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.

[Paul M]

Originally Posted by girlboheme

I just wanted to let you know that I went from about 5 registering per day to 30 (still) and it's been six months. It quadrupled the member count we had after 1.5 years in just six months.

Out of interest, how many of those actually come back again, as opposed to just register, view and then vanish again ?

[Ted S]

Originally Posted by vitrag24

r u sure that it wont affect search enging index of any forum?

Nope. But it's a pretty safe bet that they won't be affected.

[alessai]

Originally Posted by Paul M

Out of interest, how many of those actually come back again, as opposed to just register, view and then vanish again ?

who care we can annoy them with forum emails lool << !!!!

[GrendelKhan{TSU]

probably blind ...but I searched and didn't see it...

1. is there a way to make so it blocks the number of posts (pages) one sees in a particular thread? (eg: guest can only read first page of a thread or first 3 posts...then asked to register).


2. How DO you add a search bots if you have to? I have a few international search engines I need to NOT block...but not sure how I would add them.


suggestion: maybe future you add in admincp a simple way to add bots without having to go into the code? (like a box to add other bots in addition to the default ones this covers).

[Ted S]

GrendelKhan - To answer your questions.

1 - Nope.

2 - You don't have to. The system uses cookies, bots don't use cookies. If you did want to hardocde a bot in, you would edit the xml file (search for Google).

[ORP]

Installed!
Great Mod Ted. I had seen this on other sites but had not gone looking for the hack.

Thanks for putting a link in your sig on TAZ. Once I saw you did it, I knew I had to have it. Your reputation precedes you buddy.
Many thanks!

[vitrag24]

thx..
i have imported plugin..

nice addon buddy
one suggestion or question whtever u feel

is this better [register take overmsg] or popup prompting for register/post topic/introduction is better?

[vitrag24]

strange prb

1st i enabled only reg. take over option for 4 threads.and keep reg. block hack disabled..
then msg appers after 4threads view..

then i enabled reg. block also for 2 threads to check it..
it also worked

then i disabled reg. block and keep reg.take over enabled for 2 views as initially but thanafter i'm unable to see that msg

i enabled reg.blocked again and got msg in 1st thread now..disabled reg. block and checked again bot not got msg for reg. take over..

then i asked my frnd to check same and he got the msg
whts the prb?

well right now i have kept reg. takeover after 4 threads..and reg. block disabled..
plz guide me
============================================

one more question:-

once user opened 10threads and if i keep reg block for 10 thread then he/she wont be abvle to see thrad without loggin forever?

[Ted S]

Originally Posted by vitrag24

strange prb

1st i enabled only reg. take over option for 4 threads.and keep reg. block hack disabled..
then msg appers after 4threads view..

then i enabled reg. block also for 2 threads to check it..
it also worked

then i disabled reg. block and keep reg.take over enabled for 2 views as initially but thanafter i'm unable to see that msg

then i asked my frnd to check same and he got the msg
whts the prb?


well right now i have kept reg. takeover after 4 threads

Yup yup. There are options in your vbulletin settings are to control how they work together.

[Ted S]

Originally Posted by ORP

Installed!
Great Mod Ted. I had seen this on other sites but had not gone looking for the hack.

Thanks for putting a link in your sig on TAZ. Once I saw you did it, I knew I had to have it. Your reputation precedes you buddy.
Many thanks!

Thanks!