• Registered: 2008-10-23
  • Posts: 7

Topic: Unwanted users/porn adverts

I am running a college forum using PunBB 1.2.11 and after I came back fom summer holl I found that the forum has been overrun by porn adverts and other such unwanted adverts.  They seem to be automated posts as a lot of them are similar.

Is there a quick way to delete a few hundred users and their posts?

Also, is there some sort of system where I can verify new users so stop all this spam?

To see what I mean, the site is located at:
http://www.maths.tcd.ie/~marcusw/SurfForum/index.php

Thanks.

  • sirena
  • sirena
  • Senior Member
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  • Registered: 2006-04-06
  • Posts: 473

Re: Unwanted users/porn adverts

First, you need to seriously update your PunBB version - 1.2.20 is the latest.

I presume you require registration on your forum, and don't allow guest posting. For Pun 1.2.* this is a popular, effective and easy to implement anti-spam mod that makes it harder for bots to register on your forum:

http://www.punres.org/desc.php?pid=503

For a CAPTCHA based antispam mod, search punres for 'captcha' and choose from many options.

As to a quick way to delete unwanted users and posts, have a look at the 'forum cleanup' and 'user management' plugins available here:

http://punbb.informer.com/downloads.php

  • From: Russia
  • Registered: 2007-12-13
  • Posts: 642

Re: Unwanted users/porn adverts

Agree to what sirena said.

I can't find any mod for multiple user deletion. Seems like the only correct way is to manually tell forum to delete user and all his topics/posts for each user.

Carpe diem

Anatoly's Website

  • Registered: 2008-10-23
  • Posts: 7

Re: Unwanted users/porn adverts

Perfect, thanks a lot.

  • Registered: 2006-10-12
  • Posts: 8

Re: Unwanted users/porn adverts

Why isn't there a default solution in PunBB? Why does each individual user have to solve it on his own? A lot of time and energy goes to waste. Please consider a good default solution in future releases. It will make one of the best BB's even better.

Reginald's Website

  • Registered: 2008-10-23
  • Posts: 7

Re: Unwanted users/porn adverts

Yea, that would be real usefull.  I've got hundreds, if not thousands of usres to delete and it's taking ages.

Also, for some reason some of the users will not delete.  Does anybody know why and/or how to fix this?  It tends to be spammers with thousands of posts, not spammers with only one or two posts.

  • sirena
  • sirena
  • Senior Member
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  • Registered: 2006-04-06
  • Posts: 473

Re: Unwanted users/porn adverts

A built-in solution, like for example the mod by Jacky or even my more simple anti-spambot mod, would indeed be useful.

I think some form of simple (preferably non-CAPTCHA) anti-spam certainly should be a built-in feature of 1.3, and include an area within the control panel to administer it.

A by-product of having this would be a drop in PunBB support requests here and elsewhere.

The issue has been discussed here for years but so far I am not aware of any commitment to such a feature from the PunBB or FluxBB devs. I hope I am wrong on this.

  • sirena
  • sirena
  • Senior Member
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  • Registered: 2006-04-06
  • Posts: 473

Re: Unwanted users/porn adverts

marcusw wrote:

Also, for some reason some of the users will not delete.  Does anybody know why and/or how to fix this?  It tends to be spammers with thousands of posts, not spammers with only one or two posts.

You may have to go in and do it manually by editing your forum database with phpMyAdmin or similar. Tread carefully though if you choose that route and do a DB backup beforehand smile

  • From: Russia
  • Registered: 2007-12-13
  • Posts: 642

Re: Unwanted users/porn adverts

See my post in "Simple Antispambot" topic.

Carpe diem

Anatoly's Website

  • Registered: 2008-10-23
  • Posts: 7

Re: Unwanted users/porn adverts

This plugin any good?

http://www.ninethsense.com/content/view/57/51/

How do I use it? Paste it into a vile called AP_Forum_cleanup.php and put it into www/MyForum/plugins

11 Reply by sirena

  • sirena
  • sirena
  • Senior Member
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  • Registered: 2006-04-06
  • Posts: 473

Re: Unwanted users/porn adverts

marcusw wrote:

This plugin any good?

http://www.ninethsense.com/content/view/57/51/

How do I use it? Paste it into a vile called AP_Forum_cleanup.php and put it into www/MyForum/plugins

Don't know if is any good, but yes that is how you would install it under 1.2.*.

Let us know how it works for you.

  • Registered: 2008-10-23
  • Posts: 7

Re: Unwanted users/porn adverts

Yea, this plugin works very well.

It should be added to the list of plugins on this site.

  • From: Russia
  • Registered: 2007-12-13
  • Posts: 642

Re: Unwanted users/porn adverts

marcusw wrote:

It should be added to the list of plugins on this site.

Do you mean http://punbb.informer.com/wiki/punbb12/mods_and_plugins?
Feel free to edit the page and add the plugins that should be there.

Carpe diem

Anatoly's Website

14 Reply by sirena

  • sirena
  • sirena
  • Senior Member
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  • Registered: 2006-04-06
  • Posts: 473

Re: Unwanted users/porn adverts

Anatoly wrote:

Do you mean http://punbb.informer.com/wiki/punbb12/mods_and_plugins?
Feel free to edit the page and add the plugins that should be there.

He might mean:
http://punbb.informer.com/downloads.php

where many of the other useful 1.2.* admin plugins are listed and downloadable.

  • From: Russia
  • Registered: 2007-12-13
  • Posts: 642

Re: Unwanted users/porn adverts

sirena wrote:

He might mean:
http://punbb.informer.com/downloads.php

where many of the other useful 1.2.* admin plugins are listed and downloadable.

Done.

Carpe diem

Anatoly's Website

16 Reply by marcusw (edited by marcusw 2008-10-29 18:27)

  • Registered: 2008-10-23
  • Posts: 7

Re: Unwanted users/porn adverts

Thats exactly what i ment.