Miscellaneous Hacks - Ban some words/links from using on the forum

Product was updated to version 1.2.1

Changelog v1.2.1 :

• Fixed bug, when guests was able to read posts (with parsed bbcodes) even after option - "Disable BBCodes in all existing posts, which already include denied words/links" was enabled.

Changelog v1.2 :

• Threads/Posts and Pm's titles will be checked for banned strings too.
• Now it is possible to customize your own error message for every banned word/link/string.

Changelog v1.1 :

• Now error message are provided with banned word/link which was used in users message. So users will know which word they must delete to continue.
• All links are urldecoded before checking, so trick with posting urlencoded links will not work anymore.

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In some time, every VB forum admin have an situation, when someone or some spam-bots, or groups of peoples starting writting every time same "bad" words or when they every time publishing a links on their web-sites. They think that referals from your site will help them to grow up in search systems and e.t.c.

Vbulletin have an normal autocensor, which can change some words to the "*****", but it allows to the users to write a post... Also after using autocensor, if sometimes we will want to disable it - all this links/words must be resaved in every post to see them again (because even after disabling autocensor - peoples will see same - "*******").

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So... With using "BannedWords" plugin, you can ban/deny some words/links(or their parts) from using in new posts/pm's. Users will see an error after trying to add new reply/start new thread or so... (error with text that he used banned word. To be clear - I am used "word" as any string which can be an part of users message).

This plugin allows you to specify banned words, users and usergroups which will be ignored by plugin (let's say - situation, when we want to leave possibility to publish forbidden links for moderators and admins) and others options.

Plugin options (screenshot) - vBulletin Options->Banned Words Plugin Settings :

Error which users will see after creating messages with denied words (screenshot) :

If you want to customize error message for every banned word, you must make new vbphrase (for needed banned word) in Languages & Phrases->Phrase Manager->Add New Phrase :

• Phrase Type=Error Messages
• Product=BannedWords
• Varname=AnyYourVarName
• Text=AnyYourErrorMessage (your error message can contain this word - "!bword!",which will be replaced by banned word which cause the error.

After you will make new vbphrase, you must go into this plugin options and type your banned word and phrase name as shown in Example #2 :

somelink.com,my_error_vbphrase1

(Banned Word/Link and Phrase/Var name must be separated by comma).

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If you will enable option with disabling bbcodes in all posts (with denied words), which was created recently, they (posts) will looks as shown in this screenshot (with disabled bbcodes) :

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Also you can disable this product in any time, and all recently blocked words will be allowed and bbcodes in old posts with denied words will works automatically.

Product was tested on VB 3.8.6 and VB 4.0.1, but must works also on every VB 3 or 4 version...

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How to install :

Just import xml file as usual VB product.

Uninstallation :

Just uninstall this product as any other VB product.

How to update :

Uninstall and then reinstall product (before that, it is recomended to save your old options into some place).

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For multilanguage forums :

After installing of "Ban some words/links from using on the forum" product, you will be able to find and edit needed vbphrases :

• bannedwords_error
• setting_bannedwords_onoff_desc
• setting_bannedwords_onoff_title
• setting_bannedwords_list_desc
• setting_bannedwords_list_title
• setting_bannedwords_exception_usrgroups_desc
• setting_bannedwords_exception_usrgroups_title
• setting_bannedwords_exception_users_desc
• setting_bannedwords_exception_users_title
• setting_bannedwords_use_in_pm_desc
• setting_bannedwords_use_in_pm_title
• setting_bannedwords_disable_bb_in_exist_post_desc
• setting_bannedwords_disable_bb_in_exist_post_title

[valdet]

Can you also add an option to block this word on title only, or title/thread.

And what about vB 3.x versions.

Great hack. Thanks.

[LordOfWAR_PC]

Originally Posted by valdet

Can you also add an option to block this word on title only, or And

Ok, I will add an option with title blocking too.

Originally Posted by valdet

what about vB 3.x versions.

3.8 versions are supported too (you can install it without any changes), I just don't want to make two same threads in both forums...

[LordOfWAR_PC]

Product was updated to version 1.2.

Changelog v1.2 :

• Threads/Posts and Pm's titles will be checked for banned strings too.
• Now it is possible to customize your own error message for every banned word/link/string.

If you want to customize error message for every banned word, you must make new vbphrase (for needed banned word) in Languages & Phrases->Phrase Manager->Add New Phrase :

• Phrase Type=Error Messages
• Product=BannedWords
• Varname=AnyYourVarName
• Text=AnyYourErrorMessage (your error message can contain this word - "!bword!",which will be replaced by banned word which cause the error.

After you will make new vbphrase, you must go into plugin options again and type your banned word and phrase name as shown in Example #2 :

somelink.com,my_error_vbphrase1

(Banned Word/Link and Phrase/Var name must be separated by comma).

[Taurus1]

This is not working at all on my forum. Nothing happens. No error message, nothing.

Please advise. I am on vb 4.1.1

Thanks!

[LordOfWAR_PC]

So, you want to say that you added some word(s) into banned list, enabled plugin and after this, peoples still can make new threads/new posts with banned words ?

1. Make sure that you really enabled this plugin.
2. Check if plugin/hook system is enabled :

3. Maybe you have some others plugins, which are working with threads/posts too... (so there is some conflict)...

4. Did you added some usergroups or userid's in users exception list ? If yes, then check your usergroup and(or) userid - if you are in exception list, then plugin will ignore you - your account will not be checked, so you will be able to add even banned words...

P.S. As I wrote in second message - I am already tested plugin on vb 4.1.1 - so it must works...

[Taurus1]

I am 100% sure I set it up correctly. So then there must be a conflict.

[LordOfWAR_PC]

Originally Posted by Taurus1

I am 100% sure I set it up correctly. So then there must be a conflict.

1. Can you pls send to me in PM screenshot of options menu, or just text of banned words ? I just want to check them by myself...

2. Where you tried it ? I mean - on creating new message, new thread, new pm ? Did you tried others words/links ?

[BBF]

let's say that i banned the word "sex".
if some user want to replay / create new thread with the word "sex", it will delete his post automatically and show him error message?

another question, it is possible to define the mod to use the "original" vBulletin censor system?

[LordOfWAR_PC]

Originally Posted by BBF

let's say that i banned the word "sex".
if some user want to replay / create new thread with the word "sex", it will delete his post automatically and show him error message?

It will not delete no any post... Plugin will check users text (after he will click on post button) and if there is no any denied words, then message will be created on the forum, otherwise user will see an error with asking to delete forbidden words/links from his message.

Originally Posted by BBF

another question, it is possible to define the mod to use the "original" vBulletin censor system?

No, it is other plugin, it works separately from original censorship system. But I can add in future version, something like - changing banned text to some word (or chars, like ***) in exists messages...

[MikeF]

Here here! This is a GREAT mod, but the BBCode thing is terrible. I have several problems with prior post blocking. Here's my scenario: We are trying to block:

imageshack.us
imageshack
image shack
91.216.122.223

Why? ImageShack has some 1/1000 problem where a phishing attack that says you have a virus on your computer pops up out of nowhere. So we want to prevent our members from accessing or posting about ImageShack. That IP is also the phishing site.

We can prevent NEW posts/threads/PMs about this, but

• Guests can still see the fully translated BBCode
• Outputting raw BBCode just makes people more interested anyway

I highly suggest you fix the first problem, and secondly, you suggest putting up a block message in replacement of the specific text/URL that has already been posted. This would help people understand what is going on, and that the forum itself is not experiencing a strange error.

Otherwise, nice one. If you continue to develop this mod, it could be considered as MOTM and many people will adopt it as a standard for their site.