User-optional Replacements-based Censorship

User-optional Replacements-based Censorship Hack
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Rationale:
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Some of my forum members wanted a swear filter for use at work, but others didn't. I searched for a hack that could do that and I saw a similar hack ( https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=53640 ) by 006 but that's for vB 2.2.* and I have vB 3.0.0. I started to look at the hack to install it but it looked significantly different from the code I had for vB, so I thought it'd be simpler to write a new version for vB 3 from scratch. This is it.

Description:
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The "bad words" censorship filter built in to vBulletin has at least three drawbacks:

1. It's all or nothing - all users are subject to the censorship whether they choose to be or not.

2. Censored words are replaced by asterisks and are not recoverable, even if the censorship is subsequently removed.

3. There is only a single list possible, where a forum administrator may wish different censorship lists within different styles (if they relate to different fora, for example).

This hack is a solution.

Based upon the built-in Replacement Variables system, this hack enables individual users to specify whether they want to view censored posts or not. Even if the Administrator chooses not to censor his forum, individual members sometimes prefer some words to be censored because they view in an office environment and Web proxies log certain words, or because minors may be present and read the screen.

Using his own "Edit Options" page, a member of your forum can turn his censorhip on or off unilaterally, and because of the way the replacements system works this is an entirely reversible operation. He can view censored posts at work, then log in at home and turn the censorship off again to view the posts as intended.

Also because of the way the replacements system works, censorship should take place in thread titles as well as posts.

If there are words that simply must be censored for all users, the built-in global censorship system can deal with that.

Caveats:
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Using the Replacement Variables system in this manner may preclude its use from any other function.

I have no useful information relating to how much additional load this will put in your server. I would imagine it would be minimal if the list of words is short or most users have censorship turned off.

Hack Information:
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Queries to run: 1
Files to modify: 2
Templates to modify: 1
Phrases to add: 4

Estimated time to install hack: 5 minutes

As ever, please take sensible precautions before installing this hack; back up your database and files beforehand. I have tested this hack on my own forum and my test forum and found it to be fine, but I am not responsible for the application of any hack I don't do myself.

For support, please use this thread or email me if you don't get a response. Thanks.

Daren "Rico" Chandisingh
rico[at]justice-department.org.uk
http://www.respawned.co.uk/forums/

[tjdrico]

Originally Posted by FASherman

One more suggestion, if you don't mind...

Instead of using the forum default for "bad words", why not allow users to specify their own list of words that they personally find offensive?

I did consider that. In fact, I'm pretty sure that I started doing that as well. I can't remember what changed my mind... It might have been something about not fully understanding how vBulletin slotted together at the time, and not being sure about how to plug in a new page to edit ones own list. I'm more familiar with the code now so I'm sure I could make these changes now. I'll stick it on my list.

[forumdude]

Has anyone noticed or calculated performace differences of this hack? Will it work on a board using the post cache?

[forumdude]

Originally Posted by forumdude

Has anyone noticed or calculated performace differences of this hack? Will it work on a board using the post cache?

any updates?

[romeshomey]

Originally Posted by tjdrico

I did consider that. In fact, I'm pretty sure that I started doing that as well. I can't remember what changed my mind... It might have been something about not fully understanding how vBulletin slotted together at the time, and not being sure about how to plug in a new page to edit ones own list. I'm more familiar with the code now so I'm sure I could make these changes now. I'll stick it on my list.

That would be awsome. Thats what I was hoping this would do until I started reading into the posts. I love your VBookie add on..

[zetetic]

This hack is working fine for me in posts, but it's not censoring titles in forumdisplay or forumhome. Any idea why that might be?

[TruthElixirX]

It has screwed up my colors/tables..anyone know why?

www.punktek.com

and

www.punktek.com/testboards/


EDIT::What phrase type were the phrases supposed to be? It didn't specify in the instructinos so I made thme global.

[tryckj?vel]

ok im stuck, i've followed the instructions per the txt file step by step twice now double checked everything each time and i get this error in functions.php:

Parse error: parse error, unexpected T_CONSTANT_ENCAPSED_STRING in /home/turbobri/public_html/forums/includes/functions.php on line 1887

which is in reference to this if statement:

	// do vBulletin 3 replacement variables
	if (!empty($style['replacements']))
	{
		if (!isset($replacementvars))
		{
			$replacementvars = unserialize($style['replacements']);
		}

I've read through the code, and its not missing any formating that i can find, i've tried both "guest = yes" and the default one as well..

Any ideas?

[TwinsForMe]

[high]* TwinsForMe clicks install [/high]

[moethelawn]

Anyone got this to work with 3.0.6?

[Megareus Rex]

Hmmm...it works on 3.0.5 for me, moe. I'll see if I can help you :-/