Administrative and Maintenance Tools - Miserable users

This modification is no longer available or supported.

The ever popular "miserable users" hack for vb 3.6. Basically a way to really annoy anyone you don't want visiting your forum. This version is based on the vb 3.5 version. Credit to Zzed, and KuraFire for the pre 3.5 versions.

When classed as miserable, a member suffers ;

1. Slow response (time delay) on every page (20 to 60 seconds default).
2. A chance they will get the "server busy" message (50% by default).
3. A chance that no search facilities will be available (75% by default).
4. A chance they will get redirected to another preset page (25% & homepage by default).
5. A chance they will simply get a blank page (25% by default).
6. Post flood limit increased by a defined factor (10 times by default).
7. If they get past all this okay, then they will be served up their proper page.

Note: All the above options are set in the vBulletin Options.

To install this hack simply download the xml file to your pc and then import it into vbulletin as a product - then create your 'miserable users' usergroup and set the value of this group, and your preferred other settings, in the hacks settings area (vBulletin Oprions > Miserable Users). To make a member suffer just edit their profile to add them to the miserable users group (it will work as either the primary group or as a secondary group).


History:

v2.10 - First vb 3.6 version, minor changes to code.
v2.11 : Dependancies updated for 3.6.0 Gold.
v2.12 : Updated for Version Checking.

[basskiller]

Originally Posted by Paul M

Not a flaw, just not a very bright thing to do - you could just as easily put them in the banned group, but that's not a flaw in vBulletin .....

read my other post.. no one sez it's right or unintelligent or a flaw in vbulletin.. it's in the hack itself.. The fact of the matter is.. It can be done..

I guess you don't think some sort of safeguard is warrented.
Oh well I tried

[da420]

Originally Posted by basskiller

The senrio I described was goofing around tp see if it could be done.
It's unintelligent to think it can't be done because you don't think someone should do it.



Here let me explain it to you.
Lets say you have a few admins on your site. You get into an arguement with one of them.. He decides he wants to get even with you or whatever.. He puts you in that usergroup.


As a default. The vbulletin script is built so the owner and whomever you wish can not be deleted. This is done through an addition to a PHP file.

This hack hasn't quite circumvented the defult, but has put a huge damper on it

I understand your point, but I still think it's unintelligent.

I would never make an admin on board that I did not trust, or thought was that immature that they would do that, so it is unlikely that would happen on my board, and if it did there are ways to gain that access back. Trust me on this, If I was the owner of the board they would no longer be an admin.

Make the owner of the board unalterable in the config.php file in the includes directory, that way their usergroup cannot be changed if it is that bothersome. It's a good idea to do anyways.

I just tried to alter one of my admins that is set to unalterable usergroup to the miserable users user group and I got the correct error message. "Sorry, this user is protected from being altered in the config.php file by the $config['SpecialUsers']['undeletableusers'] variable." If this message does not show then you have an incorrect setting in the config file.

[Paul M]

Originally Posted by basskiller

The fact of the matter is.. It can be done..

Of course it can be done, lots of things can be done if you want - you can put the "board owner" in the banned usergroup, or delete them entirely if you want - these are not flaws, just misuse.

If you want to stop them then you make the account unalterable - as mentioned above.

[hendri]

this is very nice hack.. can fight the intruder silently

[nsusa]

If I set the option for "Server busy" to zero - does the miserable user will then not see the server busy screen? I always get the question if the server is busy and would like rather point "the problem" towards the ISP

Chris

[Greek76]

A question I installed this mod worked great because I had a troubled user so I added him to the miserble group list that I created. The problem now is that a few users snames are not showing up on the who visited and who's on list. Not all but some. So I removed deleted the miserable group list and uninstalled it but still the same problem. I didnt add an ip to the miserable list I just added the user name to the list.

[Paul M]

Originally Posted by nsusa

If I set the option for "Server busy" to zero - does the miserable user will then not see the server busy screen? I always get the question if the server is busy and would like rather point "the problem" towards the ISP

Chris

If you set any option to 0 then it will not be used.

[Brew]

Originally Posted by sistem73

please caps help me thank you very much

This point mine exactly too though. Think me he that understands completely you.

:dead:

---------------------------------------------------------

Now to my own issue

I'm trying to make it so moderators can add people to the Miserable Users group. I just can't find the place to set that up.

Can someone tell me how to do that?

Thanks!

[Paul M]

There is no facility in vb for moderators to add members to usergroups.

[Brew]

Originally Posted by Paul M

There is no facility in vb for moderators to add members to usergroups.

I've come to that conclusion.

Of course after spending 5 hours of my precious time wading through every setting in vB and through much of it's code and rummaging through a zillion forum posts!

Sometimes, the greatest efforts are spent on the most fruitless endeavors.....

LOL