I am not here to be a menace. I am here to learn and be helpful. I am not trying to tell you how to run your forum.