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.

[Paul M]

Every plugin affects server load, you would have a hard time actually measuring any change from this though.

[0ptima]

Originally Posted by Paul M

Every plugin affects server load, you would have a hard time actually measuring any change from this though.

Great that is what I wanted to hear! Great hack!

[teemuki]

Great addon Thanks,
I've been LMAO for a last couple of hours. The thing works almost like a charm, although it seems that I cannot make the Miserable Users -group override the standard user title when the user is moved to Miserable_users.
All the miserability functions seem to work fine

~Teemuki

[Videx]

Originally Posted by teemuki

I've been LMAO for a last couple of hours. The thing works almost like a charm, although it seems that I cannot make the Miserable Users -group override the standard user title

I don't know what you find so funny? When we put users in MU it's because they've been causing quite a bit of trouble.

Anyway, you have the whole concept wrong if you think you want user titles to show someone is in MU. The idea is to discourage them from posting until they sober up or calm down. Knowing they're being disciplined isn't going to help the situation.

[teemuki]

I don't know what you find so funny?

Maybe it's just my twisted sense of humor.
Well, I just thought that it would be useful to other, well behaving users to see that someone has been put under MiserablaUsers-curse.

Thanks for pointing me to the right direction.

[pictureboarduk]

Has Paul M the creator of this hack ever made it so that you can add an IP (Guest) address into the miserable user group?

That would be a great feature.

Thanks..

[Kaycee123]

Originally Posted by Videx

Thanks Deezel; I guess I must have because mine is set to 'no'. But that really should be in the installation instructions, not buried somewhere in 14 pages of a discussion thread.

And it still doesn't seem to answer Kaycee's question. Unless they really did put a moderator in MU, which seems unlikely.

No, he wasn't a moderator, just a regular user - is there somewhere else he could have seen this??? This has really gotten us worried about the security of our board, because this person has caused us all sorts of problems - he was using multiple IP addresses and has tried to sign up since being banned with different name/email address/etc. He actually posted a screenshot of himself listed as Miserable User -- how could he have seen this?? This was NOT just a guess on his part, although he figured it out very quickly, within a day or two of us setting him to that category.

Also, I have been unable to find the "Show Forum Leaders" list anywhere on my board - where exactly is it??

He has also managed to make myself come up as sharing several of the same IP address as him (even though there have been no posts made under those IP addresses). We've also been getting DDoS attacks on our other servers, over 3.5 million hits in 12 hours, and we assume its from this same person.

Anyone got any ideas about how this person has done these things???? We're pretty concerned about the safety of our board.

[wickland]

HAHAHA! This is HILARIOUS, are you telling me that if I have some moron on my forum, I can make it redirect him to a naked guy on a different website? LOL YUSS!

[Paul M]

Originally Posted by pictureboarduk

Has Paul M the creator of this hack ever made it so that you can add an IP (Guest) address into the miserable user group?

That would be a great feature.

Thanks..

Allthough it's not mentioned, the option to add an IP address is part of this mod already.

Originally Posted by wickland

HAHAHA! This is HILARIOUS, are you telling me that if I have some moron on my forum, I can make it redirect him to a naked guy on a different website? LOL YUSS!

Yes, you could do that.

Originally Posted by Kaycee123

Also, I have been unable to find the "Show Forum Leaders" list anywhere on my board - where exactly is it??

showgroups.php

Originally Posted by Kaycee123

Anyone got any ideas about how this person has done these things???? We're pretty concerned about the safety of our board.

Sounds a bit like they have got into one of your moderators accounts, either by guessing the password or managing to steal thier session/login cookies.

[Kaycee123]

Originally Posted by Paul M

Sounds a bit like they have got into one of your moderators accounts, either by guessing the password or managing to steal thier session/login cookies.

Is there something we can do to prevent someone from stealing session/login cookies?? I've read through everything on here that I could find on security and have tried to implement the things suggested, but obviously its not enough.

This guy has gotten into a lot of info that he was not supposed to have. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!!