Disable hidden images

[gwyneth]

Slapshotw has mentioned the recent increase in hidden images and links posted in the public categories. These are mostly (but not entirely) in vacuous messages that appear to posted solely for the purpose of including the hidden stuff.

Can these either be disabled entirely, or could HG prohibit non-activated members from posting links and images (would also help prevent spam), or both?

As GoddessDix has noted, with links allowed in signatures, there's really no excuse.

[skeetr]

I second this. Its starting to increase terribly.

[Sam]

+1 on this suggestion

[gwyneth]

After seeing a one-sentence, pointless message today surrounded with white space, I snapped and started reporting them.

IMO, HG should be especially stern with the ones concerning affiliate accounts (not all do)...an affiliate who's just joined the forum and is trying to game search engines may not present the best prospects for a happy relationship, and it seems unfair to the other affiliates. (I've got no association at all with any affiliates, so that's just a disinterested comment.)

[regentronique]

Please be advised that i already reported security issues concerning these posted images and several other type collecting data on the forum.

It was reported in November 2007, and the HostGator support answer was : We cannot exclude images from our forum. After communicating with other people of support i proposed that they could ask forum members to upload their images and that way they wont be able to proceed our own data from their website. The HostGator administrator final answer was NO.

[edit]: removed. I will not have you constantly bashing HG in your posts.

P.S. Since november 2007, i disabled the images in the forum for myself...

[slapshotw]

I agree about doing something to stop this. I report them everytime I see them, but it doesn't seem to be enough.

[gwyneth]

Originally Posted by regentronique

Please be advised that i already reported security issues concerning these posted images and several other type collecting data on the forum.

It was reported in November 2007, and the HostGator support answer was : We cannot exclude images from our forum. After communicating with other people of support i proposed that they could ask forum members to upload their images and that way they wont be able to proceed our own data from their website. The HostGator administrator final answer was NO.

[insinuating comment]

P.S. Since november 2007, i disabled the images in the forum for myself...

This is actually a much less global suggestion: simply disallow pre-activated members from posting images and links. If pre-activated members become a separate group (currently all new members are hatchlings, then the activated ones can see and post in the non-public categories but remain hatchlings until reaching the next post level) it would be a simple restriction to implement.

[Goddess Dix]

you can pretty easily hack vb to only allow images/links after a pre-specfied number of posts as i have on my board. or, at the very least, not allow the awaiting activation group post images...the broken images themesleves are annoying enough, but it wouldn't be half as bad if the people didn't post the nonesense with it to get another post.

[gwyneth]

Several of the worst offenders do this all over the internet...must spend all their time finding fora and blogs for their posts.

These hard-core abusers aren't likely to respond to our complaints but (if and when one of Sam's club members really snap) Google might:

Google - Report a Spam Report

Hey all,

Pending accounts may no longer use the [IMG] tags. Hopefully this cuts back on the junk. I guess if it gets really really bad, we can moderate pending posts. However, I'd imagine once they realize the image spam doesn't work anymore, they will (hopefully) move on.

[gwyneth]

Originally Posted by GatorJamyn

Hey all,

Pending accounts may no longer use the [IMG] tags. Hopefully this cuts back on the junk. I guess if it gets really really bad, we can moderate pending posts. However, I'd imagine once they realize the image spam doesn't work anymore, they will (hopefully) move on.

Thanks GatorJamyn for paying attention, particularly during the password swamp. If e-brownie technology were further along in development, I'd attach a batch!

http://www.forumup.com/images/smiles...r_thankyou.gif

[slapshotw]

Originally Posted by GatorJamyn

Pending accounts may no longer use the [IMG] tags.

You rock. I nominate this action for a Croc.

[striddy]

Originally Posted by GatorJamyn

Pending accounts may no longer use the [IMG] tags. Hopefully this cuts back on the junk. I guess if it gets really really bad, we can moderate pending posts. However, I'd imagine once they realize the image spam doesn't work anymore, they will (hopefully) move on.

Thanks GatorJamyn, great work as usual.

It looks like the modifications do not work as intended, but I'll get this fixed today one way or another. The functionality to disable BBCode per usegroup doesn't exist in the core vBulletin software (oversight?), so.. I'm working on it.

[Keith W]

Hi GatorJamyn,

As pending accounts only have access to just a few forums then maybe it might be an idea to disable the use of the [img] tag per forum on the few forums they do have access to and as a last resort just disable BB code on those forums.

I know this would also impact on the regular customers that use these few forums but I think it would be a small price to pay until these people get bored and move on, or until a more suitable solution can be found.

Regards, Keith

[gwyneth]

Originally Posted by Goddess Dix

you can pretty easily hack vb to only allow images/links after a pre-specfied number of posts as i have on my board. or, at the very least, not allow the awaiting activation group post images...the broken images themesleves are annoying enough, but it wouldn't be half as bad if the people didn't post the nonesense with it to get another post.

Originally Posted by GatorJamyn

It looks like the modifications do not work as intended, but I'll get this fixed today one way or another. The functionality to disable BBCode per usegroup doesn't exist in the core vBulletin software (oversight?), so.. I'm working on it.

Goddess, how did you do it?

[Sam]

Try this mod: http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showthread.php?t=178611

[Sam]

And the invisisble links are back.

http://forums.hostgator.com/member.php?u=18838

[GatorWesley]

I disabled that user and we are going to look into the hack posted above. Until then if any of you see a user doing that, please private message me and I will take care of it.

[Goddess Dix]

Originally Posted by gwyneth

Goddess, how did you do it?

i totally missed this question at the time. this is the hack i use on my forums-

http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showthread.php?t=177704

[gwyneth]

Originally Posted by GatorWesley

I disabled that user and we are going to look into the hack posted above. Until then if any of you see a user doing that, please private message me and I will take care of it.

Thanks, too bad we can't PM you guys some aspirin, as well.

PS: Don't forget Goddess Dix found one, too.