Spam Decimator Version 1.0.5

First of all, credit for the idea goes to zsdave, with his Spam Killer 3000 hack (https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=76503)

That being said, this is a slightly more powerful 3.5 version of that rewritten from scratch.

Features Include:

-Ban a spammer with two clicks.

-Delete all threads by a user (soft or permanent, ACP configurable)

-Delete all posts by a user (again, soft or permanent, choice is yours)

-Permit or deny mod/super mod access through ACP

-Email the spammer saying pretty much haha, caught you sucker (default email can be configured using ACP)

-Email the webmaster informing him/her of the attack

-Option to move all soft deleted threads to a specified forum (for safe keeping in case IP addresses or whatnot are later needed for legal proceedings or whatever)

Most everything here works with vB native functions (i.e. delete_thread, etc.), so forum, thread, and post counters are automatically updated.

Install

Installing is quite simple. Simply upload the included files (three of them, decimator.php, includes/functions_decimator.php, and images/misc/spambutton.gif) preserving hierarchy, do precisely ONE template edit (a copy and paste job if there ever was one ), and import the product file, and voila! you're done and ready to take on any spammer who comes your way.

Other Stuff

**UPDATED!!!

Spam Decimator 2.0.0 is slated for a late June 2008 release, with a features list to follow.\

Spam Decimator 1.5.1 for 3.7.x is posted as a vB 3.7 add on.

Thanks to everyone here at vB.org for being a fine community to be a part of. Thanks to Marco for helping me out in one of the changed variables for 3.5 threads, really helped a lot . Thanks to my staff over at Pigskin Heaven for putting up with me while I was working on this.

That's basically it. Enjoy, and as always, click install

Changes:
1.0.1 - Fixed problems with xml product file, validated for use with vB 3.5 Gold release.

1.0.2 - Fixed mod/super mod access bug as well as fixed templates for non-vB default styles.

1.0.3 - Fixed all known remaining bugs, rewrote email system to properly parse emails using native vB functions.

1.0.4 - Attempted to fix bug I can't find...updated main template.

1.0.5 - Fixed no mod access bug.

-RD

[jmottle]

I installed this with my vB 3.5 Gold version and I've found quite a number of bugs.

1. During the install it would not install as a plugin, only as a product
2. There were errors when I first tried to run the decimation. It went away when I changed the "Threads Moved to Forum" forum ID number. Even though the move threads to forum was turned off.
3. The CSS for the pop up is missing. I use my own style rather than the default Style, is this why?
4. Although I turned off Mods and Supermods from using the plugin, it will not allow even the admin to use it until both super mod and mod is turned on.
5. The email that I get does not seem to be formatted correctly. I got the following:

SPAMMER:

Your Recent Spam Attack on CGarchitect.com Forums has been thwarted

MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1
To: Spammer <press@cgarchitect.com>
From: Spam Killer <spamkill@http://www.cgarchitect.com/vb>


ADMIN:

Spam Attack Thwarted by Spam Decimator

MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1
To: Spammer <>
From: Spam Killer <spamkill@Array[bburl]>

6. When it did run, it found about 40 other users with the same IP. While I can see how there could potentially be overlap, there is no way others would have my IP as it's static and belongs to me.

7. Even though move threads to specific forum was off, it still moved them.

[RaidenDAWG2]

Originally Posted by jmottle

1. During the install it would not install as a plugin, only as a product

This is the only one I can speak to at the moment, other than the email (which I'm working on, I used an outdated PHP function instead of vB functions for it). It can't be installed as a plugin.

The rest I'll check on tonight...

-RD

[RaidenDAWG2]

Originally Posted by jmottle

2. There were errors when I first tried to run the decimation. It went away when I changed the "Threads Moved to Forum" forum ID number. Even though the move threads to forum was turned off.
3. The CSS for the pop up is missing. I use my own style rather than the default Style, is this why?
4. Although I turned off Mods and Supermods from using the plugin, it will not allow even the admin to use it until both super mod and mod is turned on.
6. When it did run, it found about 40 other users with the same IP. While I can see how there could potentially be overlap, there is no way others would have my IP as it's static and belongs to me.
7. Even though move threads to specific forum was off, it still moved them.

2. I haven't been able to duplicate that particular error. If you could get me the error message(s), I might be able to see if there's something there mine's not doing (I turned off the move to forum and used 0 as the forum id, also tried it with forum id 8, and nothing happened either time).

3. Yeah, that's a bug in my template. It should work for any style, however, when I updated to gold, I forgot to check the template for the proper classes in the table. I'll release an updated version of that tonight or tommorrow (or, basically it's just a matter of adding class="alt1" to the <tr> tags).

4. Yep, that's definitely something I overlooked. Again, I'll fix it and release an update.

6. That I can't explain...not denying there could be an error, just, I've never seen that before...the way it works is searching the post table for identical IP addresses to the one in the post in question so...yeah, can't explain that one...

7. Same thing as 2, I haven't been able to duplicate it in my test enviroment...

But yeah, 3 and 4 I will definitely fix ASAP. Thanks for pointing those out.

[nailerpa]

I've uploaded all files to their appropriate directories and edited the postbit template as directed. I then installed the product. I'm not seeing the SPAM button anywhere. What could I be missing? Thanks for your help.

[RaidenDAWG2]

Originally Posted by nailerpa

I've uploaded all files to their appropriate directories and edited the postbit template as directed. I then installed the product. I'm not seeing the SPAM button anywhere. What could I be missing? Thanks for your help.

Well, I guess the first thing I'd have to ask is do you have multiple styles? And if so, did you edit the postbit template for each one?

Also, I should have an updated zip file with the fixes for the problems jmottle pointed out in a few moments...

-RD

[jmottle]

Originally Posted by RaidenDAWG2

2. I haven't been able to duplicate that particular error. If you could get me the error message(s), I might be able to see if there's something there mine's not doing (I turned off the move to forum and used 0 as the forum id, also tried it with forum id 8, and nothing happened either time).

7. Same thing as 2, I haven't been able to duplicate it in my test enviroment...

This is the error I get:

Fatal error: Existing data passed is not an array
Called set_existing in X:\XXXXXXX\http://www.cgarchitect.com\vb\includ..._databuild.php on line 158
Called build_forum_counters in X:\XXXXXXXX\http://www.cgarchitect.com\vb\includ..._decimator.php on line 107
Called move_spam_threads in X:\XXXXXXXXX\www.cgarchitect.com\vb\decimator.php on line 175
in \includes\class_dm.php on line 235

Full path removed for security purposes.

[jmottle]

It does not matter what settings I change in the control panel I get the error above as soon as I try to decimate. It used to work and not it will not work at all. The CSS is right though.

[jmottle]

Throught I'd post two more things.

1. If you change mods or super-mods ability to use the feature, perhaps it would be more elegant to hide the quote button (like what happens if you are a mod or admin) rather than sending them to a page that says you do not have permission to access the page.

2. When I get the above error it gets as far as banning the user but fails everything after that.

[RaidenDAWG2]

Originally Posted by jmottle

This is the error I get:

Fatal error: Existing data passed is not an array
Called set_existing in X:\XXXXXXX\http://www.cgarchitect.com\vb\includ..._databuild.php on line 158
Called build_forum_counters in X:\XXXXXXXX\http://www.cgarchitect.com\vb\includ..._decimator.php on line 107
Called move_spam_threads in X:\XXXXXXXXX\www.cgarchitect.com\vb\decimator.php on line 175
in \includes\class_dm.php on line 235

Full path removed for security purposes.

Yep, now I'm getting that as well...

I am going to try to get out a fix for this tonight, however, it probably won't be until around midnight eastern (classes, work, homework, and meetings in between...college sucks when you're trying to fix bugs in extensions lemme tell ya...). Just in looking at the errors in the code, I think I've narrowed it down to where the problem is, so it shouldn't take me too terribly long to fix it (I hope).

[RaidenDAWG2]

Originally Posted by jmottle

1. If you change mods or super-mods ability to use the feature, perhaps it would be more elegant to hide the quote button (like what happens if you are a mod or admin) rather than sending them to a page that says you do not have permission to access the page.

In the install.txt file, there's a way to hide the spam button One simple template edit that's just removing two numbers from an array.