Administrative and Maintenance Tools - MonkeyStop - Auto-Moderation of Spammer Keywords and URLs by postcount

Description
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A quick but effective hack that lets you set keywords that will flag posts and set as Moderated, requiring approval from a mod/supermod/admin before they're visible to users. You can also set the number of URLs to be allowed per post to stop flooding from spammers. Additionally, you can configure
the number of posts required to avoid the moderation, so the filter only effects new users to your forum.

Installation
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Import product-monkeystop.xml (ACP / vBulletin Options / Manage Products / [Add/Import Product])

Usage
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Configure the product in ACP / vBulletin Options / vBulletin Options / General Settings. (scroll to the bottom)
New threads and posts containing the offenses will automatically be moderated.
You can view moderated threads in ACP / Moderation / Moderate Threads. You should also see an icon in the thread postbit and forum display if the post is moderated (see screenshot).

Since most spammers register then spam your board while their post count is low, it may be effective to leave the default values (0 URLs allowed until post count is 3) or even up the post count requirement. If you wish to allow some links, change URLs to 1 or 2 for example.

!!! Warning !!!
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If you allow keyword auto-moderation, your users will receive an "Invalid Thread" message when they use a flagged word on new threads because it's a moderated thread. However this error can be customized here:
Admin Panel / Phrase Manager / phrase type: Error Messages / invalidid (page 15 or so of the errors)
I added:

<br/><br/>If you received this message immediately after posting a new thread, there's a good chance your message was flagged as spam. Please read this thread for more info.

... and supplied a link for my users explaining why their post was moderated.

Credits
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This is a hack of the "Auto Moderation by Keywords" mod by Andreas (https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/member.php?u=47102)
Thanks go out for his great mod -- if only I could PM or e-mail him to thank him directly! I only made minor changes to the mod to allow it to work with vBulletin 3.6.0 (by default it wouldn't work on new threads) and to auto-moderate posts URLs.
So give him credit if you think it's cool, but his PM box is full.
Dan "Tweak Monkey" Kennedy

History
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v1.0.1: Added minimum post count option
v1.0.0: Initial release

[tweakmonkey]

Originally Posted by furst

Is there any chance of adding a feature to this that would automatically move posts containing predefined words to an assigned forum? It would save me a whole lot of time :P

Ah, so instead of moderating it, it would move it to say, a dump forum? I can probably implement that when I have time.

[tweakmonkey]

I've found it's also effective to add the keyword "www" to the filter, so if low-postcount spammers don't post the full URL it will still block their posts.

[IrPr]

Finally Done!

Thanks Dan, i was waiting for this

[Smoothie]

Can someone post a screenshot of "Configure the product" settings?

[tweakmonkey]

Originally Posted by Smoothie

Can someone post a screenshot of "Configure the product" settings?

Check the first post now, I've added it as an attachment.

[adwade]

This is a very nifty, but powerful modification. Many Thanxx for creating and sharing it with all of us!

[adwade]

Well I broke it somehow.

I imported the .xml file, set the critera in the AdminCP, and then edited the invalidid phrase and it worked fine at first.

Then I went and created a new discussion thread (similar to yours) that the invalidid phrase error could point them towards. Lastly, I went back and re-edited the invalidid phrase with the address of that newly created thread.

Once I did that, I no longer get an error notice anymore when I post spam now.:disappointed: The MOD still works, in that it seems to perfectly catch what needs to be held for moderation...it's just it doesn't tell the author anything about what's being done.(i.e. Doesn't seem like the invalidid error msg is being called upon any longer)

After posting, the screen refreshes and you're brought back to the thread, but w/o the spam message showing up you just posted.(as it's being held for moderation now)

I went back and reset the invalidid phrase to original and it didn't help any. I went back and re-imported the .xml file and it didn't help. Any ideas as to what else could be wrong??

EDIT: Nothing is broke, I just didn't understand how the MOD works. Turns out it still works perfectly for NEW THREADS. It just doesn't show the person posting a REPLY or QUICK REPLY the error message as I thought it would. In either case, it still marks the message awaiting moderation as it should though. :up:

[Smoothie]

Originally Posted by tweakmonkey

Check the first post now, I've added it as an attachment.

Is is all or none for the settings? In other words can you set just one setting and leave the rest blank?

[tweakmonkey]

They are individually checked except postcount.

If you set the keywords to blank, it will only use the number of URLs and post count.
If you don't want to use the URL option set it very high, like 50 per post.
If you don't want to use the postcount option, set it to 0.

[tweakmonkey]

Originally Posted by adwade

Well I broke it somehow.

After posting, the screen refreshes and you're brought back to the thread, but w/o the spam message showing up you just posted.(as it's being held for moderation now)

Are you using the Phrase Manager or the Language Manager?

I changed the message here: Languages & Phrases -> Phrase Manager -> Phrase Type: Error Messages -> invalidid

I noticed the option exists in the Language Manager as well but it does not seem to make the error message change. This error message should be independent of the mod -- meaning if you uninstalled the mod you should be able to change this error to "I eat sandwiches" or something and see it whenever a thread is not found or is moderated.

Ideally I'll mod it to give the same message given when a user posts a message that is flagged as moderated, but I don't know where to do this yet...