Administrative and Maintenance Tools - MonkeyStop - Auto-Moderation of Spammer Keywords and URLs by postcount

Description
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A quick but effective hack that lets you set keywords that will flag posts and set as Moderated, requiring approval from a mod/supermod/admin before they're visible to users. You can also set the number of URLs to be allowed per post to stop flooding from spammers. Additionally, you can configure
the number of posts required to avoid the moderation, so the filter only effects new users to your forum.

Installation
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Import product-monkeystop.xml (ACP / vBulletin Options / Manage Products / [Add/Import Product])

Usage
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Configure the product in ACP / vBulletin Options / vBulletin Options / General Settings. (scroll to the bottom)
New threads and posts containing the offenses will automatically be moderated.
You can view moderated threads in ACP / Moderation / Moderate Threads. You should also see an icon in the thread postbit and forum display if the post is moderated (see screenshot).

Since most spammers register then spam your board while their post count is low, it may be effective to leave the default values (0 URLs allowed until post count is 3) or even up the post count requirement. If you wish to allow some links, change URLs to 1 or 2 for example.

!!! Warning !!!
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If you allow keyword auto-moderation, your users will receive an "Invalid Thread" message when they use a flagged word on new threads because it's a moderated thread. However this error can be customized here:
Admin Panel / Phrase Manager / phrase type: Error Messages / invalidid (page 15 or so of the errors)
I added:

<br/><br/>If you received this message immediately after posting a new thread, there's a good chance your message was flagged as spam. Please read this thread for more info.

... and supplied a link for my users explaining why their post was moderated.

Credits
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This is a hack of the "Auto Moderation by Keywords" mod by Andreas (https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/member.php?u=47102)
Thanks go out for his great mod -- if only I could PM or e-mail him to thank him directly! I only made minor changes to the mod to allow it to work with vBulletin 3.6.0 (by default it wouldn't work on new threads) and to auto-moderate posts URLs.
So give him credit if you think it's cool, but his PM box is full.
Dan "Tweak Monkey" Kennedy

History
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v1.0.1: Added minimum post count option
v1.0.0: Initial release

[thephonemall]

Will this work on 3.8?

[tweakmonkey]

Yes, I use the mod still and run the latest VB version.

[darkie79]

bump on this topic, as I had a question. Monkey, the hack is great, but I had a question...

When I updated my word list, is seems to be extracting words from other words, for instance, if I post the word "pass" and the filter is set to moderate it minus the "p", it pulls "pass" along with anything else including that word; however, if I moderate phrases such as "I am going to shoot you" then it will only moderate that specific phrase.

Any ideas?


FYI:

I modified the code to send an email using sendmail, which in turn emails my cellphone text email, which in turn texts my cell I did this for my entire support team...it's a great feature, but the random texts got annoying over words such as what I mentioned above.

[tweakmonkey]

Originally Posted by darkie79

bump on this topic, as I had a question. Monkey, the hack is great, but I had a question...

When I updated my word list, is seems to be extracting words from other words, for instance, if I post the word "pass" and the filter is set to moderate it minus the "p", it pulls "pass" along with anything else including that word; however, if I moderate phrases such as "I am going to shoot you" then it will only moderate that specific phrase.

Any ideas?

Hmm, that is a strange one. Can you paste in exactly what you put in your "Auto-Moderation Keywords" field in AdminCP? I didn't moderate phrases, but only single words (ie "viagra", "sex", or "http") and it has worked almost 100% to catch most spam. I'm assuming you're using it specifically for spam prevention.

FYI:

I modified the code to send an email using sendmail, which in turn emails my cellphone text email, which in turn texts my cell I did this for my entire support team...it's a great feature, but the random texts got annoying over words such as what I mentioned above.

I was meaning to add that feature! I'd love it if you sent the modified code my way so I can update the plugin with that feature for everyone... if you don't mind. I'll remove your phone # and give credit etc.

[snoopy5]

Hi

I use this on vb 3.80 without any problems. One of the best mods out there!

BUT this mod does not work with visitor messages. I get currently massive spam over the visitor messages.

If this mod would include not only postings in forums, but also in visitor message with a user profile, this would help a lot!

Any chance to get this done with visitor messages?

[darkie79]

Originally Posted by tweakmonkey

Hmm, that is a strange one. Can you paste in exactly what you put in your "Auto-Moderation Keywords" field in AdminCP? I didn't moderate phrases, but only single words (ie "viagra", "sex", or "http") and it has worked almost 100% to catch most spam. I'm assuming you're using it specifically for spam prevention.





I was meaning to add that feature! I'd love it if you sent the modified code my way so I can update the plugin with that feature for everyone... if you don't mind. I'll remove your phone # and give credit etc.

Do you have an email? I'll just send a couple text files with the changes.

[tweakmonkey]

Originally Posted by snoopy5

Hi

I use this on vb 3.80 without any problems. One of the best mods out there!

BUT this mod does not work with visitor messages. I get currently massive spam over the visitor messages.

If this mod would include not only postings in forums, but also in visitor message with a user profile, this would help a lot!

Any chance to get this done with visitor messages?

Thanks,
I'm sure it could be adapted to Visitor messages. I haven't had spammers hit me that way. The one I have seen them try is Signatures a lot though...

There's one way to fix either of these problems. Create a usergroup for people that have say, 10, 20, or 50 posts. Make it so regular users with less than this many posts do not have access to post signatures or Visitor messages. Unless the spammer starts after making 50 legitimate posts (very unlikely) their spam will never be seen.

Or for a quick fix, make your most generic/lowest post count usergroup have this setting applied:
Follow Forum Moderation Rules

In the guest/visitor profile page option of the usergroup CP ^^^

Originally Posted by darkie79

Do you have an email? I'll just send a couple text files with the changes.

Sure, send it to dan -at- tweak3d dot net

[darkie79]

Monkey,

Email Sent, sorry for the delay.

[tweakmonkey]

Np, saw it. Thanks and I'll look at it when I've got some time.

[induslady]

Hi,

Is it possible to avoid auto-moderating posts that includes internal URLs (ie. links to URLs within own domain)?

I've included keywords like .com, http, www and it auto-moderates posts that include links to my own site.

Thank you.

Induslady