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

[waynne]

Still loving this mod. The few spammers that get through are stopped dead in their tracks.

Why is this not automatically included as part of VB? If no-ones spam post appeared there would be a drop in spam attacks and attempts even from human spam posters.

Is there any solution to RSS feeds ending up in the moderation queue if the user is not logged in at the time? This is my only gripe with what is a superb modfication.

It would be good to see this project updated and moved to the VB 3.8 Forum.

[tweakmonkey]

Waynne,
Thanks for the feedback. I don't know what's different about 3.8, but I use this mod with the most up to date Vbulletin at all times and had never had problems with it. Should I just cross-post to the 3.8.4?

For the RSS question, sorry I'm not sure. I have done very little programming with the RSS bot and I'm not sure how you could check this status in the plugin.
-Dan

[waynne]

I presume the RSS bot has a userid which shows as 0 posts all the time. I'll see if I can work out what needs to be done but I'm no coder.

Please do post this in the 3.8 forum this is the single most effective spam prevention mod I have ever used. Any attempts to spam are caught in moderation allowing us to ban or warn the users. Other systems just block the post and the spammers accounts remain active.

[Kooldino]

I don't think this plays by it's own rules. I set it to moderate posts by users with less than 4 posts only. It's moderating a user of mine with thousands of posts and not allowing him to post a bunch of links. what gives?

Edit: Note - this user is an RSS bot. My temporary workaround is making him part of the moderator usergroup. Hopefully this will fix the issue.

[Chunky Monkey]

We just installed this on 3.8.4 and it appears to be working. I couldn't find anything like it in the 3.8 version forum. We were getting overrun with spam despite our human verification requirement, and it seems this will stop it dead in its tracks! Thank you, Tweakmonkey.

[sarangan]

What about an upgraded version for VBulletin 4?

[Toopac]

Perfect,

I use a few choice keywords from the spam threads/posts that I have been getting, and I also have all threads/posts with URL's/Emails filtered too.

= ZERO SPAM, NONE, NULL

Excellent!

[myogesh_mathur]

Thanks a lot man, this is what i was looking for. I would like to make a small donation for it, if you don't mind. Please tell me where I can do so.

Thanks again.

[Welshy2008]

Is this been or has it been ported for 4.0.3 PL1 Please?

[cobaku]

i am looking for vb 4 version too