'Hide' member's Homepage URL

Hello.

Some forum admins don't want to allow their members to indirectly 'advertise' nor do they want to have to monitor WHERE members are linking to through their USERCP panel.

To hide the URL field AND the code in the browser's 'View Source',

STEP 1 (create PHP variable):
Go to AdminCP->Plugin Manager->[Add New Plugin] ->fill in the fields using 'Hook Location' of 'global_start', etc. In the 'Plugin PHP Code' box, add the following variable (without the quotes shown here), e.g. '$show_homepage=0;' (I like to use '0' and '1' to represent 'off' and 'on', respectively, though any value you chose can be used). Select 'Yes' for 'Plugin is Active' so this variable now becomes available throughout your vBulletin forum.

NOTE: If at anytime in the future you want the 'Homepage URL' to show again, go back to the 'Plugin Manager' and change the variable from '0' (off) to '1' (on). This essentially acts like an 'ON/OFF' switch. No code modification would be required.


STEP 2:
In the 'modifyprofile' template, find the homepage-related section that's surrounded by the <fieldset..> </fieldset> tags. You can do a template search for 'homepage' to find this section of code. On the line BEFORE the <fieldset> tag to the 'Homepage URL' code section,

ADD...

<if condition="$show_homepage==1">

and AFTER the matching </fieldset>
ADD...

</if>

Since from the plugin, the '$show_homepage' is not equal to '1', this statement renders 'false' and therefore, the data between the <if...></if> tags won't be interpreted/evaluated.

STEP 3:
Save the template and then go to the 'USERCP->edit profile' and that field should no longer exist, nor should it show up on the 'View Profile' page.


ENJOY! :squareeyed:

[Boofo]

Why don't you just make the plug-in for this instead of telling them how to do it?

[timetunnel]

Thanks for your reply.

How do you make one that's distributable? I haven't gotten that far with all of this, yet...

[Snake]

/me installs

[TheFocusElf]

I like this mod very much -- however, there are easier ways to mod this out -- on my bord, I just commented out the lines in the user's profile (and select other locations) where it displays.

If this were made into a plug-in -- I could see this being popular -- in the sense that people who cannot comment php or modify/create code like you, are likely to find this lack of automation unappealing.

I shall however wish you luck with your coding!

-TFE

[timetunnel]

Thanks for your input.

I didn't use the 'comment-out' method because I also decided to also hide it in the browser's 'View Source'. Also, the method I used is to change it one place and it would apply everywhere.

As soon as I can, I would like to find out how to make this change a 'plugin'. I'd like to make it easier for all users.

Thanks again.

[TheFocusElf]

Of course TT! Until I decided to prohibit "guest" posts and require moderator approval for new users, I got a few signups from some automated "bot" types, and some user fields became Viagara, Porn, or other undesireable content links.

I immediately commented out the user's homepage link in the profile, and routinely patrolled the users signature fields....

Keep up the good work!