[color=#800000]IMPORTANT:
Since the installation of the blacklist mod, this procedure does not apply for dealing with spammers any more! For deleting and blocking spammers, please use the new procedure described here:[/color] viewtopic.php?f=6&t=4574
Hi,
following up on TCIII’s question on the dev list, here is how to disable a user’s account:
1.) The "cleanup method"
Go to the Moderator Control Panel -> Banning
Under the username field in the form is a link “Find a member” which opens a member list. The member list is by default sorted alphabetically. If you click on the column header “joined” it will be sorted reverse chronological. Mark all the user you need with the checkbox to the right and click “Select marked”.
Then find enter a reason which is shown in the ban list and a reason which is displayed to the user. YOu can also choose if the user should be banned permanently or if you just want to give him a “time out” to think about inappropriate behavior. The click "Submit"
If you have the rights, you will find the same form from Admin Control Panel -> Users and Groups -> User security.
If you find that multiple attacks come from the same IP, you can also ban that IP under the respective menu item.
2.) The individual method
At any time in the forums, when an admin or mod clicks on a username, the following profile display contains some quicklinks for administrative functions, including banning. If you choose banning from that point, you will be redirected to the user banning form which will be pre-filled with the user data. You only have to choose the time period and enter the reasons. Also pre-filled will be the forms for IP-banning and email-banning from the sidebar.
Spambots often operate from hacked machines and often re-use email-adresses. phpBB is configured to accept only one registration for one email-address. Hence, I strongly recommend not to delete spammers but to block/ban their accounts because that prevents re-registration under the same email-address. If a spammer comes from a hacked machine (usually machines in some hosters’ networks), it might also be a good idea to block the corresponding IP.
However, in another post I have described two extensions which would make much of this unnecessary.
-S