Approving new users from showthread?
 

I've been kicking around a couple of ideas on how to streamline our new user applications. Currently, if you're requiring moderator approval on new accounts, you first have to log into the admincp and see if there are any waiting. If there are, you have to open each profile, check the information, note which users you're going to keep and which you're going to kick, then go back, check the appropriate boxes, and click the button to process the new users.

It's a bit complicated, especially when you're trying to go through a dozen accounts at a time.

What I've been thinking about is creating a new thread and populating it with the new user's info after registration. Easy enough, and several mods out there already do it. But I'm thinking that I can go ahead and put two buttons in the first post -- approve or delete the account. Show the buttons if the user is an admin, and check the user's permissions again before processing.

Even still, I'm a little uneasy about the potential security hole it opens up. I mean, vB is prompting for passwords on some moderator functions. There are good reasons why usergroup tools are sequestered away in the admincp.

I guess I could write a plugin that would replace the stock user moderation panel in admincp, but it looks like the lack of hooks is going to make that one more complicated. Creating a new thread makes for a tidy introduction section as well.

Prudent or paranoid?

I may have a solution to your problem, check out my Moderate New User Registrations (ModCP Option) - v3.7.x here and v3.6.x here.

It is not exactly what you want (read the threads first, as it will do what you need it to do), but uses all vB functions and there are no security holes in the hack :)

Thanks, but I'm not sure where that changes anything. It just gives more users the ability to suffer through the crappy stock approval process.

The approval process is really what I'm looking to change. When that panel opens now, all you have are the usernames and radio buttons to approve or delete them. You've got to open up each profile, take a look at the IP address, check the profile information, etc, then go back and approve the account.