[Debate] Guests Must Log-In

[Shiro Hikari]

i personaly don't care because i have a spot in my General board where guests can post, as well one board where they can reply so loging in doesnt matter to me

[simlizzie]

I think that it can be helpful, but really annoying to guests. When I go on a forum that is like this, or has every single board not viewable to guests I get annoyed. Before I join I'd like to read the rules, to make sure they aren't unfair. If you really don't want guests to see a board, just make the board non viewable to guests, but leave the rules open to all! Because rules is one of the things guest want to look at before joining, just to make sure they're fair.

So personally I don't like 'Guests must login' as you can't look around to make sure you want to join.

[HoudiniDerek]

I know how you feel, simlizzie. I just rated a board that had most areas closed off, even simple areas like the Introductions Board. Why would that need to be closed off? I can understand some of the main content areas depending on the topic, but why something simple like introductions? I think that a site can manage the difference by showing enough of the forum to inform and interest, but that an admin should not go crazy, especially when they are trying to recruit members.

[Hitoban no Fokkusu]

I think you should have all of the boards viewable to guests except for the following:

Character boards
Graphics/writing etc boards (Anything with original works)
Breeding or anything with graphic content. Some guests are under any kind of appropriate age
C boxes

Everything else should be see-able. If a guest can't see the site, they're not going to want to join it. They don't know what it's really about, you know?

HOWEVER I don't think that everything should be guest-postable. If a guest can post anywhere, then it's really easy to spam the site. I think they should be able to look but not touch, and a guest board so they can advertise and suggest etc.

[raceshow]

Can anyone tell me how to make my board viewable, but require signups to post ? It would help alot I think. Thanks in advance for any help. George [e-mail]
Rachel, Thank You very much. It should make my Board more user friendly. Thanks again. George [e-mail]

[Rachel]

Mar 8, 2009 20:38:40 GMT -8 raceshow said:

Can anyone tell me how to make my board viewable, but require signups to post ? It would help alot I think. Thanks in advance for any help. George [e-mail]

In the admin section, under board, you click on "modify board". Once you choose a board to modify, there should be a section that says "posting restrictions", where it says "reply to threads", choose "registered members". Perhaps also do this for "create threads", and "create polls". You will need to do this for every board you only want members to post in.

[raceshow]

Rachel, Thank You very much. It should make my Board more user friendly. Thanks again. George [e-mail]

[BlackDragonEX]

I think people should just make it so you have to sign up to post instead, as That's what annoys me when I just get loads of guests posting instead of members, makes the site seem dead xD.

[Sachi]

I'd personally rather allow guests to view nearly all the boards in a forum, so they can take a look around, maybe like what they see and join. Or they can gain experience from it, and help out their own boards. I wouldn't let guests see all boards because some are just for members, but if they see RP Boards, it might interest them.

[sincity61]

I agree some area's should be open to guest or you get the feeling they are hiding something on their board. We try to keep some area's closed per request of members and others are wide open to attract newbies to site.

Think it has a lot to do with what type of forum you are, if you do RPG, yes I'd want to know what I was signing up for. If it's a discussion forum don't think it'd matters. Find in ours which is a discussion forum that keeping half the board closed has stopped a lot of lurking.

[Madame Marauder]

I think it's important for guests to see how the board functions, but also be allowed to post in the Questions and Suggestions section. It may leave a teeny porthole for flamers and trolls, but it also lets the legitimate, potential members ask ahead of time what they'd be getting into, as well as let the admins and mods know what nit-picky things are keeping potential members at bay.

I don't think, though, that RPG or games should be open to guests because it leaves the guests' character(s) open to other guests and can cause for a godmodding problem and game threads can get spammed with the blink of an eye.

Just my two cents.

[Hayley]

I don't really like the 'guests must log in' feature. I like to be able to let guests check out the forum and see if they like it first. I just don't allow guests to post or anything like that. If guests have questions, that's what the chat box I put up is for. I think if a forum enables 'guests must log in', then some potential members will leave because they don't want to have to go through the whole registration process just to see what the forum is about. Some, like me, don't want to register until they're sure they want to join the forum.

[Sir Random]

I personally find it extremely annoying. I like to check the threads I'm in, before i log in to reply. I find it unfair also to the geusts that want to join but choose not to because they cannot read the rules.

[cumnockrugby]

I want everyone to be able to view my board now without registration and admin approval (to stop spam), but to post I want them to be members.

I have tried changing the boards that only registered members can post or start threads. I have used General settings within administration area to try and do this. When I logout to try and see if it has worked I only see bottom lines of last 10 posts, etc.

[Hera]

Mar 24, 2009 9:20:27 GMT -8 cumnockrugby said:

I want everyone to be able to view my board now without registration and admin approval (to stop spam), but to post I want them to be members.

I have tried changing the boards that only registered members can post or start threads. I have used General settings within administration area to try and do this. When I logout to try and see if it has worked I only see bottom lines of last 10 posts, etc.

As far as I know, you can do that from the Boards/ Modify Board option in the Administration Area and then choose Posting restriction (at the bottom of the page).