Prevent guests from reading topics

[latheesan]

Hi,

On my forums, I want to allow guest to see the list of boards and topics in them, but i want to prevent them from reading the topic.

I want to allow access to these urls:

http://domain.com/forums/index.php [nofollow]
http://domain.com/forums/index.php?board=2.0 [nofollow] (etc...)

But no access to the topics:

http://domain.com/forums/index.php?topic=2.0 [nofollow] (etc...)

How can I achieve this? Is this possible?

[Kindred]

you would need a mod for that.... there are a few, I think...

However, please realize that, by doing this you are actually going to chase users AWAY from your site.

Requiring login to post is fine. everyone expects that.
displaying content lists and then requiring a login to read that content is somewhat of a bait-and-switch and many users will leave your site and go find the information elsewhere.

There is a reason that SMF, by default, never shows the user any action that can not be completed.

[player.samp]

http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=1695

[Kindred]

that mod was for 2.0RC1 - it is definitely unlikely that it will work with 2.0.x

[Steve]

Why do I not see a forum at those links?

[Illori]

Why do I not see a forum at those links?

because it is not the url the op is actually using.

[player.samp]

that mod was for 2.0RC1 - it is definitely unlikely that it will work with 2.0.x

It works fine on SMF 2.0.9. Guests can view the forum, enter boards, but once they try to enter a topic, it will redirect them to the login page.

[Tonyvic]

Or maybe http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=610

[Steve]

It works fine on SMF 2.0.9.

Side note: if you're running 2.0.9 you really should upgrade to 2.0.10 ...

[Kindred]

I stand corrected. The mod in question is a single line of code which apparently did not change between versions.

[treideri]

you would need a mod for that.... there are a few, I think...

However, please realize that, by doing this you are actually going to chase users AWAY from your site.

Requiring login to post is fine. everyone expects that.
displaying content lists and then requiring a login to read that content is somewhat of a bait-and-switch and many users will leave your site and go find the information elsewhere.

There is a reason that SMF, by default, never shows the user any action that can not be completed.

Can not agree to this. People as law are lazy. i also registered here just because needed to ask a question, otherwise i would be too lazy for it. our experience show that when all boards are accesible, registering decreases about some 50%! Maybe for large and open forums it is different, but for smaller forums it is must that persons are registering and loging in. why? because then other members see that there are more online users and they are more interested to also log in. if everyone browsing forum as guest it makes forum look empty. and why bother to log in or register if you can see everything without doing it. the same goes for when i want to attract some companies for advertising purposes. if they look at my forum and see only 3 members online it does not look very good or recent registrations are 1-2 user in 3 days. But if they see that there are 10-20 users online and registration is around 2-3 users in 2 days then it looks more good.

[Steve]

Not sure what you're disagreeing with (not to mention this thread is 6 months old).

Who is 'our experience'? Your forum?

Kindred is absolutely right, if you allow guests to see boards and thread titles but not the thread content, they're not going to register. I know I wouldn't.

If you require registration to do anything, then again, people aren't going to register. I wouldn't. People don't join a forum based on how many users are online, they join because of its content.

[treideri]

I disagreed to opinion which stated Kindred. is this a problem? Do everyone need to have the same opinion?

[Kindred]

oh, you can disagree with my opinion.

You'd just be wrong.

seriously though....       I have 20 years of evidence to back me up on this. Teasing does not work -- it is more likely to have DETRIMENTAL effects on your registrations over time, even if it has a short term boost.

[Siirist]

. . . seriously though....       I have 20 years of evidence to back me up on this. Teasing does not work -- it is more likely to have DETRIMENTAL effects on your registrations over time, even if it has a short term boost.

So would this be wrong?

Visit my forum as a guest and you will see all the Categories, and ONE board per Category is visible to the public with a listing of the boards within that Category.

Additionally, Guests can see everything in the first two Categories so that they can reach information about the forum and resources that are available to the general public via the internet.

Concerned,
Siirist

[Kindred]

That does not seem to be the same thing. You are not showing them something but then requiring the user to register to finish seeing the post or board...

However, your site hung my browser, using an iPad...

[Siirist]

That does not seem to be the same thing. You are not showing them something but then requiring the user to register to finish seeing the post or board...

Oh, so the thought is that they are able to view a portion of the topic and then have to login to see more of the topic. Like this?

"When difficulties arrive, when sadness touches your soul and loneliness feels like staying forever you feel like if there was just you in the universe and if you were screaming but nobody could hear you, remember that there is something precious inside you, the beauty inside you, the dreams that never leave you, your . . ." to continue reading please Login or Register

Wow, that would be something, especially if you could set the actual quantity of words that are displayed before the closer "to continue reading please Login or Register" appears.

However, your site hung my browser, using an iPad...

Thank you for that information because I don't have an iPad to check.
I will need to investigate that, because I don't know if "your site" means A Sanctuary.net (the website), or Your Sanctuary (the forum, which is using SMF Default Theme).

Thank you for your reply,
Siirist

[Kindred]

Siirist,

that sort of teasing is the thing I am talking about.

Let everyone read everything that is intended to be public.
If they can't read the complete contents, then don't even display it as an option.

Listing a teaser (like just the title, or the title and the first 150 characters) and then forcing them to register/login to finish reading is what I have been railing against and what will drive the registrations DOWN, in the long run.


As for your site -- I mean the forum.

[Siirist]

Siirist,

that sort of teasing is the thing I am talking about.

Let everyone read everything that is intended to be public.
If they can't read the complete contents, then don't even display it as an option.

Listing a teaser (like just the title, or the title and the first 150 characters) and then forcing them to register/login to finish reading is what I have been railing against and what will drive the registrations DOWN, in the long run.

So apparently you believe that this is a BAD idea.
I am hopeful that the method that I am using is better, ie,

The Blue Room ~ Challenging Stuff
A List of Challenging Stuff For Survivors

This list of boards is visible to the public so that prospective members will know there are private areas for survivors to talk about all the things that have happened to them. In this category you will find:
* Survivor's SCREAMING Room
* Triggery Stuff you DO want replies to
* Triggery Stuff you DO NOT want replies to

As for your site -- I mean the forum.

Well, pooh. 
This will require a great deal of thought to repair as I have to determine the cause without having an iPod.
Perhaps I should look into purchasing a used one so that I will be able to replicate the issue. 

SIDE NOTE: I think I speak for MANY members when I say "I want to thank you for being so active and helpful to so many members!   "
You seem to be here a lot, helping members. 

[Kindred]

That list there is fine...   you're just listing what they would get, if they join...
the problem is allowing them to THINK they can click a link and see content and then saying "nah nah nah...  you have to log in before you get to see THAT one"

[Siirist]

That list there is fine...   you're just listing what they would get, if they join...
the problem is allowing them to THINK they can click a link and see content and then saying "nah nah nah...  you have to log in before you get to see THAT one"

Okay, I will amend it so that it does this:
The Blue Room ~ Challenging Stuff
A List of Challenging Stuff For Survivors

This is ONLY a list of the boards that is visible to the public so that prospective members will know there are private areas for survivors to talk about all the things that have happened to them.
In this category you will find:
* Survivor's SCREAMING Room
* Triggery Stuff you DO want replies to
* Triggery Stuff you DO NOT want replies to

[treideri]

That list there is fine...   you're just listing what they would get, if they join...
the problem is allowing them to THINK they can click a link and see content and then saying "nah nah nah...  you have to log in before you get to see THAT one"

Right. I always wondered why Facebook is so small and non popular. So now i understood - it is because they also do not allow to see much of the content before you register or log-in.

[Kindred]

treideri,

I have no idea what YOUR personal settings are (although, form your comment, I can guess) -- but no one sees anything regarding my facebook profile and posts that I do not specifically allow. Facebook only allows what each individual use has allowed.

In other words... your comparison is bogus and my years of experience, including taking print publications to the digital world support my point.

[treideri]

Whoever is not with me is against me. That is what i am hearing in your opinion.

What i wanted to say that there could be many different situations and you can not say that only one option is the right option for everyone.

[Kindred]

I never said there was only one option...

I did however say (and stand by my statement) that teasing users by showing titles when they can't actually read the content will LOSE you users, in the long run.

[treideri]

I never said there was only one option...

Glad to hear that. If different opinion does not influence senior members wish to help to other members then it is great ...