PLUG IN REQUEST : Members must log in

[Colin Molloy]

Following on from THIS THREAD David Clark suggested I lodge this, as it might make a neat plug in request:

BACKGROUND:
My forum Southern WA Outdoors allows members to view (but not create) all but the Members and certain other private boards and threads - as is probably the case with the vast majority of us than run forums.

Analysing IP addresses of guests, I've noticed that some of the IPs belong to members who are lurking in the forum as guests, that is, they are not logging in, either because they are too lazy and/or have forgotten their password and can't be bothered to undertake the appropriate Login - Forgotten Password process.

PLUG IN OBJECTIVE:
When a member visits the forum without logging in, the plug in recognises the IP address of the "guest" as a Member and first creates a pop up that says:

Welcome back %M, as a registered member %F requires you to log in. Please click on the Log In link below: 

(If you have forgotten your password, then click on the Forgot Password link in the Log In screen) 

Log In

Vars:
%M - being member name
%F - being forum name 

(Vars are tailorable via two separate input fields in the plug in)
 
The member clicks on the Log In screen and must log in.

PLUG IN BENEFITS:

1) Forces members to log in - prevents them from lurking as a guest.
2) Forces members to renew forgotten passwords. 
3) Arriving as a member enhances the forum statistics.

OTHER INFORMATION AND PRECEDENTS:
A Plug in VPESTER already has the member IP interception code in the Mutes functionality, so it shouldn't be too hard for a Plug In coder to adapt that.

[Wormopolis]

I dont think its storing IPs.. its using a different method to recognize that someone has been on a number of times. but basically, this request is sorta what the vPester already does, isnt it? or if its an expansion, it seems like perhaps Virgil Sovereign might just be able to incorporate the idea into the framework he already has setup for tracking visitors.

[Colin Molloy]

Jul 19, 2014 23:04:50 GMT -8 Wormopolis said:

I dont think its storing IPs.. its using a different method to recognize that someone has been on a number of times. but basically, this request is sorta what the vPester already does, isnt it? or if its an expansion, it seems like perhaps Virgil Sovereign might just be able to incorporate the idea into the framework he already has setup for tracking visitors.

Thanks Wormopolis for taking an interest.   

Not quite, VPester has two functions:

Lurkers - messages guests who visit x number of unique threads in a visit.

Mutes - messages logged on Members who visit x number of unique threads in a visit.

What I'm chasing is a plugin that will require guests who are members to log in.

[Wormopolis]

right. I get ya. since the concept is basically already present in vPester, lets first find out if Virgil wants to just absorb the idea.

[Colin Molloy]

Jul 20, 2014 13:19:06 GMT -8 Wormopolis said:

right. I get ya. since the concept is basically already present in vPester, lets first find out if Virgil wants to just absorb the idea.

Sounds good to me Wormopolis and agreed - probably (hopefully) just needs some tweeks. Thanks again! 

[Virgil Sovereign]

Colin Molloy: I could adapt the plugin, but it will have to wait roughly two weeks. I've got some other requests I'm dealing with.

I'd probably put it into a new standalone plugin rather than adapting VPester. If I understand correctly, you want browsers associated with member accounts to automatically pop up a dialog indicating that a login is required, and closing the dialog will redirect the browser to the login site?

I should disclaim that there is (in general) no way to guarantee that a member's browser "remembers" its membership. VPester uses the localStorage facility, which can be cleared with a deep browser cache wipe. As Wormo suggests, IP addresses can also be used, but this requires a third-party IP finder since Proboards doesn't provide one. It also runs the (small, but real) risk of forcing a non-member to log in if (s)he happens to have an old IP used by a member. Since Proboards doesn't allow official plugins to rely on third-party dependencies--which pose a security risk--we're pretty much stuck with localStorage.

localStorage works reasonably well for VPester since even if data is wiped out on a lurker's browser, the plugin just starts counting again. The plugin becomes ineffective only if the "number of threads visited" is very high, or if the lurker is constantly doing deep cache wipes.

For the application you're looking at, once the data is wiped out the plugin won't be able to differentiate between a guest and a lurker until the lurker logs in again. Since members don't usually log out, logins are typically only required after cache wipes, which means that the majority of lurking members won't get the message. You might as well just prevent users from logging out (or politely ask them not to), which would effectively accomplish the same thing.

Anyway, if you're still interested, let me know.

[Colin Molloy]

Hi Virgil Sovereign,

Thank you VERY much for buying into this and such a comprehensive and well considered reply.

YES - I agree, a separate Plug In would be better.

IP Addresses - very good point considering DHCP.

DEEP CACHE CLEAR - Most of my members wouldn't know what a cache is, let alone now to effect a deep cache wipe  

Looking forward to seeing it and thank you so much again!!