An alternative to banning: Miserable Users

This hack is an alternative to banning a user. As the name suggests a user who
gets hit with this hack will become truly miserable while trying to access
your board.

So here is what really happens to a miserable user:

- There is a random 60-120 second delay each time they click on a link.
- 90% of times they have no search engine acccess.
- 75% of the times they get the server too busy error.

If they don't get the server too busy error:
- 50% of the times they may get a blank page
- 30% of the times they may get forwarded to the forum main page
- 20% of the time they may be able to see the page they asked for.

after doing all the math in actuality they have only a 5% chance of seeing the
page they clicked on. What kills them is the time they have to wait before
anything happens.

I actually once tracked a miserable user and watched him suffer for 2 whole
hours before he was able to make a simple post.

This hack is considered one of the most sadistic hacks on my board.

The hack allows you to make your user miserable via the admin CP. It also
allows you to search for all miserable users through the admin CP as well.

Also in showthread.php, it appends a red status that is only visibly to admins
and mods stating that a user is miserable.


Tables affected by this hack: user

Files affected by this hack: global.php, showthread.php, admin/user.php

[drumsy]

Originally Posted by drumsy

How can I dial this down a bit?

Anyone?

[MarkB]

Originally Posted by KuraFire

djnoz, it can be done a lot easier than that on vB3

For this to be applied on a vB3 board, you really should just make a new (secondary) usergroup called "Miserable Users", make it non-public and put people in that group (along with their normal group, ie. the Miserable usergroup has no additional permissions anywhere, it's just important to note the usergroupid). Then in global.php, put the Miserable code and make it dependant on the usergroupid of the Miserable usergroup, check for it in $bbuserinfo[usergroups] (iirc)

As described by Kurafire, this way works great on vB3!!

I simply changed the first line of the global.php addition to:

if($bbuserinfo[membergroupids] == MEMBERID) {

Where memberid=the new usergroup id

I used membergroupid because I kept the users main usergroup as 'registered', so the new miserable group is in his membergroupids record. If that makes sense!

Thanks for the hack! It's horrible LOL

[GMfullsize]

I am trying to install this hack but...

How do I do the first part? How do I get to the MySQL prompt?

I have a couple members I would really like to do this to. Thanks

[djnoz]

Originally Posted by MarkB

As described by Kurafire, this way works great on vB3!!

I simply changed the first line of the global.php addition to:

if($bbuserinfo[membergroupids] == MEMBERID) {

Where memberid=the new usergroup id

I used membergroupid because I kept the users main usergroup as 'registered', so the new miserable group is in his membergroupids record. If that makes sense!

Thanks for the hack! It's horrible LOL

Nice one. That had me stumped for ages ... I'll have to try that out

[HP409ss]

Originally Posted by GMfullsize

I am trying to install this hack but...

How do I do the first part? How do I get to the MySQL prompt?

I have a couple members I would really like to do this to. Thanks

Well most hosts which provide servers will have a MYSQL admin pannel. In there you you will have a section to run a queries against the DB. If you dont have that a good tool to have installed is Webmin. It will allow you to do other cool things along with what you need for the DB queries.

[GMfullsize]

Originally Posted by HP409ss

Well most hosts which provide servers will have a MYSQL admin pannel. In there you you will have a section to run a queries against the DB. If you dont have that a good tool to have installed is Webmin. It will allow you to do other cool things along with what you need for the DB queries.

Thanks, I got it working so dont come to our site cause the other admins may put you on it LOL

I am just messing with you.
You can probably figure out who this is.

[influence]

BIg suggestion,

how about having sending a junkload of pop up's on the user . enough to freeze his pc and force him to restart . Then he will get tired of restarting, registering new email account and all that and just give up

[KuraFire]

Miserable Users for vB3 - NO FILE EDITS NECESSARY!

This vB3-version works with a new usergroup of your choice. Make a new usergroup, call it Miserable People or whatever you want, and note what usergroup id it is.

Next, put this code in your phpinclude_start template in vB3. Make sure to edit the $miserableid variable (at the start) and change it to the usergroupid of your Miserable People usergroup.

PHP Code:

// Miserable Hack for vB3
 // Ported by KuraFire to vB3, original vB2 version by Zzed
 // #######################################################
 // Put the id of your Miserable Usergroup here:
 $miserableid = 22;
 if (strpos($bbuserinfo['membergroupids'], ','))
 {
     $ids = explode(',', $bbuserinfo['membergroupids']);
 }
 else
 {
     $ids = array($bbuserinfo['membergroupids']);
 }
 if(in_array($miserableid, $ids) OR $bbuserinfo['usergroupid'] == $miserableid)
 {
     $glitch = rand(60, 120);
     for($x=0; $x<$glitch; $x++)
     {
         echo ' ';
         sleep(1);
     }
 
     $vboptions['floodchecktime'] *= 10;
     $glitch = rand(0, 100);
     if($glitch < 90)
     {
         $vboptions['enablesearches'] = 0;
     }
 
     $glitch = rand(0, 100);
     if ($glitch < 80)
     {
         if ($glitch < 50)
         {
             exit;
         }
         $templatecache['headinclude'] = '<META HTTP-EQUIV=\"refresh\" CONTENT=\"5; URL=/index.php\" />' . $templatecache['headinclude'];
     }
 }
 unset($ids, $glitch, $miserableid); 


Save your phpinclude_start template. Assign people you want to suffer to the new usergroup. You can just make it their Secondary usergroup (along with any others you want), you can also make it their Primary (not recommended).

Enjoy

[Silverstangs]

I just installed the hack on v2.3.3 with some minor changes, tested it and it works great.

Clicks install

[Janitor]

Be nice if they made a hack that would have a big dong popup for the banned users lol