# Banning ad-users on a forum



## Kittay (Oct 3, 2006)

Please move this if it's in the wrong section. Thanks.

Ok, so my friend set a forum up (getting quite popular) and he can't go on it for a long while, so he set me as 'administrator'.
There are a whole bunch of users registering every day that post one post about mortgage, insurance, casinos, cars, etc etc. All ads is what I mean. They register, post annoying ads, then never visit again (I assume that's typical with forums, though). There are lots of them and it's unbearable deleting each of the users' accounts and deleting the posts and all that.

The best I could do so far has been setting it so that you have to register to make topics or post, but that hasn't been much help at all. Is there any way that you guys here handle that kind of thing, or what? I want to prevent these people from registering altogether, if that's even possible.

Sorry if this is a stupid question. I'm not knowledgeable at all with this kind of forum stuff.
Thanks.


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## DJ-Zep (Mar 11, 2006)

I'm guessing that you're using phpBB? If so, go to the Administration Panel. Click "Configuration" under the "General Admin" section on the left pane. In the right pane, look for "Enable Visual Confirmation" and set it to yes. Click submit and then your problems should be dealt with.


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## Kittay (Oct 3, 2006)

I didn't see the option of "Enable Visual Confirmation" but the closest thing to that that I saw was "Enable account activation". There are three choices in that: None, User, and Admin. It's currently on 'user', so will checking admin do the trick? And is this basically the same option as you mentioned but worded out differently (maybe this version of phpBB is different)?
Thanks DJ-Zep.

Oh, and if this is the right way, how will i be able to activate/enable the (pending) accounts?


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## Kittay (Oct 3, 2006)

While I'm here...
How do I delete word censors that have already been made? I get this error when I try to delete one:

Template->make_filename(): Error - file admin/confirm_body.tpl does not exist


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## DJ-Zep (Mar 11, 2006)

Enabling admin activation will be more of a pain considering the users will still be able to register, you'll just have to deny them. Scroll down to the bottom of any page of your forum. In the footer, it should say "Powered by phpBB (Release number)." Please tell me what that number is.


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## Kittay (Oct 3, 2006)

"Powered by phpBB 2.0.21 and Ad Infinitum v1.04"


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## Kittay (Oct 3, 2006)

So is the key to this updating the phpbb or something? Will the forum still have all the data it had before the update?
Again, sorry for the stupid questions


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## DJ-Zep (Mar 11, 2006)

We're here for _questions_ - they'll make you smart. (Notice the word ommission :grin

Anyway, even though your phpBB version isn't up-to-date, there is no big reason to update. The feature I'm talking about has been around since 2.0.18 I believe. I circled where it would be to help you out. http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b343/dj-zep/kittay.jpg


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## Kittay (Oct 3, 2006)

Ahhhhh, I figured out what was wrong! It was as simple as changing the default style of the forum from AdInfinitum to subSilver. That actually added all the following options on that weren't there before :

Enable Visual Confirmation (the one I need now)
Allow Automatic Logins
Automatic login key expiry

among others. Who knows why or how that stuff only appears when in subsilver... Odd. Anyway, thanks DJ-Zep. I guess it was kind of a fluke that this happened though - your screenshot just inspired me to change it to silver.


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## DJ-Zep (Mar 11, 2006)

No problemo. I think you should ditch that style considering it removed some admin options. God knows what else it could be doing...(i.e. creaing security gaps)


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## Kittay (Oct 3, 2006)

Hmm... now that I changed it (and set Enable account activation to 'yes') 'ad-users' are still getting through. About 8 have registered since yesterday. I guess I'll just update the php, since it asks me to in the admin index :normal:

Which do I choose out of:
* phpBB 2.0.22 Changed Files Only
* phpBB 2.0.22 Patch File Only
* phpBB 2.0.22 Code Changes

And is it easy to install the updates?


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## DJ-Zep (Mar 11, 2006)

Enable Visual Confirmation.


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## Kittay (Oct 3, 2006)

Oh, sorry there, I meant to say "and set Enable _Visual Confirmation_ to 'yes'"

Anyway, I asked a nerdy friend of mine about it, and he said that if the visual confirmation thing doesn't work I should basically give up on it :grin: 
Thanks anyway, DJ-Zep.


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## DJ-Zep (Mar 11, 2006)

Try enabling user account activation. It will require users to click an activation link that they receive in an email. That should do it.


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