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.

[foulplay]

Thanks I'll check it out!

[abramelin]

1-Does this realy checks these spiders. If it doesnt limit the spider then i am going to install this lovely mod
2-Doesnt this conflict with the welcome header mod?

[Ted S]

Originally Posted by abramelin

1-Does this realy checks these spiders. If it doesnt limit the spider then i am going to install this lovely mod

It checks for the bots I've listed (google, aol, msn, yahoo). Any other bot will be blocked unless you add it to the plugin manually.

Originally Posted by abramelin

2-Doesnt this conflict with the welcome header mod?

No, they both work together. I will be releasing an update of the welcome headers in a few minutes to insure they never appear at the same time.

[Shazz]

What if your you usergroup options are set to block everything from guests view... Set to private..

[projectego]

Awesome hack! Thank you.

[Ntfu2]

YES! I've been waiting for something like this forever.


Definetly checking it out tonight.


Few questions: How does it detect how many page views? Cookie or IP based or both

How easily is it circumventable? If i simply clear my cookies, will i be able to start viewing all over again?


I'd like to open a registration required area up on my site for a short while but limit it in this way to require a registration to get all the goods!

[Ted S]

Originally Posted by Shazz

What if your you usergroup options are set to block everything from guests view... Set to private..

Then this wouldn't do anything for you.

[Ted S]

Originally Posted by Ntfu2

Few questions: How does it detect how many page views? Cookie or IP based or both

Just cookies. Tracking IPs would mean a lot of database calls which I wanted to avoid.

Originally Posted by Ntfu2

How easily is it circumventable? If i simply clear my cookies, will i be able to start viewing all over again?

Getting around this would not be impossible or even very difficult but it should stop most guests who don't know a thing about tracking visits in cookies.

[StuntFactoryX]

installed and tested, awesome hack, its not all or nothing anymore. and if people wanna deleate their cookies just to get another 5 views out of my site, im sure they will just register, that would be less hassle imo.