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.

[leanbulk]

Awesome Ted. I will keep checking back once 3.7 goes stable. Thanks

[anama]

How do I take off Inactive Reminders By hacked-downloads.co.uk of my footer? The plugin is disable but is still showing the link .

Thank you

[Ted S]

Originally Posted by anama

How do I take off Inactive Reminders By hacked-downloads.co.uk of my footer? The plugin is disable but is still showing the link .

Thank you

You contact the the maker of that addon and ask them.

[drpeppper]

I adjusted the bot file a bit to include the google/yahoo/msn bots i see getting blocked .

LGV System [Processing Routine]

// check if user is a bot
			$lvgbot = ($vbulletin->superglobal_size['_COOKIE'] == 0 AND preg_match("#(google|msnbot|zoints|aol|yahoo|slurp|Yahoo! Slurp Spider|Google Spider|MSNBot Spider)#si", $_SERVER['HTTP_USER_AGENT']));

However Yahoo! Slurp Spider, Google Spider ,MSNBot Spider all are getting the "Viewing 'No Permission' Message"

Is there an Alt file i need to modify as well?

Thank you very much for your help.

[Ted S]

Originally Posted by drpeppper

I adjusted the bot file a bit to include the google/yahoo/msn bots i see getting blocked .

LGV System [Processing Routine]

// check if user is a bot
			$lvgbot = ($vbulletin->superglobal_size['_COOKIE'] == 0 AND preg_match("#(google|msnbot|zoints|aol|yahoo|slurp|Yahoo! Slurp Spider|Google Spider|MSNBot Spider)#si", $_SERVER['HTTP_USER_AGENT']));

However Yahoo! Slurp Spider, Google Spider ,MSNBot Spider all are getting the "Viewing 'No Permission' Message"

Is there an Alt file i need to modify as well?

Thank you very much for your help.

Please read the hack description and instructions to understand how this addon works with bots.

You may want to take a look at exactly what page they are getting blocked on (bots like to view pages like send PM which guests can't often do).

[mariocaz]

Hi Ted,

I want to install this forum, but I have two little questions......

Is this mod not recommended if I have installed vBSEO in my forum ?

I read in the install instructions that the bots(spiders) that are not affected with this mod only are google, yahoo and msn, is that right ?? if yes what about the other spiders ?

thank you a lot!

[Ted S]

Originally Posted by mariocaz

Is this mod not recommended if I have installed vBSEO in my forum ?

That question would be best directed to vBSEO. I don't know what they recommend or don't recommend.

Originally Posted by mariocaz

I read in the install instructions that the bots(spiders) that are not affected with this mod only are google, yahoo and msn, is that right ?? if yes what about the other spiders?

This addon uses cookies. Any bot that doesn't use cookies (currently every major bot I'm aware of) won't be effected... no cookies, no blocking pages. For added measure, a list of major bots is also specifically excluded. Although I should clarify that if you block guests at 0 pageviews this may impact bots and is not a recommended setting.

[mariocaz]

Thank you very much, I already installed it.

and now my other question is that also I have installed the welcome headers, so if I put that when the guessts enter to see an 8 threads appears an announcement in the top, the welcome headers don´t appears also ?

thank you again Ted!!

[UltraFanatics]

Will this work for 3.7?

[Ted S]

Originally Posted by UltraFanatics

Will this work for 3.7?

No.