vBStealth 2.0

vBStealth 2.0
(by Martin64, martin64@vbhackers.com)

[about]

vBStealth is a hack that prevents trouble makers from spreading their stupidity at your board and it does that by hiding their threads, making their posts magically disappear and helping the world by ignoring their pityful private messages. These users are unaware that they are ignored; their threads and posts show up normally when they're viewing them - only admins, mods, stealth banned users and guests are able to see these. Mhuahahah!

vBStealth was initially based on Frank's "Secretly ban a user" hack (https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthrea...threadid=36205) but is much more advanced and is is taking the idea of putting users on ignore further. This hack makes the secretly banned users even more secret - they have been stealth banned! *LOL*, please forgive me for naming the hack that.

[what it does]

- Threads and posts before the user was banned will show up, but threads and posts after the user was banned will be hidden to everyone but admins, mods, stealth banned users and guests.
- Hides threads in forumdisplay started by stealth users to everyone but admins, mods, stealth banned users and guests.
- Hides posts in showthread by stealth users to everyone but admins, mods, stealth banned users and guests.
- Ignores private messages sent by stealth users.
- Gives the option for moderators to either set a regular ban or a stealth ban in the Mod CP.
- Moderators are able to unban stealth banned users in the Mod CP.
- Skips updating the count post, last poster name and date for stealth banned users in forumdisplay and forumhome.
- Hides stealth users threads and posts when searching to everyone but admins, mods, stealth banned users and guests.

[note]

Make sure to backup your files! I don't want to be held responsible if you lose your two hundred hacks installed.

[important!]

You MUST stealth ban your users from the Mod CP, just changing usergroup in the Admin CP won't add the neccessary timestamp. The same goes for unbanning stealth banned users, you MUST do that from the Mod CP as well for the same reason.
If you have upgraded, you MUST put the users back to the registered group and then stealth ban them, or it won't add the neccessary timestamp.

[credits]

SJR and Xenon, for helping with some code fixes
Frank for creating "Secretly ban a user" which inspired me to work on vBStealth.

[upgrading from 1.X]

Be sure to do what's listed under [important!] above! Also, although not needed, I recommend completely uninstalling 1.X versions before installing vBStealth 2.0, as the file changes have changed for many of the files. If you are to upgrade, be sure to run the query, and go through the file changes very carefully.

[change log]

2.0: Hack now uses timestamps: Threads and posts before the user was banned will show up, but threads and posts after the user was banned will be hidden to everyone but stealth banned users, admins and mods.
1.3: Undid the changes to showthread.php, as it could lead to suspicion among stealth banned users if they communicate (thanks WetWired for the heads up). Also, I changed the code changes to newreply.php, so that it'll work if you have the Store Hack by Lesane installed.
1.2: Small fixes to search.php and newreply.php. New file modified: newthread.php.
1.1: Added changes to search.php as suggested by TECK (thanks ), which hides stealth users threads and posts when searching.
1.0: First release, no changes dummy. :P

[alkatraz]

Cool idea, thx!

[Martin64]

vBStealth 1.1 released.

This release includes the suggestion by TECK; it hides stealth users threads and posts when searching. If you already have vBStealth 1.0 installed, you just need to apply the changes to search.php as noted in the new instructions file.

[N9ne]

Does this affect forumhome?

It shows the last poster in the forum, and the time, will this hack also hide that kind of thing from forumhome?

[Martin64]

It only does that for forumdisplay.php currently, but I'll try to get it to do that for forumhome as well.

[tHE DSS]

Excellent!! Bloody Excellent!! Master Hack!!

I won't be installing any new hacks until vB3 though.

But this is a REALLY excellent idea!

[N9ne]

Martin64, would it be possible, when incorporating the stealth hack into forumhome, that you include the last thread title too? I use PPN's hack... [https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthrea...threadid=28561]

[Martin64]

Originally posted by N9ne
Martin64, would it be possible, when incorporating the stealth hack into forumhome, that you include the last thread title too? I use PPN's hack... [https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthrea...threadid=28561]

Yes, here's how to do it and it should work with PPN's hack. Apply these changes to newreply.php:

FIND:

// update forum stuff
      if ($visible==1) {
        $DB_site->query("UPDATE forum SET 
replycount=replycount+1,lastpost='".time()."',lastposter='".addslashes($postusername)."' WHERE 
forumid IN ($foruminfo[parentlist])");
      }

REPLACE WITH:

// update forum stuff
if ($bbuserinfo['usergroupid'] != XX)
	  {
      if ($visible==1) {
        $DB_site->query("UPDATE forum SET 
replycount=replycount+1,lastpost='".time()."',lastposter='".addslashes($postusername)."' WHERE
forumid IN ($foruminfo[parentlist])");
      }
	  }

REPLACE THE "XX" ABOVE WITH THE ID OF YOUR STEALTH BANNED USER GROUP.

[ULTIMATESSJ]

heh this hack is great, when the troublemakers on my board start getting annoying, i'll be sure to use this hack

[Martin64]

I did a small change to search.php, and therefore I have just updated the instructions (no new release) to include this. Earlier it was hiding threads started by stealth banned users for everyone, but now admins, mods and users in the stealth group are able to view the threads upon searching. Note that they will still not see threads started by other stealth banned users when searching, only when searching for their own username.

The changes to newreply.php above have also been included in the instructions.

[N9ne]

LoL Martin, you got a great idea with this Stealth...feel sorry for your members (the banned ones that is )