AnonymHack v2.0 - allow users to post/reply anonymous

Anonym Hack v2.0
Copyright 2004-2005 by MrZeropage

What does this hack offer ?

• Users can do anonymous posts, of course even via quickreply. It can be selected for each posting with a checkbox to be anonymous or not.
  
  
  Screenshots (german vB-installation, sorry):
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Settings via AdminCP for each forum to allow anonymous posts or not
  
  

• Administrators can "recover" who originally wrote an anonymous posting.
  The author automatically gets a message telling him who recovered which posting.
  
  

• Anonymous authors get an individual number per thread.
  
  This means the first anonymous author within a thread always gets #1, the next anonymous author #2 ect. So everyone can really discuss even with alot of anonymous postings within a thread - of course an author keeps his assigned number/id within this thread, without any reference to his real identity.
  
  
  
  
  

Where to use it, what is its intention ?

It is originally done to discuss intimate things, problems, critics ect. - but I think you will find your personal way to make use of it




How about vBulletin-performance when using this hack ?

This hack is done so that there is absolutely no additional query while viewing the forum, a thread, a posting ect.

It all is done while saving a new post to the database, then it needs one additional query (if it's the first anonymous post from this user in this thread) or two queries (if this is an anonymous posting and there is already one anonymous post from this user in this thread).




What has to be changed during installation of the hack ?

PHP-Files to modify.............6
Templates to modify............5

new PHP-Files....................1
new Templates...................2 (automatically added by installscript)
new Phrases......................7 (automatically added by installscript)

The installscript also does perform 9 database-queries.




Which vBulletin-version is compatible to this hack ?

The hack was developed for vBulletin 3.0.7 and should be compatible to other versions.

Please report any working installations on other versions to me to fill this in here, thx !



How to install ?

Just upload the files within the attached archive and call the installscript.
Additional information can be found in info_english.txt




Can it be uninstalled ?

Yes, the installscript can perform uninstallation, but there is yet no implementation to rollback anonymous postings to their real authors before removing the hack. This means all anonymous postings will remain anonymous and even can't be recovered by any Administrator after removing the hack !
This is planned for the vB 3.5.x - version of this hack



FAQ

"Why is that v2.0 ?"
The first version was finished on 3rd july 2004 - it is still working properly, but it was coded lously with too much modifications all over vBulletin, and there was no possibility to answer anonymously.
This is why development on (this) v2.0 startet right after finishing v1.0, which is and will never be released...




Thanks to ...

... doron666 for his fantastic support on some problems during development
... Mystics (vbulletin-germany.com) for permission to use his installscript-concept






A german version of this hack can be found here.




Enjoy this hack and remind to click *INSTALL* thanks



HISTORY:
v2.00 - initial release

v2.01 - 29th august 2005 (manual update):
fixed a small bug in templates postbit and postbit_legacy for existing forums who install the anonymous-hack and then all "old" postings showed up as "user #0" and "threadstarter"

[amykhar]

I'm not sure he's going to want a beta tester that doesn't read. He has said in post 21 and 26 that he's upgrading it when he has time.

[jellybaby]

Originally Posted by amykhar

I'm not sure he's going to want a beta tester that doesn't read. He has said in post 21 and 26 that he's upgrading it when he has time.

Is it really necessary to be so rude!! It was said tongue in cheek to him as I helped test a change that he made on the last one. Ever heard the saying if you havent got something nice to say!!!

[rnmcd]

Originally Posted by MrZeropage

Please let me first finish the update on ibProArcade to get this started ... thx

That must be one mega update for th ibProArcade!

[JenniferK]

eagerly awaiting this one

[ktaylor]

me too!!

[dinodonk]

me too...
also just wondering if you could make one without any db changes.....

[MikaK]

####EDIT - PROBLEM SOLVED####
Well so much for thorough checking. I?ll leave my original msg untouched so you can see what missing some code in file edits can cause.
In my case it was a matter of overlooking some at functions_newpost.php. Kool hack - so installed.
####END OF EDIT ####

I am trying to install this hack and everything seems to go sooth except for one fairly major problem...

If I try to

• open a new thread,
• reply without quoting
• reply with quoting or
• quickreply or
• report a posting (by clicking on the triangle opening report.php) OR
• send a new pm or
• reply to a previously received pm

I get only a totally blank page shown.

Another thing (not been able to test this with a anonym post yet, but only with a post by an already known poster): If I check the author as an admin all other details show up as set in "anonymous_showauthor" template except the name of the poster. I mean the link

<a href="member.php?$session[sessionurl]u=$postinfo[realuserid]" target="_blank"><b>$postinfo[realusername]</b></a>

Nor does the script send the email to the investigated member. (Not such a big thing.)

I have tried to chec my newly coded files and templates, phrases and the database mods. All seem in place. I have numerous hacks installed, but all changes are made to code that was found at places you suggest to look into based on finding the exact codes as you suggest to be repalced or added above/below (i think meaning no hacked code was changed). My vB is still v 3.0.3 and the php runs by cgi.

I would surely appreciate any ideas regarding correcting the above as this would be a kool hack to use.

Regs,
-Mika

[Angelus]

an upgrade to 3.6???

[sunnycher]

So this hack will make a user anonymous in that certain forum? correct.
What about when someone replies to that post and they are subscribed to the thread, will it then show them who the anonymous poster is in the email notice?

[MrZeropage]

No, the Name and ID ect. is commpletely replaced in the DB and stored in a seperate place no standard-vB-script knows... so no way the real data gets sent/displayed anywhere