vbhacks.com, wondering if I could get help.

[Sinecure]

I know a lot of you guys are PHP Gurus and I am planning on starting up a site called vbhacks.com. If I was going to start it up I would want some help from the gurus in making it a place to submit the hacks.

I was also wondering if I could get some people to help moderate the forums for the site and the site in general. Guys like ToraTora!, Tubedogg, Wluke, thats if you guys want to.

So would anyone be interested?? I would design the site, graphics, colors and what not and all you guys would be required to do it help moderate the submission,forums and stuff..

[Admin]

Sounds good... :)

[BobbiX]

Sounds interresting ... when you got a first site design up and it's visible how you exactly plan to run that site I'd be highly interrested in joining you with this project.

Best regards,

Bobbi

[snyx]

okay, lets see
maybe only the fact that me/tora/brad started it
pfffft.

[tubedogg]

I can help with monitoring submissions and stuff. Let me know what you need - kevin@idlewords.net or you can PM me.

[brady]

HAHA,

I almost reserved the vbhacks.com domain name 2 days ago. to start up my own version of what you just said. But I decided against it....

[Sinecure]

Scary stuff :)

[ToraTora!]

Sure, i would be glad to help out in my spare time. :)

[Justice]

what ever happened to www.vBulletin.org ?

[snyx]

its as good as its last update :rolleyes:

[Freddie Bingham]

I believe between running user support here, writing code for Mars, Pluto AND Jupiter, and going to school, poor old Ed just doesn't have the time to do anything with the site.

[Justice]

oh... well you can put me down as a possible moderator for your design/layout/html board, should you decide to use one. I won a UBBDev award for my forum, and I'll be switching to vB shortly.

[Sinecure]

k kool

[Justice]

i was going to offer to help with the design, but I took a look at your PJ site... i think you've got the design aspect covered.

[Sinecure]

hehe thanks..

I'm really looking to make this a community thing...it could be really sweet...

[Admin]

Looks like me and Sinecure teamed up. :)

[holev]

well, kinda new to this forum/community but i'm a php'er for a while now and i'd like to help :cool:

[Wayne Luke]

I might check in once in a while but I cannot make any time commitment towards the project. Either in moderating or coding.

[Mike Sullivan]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by freddie
I believe between running user support here, writing code for Mars, Pluto AND Jupiter, and going to school, poor old Ed just doesn't have the time to do anything with the site.

[JamesUS]

That about sums it up Although, ideally, it should be able run itself -- it's mostly user generated content.

It's getting it set up that's the hard part :D


I'm happy to do some help, but I'm not sure what. Moderation, coding, or whatever really :)

Not sure exactly what you need though. I'm all for projects like this because it will help us manage the hacks forum over here.

[SystemLogic]

You have my full support

[shadowbreed]

Dang i just bought vbhacks.com because i wanted to do the same thing when i saw this thread

Sinecure can you contact me please?
Maybe i can do the hosting part or something and we can join forces, i don't see any need for two of these sites.

[Admin]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by shadowbreed
Dang i just bought vbhacks.com because i wanted to do the same thing when i saw this thread

Sinecure can you contact me please?
Maybe i can do the hosting part or something and we can join forces, i don't see any need for two of these sites.

[Sinecure]

ARGG!!!! :mad: :mad: :mad:

I'll get on ICQ firefly, I guess we'll have to choose a new domain.

[ozone2000]

will the site only be with hacks for vb? or will it have most of the stuff for vb? Because them i can make styles when i get my license!

[Admin]

We will offer both hacks and styles / buttons / any-other-graphics for vB.

[ozone2000]

ok then count me in for the styles! i can also make standard buttons, not like the XP ones Sinecure made, im not skilled enough to do that, but i can make good styles!

[orca]

Well, I could help out in general. Not a real PHP guru yet but I'm learning. But not if it's needed right now since I have my exams ;). After that I know everything about food ;). If you'll also support foreign languages, I could help in the "german" section.

[shadowbreed]

I guess you didn't understand, you can still use this domain!!!!!!!!!!

I don't see any need for two of these sites.

[shadowbreed]

been talking to firefly on icq seems my english was not good enough to state what i meant:


Dang i just bought vbhacks.com because i wanted to do the same thing when i saw this thread


I meant to say

Dang i just bought vbhacks.com because i wanted to do the same thing THEN i saw this thread

Anyways i see my error and i'm giving you the domain if you want it no strings attached.

It was an honest mistake

Cancelling the domain now

I hope you guys understand it was an honest mistake and aren't mad at me.
I would just like to become a member of this community and don't want this mistake to get in the way of that.

[Sinecure]

umm. When I go to network solutions it still says the domain is taken. How long does it take before things will go through.??

[shadowbreed]

i dunno exactly i have to send a fax to OpenSRS to cancel it they just told me by email, i will send the fax when i get to the office in about an hour, i'll send you a pm as soon as i know more

[JamesUS]

Can't you just transfer the domain rather than cancel it? It will go through much quicker and should be easier in the long run.

[shadowbreed]

No firefly didn't want it that way
I have send in the cancelation fax and am waiting for a reply from opensrs

[c-pr0mpt]

Dang, I must be blind. I never saw this thread. lol

Go for it guys. I was going to start vbulletingfx.com a while back. But, time just didn't permit me to get anywhere on it. Hopefully this project gets feet and starts running.

Good luck to you both. And if you ever need help of any kind Id be more than willing.

[c-pr0mpt]

Also, I know you said you had hosting taken care of. But if you run into any problems, hit me up. I am a reseller for VenturesOnline, (As many are). And I would set this up for you free. Id take care of the monthly costs.

[Sinecure]

Thanks for all the help guys. This site will be a success for all of us and hopefully create a community for developing and making your vbulletin forum look the best it can !


ehhe :)

[ozone2000]

yeah, it will be a big help for the v bulletiners here, i already got lots of styles waiting for your site... heh!:cool:

[Sinecure]

well I'm starting on the design tonight

[Admin]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by JamesUS
Can't you just transfer the domain rather than cancel it? It will go through much quicker and should be easier in the long run.

[JamesUS]

That's what I mean. Transfer ownership rights of the domain, rather than completely cancel and re-register it.

[Sinecure]

Wouldn't that depend on who it was registered with?? IE Network solutions??

[Admin]

Heh, that would probably take longer.
It was already canceled, probably because it wasn't validated yet or something.

[JamesUS]

I believe someone said it was registered with OpenSRS.

It would be pretty much instant actually...just change the registrant name/billing name etc from the control panel and it's done.

But seeing as you've already cancelled it this information is worthless :D

[Admin]

WTF SOMEONE PURCHASED IT AGAIN!!! :mad::mad::mad:

j/k, it's me. :D

[Sinecure]

hehhehe...

[shadowbreed]

Actually it WAS validated but i cancelled it so you could buy it :)

[Sinecure]

Thanks Shadow

[shadowbreed]

nah you shouldn't thank me i shouldn't have registered it in the first place.

Next time i have an idea i'll use the search first to see if noone else has the same idea.

[Sinecure]

yeah

[c-pr0mpt]

Will we get sshots of the design once its complete? I'd like to check it out. :)

[Admin]

That's really upto Sinecure and Prolex.

But anyway, I got something important.
We of course don't want to support / help pirates.
But also, no one will enter his licence info there, and even if someone did, we have no way of verifying that.
So do you have any ideas of how we can know that this user is a paying customer of vBulletin?

Thanks for any ideas. :)

[JamesUS]

Well, there's no way you can validate their license info like we have here, because the site can't have access to the vB License database. You'd have to have enough moderators on the staff that could check here when it is suspicious.

I can't see any feasible way to have them enter the info at vbhacks as well.

[c-pr0mpt]

Create an area in the profile (required field) that asks for a certain word that is in the member area. This field in the profile should not be shown to anyone except Mods and Admins. And then add something that shows an icon or something in their profile so everyone else knows whether they entered it or not.

You could even make it kinda like a password during registration possibly.

or something along these lines. Can't think of nothing else. :(

[Admin]

That's what I thought James, maybe a mod from here could have special access to the user stuff, so he can "tick" users.
But I'm not sure you guys are alowed to publicize this info (cuss you don't allow us see it here).

[Admin]

That's probably what we're gonna do, eventually, if don't find anything better.
But of course it won't be a word (like "download" :p), more like a sentence.

I dunno, this is a really tough one.

[IanMFT]

I think that first of all, you should REQUIRE a link to their homepage and maybe hack it so if they want, it will be private to everyone except mods and admins. This would probably help you out.

As for the members themselves, maybe require that you have an account on this site with their liscence info entered in....i dunno, that's quite a predicament, how does UBBDEV handle this? Maybe if you guys get sanctioned officially by jelsoft, you can have a liscence info or confirmation code field. IE: jelsoft writes a script that will generate a code for you based on your liscence info and they could have a semi private script that will decode it and check it against the user database and tell you without disclosing any info about the actual key....you could also hack it so each key entered into your forums has to be unique per user...

I dunno, just some thoughts...btw, if you guys need help with site design/matinence/moderating I am glad to help, I love vB and I'm starting to REALLY learn it.

~Ian

[Admin]

Good ideas Ian.

I added a yes/no button about the homepage, so that's also something.

[WEBDosser]

This sounds a good idea.. i allready run a small VB help and hacks forum on my site and have been looking for a way to check if a user has a valid licience. at the moment i have to email Mike with there licience number NOT there licience password number.. but this would be a lot better..

[chrispadfield]

Originally posted by FireFly
That's what I thought James, maybe a mod from here could have special access to the user stuff, so he can "tick" users.
But I'm not sure you guys are alowed to publicize this info (cuss you don't allow us see it here).

Ed/Mike was, i think, working on a way round this for vbulletin.org. I think the idea was that you typed in your username and password and then the script checked to see if that combination would have given access to the member's area. If so then it works if not it dosen't.

Whether jelsoft will be happy about you asking for member's info I don't know but it is a thought anyway.

[Admin]

But the main problem is getting the users to enter their licence information into their profile.
I know I wouldn't give it to anyone that is not an official representor of Jelsoft.

We can probably not even store the password in the database (I *think* that's how it's done here, right?), but just check it as they enter it.
Hell, we don't even need the customer number.
Just enter, click a button, and you'll be verified.
But even then we will need to convince everyone that this is REALLY how it's done, and we're not tricking them.

[Sinecure]

I agree...the pirates must be stopped....

I think that having to enter a word from the members page is the most reasonable....The other ideas are great if you could do it though.

Where about 3/4 done the design btw..Me and my bro Prolex should have it done by tonight :)

[IanMFT]

But the main problem is getting the users to enter their licence information into their profile.
I know I wouldn't give it to anyone that is not an official representor of Jelsoft.That's kinda easy, well, the idea is. If they dont enter in their registration number, hack it so their title is something like "Unverified Customer" or something likr that...the ideas are easy for me, the hacks are not ;)

[JamesUS]

The thing about vBulletin.org is that I believe it's hosted on this server, so it would be easy to gain access to the license database.

While it is possible to get access remotely, I doubt very much that is going to happen...

As I see it you have two options:

1) Get endorsed by Jelsoft and we can write you a script that will check without revealing any info
2) Ask for a specific word from the members' area

Ian: That would definitely not be allowed. We don't publicise whether people have info here, and there's no way we can allow that to happen elsewhere.

[Admin]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by JamesUS
Ian: That would definitely not be allowed. We don't publicise whether people have info here, and there's no way we can allow that to happen elsewhere.

[Sinecure]

Who would we have to talk to in order to get endorsed by Jelsoft. I know its a long shot but Its something we should try for. I dont want to be supporting piraters in anyway what so ever!

Dont James and John get back soon? Would we have to talk to them?

[amykhar]

Guys, What if you made it a private, read only board with the only registration link being in Jelsoft's member area? (If you could get them to put that link there for you)

Then, you would simply have a script that made sure that any registration requests came from that link and nowhere else.

This would put the burden of verification on Jelsoft. It would also allow people to remain anonymous if they like so privacy is maintained. All you care about is that they have access to the member area.

Amy

[Sinecure]

hmm, thats a good idea. I think it should be considered :)

[JamesUS]

Yes that's a good idea.

Re John and James; they are supposed to be back by now but they're not :( Probably decided to stay a bit longer :D
We'll let you know any updates on that.

[Admin]

I also like that idea, but I'm afraid it will make the registration process a lot more complicated, something none of us want.
I mean, it'll take me at least an hour to find my licence info in my email records.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by JamesUS
Re John and James; they are supposed to be back by now but they're not :( Probably decided to stay a bit longer :D
We'll let you know any updates on that.

[tubedogg]

Originally posted by JamesUS
The thing about vBulletin.org is that I believe it's hosted on this server, so it would be easy to gain access to the license database.
While it is possible to get access remotely, I doubt very much that is going to happen...While it might not be entirely kosher, it wouldn't be hard to write a script that would run a simulated user entering their license info in the members area entrance script and checking if it lets them in. That wouldn't require access to anything and it wouldn't return any license info.

[JamesUS]

That's true.

A little dodgy though :) I think the best option is to wait for James and John to come back, and let them okay a quickie script that can confirm whether a specified user is validated or not (but not store the info anywhere).

[Sinecure]

ALright, that sounds like the plan then :) *Wheew, Whipes Sweat* heheheh lol :D

Anyone have their cell number?? hehe I would be willing to phone :D

[JamesUS]

LOL

While I'm sure we could find it around somewhere, I'm also sure they won't want to be disturbed on their extra long holiday :) :D

The best we can do for now is to leave that particular aspect of the site until they return.

[Sinecure]

LOL, yeah their Xtra Xtra long holiday. :D :D
The design is pretty much done and we are starting to intergrate around the forums and what not :)

[IanMFT]

damnit, my ideas are getting shot down left and right ;)

anyway, I think that maybe instead of the actual customer info being put in, a seperate code could be generated and encrypted in md5, that way it's more secure because not only will they have to crack md5, but also un encode the string to even have any idea what PART of that code is. Maybe base it on their first and last names and their number and password....Then all jelsoft has to do is write the script to decrypt the password based on the aligrotom(sp?)...shjouldn't be too hard and it would allow customer codes to be displayed publically, and besides, they wouldn't have the password if they managed to crack that.

Just a thought...and it'll probably get shot down again. ;)

[Sinecure]

Well it seems like a good idea, but because I am more impatent then Prolex at writing PHP or encrypting de-crypting I would leave it up to The PHP gurus :D heheh no offence Prolex :)

Lets see what they have to say
|
|
|
|
V

[JamesUS]

Sounds good, but two points:
1) The license info still can't be displayed publicly in any shape or form.

2) You can't decrypt md5, but I'm sure we could find an algorithm that you can decrypt :)

[Sinecure]

hmmmm, SO its just a matter of waiting for James and John :D

[Sinecure]

http://www.vbhacks.com

Alright, DNS servers have updated :)

We got a little random image/bg color going on :) The design is all done and we are working on the intergration and colors for the forums, + graphics too.

We will be waiting for James and John to get back in order to resolve this verification issue. Hopefully they dont take their sweet time :)

We'll let everyone know when the site is launched!

[Dalius]

Heh, Looks Good
Can People still volenteer to help?

It depends what's needed to be done though...
I can do some web design and that

[Sinecure]

yeah, we might set up an application where people can apply, but we arent 100% sure yet :0

[Sinecure]

Update:

-Main page design is done..
-Forum Design Complete..

-Beginning to hack it to death :D

I was hoping I could perhaps get some imput on what types of catagories you guys might want to go in there.

Just for example if we had a General Catagory, what should go under there? Thats just an example.. Some ideas would be appreciated.

i'm getting pretty antys for that Cell number :D:D:D:D

[Dalius]

-General
---Important News (Announcments)
---The Lounge (Off Topic Land)
---Archives (If you want to archive good topics in lounge :D )

-vB Hacks
----PHP Help! (help with hacking in vB)
----Beta Testers Needed (post beta's of hack)
----2.x Releases (complete releases)

-vB Graphix
----Design (Styles/Templates/ect...)
----Graphics,Smilies and Logos (<--- what it says their)

Anything im missing?

[Sinecure]

hmm, i'll see if I can incorporate a few of those..

[Wayne Luke]

Originally posted by Sinecure
i'm getting pretty antys for that Cell number :D:D:D:D

It is rather doubtful that we would divulge either John's or James' cell phone numbers. You are more than welcome to email them.

[Admin]

I set up a pretty basic page for you to offer your service.
It would be a lot easier for all of us if we have the information of everyone who wishes to help in an easy-to-get way.

So please, if you want to help, devote 2 minutes of your time and fill in the form.

Thanks all. :)

Oops: :p
http://www.vbhacks.com/crew.php

[Dalius]

Where is the form?

[Admin]

Thanks Dalius, I forgot it. :)

[Dalius]

w00t done! :)

[ozone2000]

i signed up!!

[rockergrrl]

I decided to signup as well...

whatever you want me to do... I'll do it (if I am able to -- aka I'm a crappy php programmer, :D)

[Sinecure]

It's nice to see all these people offering there services

[Dalius]

:D

[WEBDosser]

i have the same idea on my site.. also have a way to check licience number. works like this: They submit there licience NOT there licience password in the request form and then i ask the VB staff if it valid..:) works fine because one site the guy gave me a number i checked it with VB staff and it was FAKE. Needless to say that site nolonger has vBulletin on there..

[Sinecure]

Dosser, I see your using my buttons, thats cool :D

[Dalius]

That would be pretty hard

JOHN IS IMAVBPIRATE A VALID USER?

JOHN: NO, STOP BUGGING ME GODDAMNIT

[Sinecure]

Okay there are some major problems associated with the way your doing it. First off all we expect to get a fair amount of registered users and if we were to be pestering the mods 24/7 they would surely get angry :D

2nd problem is that I dont want to be sending a pm to the mod everytime we get a new user, that would be VERY annoying!

We pretty much have everything figured out here. We are just waiting for see what John and James say about the whole idea and perhaps the script will be written soon :D

[WEBDosser]

Sinecure. i hope you don't mind about the buttons?. i think they go well with my site colors, if there's a prob i will remove them?.. or i could put a link on the main page to your site and tell peeps where i got them..

[Sinecure]

they are free man, theres no prob in you using them. I only hope that you would put up a link or something :D

[WEBDosser]

consider it done :D

[Sinecure]

W00t, and the vbhacks thread hits 100!!!

[psx-dude]

hurry it up already :p I want some vb hacks! :D

[Sinecure]

I got my end of things :D, just waiting for Firefly :D jk man, hes working hard, so am i :D

[Dalius]

Who's going to do what?

[Sinecure]

I have completed the entire site, and the board. Firefly is working on some of the PHP and coding end of things.

[Dalius]

Nice
Who's going to mod?

[Sinecure]

Well some of the mods that moderate these forums are most likely going to help out. Tubedogg I know for sure :) Umm if you didnt already know, we are excepting applications

http://www.vbhacks.com

[Justice]

:eek: very nice logo

[Sinecure]

made in bryce 5

[Dalius]

Signed up already ^_^

[Sinecure]

Nice, things are really coming along. We have a lot of cool features guys. Your all really going to enjoy it :D

[Dalius]

Shweet! :D

[Sinecure]

Yes, yes it is :D

[fury]

Sorry I'm late, but I put my application in ;)

I can't code much PHP or MySQL right now but I'm learning :)

I applied mostly just to help manage the forums (i.e. backups, making sure it doesn't blow up, etc etc)

But I can do template editing ;)

[Sinecure]

cool, I think Firefly is starting to review applications. If we find out anyone lies in their application they get a good beating :D hehe LOL

[Dalius]

I'm not lying :)

When will we find out if we made the team, Couch?

>> :D

Dal

[Sinecure]

Not sure son :D Firefly is going to be taking in the people for the hacks section, because I know little about PHP and mySQL. I beleive I will be trying to take some other people aboard for other various things :D

We are doing the niddy griddy touch ups on things right now and adding cool little features to make things easier for everyone.. Its hard to give a final date of release yet, as we need to talk to john and James about the customer id and password thing..

Cheers!

[Dalius]

^_^

[BradC]

so far it looks like it could develop into something.. with the line up of stars that you might have playing ball with ya :)

FireFly will be excellent and finding the skilled - n- chosen ones :)

[Sinecure]

Well me and Firefly joined up to get things started. THen we are going to get some people to be monitoring submissions and general work as well.

thus the applications..

[Dalius]

!!!!!!!11111111

[Ruth]

Its hard to give a final date of release yet, as we need to talk to john and James about the customer id and password thing..


http://www.thecoolspot.co.uk/forums/index.php

this site uses vB customer ID...

[Sinecure]

yes, but he/she has to send a moderator a por email to check the customer id. Thats a total pain in the ass.

[Sinecure]

I believe that he simply gets the moderators to tell him if the customer ID is valid.....that way we would "like" to do it is have a script that will do that without a mod having to touch anything...

[JamesUS]

Originally posted by Sinecure
I believe that he simply gets the moderators to tell him if the customer ID is valid.....that way we would "like" to do it is have a script that will do that without a mod having to touch anything...

Yes we have more than enough work to do already, without validating hundreds or even thousands of members :)

James and John have gone quiet again (probably sleeping off the jetlag), so we'll have to wait a little bit longer.

[ozone2000]

wow, this is really going somewhere!!!! i really hope... no, i know it will be something!!

[Sinecure]

Yeah, its going to own!!

[JamesUS]

I have just spoken to John for you - he wants you to email him:

john@vbulletin.com

[Sinecure]

Thanks :D Going to email him now :D

[Admin]

Thanks a lot James. :)

[Dalius]

w0000000000000000000000t

Let's go!!!!!!11

[Sinecure]

exciting stuff

[Dalius]

Yep

[psx-dude]

is it ready yet?

[Sinecure]

The design is completely done, the forum design is completely done as well. Firefly is getting close to finishing up all his custom work and php work :D

Cant give an estimate of release yet, but it should be soon. We just need to talk to John and figure out whats happening with the registration.

[Admin]

Like Sinecure said, his part is basically over.
Once in a while I wake him up in the middle of the night cause I need a new button, but generally he's done.

But since he's done, he has nothing better to do but to sit in front of the computer, and just screw up a certain software's config files every hour or so, so he won't get bored.

;)

But seriously, it's far from done yet.
After all I'm the only one who's working on it (ok this is where all 8514 members of this forum offer their help with the coding part :p), and I still got some jobs to finish, and I got school, and I'm still shopping for a life, so... it'll take some time. :)

[Sinecure]

I luv messing up the config file!! It gives me pride to know I create work for others :) Does that classify me as an employer??

[Prolex]

hehe W00t...the page is l00king really good