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.

[Ted S]

Originally Posted by jeff21up

Sorry to keep asking, what if i have my forum set to require admin approval.
It works fine however when i move someone from "registered" to "Unregistered/Not Logged in" they can still access all of the forum? because i think to enable it to work on the guests you have to have "unregistered/not logged in" to be able to view thread contents. For some reason it works for guests but not for people who have been moved from registered to unregistered/not logged in?
What could i be doing wrong?
Thanks
Jeff

"Unregistered/Not Logged" is still a member and not a guest under the way hack sees them. You can of course change the source to address this particular setting from your forum.

[jeff21up]

Ted
I got round the Unregistered/not logged in by creating a group called "expired" and putting them in there instead with the permissions set to deny viewing thread content.
Thanks for your replies
Great mod by the way
Jeff

[jeff21up]

Hi Ted
Tried as you suggested regarding allowing viewing more than one thread but still get the bots being stopped?
Please see attached screenshot
Jeff

[Ted S]

Originally Posted by jeff21up

Hi Ted
Tried as you suggested regarding allowing viewing more than one thread but still get the bots being stopped?
Please see attached screenshot
Jeff

Jeff,

As you'll notice when you look at that image, that bot is getting stopped at your search page. Limited Guest Viewing is unrelated to searches...

[Southernphuk]

Installed, and works just fine on 3.7.

[powerful_rogue]

Originally Posted by Ted S

This addon is for the 3.6 series and will be ported to 3.7 once it is released.

Does anyone know what problems exist if this mod is installed on a 3.7 board?

Edit - Should look harder, just seen the post above!

[YLP1]

Originally Posted by Southernphuk

Installed, and works just fine on 3.7.

I cannot get this verison to work on my 3.7.0gold. Did you alter it to make it work?

[Ted S]

Originally Posted by YLP1

I cannot get this verison to work on my 3.7.0gold. Did you alter it to make it work?

This version of the hack is for 3.6. Once a 3.7 version has been relased an update will be sent out.

[jeff21up]

Ted
Would i be better waiting for the update before i upgrade to 3.7?
Thanks
Jeff

[Ted S]

Originally Posted by jeff21up

Ted
Would i be better waiting for the update before i upgrade to 3.7?
Thanks
Jeff

If you want this addon, yes.