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]

I guess you didn't actually create the usergroup with the same forum permissions.

There are two options in the New Usergroup screen - the one at the top (Create Usergroup Based off of Usergroup). That sets the basic usergroup permissions. However, at the bottom of the screen is the "Create Permissions Based off of Usergroup:". That is the one that set's identical forum permissions and is probably what you overlooked.

[Ronseal]

You're quite right Paul, I did over look the two options you've listed above as I just used the 'Add New Usergroup' option within the 'Usergroup Manager' a created the usergroup manually, replicating the 'Registered Users' group.

However after your comment I deleted the group (15) and created a new 'Miserable Users' group using the 'Create Permissions Based off of Usergroup' option within 'Add New Usergroup' to see what happened and I'm afraid it's just the same. My test 'Registered User' can still see my 'Private Forums'.

[Ronseal]

Thanks for the input Alibass, but in the 'Forum Permissions' for my 'Private Forums' every check box is set to 'No'.

[Ronseal]

I've just un-installed this Mod as it also seemed to override the category permissions of my 'Photopost Classifieds' install and once again made the hidden from 'Registered Users' visable.

This is a great Mod, but it doesn't seem to like my forum too much at present. Hopefully I'll reinstall in again when I can figure out where the conflict lays.

[Alibass]

Originally Posted by Ronseal

Thanks for the input Alibass, but in the 'Forum Permissions' for my 'Private Forums' every check box is set to 'No'.

Hopefully you can find your conflict. This is a great mod, I have been using it since Feb of this year and I have 45 hacks installed now on 3.6.8 version.

[Paul M]

This has no ability to override any forum permissions - the issue must be in your usergroup or forum permission settings somewhere.

[Ronseal]

Hi All..... and thanks for being patient with me!

Okay, I've had some success. I reinstalled the XML, created a 'Miserable User' group using the 'Create Permissions Based off of Usergroup' function but then manually set all it's permissions to 'No' as it will only ever be assigned as an 'Additional Usergroup'. This is now made my 'Private Forums' private once more. I didn't have to change the forum permissions because they were inherited from the 'Registered Users' group. Hope this makes sense....

As for my install if Photopost Classifieds and Photopost Gallery, that all I needed to do to sort the problem was to use the 'Refresh Usergroups from your Forum Software' tool within 'Edit Usergroups' and ensure that the hidden category within the Classifieds had it's checkbox unticked for 'Miserable Users'...... job done!

I'm still not assigning my annoying member back to the group quite yet..... a bit more testing to do but so far so good, thanks All.

[blackvborg]

Hi,
in my forum very often happens that a user moved to MU or to banned user group sign up again the board with a different email.

I've found very useful for a chat I developed to store a cookie on the user'pc so if someone banned (moved to MU) signup again we know it has already joined in the past and banned (moved to MU) so we can ban it again automatically (move to MU automatically)

In the past I created something like MU and it works much better then banning; so I would like very much to have an user automatically moved to MU if a cookie in his computer "says" it was a miserable user in the past.

For smarter users deleting the cookies there is another solution (90% effective):
It could be very useful to keep a list of the last IPs used by MU (associated with the timestamps of the last time they were online) so if someone join the board with an IP in this list and less then XX seconds were passed from its last visit you can move him automatically to MU

I think that these 2 suggestion can give terrific power to this mod

Thank you!

[CThiessen]

Hi,
You could use this Mod to do that.
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?p=1085503

Description
When an user registers, this plugin checks for the cookie that the AE Detector sets, if it exists, then this plugin will move the user to a specified usergroup (default is to the (COPPA) Users Awaiting Moderation usergroup). This will now check the user's IP address upon registration, and if it matches any others, it will place them in the Multiple Account (MA) usergroup . Also you have the option to ban the new account if the old account was banned.

I allready had some users placing themselves into the MU group.

Christian

[blackvborg]

Hi Chris,
thanks for the suggestion; at the moment I've installed Multiple Account Login Detector (AE Detector) but not yet the mod you suggested; I'm waiting to know if it works with vb 3.6.8 - it seems that the mod you suggested is no more supported; some users say that there are bugs and the author don't post for long time.

BTW some basic features of the 2 mods could be included in this mod - I know it's better to avoid duplicate of functionality, but having tens of mods create a bit of mess with board management

BTW Thank you, I'm sure I'll catch many alter-egos