Show Thread Enhancements - Limited Guest Viewing -- Motivate Guests to Register

vB4 Users Find the vB4 Version Here.

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.

Modifications/ Instructions:
Template edits: 1
Plugins: 1 (adds 1 template and several settings)
SQL Queries: 2 [1 insert/update] (optional, with database setting used)

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.

Search Engine Bots (Spiders):

This plugin is intended to use cookies as a result few if any bots will be impacted when it comes to spidering your site [bots do not generally use cookies]. Users with IP logging enabled face more potential impact from spiders. For a full explanation of the impact on bots please read the install file. Questions about this issue should be asked after the install file will be read otherwise responses will direct you to read the file.

IP/ Database Logging:
As of version 2.0 this addon now allows for IP logging via mySQL instead of just using cookies. IP logging tracks visitors by IP address stopping issues associated with cookie clearing making the system more secure. This is optional and is turned off by default (adds a read-and insert/update query).

There are 3 possible downsides of this option you should be aware of.

1. The system adds an additional query and update every time a guest views a thread which adds to your server load.
2. Some users on ISPs like AOL share IPs and could be forced to register without being able to access any threads.
3. While spiders often change IPs and are specifically excluded (by hostmask) from the addon this is not absolute and it is possible they could be blocked. See the install file for more on this.

Welcome headers compatibility:
The Limited Guest Viewing is designed to work with the Welcome Headers System version 3.6 without any conflict. If you are using the notices system in 3.7 there is the possibility of duplicating messages.

[Rafael?]

good mod .....

[weindians]

Marked as installed as i'm going to install

[CoffeeLovesYou]

Lynne says this is Cloaking if your website shows up different for the user than the bot. Can this get my website banned from Google? Also, I can't find the table with the db logging =/

[Simon Lloyd]

Did you read the mod description properly???

I used this mod for a long time whilst my site ranking rose, so in my experience NO!

[Ted S]

Originally Posted by CoffeeLovesYou

Lynne says this is Cloaking if your website shows up different for the user than the bot. Can this get my website banned from Google? Also, I can't find the table with the db logging =/

As Simon said, you really should read the thread description first... but since no ever does...

Let's define cloaking: showing a bot one thing and a user something else in an attempt to trick the search engine.

Out of the box this mod does nothing of the sort [you can tweak things to get more aggressive, but that's your call, not the mods]. For several views everyone sees your website and then, depending on your settings, they get a message or block page. There's nothing unique about the bot's experience except that it's treated like a new visitor every time, nothing is cloaked.

Not much different than a website which personalizes the experience as you click around is it?

There's a few news sites that get pretty aggressive with this sort of approach, like the WSJ. Engines get through to the full story and users always have to login to see more than a preview. Still, they rank... Why? Because search engines know that a membership site isn't gaming them by letting them see what people who pay can see. Heck, there's been programs over the last few years to let bots login to sites. The more Google or Bing or anyone else can slurp up, the better informed they are.

Can this get your site banned from Google? Anything is possible and I don't work for Google to say otherwise. But I'm going to theorize that this mod has far lower risk than the endless backlinks and swaps everyone seems to want to try with their forums these days.

[Ted S]

Originally Posted by CoffeeLovesYou

I can't find the table with the db logging =/

What do you mean you can't find it?

Do you not know what it's called?

Was it not created?

Is it not getting used?

Be specific and you save yourself a post and many hours of waiting.

[Tyran1]

Datenbankfehler in vBulletin 3.8.7:

Invalid SQL:

DELETE FROM lgv
WHERE (lastactivity + ( * 86400)) < 1377296341;

MySQL-Fehler : You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near '* 86400)) < 1377296341' at line 2
Fehler-Nr. : 1064
Fehler-Zeit : Saturday, 24.08.2013 @ 00:19:01
Datum : Saturday, 24.08.2013 @ 00:19:01
Skript : rand=1377296340
Referrer :
IP-Adresse : Benutzername : Gast
Klassenname : vB_Database
MySQL-Version :

[Simon Lloyd]

What's your question? when does this sql error appear? you need to give more information if you require help.

[Ted S]

Originally Posted by Tyran1

Datenbankfehler in vBulletin 3.8.7:

Invalid SQL:

DELETE FROM lgv
WHERE (lastactivity + ( * 86400)) < 1377296341;

MySQL-Fehler : You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near '* 86400)) < 1377296341' at line 2
Fehler-Nr. : 1064
Fehler-Zeit : Saturday, 24.08.2013 @ 00:19:01
Datum : Saturday, 24.08.2013 @ 00:19:01
Skript : rand=1377296340
Referrer :
IP-Adresse : Benutzername : Gast
Klassenname : vB_Database
MySQL-Version :

Looks like you've enabled features without configuring their values. The addon should default around these but setting a value will fix it just the same.

[Tyran1]

Thanks Ted S.

Sorry Simon ;-)