Add-On Releases - Limited Guest Viewing -- Improve community registration rates

Note: This addon works with the 3.6.x series only. Click Here for the 3.7.0 version of this addon.

With vBulletin, forum guests are able to view endless amounts of content without being directly asked or forced to register no matter how many times they come back. The purpose of the Limited Guest Viewing System is to drive in registrations by limiting the number of threads guests are able to view without interruption.

This plugin offers two options which can be used to drive in more registrations. The first option allows you to show a reminder message or advertisement after a guest has viewed a certain number of threads. The second option puts up a roadblock stopping guests from viewing threads altogether after reaching a certain number of views. Both options work together to encourage and ultimately force anonymous visitors to either register or login but can also be used separately based on your individual needs.

Because this plugin uses cookies, few if any bots will be impacted when it comes to spidering your site.

Modifications/ Instructions:
Template edits: 1
Plugins: 1 (adds 1 template and several settings)

This template hack should take under 5 minutes to implement and customize.

Customizing the content / messages
To customize which messages appear or what they say, go to vBulletin options, select the ?Limited Guest Viewing System? group and configure the options as desired. Each phase can be modified by adding translation text.

Through the ACP you can enable or disable each option, specify the number of threads that can be viewed before the option is enabled and input any forums you wish to exclude from being blocked.

About spiders/bots
This plugin works by setting a cookie to track the number of visits from a particular user. As bots do not tend to accept cookies, they should not be blocked. To further insure there is no spider accessibility issues, there script identifies major bots (google, yahoo, msn, aol) and explicitly lets them through -- you can easily add to this list by editing the plugin code should you so desire, however, unless a bot starts taking cookies this should not be necessary.


Welcome headers compatibility
The Limited Guest Viewing is designed to work with the Welcome Headers system without any conflict. To insure that welcome header messages do not show up at the same time as the limited guest viewing message, please be sure you are running welcome headers version 4.1.3 or greater (released 11/19).

Updates
5/9/2008 - Released update to prevent installs on 3.7 boards.
2/18/2007 - Minor update to fix register link. Updates optional.
11/20/2006 - Minor update released to fix error with links in some messaging. Updates recommended.

[HUMMERh3]

<font size="4">I am getting logged out when I visit my homepage which is CPMS vbadvanced installed on it..Anyone know how to get it to work with it installed or what I code I have to add so that I won't get logged out??</font>

[Ted S]

Originally Posted by HUMMERh3

I am getting logged out when I visit my homepage which is CPMS vbadvanced installed on it..Anyone know how to get it to work with it installed or what I code I have to add so that I won't get logged out??

I don't think your question relates to this addon. I would suggest you post it in the vbadvanced support thread.

[sduckie2k5]

Does this stop guests from viewing threads from the archive?

[Ted S]

Originally Posted by sduckie2k5

Does this stop guests from viewing threads from the archive?

Nope.

[AHMUDEM]

very nice

[sportsoutlaw]

Question for vbseo forums.

Does it matter if the navbar template edit goes above or below the welcome header edit at the bottom of the navbar?

[sportsoutlaw]

I have one weird situation going on.

No guest message shows up on the showthread pages when this hack is enabled until I reach the number of threads require to activate the "Register Take Over Message". Is this supposed to be happening?

I verified this on my forum and this forum.

[Ted S]

Originally Posted by sportsoutlaw

I have one weird situation going on.

No guest message shows up on the showthread pages when this hack is enabled until I reach the number of threads require to activate the "Register Take Over Message". Is this supposed to be happening?

Yes.

[SCRIPT3R]

Originally Posted by phdev

Hi,

I have 3.6.0 and the register take-over message never shows up.

likewise - i have vB 3.6.4, though, and the Register Take-Over Message DOES NOT appear ever... please advise.

[Frimon86]

I'd like to give this mod a shot, I find it interesting, however, I too have vB 3.6.4 so if you can update this, that would be fantastic!