Forum Question

[BLK306]

Ok here is the deal. I have a car racing website with a forum for members to get together and talk cars, racing, etc. Well last night I had new member register on the forum.

Here is where it gets weird. She made a post that did not make a lot of sense. So I just replied with the a very general Welcome to Steady Racing reply. Later this morning some of my other members were checking out her post and profile and thought that it threw up some red flags. She is posting from Israel, reading the forum in Albanian, and has sex as her intersts. However, what really seemed to get everyones attention was her website. Its all about credit cards and what nots.

I like to try and give evryone the benefit of the doubt but my members cause for concern now has me concerned. Tell me what you all think.

Here is the link to her thread.
http://www.steadyracing.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=112

[Collectors-info]

Hi, Must admit I can’t see what’s she has done wrong, apart from not being very good with her English. (I wish I could speak Hebrew that well) OK! She hasn’t made a great deal of sense, but it maybe worth waiting for her to post again. The credit card site is just a site?

[BLK306]

Hi, Must admit I can’t see what’s she has done wrong, apart from not being very good with her English. (I wish I could speak Hebrew that well) OK! She hasn’t made a great deal of sense, but it maybe worth waiting for her to post again. The credit card site is just a site?

That's kind of what I was thinking but I was getting PMs from everyone thinking it is something that I may need to worry about.

[beebrothers]

you got your first spammer....look familiar:

http://www.beebrothers.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=18


don't worry they'll be a thousand more

[BLK306]

Yep. So should I just bann her. Is that the best way to handle that?

[beebrothers]

it's not a "her" it's a bot..

http://www.vodahost.com/vodatalk/sta...unts-spam.html

[BLK306]

Thanks for the info. Now I will have to try and learn how to install that once I get home.

[beebrothers]

i've been trying all day, but i can't figure it out..glty

http://angies-cyberscripts.org/forum1/viewtopic.php?t=6

http://www.vodahost.com/vodatalk/blu...t=forum+design

[BLK306]

Great exactly what I was not hopping for. Another difficult for me to figure out mod to my forum.

[beebrothers]

yepper..i did one easy one from racefan, he had a zip file that you download and overwrite the old file with...that only takes off the website url on the registration board...the one that is supposed to be "fool" proof adds a question that only a human can answer, "humanizer", but it doesnt come in a fancy zip file and isn't so quick and easy...if only someone could do the same with this mod as racefan did with the other, then users could download, unzipped, overwrite and hopefully be cured...

[racefan20]

yepper..i did one easy one from racefan, he had a zip file that you download and overwrite the old file with...that only takes off the website url on the registration board...the one that is supposed to be "fool" proof adds a question that only a human can answer, "humanizer", but it doesnt come in a fancy zip file and isn't so quick and easy...if only someone could do the same with this mod as racefan did with the other, then users could download, unzipped, overwrite and hopefully be cured...

In the next day or so, I'll do the edits for the mod you want to install and post the files here for you to download and use.

Sooner or later, though, you're going to need to try doing this yourself. If you ever decide to add a custom style, or once you've added a mod or two, it won't be as simple as overwriting the old files anymore.

I'm not suggesting you try this on your "live" files, but experiment a little. Download the mod and open the instructions. You're told that you'll need to edit seven files:

posting.php
includes/constants.php
includes/usercp_register.php
language/lang_english/lang_admin.php
language/lang_german/lang_admin.php
templates/subSilver/posting_body.tpl
templates/subSilver/profile_add_body.tpl

FTP into your forum and download those files to your pc.

Scroll down the instructions until you come across this:

#-----[ OPEN ]------------------------------------------------
#
posting.php
#
#-----[ FIND ]------------------------------------------------
#
include($phpbb_root_path . 'includes/functions_post.'.$phpEx);
#
#-----[ AFTER, ADD ]------------------------------------------------
#
// Anti Bot Question Mod - Start
include($phpbb_root_path . 'language/lang_' . $board_config['default_lang'] . '/lang_abq.' . $phpEx);
include($phpbb_root_path . 'includes/functions_abq.' . $phpEx);
$abq_config = array();
$sql = "SELECT *
FROM " . ANTI_BOT_QUEST_CONFIG_TABLE;
if( !($result = $db->sql_query($sql)) )
{
message_die(CRITICAL_ERROR, "Could not query anti bot question mod config information", "", __LINE__, __FILE__, $sql);
}
while ( $row = $db->sql_fetchrow($result) )
{
$abq_config[$row['config_name']] = $row['config_value'];
}
// Anti Bot Question Mod - End

Reading the instructions, you're being told to open posting.php in Notepad (Notepad is what I use and I'll always reference it).

Following the instructions, you're supposed to find the following line in posting.php

include($phpbb_root_path . 'includes/functions_post.'.$phpEx);

Okay, now you've opened posting.php and you see tons of code that makes no sense and wondering how the hell you're supposed to find the line you were just told to look for, right?

Simply highlight and copy the text the instructions tell you to find, then, on the Notepad toolbar, click on edit>find. Paste the copied text into the box and click "find next". It will search the document and highlight the line in the document for you.

Once you've found the line, you perform whatever edit you were instructed to perform. In the case of posting.php, you were told to add some code after the line you just searched for, so just copy that code from the instructions and paste it after the line in posting.php.

You'd then follow down the instructions, opening and editing files in the order listed, then saving and uploading them.

It's time consuming, but not too difficult once you've messed with it some. Like I said, don't try to do this and use the files, just play with it and get the hang of it.

Once you have a feel for how to do it, you can try adding a simple mod of some sort just for practice, but ALWAYS make copies of any files before you edit them in case you make a mistake (and you will make mistakes, we all do) and need a backup.

[beebrothers]

Thanks Racer...your always smiling

[beebrothers]

seriously..i've read almost every post here about this mod thing...i tried it today for about three hours...first problem was i couldnt locate the forum folder in ftp, the only way i know to open ftp is in the blue voda window under ftp manager, and like past exp. not all files are present there...

when i go to my control panel in cPanelx it shows all the files, uploads, extra...thats how was able to use your other zip file scripts for the url delete thingy...

then i figure our how to open the file they ask and get the scripts..then i copied and pasted them into word...low and be hold it was chinese :)

i backed that copy/paste file up and opened another one that i wanted to manipulate, i didnt know how to find the lines (until now, ty), i did find one but i wasnt sure where to start and stop the cut and paste

include the # symbol on down?
or start with include($p ?

#
// Anti Bot Question Mod - Start

or

include($phpbb_root_path . 'language.....

some of the instructions are not just "find", that made it confusing also...

Angies CyberScripts Alien turned me on to has a ton of info, but most seems to always lack that critical first and second step, assuming one knows how do something as simple as find the admin folder...

i know by now most should, fine i can't yet :)

past my bed time, and yes someday I might want to enhance the look of my forum, first things first...

thanks

p.s. i miss my beach house in Wilmington, NC, spent 20 years down there till the big "D" and she wanted to move back to Yankeeville...i hate the cold weather but love my boys..

Go Toyota :) :) :)

[Aliens Anonymous]

Angies CyberScripts Alien turned me on to has a ton of info, but most seems to always lack that critical first and second step, assuming one knows how do something as simple as find the admin folder

Thanks for the info i will tell the idiot the wrote it. and get him to do something up.

By the way if you click start on your computer then All Programs find the BlueVoda Website Builder program mouceover a box will appear you will see your FTP Manger it says BlueFTP click it and it will open your ftp manager ready for you to connect.

Now you can move it to the start menu by right click hold it down then drag it to the start menu were you want it. my one is just below the internet explorer.

[Girlonthehill]

seriously..i've read almost every post here about this mod thing...i tried it today for about three hours...first problem was i couldnt locate the forum folder in ftp, the only way i know to open ftp is in the blue voda window under ftp manager, and like past exp. not all files are present there...

when i go to my control panel in cPanelx it shows all the files, uploads, extra...thats how was able to use your other zip file scripts for the url delete thingy...

then i figure our how to open the file they ask and get the scripts..then i copied and pasted them into word...low and be hold it was chinese :)

i backed that copy/paste file up and opened another one that i wanted to manipulate, i didnt know how to find the lines (until now, ty), i did find one but i wasnt sure where to start and stop the cut and paste

include the # symbol on down?
or start with include($p ?

#
// Anti Bot Question Mod - Start

or

include($phpbb_root_path . 'language.....

some of the instructions are not just "find", that made it confusing also...

Angies CyberScripts Alien turned me on to has a ton of info, but most seems to always lack that critical first and second step, assuming one knows how do something as simple as find the admin folder...

i know by now most should, fine i can't yet :)

past my bed time, and yes someday I might want to enhance the look of my forum, first things first...

thanks

p.s. i miss my beach house in Wilmington, NC, spent 20 years down there till the big "D" and she wanted to move back to Yankeeville...i hate the cold weather but love my boys..

Go Toyota :) :) :)

I may be mistaken but I don't think you can edit these in MS Word. You need a more basic editor like Wordpad, which you should find under accessories in your list of programs on your pc.

Also you may find a stand alone ftp program more useful than BV ftp manager which does limit the number of files you can see. I use a free open source one called coreftp but I believe smartftp is good, too.

[beebrothers]

Great Info Hill Girl....Thank You

[Collectors-info]

Hi. If you need a freebie php/html/css/xhtml editor, found this one very handy & easy to use.

http://www.alleycode.com/

[C L]

Thanks for posting this Chris.

[Collectors-info]

Thanks for posting this Chris.

Hi CL,
Not quite all sing & dancing, but a nice & easy one to use, that is really handy for testing. And its FREE!
Tip: Hit F9 for browser previews of your work/script as your going along.

[C L]

Hi Chris, free is good. Alien's referred me to your post, it's great! Thanks for the tip!

[beebrothers]

In the next day or so, I'll do the edits for the mod you want to install and post the files here for you to download and use.

Sooner or later, though, you're going to need to try doing this yourself. If you ever decide to add a custom style, or once you've added a mod or two, it won't be as simple as overwriting the old files anymore.

sighhh....kicked my butt again :(

[beebrothers]

pace on the spamming is picking up also..stinks, i can't figure out the mod...

[racefan20]

It's good that you couldn't figure it out. That mod should never have been released as a "complete" mod in my opinion. I did a lot of reading on it this evening and it appears to be very buggy.

I came across a different one that looks promising, but haven't had the time to look all the way through it. In the meantime, just delete the spammers, you can't be getting so many that you can't manage them.

[beebrothers]

i did like you said and deactivated the posting without permission, and have the url option absent, so that helps.. about two a day now, a pain but not overwhelming..

thanks

go toyota :p

[beebrothers]

Their Here....stinks

[limebrook1]

As people can't register a website when they join up now I thought that I had taken the sting out of the spammers. The other day I noticed someone had joined with a very odd name, so had a quick look at them before I activated the membership. Glad I did - there are lots of kids who enjoy the horse riding forum, and having a member whose interests were stated as 'teen porn' didn't seem a good idea!

Just a reminder that you have to be soooo careful!

[beebrothers]

The pace is picking up even with the url disabled, and the account permission required...but that brings up the problem of disallowing legimate users...ho hum

[Aliens Anonymous]

The pace is picking up even with the url disabled, and the account permission required...but that brings up the problem of disallowing legimate users...ho hum

with the web site disabled and account permission required to admin,
Check the IP addresses, check email address, if the account has a ICO account check that ,( most if not all are bogus ) Put a notice in the Automatic email that all account should be activated with in 24 hours.
this will give you enough time to do the checks also to receive a undelevered email notice if the email address is bogus.

I noticed you have 82 members, this sound good untill you realize that at least 76 are spammers.

[beebrothers]

I came across a different one that looks promising, but haven't had the time to look all the way through it...

Happy Easter...Any luck with this mod?

[Systematic nightmare]

this may not have anything to do with this area but if your looking for a good free editor try this one http://sourceforge.net/project/showf...kage_id=102072


it's the notepad++ once you open it click on languages to choose whichever your going to use eith html..css..php etc.etc

[racefan20]

Happy Easter...Any luck with this mod?

No, phpBB is in the process of getting set to finalize phpBB3, so it's pointless to put too much into a phpBB2 forum.

[beebrothers]

phpbb3 "unstable release" is ready...is that kosher to download, or wait for a "stable" release...

[racefan20]

phpbb3 "unstable release" is ready...is that kosher to download, or wait for a "stable" release...

Go for it. It's been tested enough that it can be used in a live environment - just make sure you make database backups before and after installation.

Also, I don't think they have the migration thing put together, so you'd be starting with a brand new forum.