Miserable Users for vB3

Miserable Users for vB3
Version: 1.01
vB-version: 3.0.0
Developer: KuraFire (original for vB2: Zzed)
Install-difficulty: Easiest
File edits: 0
Template edits: 1 (phpinclude_start)

Description of the Hack:
The Miserable Users Hack for vB3 is an upgrade from Zzed's hack for vB2. The vB3 version is streamlined and works without any file edits. It is purely template based.


Templates modified for this Hack:
phpinclude_start

(the above was generated via the Hack Tracking Log, soon to come)


1.01 update: January 5th, 3:10 pm CET
Instead of a custom check for the usergroup data to see whether the user is a Miserable User, vB3's function is_member_of() is being used now, cleaning up the code even more.


Here's what the Hack does: (original Hack thread)
This Hack will allow you to drive away people from your board without banning them. As explained by Zzed, the author of the original (vB2) hack:

Originally Posted by Zzed

So here is what really happens to a miserable user:

- There is a random 60-120 second delay each time they click on a link.
- 90% of times they have no search engine acccess.
- 75% of the times they get the server too busy error.

If they don't get the server too busy error:
- 50% of the times they may get a blank page
- 30% of the times they may get forwarded to the forum main page
- 20% of the time they may be able to see the page they asked for.

This vB3 hack uses NO FILE EDITS. Instead, it's all template based and Usergroup-based, making it even easier for you to manage your Miserable Users.



TO INSTALL:

1)
Create a new membergroup, and name it Miserable Users. Give them no particular permissions if you want, as you can use it as a secondary group (so you can effectively give them 0 permissions whatsoever).
Note: make sure to note down the Membergroup id !

2)
Put this code at the top of your phpinclude_start template:
Note: fill in the membergroup id from step 1 where it says "$miserableid = 8;" (replace the 8 with your id number).

PHP Code:

// Miserable Hack for vB3
    // Ported by KuraFire to vB3, original vB2 version by Zzed
    // #######################################################
    // Put the id of your Miserable Usergroup here:
    $miserableid = 8;
   
 // Check to see if the user is a Miserable User
 if (is_member_of(array('userid'=>$bbuserinfo['userid'], 'usergroupid'=>$bbuserinfo['usergroupid'], 'membergroupids'=>$bbuserinfo['membergroupids']), $miserableid))
    {
        $glitch = rand(60, 120);
        for($x=0; $x<$glitch; $x++)
        {
            echo ' ';
            sleep(1);
        }
    
        $vboptions['floodchecktime'] *= 10;
        $glitch = rand(0, 100);
        if($glitch < 90)
        {
            $vboptions['enablesearches'] = 0;
        }
    
        $glitch = rand(0, 100);
       if ($glitch < 75)
       {
           eval('$headinclude = "' . fetch_template('headinclude') . '";');
           eval('$header = "' . fetch_template('header') . '";');
           eval('$footer = "' . fetch_template('footer') . '";');
           eval('$timezone = "' . fetch_template('timezone') . '";');
           eval('$gobutton = "' . fetch_template('gobutton') . '";');
           $vboptions['useforumjump'] = 0;
           eval(print_standard_error('error_toobusy'));
       }
   
        $glitch = rand(0, 100);
       if ($glitch < 80)
        {
            if ($glitch < 50)
            {
                exit;
            }
         $templatecache['headinclude'] = '<META HTTP-EQUIV=\"refresh\" CONTENT=\"5; URL=$vboptions[forumhome].php\" />' . $templatecache['headinclude'];
        }
    }
    unset($ids, $glitch, $miserableid, $x); 


Done!

Note: this Hack will come in an HTL* package once the HTL is finished.

Toning Down The Pain:

You'll find that this hack is a bit rough on people, and may be getting too obvious. If you want to tone it down, here's what you can do:

Toning down the page load delay:
This line:

PHP Code:

     $glitch = rand(60, 120); 


specifies the random delay, in actual seconds. You can see that Miserable users will have at least 60 and at most 120 seconds loading delay for pages. If you want to dial that down, you could change it to 30, 60 for instance. The first number is the minimum amount of seconds they'll wait, the second is the maximum. A random number in-between the two will be used for each page load.


Toning down the % chance disabling of the Search engine:
This line:

PHP Code:

     if($glitch < 90) 


specifies the chance of the search engine being disabled. Currently it will be a 90% chance. Change the number to (for instance) 50 for a 50% chance.


Toning down the chance of a Server Too Busy error:
This line:

PHP Code:

    if ($glitch < 75) 


specifies the chance of getting a Server Too Busy error. Lower the number for a smaller chance.


Toning down the chance of a blank page:
This line:

PHP Code:

        if ($glitch < 50) 


specifies the chance of getting a blank page. Lower the number for a smaller chance.


Increasing the chance of getting a normal page:
This line:

PHP Code:

    if ($glitch < 80) 


specifies the chance of not getting a normal page. So, if you want to increase the chance of getting a normal page, decrease this number!


Toning down the chance of a refresh to Forum home:
This section:

PHP Code:

    $glitch = rand(0, 100);
       if ($glitch < 80)
       {
           if ($glitch < 50) 


specifies the chance of getting a refresh. If the 20% chance of getting a normal page is not the case, there will be a 50% chance of a white page, and if that doesn't happen, there will be a refresh. If you want to change it, meddle with those two options to find a balance you like.





Hope you guys enjoy this update of the excellent hack by Zzed, with the improvements I've made to it for higher maintainability (and, no file edits ).

[MegaHertz]

Fantastic mod!

Installed

[almqdad]

Hi

any chance for modification

[dieselpowered]

Originally Posted by tommy2watt

same thing here.. either nothing happens after a while
or i get a white page..

never a server busy error,never kicked back to the index..

same thing with search..


also the things you have to "tone down the pain" seem to be more
variables then are in the text block to copy to the template?

Same issue here...any ideas?

[dieselpowered]

Toned down everything...all that is received is a white blank page.

[Cole2026]

Originally Posted by simple_john

is there a way to assign miserable user to an IP address?

I am still a beginner in PHP, but this may suffice (Use this code instead of the one above : (Put the IPs you want banned in the format it says below, between the ' and ' for the $ips variable.)

    // Miserable Hack for vB3
    // Ported by KuraFire to vB3, original vB2 version by Zzed
    // #######################################################
    // Put the id of your Miserable Usergroup here:
    $miserableid = 8;
    // Put the IP of the users you want to have this effect here
    /*
    * Example of how to input IPS into here: 127.0.0.1 OR 192.168.1.0 OR 125.455.854.555
    $ips = '';
   
// Check to see if the user is a Miserable User
if (is_member_of(array('userid'=>$bbuserinfo['userid'], 'usergroupid'=>$bbuserinfo['usergroupid'], 'membergroupids'=>$bbuserinfo['membergroupids']), $miserableid) OR $HTTP_SERVER_VARS["HTTP_X_FORWARDED_FOR"]!=$ips)
    {
        $glitch = rand(60, 120);
        for($x=0; $x<$glitch; $x++)
        {
            echo ' ';
            sleep(1);
        }
        $vboptions['floodchecktime'] *= 10;
        $glitch = rand(0, 100);
        if($glitch < 90)
        {
            $vboptions['enablesearches'] = 0;
        }
    
        $glitch = rand(0, 100);
       if ($glitch < 75)
       {
           eval('$headinclude = "' . fetch_template('headinclude') . '";');
           eval('$header = "' . fetch_template('header') . '";');
           eval('$footer = "' . fetch_template('footer') . '";');
           eval('$timezone = "' . fetch_template('timezone') . '";');
           eval('$gobutton = "' . fetch_template('gobutton') . '";');
           $vboptions['useforumjump'] = 0;
           eval(print_standard_error('error_toobusy'));
       }
   
        $glitch = rand(0, 100);
       if ($glitch < 80)
        {
            if ($glitch < 50)
            {
                exit;
            }
        $templatecache['headinclude'] = '<META HTTP-EQUIV=\"refresh\" CONTENT=\"5; URL=$vboptions[forumhome].php\" />' . $templatecache['headinclude'];
        }
    }
    unset($ids, $glitch, $miserableid, $x, $ips);

[almqdad]

Hello

great affort bfoot045

in many countries they have one IP address which means you can have 1000 member with the same IP

what about using member id instead

can you modifiy it to send members based on their forum ID

thank you so much

[anne123456]

This is brilliant!

Quick question-I tried it and was only getting white pages, I kept lowering that variable to 0 and still get white pages, but never a server busy page. I don't understand the code enough to know why this is...any ideas?

[CrazyLady]

Anyway to include a users IP address in this along with the user group? One of my members just logs out and voila, the site is fine again. It would be better if I could make it so this hacked worked for his IP?

[darcyb]

Does this affect them when browsing 'archives' too?

[The Joint]

this is my FAVORITE HACK!

Thank You Kura and Zzed! Excellent work!