Approving new users from showthread?

[saf-t scissors]

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?