[release] Spambot Protection
 

Author: filburt1
Description: a powerful, admin CP-integrated set of options to automatically perform actions on users and posts who appear to be flooding your forums with spam. This is a relatively complicated mod to install so read the instructions. Requires PAPI 1.0.8.
Screenshot: attached for admin CP, n/a for actual usage

Read This!
The number of queries that this mod uses is dynamic but execute on every page. If you are not in the Registered usergroup or have turned off the spambot protection, it uses none. If you only monitor spam threads or replies, it uses one query; if you monitor for both, it's two queries.

The query for actually detecting spam is relatively server-intensive. However, if you make the threshold higher, the query gets much more intensive. Choose an intelligent value. Something along the lines of 100 could cripple your server because the query would have to search the entire huge post table before quitting.

So, if you have a large board, configure with intelligence!

This better work for everybody, that's all I can say *yawn* :( I do expect people to report bugs to the complexity of the mod so I'll be ready for them...tomorrow.

Sounds promising. I may one day install this if I get too much spam. Thanks for the mod

I'll test it out for you if needed, nice work and you get some rest now. ;)

I already know of one bug off the top of my head which I'll try fixing today but dammit it requires editing both PAPI and this mod ;(

Please do, thanks, and I never want to stay up to 2 AM coding PHP again :o

oooooooo
/me clicks the Install button.
/me realizes that mod isn't installed,
/me cries.

I uploaded a new version. If you already had this installed:
1. Reapply the phpinclude edit
2. Upload the new (1.0.8) version of PAPI

So, can somebody test this? Just create a dummy user, log in as him, and spam your board.

Why are the coolest and most functional mods never installed? :(

I will install this on my test board and test it out :).

Ok, Filburt.

I installed everything and everything is working fine, except for when I try to do things with the users I registered. For some reason, everytime I try to post with that user I get a database error and I got it occassionally with trying to log-in. The interesting thing is I can do everything just fine with the admin account, including posting, logging back in, etc. So I assume it must be something with the database modifications.

Help :confused:

What's the database error?

It's just giving me the generic "There has been an error in the Senate Sim database." It doesn't give me the report like where it's coming from or anything.

Right-click the page, click View Source, and copy the error.

This is the one I am getting when trying to log in. It appears, it does have something to do with the hack because it denotes 6 which is the number of posts I set in the Board Options.

Sh**, I forgot a closing paren in PAPI 1.0.8. Uploading new version, stand by.

Try upgrading to PAPI 1.0.9 and see if it helps.

Still getting it:

What are the contents of the floodcheck() function for the version of PAPI that you have?

It has been attached.

Arg, I'm an idiot...download and upgrade PAPI again.

Still getting it.....here's the "new" copy:

You know the drill...;)

Remember I wrote this at 2 AM, unlike HelperBot which was a respectable 8 PM ;) :D

Um, your attachment is missing on the PAPI thread ;).

Odd :confused: It's back.

Filburt,

Since updating the new PAPI page, it is working. My settings were to close the thread and delete the replies after 6 posts in 30 seconds. While it did work, it did it after 4 replies (total 5 posts), so I am not sure if there is a greater then or something sign messed up.

I have posted some screenshots, you may use them if you wish :).

Note: I called my drone guy 'spammerbot' so don't get confused ;).

Try setting it up to only do stuff with threads or replies, but not both.

Ok, I did it to hide the replies when it hits 6. As I was posting my 6th time all the replies were hiddden so I didn't see the 6th post. I assume this is how it works. :confused:

The concurrent deletion is tricky because (I think) a new thread counts as a new reply as well. Therefore two threads and two replies might count as six and then kick in.

I defintely believe that the new thread counts as part of the "new replies." If it doesn't then it has a bug because it is one short everytime, as far as "replies" goes.

Let me know, I will test new stuff out on my test board if you wish :).

Please do continue to test things.

Do you think that it's intuitive how a thread counts as a reply as well?

What would you do without Guinea Pigs? :)

I think its cool, I guess looking at it objectively it should count anyway because even though it isn't a "reply" it is a post. So I like the fact that its counting posts not neccesarily replies. Maybe you should change the install deal to make it posts instead of replies? That way it won't throw people off?

True. I don't think it's intuitive myself although I think it should be simple to fix so it doesn't count threads as replies. :)

BTW, I had enabled the e-mail function and this is what I got, it was from "Apache":

It'll be from whatever your server is set up as. :)