Usergroup Changes

Post by **dandelions** » 14 Feb 2007 03:26 pm

I've found two usergroup mods which I am considering implementing and would like your opinions first.

The first is to enable auto-joining usergroups so it doesn't require approval by a group moderator. This would mean the Werewolf group, for example, would let users leave and rejoin whenever they wanted, so that users didn't have to stay joined when they knew they couldn't play a month. Another possible advantage of this is that I would be more open to creating new usergroups for things not everyone would be interested in- for example, PPT had a group just for female members where people could ask fairly personal questions, which I can imagine a large number of people not wanting to be part of. And so on. If you can think of possible options for groups to be created, too, I would be interested to hear them. I have no plans to make any current public forums usergroup-only.

The second is, coincidentally, also a usergroup mod, but it would have less of an effect on current members. Effectively, all users could be included in a usergroup automatically, with that usergroup given access to every forum. However, users who have too few posts, or who have not been a member for a specified length of time, would be prevented from being made a member of this usergroup until they meet those requirements. This is a solution to prevent users joining simply to make petpet or adoption requests; if implemented on either of those two forums, I would lower the posting requirement to closer to ten or fifteen posts, as it would not be possible to view legitimate topics such as new petpet colours otherwise. Below that, it would be as if the forum did not exist, meaning that moderators wouldn't have to waste time endlessly telling people not to post until they meet the requirements.

What do you think?

Jessi · Post by **Jessi** » 14 Feb 2007 03:35 pm

I love the idea of both of those mods. The first one I think will work out great particularly with Werewolf - that way things like FMD not even getting added before the start of the first game she was in won't happen again xD Also, obviously groups like the WW one shouldn't need approval, as anyone who asks to join gets approved anyway. I don't personally have ideas for other user groups, but I'm sure other people might - you might even be able to make Subeta a public user group this way ,that way people who don't want to see Subeta stuff won't have to (I remember this was brought up before, and rejected due to people needing to be accepted into the user group).

The second one just sounds good all around - it would make it so you guys aren't constantly posting the little "You need 25 posts" message and keep things a bit cleaner and smoother (and less aggrivating!) in these particular parts of the site.

Not much to complain about on either one, really. i say go for it!

rebelheart · Post by **rebelheart** » 14 Feb 2007 03:49 pm

About that second mod, currently you can see the petpet forum even when you're not logged in, so that would change? You can only read when you're in that usergroup and logged in?
If there was a way we could keep the forum read only to non-users and users that don't meet the posting requirements yet I'd appreciate that, but it's not a big deal if it can't be done.

Post by **dandelions** » 14 Feb 2007 04:21 pm

Actually, that's a point- I think in theory you can make a forum visible to non-members and just not allow them to post, which would solve the problem of preventing people seeing legitimate topics like petpet news. Let me see if that's possible.

edit: yes, it is. I would therefore make Petpets visible to all, but with a 15-post minimum to reply in there.

If I made Subeta a usergroup, which would be a good way to give it multiple forums without irritating people who don't play, it would be opt-out rather than opt-in- I want new members to be able to see it immediately, so that people who play Subeta see there's actually somewhere to post. That's a possible function of the second mod- you can create usergroups which automatically include everyone.

Marah · Post by **Marah** » 14 Feb 2007 05:44 pm

I'm in favour of both the mods.

I really wish I had a long explanation for that, but they just sound good and specially the second one sounds like it makes things easier for our moderators.

TCD · Post by **TCD** » 14 Feb 2007 06:31 pm

Like 'em both, simple as that.

Silverevilchao · Post by **Silverevilchao** » 14 Feb 2007 06:34 pm

I like both of them. And I'm all up for a Subeta usergroup - and possibly a video game one, too. (as in, consoles such as the 360 or Wii, etc.)

The Journal · Post by **Joey** » 14 Feb 2007 07:52 pm

I'm in favor of both of these as well. My only concern with separating out Subeta is it will leave Other Games pretty barren and then the Maple Story thread can make its way to world domination. But I'm cool with that.

Post by **bonecrivain** » 15 Feb 2007 01:53 am

I think both options are great ideas. I don't really see any reason to oppose them.

Madge · Post by **Madge** » 15 Feb 2007 02:08 am

I like the second mod particularly, and I like the idea of having a usergroup for Subeta.

Is there any way to have a set of forums visible to everyone else, but people who are in a certain usergroup can't see them? I'm guessing that it's probably not something people want in a mod, but still, it's worth asking.

(So, like, everyone who is in the usergroup called "WE HATE SUBETA OK" can't see the subeta forums, but everyone who isn't in the usergroup, even guests, can)

Wingsrising · Post by **Wingsrising** » 15 Feb 2007 02:15 am

Both of those sound like good ideas. Only problem with the Subeta mod is, as Madge mentioned, guests won't be able to see the Subeta forum. (Or, will they?)

Any chance of the "sort unread posts by forum" mod coming back one of these days? I mean, I know you're busy with other stuff and sick of coding right now, but maybe eventually when everyone has recovered?

Post by **dandelions** » 15 Feb 2007 03:02 am

I'm not sure, it depends how it's done- in theory, if it is to be hidden for logged in opt-out users it probably has to be hidden for guests, which is not desirable. Unless guests (which are all user -1) were somehow added to that usergroup, but the idea of implementing that makes my brain ache; there should really be things in place to prevent that being possible.

You can't exclude a usergroup from a forum, which is why everyone has to be added to the usergroup and the usergroup given permission to see the forums, rather than barring a usergroup from seeing them.

Sort unread posts by forum is a bit of a pain in the neck- I don't have a copy saved, and all I remember about it is it was probably on phpbbhacks.com. Which is huge. IIRC, it also required tweaking after install. If you find it *and* it's for a relatively new version of phpBB (we use 2.0.22) I will consider it, but I'm not going to go looking for it.

Wingsrising · Post by **Wingsrising** » 15 Feb 2007 06:04 am

The version I found originally is here:

http://www.phpbbhacks.com/download/1742

I've been looking but I've not been able to find anything newer than that.

I don't know who else (if anyone) used it, but I always found it handy when using the "posts since last vist" link. However, I don't know whether it's a big pain to make it work or not. I just thought I'd put it out there.

Madge · Post by **Madge** » 15 Feb 2007 06:45 am

Just want to post to mention that I used the sort posts link and I found it highly awesome. So at least two of us use it? That's pretty good, right?

Cheese · Post by **Cheese** » 15 Feb 2007 11:48 am

I also used that sort posts link. It was very nice.

Neocolours

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