Administrative and Maintenance Tools - Miserable Users.

This modification is no longer available or supported.

The ever popular "miserable users" hack for vb 3.7. Basically a way to really annoy anyone you don't want visiting your forum. This version is based on the vb 3.6 version. Credit to Zzed for the original idea.

When classed as miserable, a member suffers ;

1. Slow response (time delay) on every page (20 to 60 seconds default).
2. A chance they will get the "server busy" message (50% by default).
3. A chance that no search facilities will be available (75% by default).
4. A chance they will get redirected to another preset page (25% & homepage by default).
5. A chance they will simply get a blank page (25% by default).
6. Post flood limit increased by a defined factor (10 times by default).
7. If they get past all this okay, then they will be served up their proper page.

Note: All the above options are set in the vBulletin Options.

To install this hack simply download the xml file to your pc and then import it into vbulletin as a product - then create your 'miserable users' usergroup and set the value of this group, and your preferred other settings, in the hacks settings area (vBulletin Oprions > Miserable Users). To make a member suffer just edit their profile to add them to the miserable users group (it will work as either the primary group or as a secondary group).

Upgrade from 3.6
If you upgraded your forum with the 3.6 version installed then it will continue to work, no need to upgrade - otherwise install this in the normal manner.


History:

v3.7.001 - Initial vB 3.7 version.
v3.7.002 : Installation Code Updated.

[Videx]

I think you're trying to discuss this in the wrong thread. MU isn't designed to deal with spammers. You need to stop them from registering in the first place.

[April7]

Love this hack.. TY

[nevetS]

So what are you guys doing when people ask for tech support? Just ignore the requests? Tell them you can't reproduce it? Turn up the settings so they can't ask anymore?

[Videx]

This is not something you would use very much. In the rare instances we've enabled it, nobody's asked for support. If they did, then I'd tell them it's working fine for me, and go on to use the opportunity to explain what it is they're doing wrong that got them into the trouble in the first place.

[kermit2]

I've had great fun with this plugin. Being a mod can be a bit serious, so it's good to have some fun (and not feel guilty)

I've written a miserable module for Apache (http://linuxbox.co.uk/mod_miserable.php), not sure if it deserves it's own thread: I don't want to hijack this thread, but on the other hand this is specifically vbulletin forum, not a general server forum.

Part of the reason I wrote the Apache module was to offer a few features not available in the vb plugin: you can assign miserable to an IP address (rather than a username), an IP block (using wildcards), a domain, or various other attributes of the client (browser, referer domain, browser useragent etc). With it being an Apache module, it also operates on the whole site rather than just your /forum

[karlm]

Nice work

As ever PaulM, another great toy

[Alex LD]

I don't really see why you would want to make a member on your forum pissed off. If you don't like them ban them..

[Paul M]

Originally Posted by Alex LD

I don't really see why you would want to make a member on your forum pissed off. If you don't like them ban them..

Thats fine, you obviously have no use for this mod, but plenty do, so please dont clutter the thread. Thanks.

[Slingblade61]

That's the beauty of this hack.

IP banning is what pisses them off, using this hack they figure the board is broken and they go away.

Works like a charm for me for over 2 years.

[steven s]

The nature of one of my boards doesn't really allow me to ban someone.
But throwing the person into the miserable usergroup gives me satisfaction.
When he emails me that there is a problem, I tell him, maybe the next update will fix it.
Then I remove him from the usergroup until he acts up again.