Private post viewable via email only
 

I have a private forum set up, so that each user only sees their threads/posts. We want them to be able to have the option to show threads or posts to people who aren't registered via email.

The email this page function is enabled. Of course, when you click on the link from the email it asks you to login, register or, if you're already logged in as a different user, tells you that you can't access the thread.

I'd like to know if there's a way that someone could access the private threads as read-only if it were transmitted to them via email? And again, that would be the only way that anyone other than the owner would be able to see the thread publicly -- via that email generated link.

Selectable threads or all threads from the owner to the non-registered user? Or do you actually mean posts?

This functionality is not built into vBulletin, nor have I seen a modification that can do this -- not that there isn't one. I am only trying to answer the question, "is it possible".

Selectable, correct. Not all of them. Posts would be sufficient, although we're trying to use the email this page feature. We don't NEED to use that. We just need to make it so a member can give temporary access to one of their private posts to a non-member and then that non-member can view it without registering.

Coding isn't my forte, but I noticed there's "referrerid" in the URL string generated from the system when you email someone a page. I was thinking that perhaps this could be used to write a condition that would allow the thread or post to be viewable to only the person who received that link via email?

Thinking about it quickly, what you could do, is give them a unique link to a post. It would not be completely private as anyone who knew the link could access the post. You might have to alter the permissions on this type of private forum, it would act more as a password'ed forum via the unique link. I will have to ponder this some more, but it will require someone familiar with vBulletin source, maybe. :)

It sounds like that would work. How would I generate this unique link?

I will think about it some more, to see if there is an easy way to handle it, but you will probably need a programmer for this one.

I have a programmer standing by. Just need to tell him what to do...

Anything else on this?

Sorry, I have not had the time to look into this subject any further. I am a bit surprised there are no other suggestions. :(

If he is a programmer he should know what to do