Questions about forum access

[Cain Highwind]

So I was just wondering a couple things.

Do we really have to have to keep the forum "hidden" from the index. I mean sure, back in the old days members hated seeing SOLDIER and not being able to get in. But these days if you restrict access, it won't show up for those who don't. Just don't think it's necessary.

Secondly, I've noticed a lot of people in the Old Members topic in GC saying they wanted in. So I thought this might make for a good topic for who we need/want to give access to. I mean we DID do that in the old days.

[LocoColt04]

Well, it's been hidden for as long as I can remember, except for a brief stint in '05 when it was resurrected. It doesn't matter to me one way or the other; say the word and I'll set it up however it needs to be set up. Currently, it's on a permission-only basis -- if your name isn't on the list, you can't click into it, even if you have a direct link.

Putting it out in the open won't hurt anything, but it's not my choice.

[Cain Highwind]

Well back then, as I recall SOLDIER was an Elite General Chat, it was on the forum index for all to see, but you had to have access to get in.

Eventually everyone had to get all up in arms about "Member Equality" so it was moreorless decommissioned as "General Chat" and made into another group for the whole Forum/Clan Wars thing. I think back then my activity on TFF was rather low, didn't care for it, plus I think a lot of people stopped posting.

With the whole 10th Anniversary thing going on, and everyone showing interest again, it'd be kinda nice to go back to what it originally was. Only this time, normal members can't see it. Basically like now, except those with Access CAN see it. Unless I'm here as a fluke (being an admin), and you guys can all see it just fine.

[LocoColt04]

No no, the forum is invisible, and your access was granted to you manually back in the 2005 series. Though, you could see it anyway, with your adminship and whatnot.

So if you're suggesting we make it visible on the index, I don't have a problem with that. They still won't be able to click through, so it doesn't really change anything. It just gives people more things to bitch about, which I'm okay with.

[Cain Highwind]

Yeah I was just looking at the options. The forum is listed as "Not Active" making it invisible, but it clearly says that as a restricted forum, only those with access will be able to see it. It'll be the same as the Mod forums. Guests and Regular members (and even mods) won't know it's there.

It's more a matter of convenience than anything else. I could bookmark it, but it just seems silly.

Plus, as far as it seems, there's no easy way to tell who all has access and who doesn't. You have to look up by individual member.

[LocoColt04]

Well I've checked the logs for everyone who's ever posted in here and those whose accounts still exist still have access.

Since we're discussing this type of stuff, I may as well ask -- were you the last one to prune the memberlist? If so, you definitely forgot to set a filter for the maximum number of posts... I usually set that at 20 and then wipe anything that hasn't logged in for six months. That way, I don't wipe out any of our vets. So far as I can tell right now, it looks like we lost Ryayukou and Yuna, and who knows how many others.

[Cain Highwind]

Nope not me, haven't touched anything Member List related.

[LocoColt04]

Huh. Maybe it was Fuzz or Merlin during one of the recent cleanups. Oh well. Too lazy to check mod logs. I know it wasn't me though, because it's been over a year since the last time I did it.

Ah, back to the topic at hand then. Maybe someone else will have input. Until then, I'll leave it as-is.

[Cain Highwind]

That's fine, I'll make do, as I said, we can also talk about people who we might want to let have access.

I also noticed Che was asking for access, even though he did, he hasn't posted. He probably doesn't think he does, or did you send him a URL for the forum via PM? If not, I can do it.

[Pete]

Hmmm, is there some way we can figure out who already has access, other than by having them post? I know it's a pain in the ass, but we could create a brief list of people who we think/know are in and then just have you guys just check through the admin panel.

Also, is there a way for the board to just show up on the main page, with or without having the other members see it? A little controversy never hurt anyone, but I'll be damned if they start up that jerkoff fake clan wars again because of this. I'd much rather have this as elite gen chat/ gen chat as it used to be 6-7 years ago.

[LocoColt04]

If I put the board visible on the index, EVERYONE can see that it exists. There isn't any way around it that I know of. Again, no one will be able to click through and see the topics if they're not given access, but it can't selectively appear as far as I know.


Oh, and the way I went about figuring out who had access was by clicking the little post count column on each thread; it pops up a list of everyone who posted in it, so I figured out who to send PMs and/or contact outside of the forums that way. I'll go look at them all again and post up a list here...


TEH LIZT

• Cain Highwind
• cloud711
• Indigo
• kilo
• LocoColt04
• Merlin
• OceanEyes28
• Pete
• Psiko
• psychosyd
• Ryayukou
• Shan'do Spike
• Skai
• Tifa
• Viper*
• Whitney

*Viper: Her account was banned by HER choice forever ago because of some work-related issues. I'll give her a call later tonight and see if she would be interested in coming back; it's been three years now.

[Che]

I figured it out! I honestly had no idea it was hidden until I clicked on New Posts and found a link to this thread from there. Hi everyone~

[LocoColt04]

Well, that's part of why we're trying to decide whether the board should appear on the index or not. What do you think?

[Che]

Well, I just went back and read what the forum description was. SOLDIER Only the strongest are allowed in this forum. Only Members granted permission from the Royal Guard here may enter.

And that's how I feel it should be. If people are going to bitch about it, let them. I wouldn't buy little Timmy a toy from wal-mart just because he cries and makes a scene about it in the checkout line.

Also, just PM the people who you think have access, or you think should have access and let them know this forum exists in case they forgot or something. Once that is done, only the new people will have to be PMd to let them know where it's at. Being hidden saves the trouble of people whining.

[Cain Highwind]

I figured it out! I honestly had no idea it was hidden until I clicked on New Posts and found a link to this thread from there. Hi everyone~

Told ya Cesar Sorry Che.

But yeah I just checked via loading the page on IE (Unlogged), When you deny access to certain forums, they won't be shown on the index. ONLY when you have access to them do they appear. As a Guest, I couldn't actually SEE any of the Staff related forums or the Journal section (I denied Journal access to guests so that it wouldn't show up in searches).

It's not like before where they would show up on the index but you couldn't get in.

[LocoColt04]

Well that settles that. I'll go make it "active" so that it appears to those of us who have access. I'll double check this when it's done -- I'm not 100% sure that you're correct about how it works, because there are a couple different ways to set it. I'll have to check what the settings are for the mod forums and mimic those.


edit:

Show Private Forum
(Select 'No' here to hide this forum from users who are not allowed to access it. Users who do have permission to access it will have to log in before they can see this forum.
This option applies to the any forum listing, including the Forum Jump menu, and Search Results.
Selecting 'Use default' will use the system default as defined in Forum Listings Display Options.)

So I should select "no" here. Part of me wants to select yes just so it shows up to those without access anyway. You know, for the bitching and such. The rest of me agrees that it's a bad idea. By the default options, it WOULD have appeared to everyone, albeit without the ability to click through.

[Lucid]

So...are you saying I shouldn't be able to see/read this forum...or something?

[Cain Highwind]

Hmm it looks like you have a unique Usergroup that SOLDIER doesn't seem to restrict. Looking into it now.

Yep, somehow the entire "Warmonger" Usergroup had access. Fixed.

[Merlin]

Same old problem as before. vB is retarded. You have to manually ban every single thing you don't want to see it rather than just granting access to a single group. After all these years, they still haven't fixed such a stupid problem.

EDIT: As for member pruning, I don't clean up your trash. Not setting a limit on it is rather dangerous... SQL can nuke the shit out of a lot of stuff really fast and there is no undo button. ^_^ (unless you're like me and back it up first)

[Che]

I love it when you back it up.

[Merlin]

I kept back-door access to the admin panel for business, not pleasure. Unfortunately, they don't pay me for my services.

[Pete]

Well, who doesn't like going through the back door every now and then.

pa-ZING

[Che]

Just to make use of the amazing img tags we can use in here:



edit OMG WE CAN'T USE IMG TAGS IN SOLDIER WTF BITCH?