EoEO idea...

[Big D]

I've got some concerns about the current excusivity of Eyes on Each Other. I'm not worried that people are being banned from it - on the contrary, I think that's a great development.

What worries me is that EoEO is completely gone for those who aren't logged in. This means that every lurker, everyone who doesn't know EoFF well will have no idea that EoEO even exists. I understand the reasoning for EoEO not being accessible, but it'd be better, in my opinion, if the name and description were visible on the forums description. Something like -

Eyes on Each Other
Registered members can discuss important topics, express their opinions, get some things off their chests, and help others with their problems. Flaming and spamming are strictly not tolerated.

Even if EoEO isn't accessible, at least lurkers and potential newbies will know it's there. I can't speak for anybody else, but for me EoEO was one of the things which drew me to this site more than any other.

If a lurker can see what'll be available, he/she might be that much more likely to register.

Just my opinion, though.

[PhoenixAsh]

I think thats a very good idea. Though to be honest I probably disagree with EoEO being invisible.

[Yamaneko]

Seems like a good idea. :)

[eestlinc]

like all good ideas it involves Bleys doing work.

[Leeza]

You've got a point there, Big D, but like eest says...Bleys would be the one who would have to do all of the hard work of trying to make the Forum Name visible to Lurkers, while at the same time, keeping it locked from banned members. Sounds like a lot of work.

[Yamaneko]

Doesn't vB have forum permission masks? You just set up what group can access what forum in just a few clicks. Or maybe I've been using IPB too much. :D

[Leeza]

Clicking buttons <i>is</i> hard work. :)

[Agent Proto]

I personally think we should at least let unregistered/not logged in people to view EoEO. They may be able to see and read the posts, but can't make any unnecessary comments, because they won't be able to if they're not logged on. *nods*

[Leeza]

<i>And also, we figured that the kind of people who go into EoEO just to be stupid get off on reading about people's problems and laughing at them, so now they can't do that either.</i> - Gau

I believe that this is why it's all invisible right now for Lurkers. Lurkers are also banned EoEO members who are not logged in. It was all discussed in <a href="http://www.eyesonff.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=34562">this thread</a>.

Lurkers knowing that the forum is there is a good idea though because they have something to register for.

[Agent Proto]

hm, I guess so. I don't think I'm sure it's possible to have the forum visible, but unable to be viewed while you're not logged on, but it might be possible. =o


Ok, so it's possible. Man, if I had the power to do this, I would have done this myself. =( *sucks to be just a mod at the moment*

Anyway, all Bleys need to do is the following:

CP vb options:
Hide private forum: <B>YES</b>
Enable Access Masks?: <b>YES</B>

Then Forums & Moderators/Moderate
EoEO:
Private forum : <b>NO</b>
Act as forum? <b>YES</b>
Is active? <b>YES</b>
Open for new posts? <b>YES</b>

Forums & Moderators/Permissions:
EoEO:
For Unregister/Not Logged On:
<b><u>Choose "Use custom settings:"</b></u>
Can view forum <B>YES</b>
<b>NO</b> to everything else

*nods*

[Leeza]

Originally posted by Agent Proto

Forums & Moderators/Permissions:
EoEO:
For Unregister/Not Logged On:
<b><u>Choose "Use custom settings:"</b></u>
Can view forum <B>YES</b>
<b>NO</b> to everything else

Doesn't that mean that Unregistered/Not Logged on (EoEO Banned) members can still view what's inside the actual forum?

[Agent Proto]

Well, it would mean that they can view the forum, and what's inside, but they won't be able to read any threads.

[Citizen Bleys]

Pr00t, you suggested Access Masks as soon as you got back from the Phillipines, remember? Remember the reason I gave for Access Masks being disabled?

Banned members being able to read EoEo would be bad--we sure as *expletive deleted* don't want to give anybody who can guess the forum ID number read access to the Staff forum.

I'm against anybody who's not supposed to be in EoEo even viewing the thread titles.

[Agent Proto]

Of course. *nod*

[Citizen Bleys]

I'm just glad that it was Unne who became aware that the Staff forum was open and not, say, Sugpo.

[Agent Proto]

Ok, I've just did this exact thing at FG with one of the forums and saw first hand what Viewing Forum as YES and everything to NO. It does open the forum, but there are no threads. At. All.

So, yes, an unregister/unlogged person will be able to open the forum, but will not see any threads at all. *nod*

Of course, we don't want ban people from seeing EoEO, so we might as well have to manually edit the usergroups and disable their access to certain forums. But this can only be done if we enable access masks.

But I'll comply and have it off.

[Dr Unne]

The more complicated you make stuff, the more likely it is that something bad will happen. I used to wince even looking at the access masks, let alone changing them.

[Citizen Bleys]

Group permissions don't require access masks. I'll give it a shot.

[Shlup]

I say leave it be and consider EoEO a pleasant surprise for new members. I don't really think we need to be worring about giving people incentive to join, but if you ain't got nothin' better to do then mess with junk then have at it I suppose.

[m4tt]

It's worth a shot, but it's fine the way it is now too. I didn't join these forums for Eyes on Eachother, I joined for other reasons. :p

[Citizen Bleys]

I joined for EoEo, though. So did Mik's belle. So did the Gods only know how many members.

Your trick worked, pr00t. EoEo is now visible to unregistered members, but it shows up as an empty forum if they try to open it up.

[Big D]

Very nice:). Sometimes, I wish I knew how to do stuff with programming. Computer illiteracy, however, means that I can be in awe of those who manage such feats.
*Hails*

Originally written in the Eyes on Each Other forum description
"...you must be registered and logged in to vie"Something seems to be missing, though...

[Shlup]

Originally posted by Big D
Something seems to be missing, though... *finds it and gives it a home*

[Citizen Bleys]

vie is French for life. I meant "You must be registered and logged in to live"

There was a picture of a huge bloody executioner's axe, but it broke the tables.

*serious face*

[eestlinc]

ma vie en Bleys

[Citizen Bleys]

*gunfire*

[Radje]

Wait, how would making it look like an empty forum inspire people to register for it? Wouldn't they just think it was a forum noone used and thus not much better than invisibility. Thats just my view but if you've already done it there isn't much point in changing back.

[Leeza]

radje, this is what is says in the forum description:

and you must be registered and logged in to view threads.

That means that there is stuff there, but they just can't see it until they register.

[PhoenixAsh]

I think you can also see the post count and last post on the main forum screen so...

[Radje]

Oh right, thanks Leeza

[The Man]

Suggestion - you could go through all the accessmasks in phpmyadmin if you're that concerned about it. I was always bugged that vBulletin didn't have a better method of listing who had access to what forums... that gives me a hack idea, actually, so I'll get back to you whenever I've written it (i.e. "tomorrow," i.e. probably next week or something ;)) You can then install it or not as you choose, it doesn't affect me either way. It'd probably make working with access masks a heck of a lot less scary though.

[Citizen Bleys]

No more hacks unless the board's going to explode.

Access masks work fine in vB3, so we'll just have to wait for a release version.

[crono_logical]

I hope the html in the templates in VB3 is better than the current ones too - one of the things causing what ed was complaining about the other day was a 100% width table with 200% total width td tags inside it :p

[The Man]

it's not really a hack, more of an addition, but ok ;)