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

[Sal Collaziano]

The message below seems to come and go too quickly. Is there any way to add in a delay or the ability to FORCE a user to click in order to proceed?

!!! Warning !!!
------------
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)

[adwade]

Yes there is, just see post #48

[induslady]

Hello,

Does this mod count the URL added in a member's signature while auto-moderating?

Or will it count only the URL in the body of the post?

I see lot of spammers including URLs in their signature and posting. I want to take care of it.

Thanks.

[sheryjutt]

Please For 3-7-0

[tweakmonkey]

Originally Posted by sheryjutt

Please For 3-7-0

I don't run 3.7 on my forums, but when I upgrade after the beta is completed, I'll make sure to update the plugin.

Originally Posted by induslady

Hello,

Does this mod count the URL added in a member's signature while auto-moderating?

Or will it count only the URL in the body of the post?

I see lot of spammers including URLs in their signature and posting. I want to take care of it.

Thanks.

It does not work for signatures. I've seen other forums disable URLs in signatures using other tricks (maybe combine with user rank permissions), but i have never done this.

[diettalk]

Only problem is that it stops my RSS from posting.

[induslady]

Hello,

I have installed this mod and it is working great with most of the spammers posts with URLs getting moderated. It has reduced our manual moderation works so much and all admins/mods in my site just love this mod.

The auto-moderation keywords that I have included are "www, .com"
I see an issue with 2 cases:

1) Replies with quotes are getting moderated, if the quoted post had an external or internal link in it.
For example - refer the below posts. The quoted post 'Hello Ladies' had an internal link in it. The reply post 'hi everyone' though did not have a link, got moderated because the quote had one.

hi everyone
am not new to this site but long back i was using this site...hopefully i recalled my id..!!!.thx to indus admin..for .sending a reminder .... hi ladies...who are online

2. The 2nd post by the same member (who posted the above reference post) also got moderated. Though it did not have any link in it, it just had a smilie included from my forum.
I am guessing it got moderated because her 1st post still remains moderated, so the subsequent posts are also treated the same as spam and getting moderated.

Is this right?

Appreciate your clarifications on the above and some quick tips on handling it.

Thanks.

[tweakmonkey]

Originally Posted by diettalk

Only problem is that it stops my RSS from posting.

Vbulletin may treat the RSS Poster Bot as a user with 0 posts. I don't know a way around this yet, but when I update the forums on my site I will try to fix it. I'm waiting for 3.7 though -- I use the poster bot feature myself, but moderate what it posts, so this issue does not bother me. Sorry.

Originally Posted by induslady

Hello,

I have installed this mod and it is working great with most of the spammers posts with URLs getting moderated. It has reduced our manual moderation works so much and all admins/mods in my site just love this mod.

Great, I'm glad it's working!

The auto-moderation keywords that I have included are "www, .com"
I see an issue with 2 cases:

1) Replies with quotes are getting moderated, if the quoted post had an external or internal link in it.
For example - refer the below posts. The quoted post 'Hello Ladies' had an internal link in it. The reply post 'hi everyone' though did not have a link, got moderated because the quote had one.

All the mod does is search the entire body of text in the post for the string. If it's contained in a quote or regular post it will still moderate this.

The reason this mod is still so effective for me is because my forums are not extremely busy and I have 5 moderators. Unfortunately, there is no way around this short of loosening up security.

2. The 2nd post by the same member (who posted the above reference post) also got moderated. Though it did not have any link in it, it just had a smilie included from my forum.
I am guessing it got moderated because her 1st post still remains moderated, so the subsequent posts are also treated the same as spam and getting moderated.

Is this right?

Appreciate your clarifications on the above and some quick tips on handling it.

Thanks.

Each post is moderated independently. If a user's post is moderated, the next post should not automatically be moderated unless it contains strings as mentioned, too. What's the post count option set to on your mod? I set mine very low, like 1 or 2. I wish there was a better way to fix this, but I don't know of one yet. My VB just fills up with spam without this mod so I find that manual moderation is the only solution.

I suppose I could change it so there's an option where it simply strips out links and doesn't moderate the posts if the postcount is under 10, but that wouldn't stop users from posting up huge spammy posts selling ipods, prescription medications, and so-on.

[Cyburbia]

Just wanted to say again that this is a great hack. It's stopped a lot of manual spam from appearing on my site. Thanks!

[Sal Collaziano]

It would actually be perfect if it didn't moderate the administrators RSS posts..