Cloudban Hosting

I recently was gone from the keyboard, two dangerous players joined the server and proceeded to cause dangerous RDM's that driven it down. I was able to get on in time to remove them. A few minutes later my friend had to go through the process in removing them. I had the idea to save effort and collaborate in helping others not deal with this mess, I came up with a great idea.

With Duck's plugin, Cloudban, which basically reads a .txt file listed with Steam ID's and then will prompt to Permaban if those Steam ID's connect to the server.

I had the idea to reduce and hinder trolls, and dangerous hackers/exploiters.

Presenting... http://www.exotecgaming.net/cloudban/
(Please excuse any grammar mistakes, bugs, and errors as I am polishing the interface and external functions.)

So what does the system do?
Firstly, it is a simple .txt file that is manipulated by a PHP script, that I will explain in the next part. I am wanting to share this file with other Owners, and Gameserver hosters who wish to be protected, to explain this in simple words, create a Global banlist that will hold Hackers, and troublesome trolls.

The system is ran using a PHP script, it will only insert bans into the database, when it is accepted.
It will also help organize data, and server owners who submitted their server in order to submit bans.

To reduce the margin of errors, we want to make a quality and well-evaluated situation. The system won't immediately ban the submitted Steam ID, it will search relative bans on the same Steam ID, or try to. The system will also have a function to undo bans, when the player that may have been accidentally or unfairly banned on special occasion submits a special form.

That's great! Who can ban?
Respectively, Server owners only have that right, they will be given a password that is re-generated every month, Each server owner has a unique password to help identify them better, it is tied to their Server IP.

Is this system owned by a single community?
No! The database and the system is developed for the people, it is only under my Webhost temporarily until I finish developing the system, it will then be moved to an independent webhost with it's own Domain name.

Is it free?
Definitely! We want to educate ourselves with positive Unanimous decisions and work together in preventing troublesome people and hackers/exploiters from joining the servers. We want to keep the roleplaying environments clean.

Can my server participate?
Yes!However you will need to download the plugin for clockwork from this link: http://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/32687773/cloudban.rar (Credit goes to Duck for the plugin).Once you have installed the plugin, you'll need to proceed in-game as a Super Administrator.
Press TAB and navigate to system -> Edit config and locate 'cloudban_url' it will have a pre-configured URL, you'll want to clear that and enter this "http://www.exotecgaming.net/cloudban/banned.txt" Click save and your server is now using the Global banlist database.

Can I submit my server yet?
No, the system is currently in the alpha phase, as I want to make it accurate as possible and convenient for the Server Owners, such as mailing list, to receive passwords to submit ban query, updates, and news.

Is it just called Cloudbans, right out of the box?
I never really thought a name for the system really, but if you want to suggest names I'll setup a survey poll and I will let you all name it.

How can we trust you in manipulating this banlist?
Trusting my global banlist system is up to you, however I am hoping to find some well trusted friends, and possibly people around Clockwork to join the team together and put some Unanimous thoughts and citations into one ban at a time before it is passed. I am hoping to someday add the ability for chatlogs, citations, and images to be attached to the ban of the Steam ID, and do possibly more.

How does the banning process work? Does it take bans I made on my server?
No, the banlist on your own clockwork database is not used with Cloudbans, the process starts off when I receive an email, I validate the Steam ID, and a descriptive summary of what he(or she) did.
I then take that Steam ID and do a massive search over the Internet, and check if other servers have this SteamID banned. I apply a formula during the process, where the number of ban/kicks I see, to the reasons why he/she was banned matches the same issue that other admins show that is attached to the ban.

If a banned player attempts to enter your server, he/she will immediately be perma-banned and you will be notified in chat if it has happened.

Do you have future plans for this project?
Definitely, with permission from Duck, I am going to figure out if I could modify the plugin to work with MySQL and have the PHP script take advantage and display a proper formatted banlist that could do more.

I am hoping to update this topic with more information, and as well as taking questions, suggestions, concerns, etc.

Thank you!

 

Wouldn't using the version of ULX posted somewhere in this forum (can't remember where off the top of my head) that doesn't conflict with Clockwork with the ULX sourcebans plugin accomplish the same goal?

 

I believe many versions of ULX conflicts with Clockwork, there is usually an alternative plugin that runs under clockwork called NoMoreULX, and has pretty much the same commands in simplicity, it doesn't use Sourcebans.

Sourcebans is built for a community to share the banlist by itself as in one community with three servers can share it, but that would be for their own personal bans.
I am bringing the idea of running a Global banlist, that all servers can read from at the same time, these bans are mostly targeted at major Trolls, hackers, and people known to cause trouble within many servers.

 

Ah fair enough. Should have read more indepth instead of skimming.

 

eventually this'll result in a massive bandwagon 'lel fuck this community lets all cloudban teh fookers'