Spam Decimator Version 1.0.5

First of all, credit for the idea goes to zsdave, with his Spam Killer 3000 hack (https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=76503)

That being said, this is a slightly more powerful 3.5 version of that rewritten from scratch.

Features Include:

-Ban a spammer with two clicks.

-Delete all threads by a user (soft or permanent, ACP configurable)

-Delete all posts by a user (again, soft or permanent, choice is yours)

-Permit or deny mod/super mod access through ACP

-Email the spammer saying pretty much haha, caught you sucker (default email can be configured using ACP)

-Email the webmaster informing him/her of the attack

-Option to move all soft deleted threads to a specified forum (for safe keeping in case IP addresses or whatnot are later needed for legal proceedings or whatever)

Most everything here works with vB native functions (i.e. delete_thread, etc.), so forum, thread, and post counters are automatically updated.

Install

Installing is quite simple. Simply upload the included files (three of them, decimator.php, includes/functions_decimator.php, and images/misc/spambutton.gif) preserving hierarchy, do precisely ONE template edit (a copy and paste job if there ever was one ), and import the product file, and voila! you're done and ready to take on any spammer who comes your way.

Other Stuff

**UPDATED!!!

Spam Decimator 2.0.0 is slated for a late June 2008 release, with a features list to follow.\

Spam Decimator 1.5.1 for 3.7.x is posted as a vB 3.7 add on.

Thanks to everyone here at vB.org for being a fine community to be a part of. Thanks to Marco for helping me out in one of the changed variables for 3.5 threads, really helped a lot . Thanks to my staff over at Pigskin Heaven for putting up with me while I was working on this.

That's basically it. Enjoy, and as always, click install

Changes:
1.0.1 - Fixed problems with xml product file, validated for use with vB 3.5 Gold release.

1.0.2 - Fixed mod/super mod access bug as well as fixed templates for non-vB default styles.

1.0.3 - Fixed all known remaining bugs, rewrote email system to properly parse emails using native vB functions.

1.0.4 - Attempted to fix bug I can't find...updated main template.

1.0.5 - Fixed no mod access bug.

-RD

[RaidenDAWG2]

Originally Posted by OttawaGolf

It did. Thanks. Great hack.

No problem

I'll be working on the updated version to allow multiple additional usergroups to use it as well...seems I finally need to learn how to process arrays properly in MySQL...

-RD

[Spinball]

Congratulations RaidenDAWG2 on porting this to 3.5. I originally requested this hack and I'm very happy to see it resurrected for the latest version.
Can I please make one query/suggestion? The original also left an optional entry in the user's profile notes with the title and note specified by admin.
We keep notes on banned users to explain why they were expelled. The original Spam Kill hack did that automatically as well. Is this facility included as it isn't in the feature list? If not, could you consider adding it, please?
Many thanks.

[Spinball]

I've created a standard Spam button which I thought I would share if RaidenDAWG2 doesn't mind

[RaidenDAWG2]

Originally Posted by Spinball

I've created a standard Spam button which I thought I would share if RaidenDAWG2 doesn't mind

Much better than my original five second photoshopped version, nice work man

As for your suggestion, I definitely could throw that in the next release (when I originally worked on this, I had no clue how to approach user notes...now I do...benefit of four additional months of programming in vB I guess ).

At this point, announcing the eventual release (read: probably by the end of break) of Spam Decimator 1.1, with the following additional features:

-Ability to permit additional usergroups access
-Delete a spammer's PM's as well
-Add a user note to a user's record

Also, I'd be happy to take suggestions for things I haven't thought of/had suggested to me yet

-RD

[Spinball]

Oooo feature wish list! Cool.
Ok, the original spam killer appended all the posts by the spammer to a particular thread (the thread ID was specified). And if he was the thread starter, all the replies to the thread were deleted.
This seems like a sensible option because it means fewer threads in the spam pit. Also the replies to spam threads are usually by members telling the spammer to 'f off' etc and so can be deleted.
Thanks!

[RaidenDAWG2]

Originally Posted by Spinball

Oooo feature wish list! Cool.
Ok, the original spam killer appended all the posts by the spammer to a particular thread (the thread ID was specified). And if he was the thread starter, all the replies to the thread were deleted.
This seems like a sensible option because it means fewer threads in the spam pit. Also the replies to spam threads are usually by members telling the spammer to 'f off' etc and so can be deleted.
Thanks!

Kinda had to compromise that a little in my original design. On the one hand, all spammer started threads are deleted (and there's an option to move them to a specified forum, which kinda replaced the spam pit if you will), on the other, any posts a spammer makes can be deleted (it's an option), but they aren't moved due to moving a single post from a thread to another (at least in my view) was a. a pain in the rear end (and a royal one at that) and b. not really all that useful (at least when I was thinking of how this would be used on my own site anyways).

-RD

[StarBuG]

Thx for this nice plugin.

I have a problem.
I have set a forum as spam trash that is in my admin forums which only can be accessed from admins. I entered the id and activated move to forum but the threads were not moved to the forum.

Congratulations, you've run Spam Decimator
Adios Spammer, spammer banned
Deleted 6 spammer threads
Moved all 0 spammer threads to private forum
Deleted 0 spammer posts
No users with matching IP addressesSpammer Emailed

Any suggestions?

[Nick0r]

Definitely needs an undo feature, or a setting that makes sure that people with over X amount of posts can't be spam killed. God damnit, it just happened to one of my best posters and it's a PITA to fix.

[Spinball]

Originally Posted by Nick0r

Definitely needs an undo feature, or a setting that makes sure that people with over X amount of posts can't be spam killed. God damnit, it just happened to one of my best posters and it's a PITA to fix.

Agreed. If the user has, say, more than 20 posts, an 'Are you sure?' message would be a good safety feature.

[RaidenDAWG2]

Originally Posted by Spinball

Agreed. If the user has, say, more than 20 posts, an 'Are you sure?' message would be a good safety feature.

I'll add that to my to-add list...sorry guys, my own site's been taking up most of my programming time (and school the other three quarters) so...it'll get done eventually...

-RD