Topic: Paid subscription question

[rcane]

Hi all,

I'm setting up a paid subscription; however, it's not for a specific board within but rather just for general access to everything. 

Under the settings i see Primary Group to put the user into when they subscribe:   I have it set to "don't change".   I presumed that to mean just a regular user.

The other options are admin, global moderator, and a private board that's for a select few people.   

I registered a new test account using an old email and the activation and such went as set up, but there was never any notice to subscribe.
However, I see paid subscriptions in the user's profile.  There's a button to subscribe, though the account can already access everything a standard user can see.

Seems kind of moot.

[Aleksi "Lex" Kilpinen]

It's not a general access fee kind of feature really.
You can use it like that, but then you should for example make one public board for regular members with instructions on how to gain access, and create a new group for the subscribed users that has access everywhere.

[rcane]

Hey Lex, thanks for replying.

So, it's more for paying to get access to a specific membergroup rather than for access to specific boards.   Hmm.

I might try to find a mod that works the way I want:  I already set up my groups and such, and one group has access (in addition to all the main boards and such) one additional board that is a private room.   I don't think the subscription feature would allow me to have you pay to be a "paid group member" AND have you be a part of the other group that has access to a "hidden/private/restricted" board.

I like that it's built into SMF but I'm not sure it will work without changing the things I've set up thus far.

[Kindred]

well, permissions are controlled by membergroup.

So, you can create, say, 3 membergroups, each with access to one different board. Users could then pay to be in membergroup A with access to board 1 -- and membergroup B with access to board 2... and so on...


I'm not exactly certain how SMF handles a user subscriptions for being in multiple paid groups though.

[Aleksi "Lex" Kilpinen]

So, it's more for paying to get access to a specific membergroup rather than for access to specific boards.   Hmm.

It's both. I was just answering based on what you told.

I'm setting up a paid subscription; however, it's not for a specific board within but rather just for general access to everything. 

This would leave me to believe you want to "sell tickets" to the whole forum.

Under the settings i see Primary Group to put the user into when they subscribe:   I have it set to "don't change".   I presumed that to mean just a regular user.

This would back up what I said earlier, but this set up wouldn't work. "Don't change" means "Do nothing to the user's membergroup, permissions or access".

I'm not exactly certain how SMF handles a user subscriptions for being in multiple paid groups though.

Not a 101% here either, but if you set them all to be secondary groups, and secondary groups only - it could work.

[rcane]

that's what i was thinking.  i'm going to go sit and stare at it for a few now

[rcane]

Yeah, it would seem there is no good way to stop a person at the door and require a subscription payment.


I'll have to find a mod and see if I can make that work.

[Kindred]

what you can do is have one board available to non-payers.  In that board is a thread which says "subscribe to get access to the rest"

[shadav]

basically what you would do is have an in general board that allows everyone view privileges
and in here you can set it to read only, if you don't want people to be able to post and then create a post with the instructions on how to access the other boards....or grant folks posting privileges to allow them to ask questions and whatnot.

then all other boards would be set up with only allowed specific groups view/post privileges

so you would have your normal membergroups and then your one membergroup that is allowed access to your private board
then you'll add a new membergroup, we'll called them "Paid Members"
and setting your subscription to change membergroups to the Paid Members
and on all boards, except for the private board and the general board, modify them and under Allowed Groups: check mark the box for Paid Members and do not check any other membergroups, unless you want them to have access.

for example I'll use one of my sites...in the first image you can see the Staff Boards, since I am logged in and am an admin....however if logged out, you don't even know they are there
if logged in as any other member (other than an admin or moderator) they are not seen....
in the second image you can see the Women's chat and the Men's chat, since I am logged in and an admin so I have access to both...however if logged out, the board is not found...there again, regular members can not see these board, these are special boards for 2 different membergroups, one named Female and one named Male....members have to join one or the other to be able to see the appropriate boards...so if someone is in the Female membergroup then they can see the women's chat but not the men's chat, if someone is in the Male membergroup then they can see the men's chat but not the women's chat....

hope that makes sense
just set up your membergroups and then modify the boards and add only the membergroups that you want to access those boards.
then set your subscription to move members into that membergroup.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

If you want all new members to subscribe you can redirect login of nonsubscribers to Profile -> Paid Subscriptions, place a notice there explaining your subscription policy.  Every time they login they'll go there first, otherwise they'll only see what guests see.

[rcane]

Thanks for all the suggestions.
I think it falls on me to make sense of it.

1. I made a group "paid regular member"
2. I made a group "private member"
3. I have two boards:  1) Forums info, and 2)Main boards
4. Inside "main boards" there is a private forum reserved for the private folks (won't be but a few of them)

5. Under Admin>Forum>Boards... I left the permission profile to 'default'.   
6. Under Admin>Forum>Boards>Main Boards:     I checked the allowed groups to everyone EXCEPT "guest" and "regular member"

7.  Under Admin>Forum>Boards>Forums Info:     I checked the allowed groups to everyone EXCEPT "guest"

Question:  What member group does a person go to when they create an account?  Is it just regular member?   I do not see regular member under Admin>Members>Membergroups, but I do see it under the settings of #6 and #7.

I also see regular members under Admin>Members>Permissions>General Permission.


So, after reading everyone's input I understand I just need a "paid member group" to which folks automatically go to once paid up. 

I understand I can move them to the private group later at my discretion.

but, a regular unpaid account i made still has access to everything when it logs in.  So i am sure i am missing a step.

[Aleksi "Lex" Kilpinen]

A newly registered member belongs to "regular members" and the lowest post count group. Make sure you are not giving access to post count groups.

[rcane]

Oh good grief.  That certainly helped move me along in the proper direction. 

Thank you.

[rcane]

Yep, that fixed it. 

Made a test account and as I granted "subscription" it could gain access to the forums.
After I changed it's membergroup (which is how i'll do it anyway), it saw the private group.

Thank you to all for the patience here.