Disallow guests to view threads, must register first

Yes I know that there is already a a feature to stop guests from viewing threads, but then this also shows all the posts and threads counters to zero, and under Last Post it will say never (which sucks ). But, with my hack, it just asks guests to either login or register when viewing a thread and still shows all the right numbers

Instructions

Open archive/index.php and find

PHP Code:

    $title .= ' - ' . $foruminfo['title'];
}
else
{
    $do = 'index';
} 


Below, add

PHP Code:

if ($bbuserinfo['userid'] == 0 AND !preg_match("#(google|slurp@inktomi|yahoo! slurp)#si", $_SERVER['HTTP_USER_AGENT'])) 
{ 
    print_no_permission(); 
} 


Open showthread.php and find

PHP Code:

globalize($_REQUEST, array('perpage' => INT, 'pagenumber', 'highlight' => STR, 'goto')); 


Below, add:

PHP Code:

if ($bbuserinfo['userid'] == 0 AND !preg_match("#(google|slurp@inktomi|yahoo! slurp)#si", $_SERVER['HTTP_USER_AGENT']))
{
    print_no_permission();
} 


Open template threadbit and find:

PHP Code:

<td class="alt1Active" id="t$thread[threadid]" title="$thread[preview]"> 


Replace it with

PHP Code:

<td class="alt1Active" id="t$thread[threadid]" <if condition="$show['member']">title="$thread[preview]"</if>> 


Done!

[Snake]

Is this a good idea to install this hack? Do you think it'll get me more members?

[Zachery]

Originally Posted by 99SIVTEC

and how is this a feature in the system already? The stock system doesn't allow search engine spiders while blocking guests.

Thats content cloaking and a big no no. (This can get you black listed from sites like google and yahoo).

The Default vB system allows you to disallow users from viewing the thread content but see the titles etc.

[Zachery]

Originally Posted by Aftermath

Is this a good idea to install this hack? Do you think it'll get me more members?

If your using the 3.5 you already have it built in.

Can view forum > Yes
Can View Others Threads > Yes
Can view thread content > No

[99SIVTEC]

lol, and good luck getting caught doing it. Myspace does the same thing as do other very large websites. You are highly unlikely to get penalized for something like this. Cloaking infers that you are showing DIFFERENT content to a search engine than a regular user. This isn't the case. The two see the exact same info they just must be registered to view it. Thus this is not cloaking. Do some research on the subject (I know quite a bit about the subject as I have built ip based cloaking system for sites in the past)

Originally Posted by Zachery

Thats content cloaking and a big no no. (This can get you black listed from sites like google and yahoo).

The Default vB system allows you to disallow users from viewing the thread content but see the titles etc.

[Justice]

I'm very interested in this topic... not so much the arguing, but the tangible differences between this hack and the built-in method.

Also, was this a built-in feature in 3.0 or was it just added in 3.5? I don't recall vbulletin always having this.

[99SIVTEC]

THIS is NOT a built in feature.

[Justice]

I didn't think so, but I haven't installed 3.5 yet. *shrug*

[MRGTB]

Originally Posted by Onkel_Tom

As I wrote one post before my code is working for all vB 3 Versions right now. I using vB3.0.3 on my Boards too and it works.

Your find the instruction of the Hack in the first post. I only changed some parts for better fitting on my own wishes, so I posted my code which is working for the most recent search engines.

This code can be placed in /archive/index.php to allow search engines which are written in the code to index this pages.

If you want to use my code instead of Gary W's code for the archive just replace in /archive/index.php:

if ($bbuserinfo['userid'] == 0 AND !preg_match("#(google|slurp@inktomi|yahoo! slurp)#si", $_SERVER['HTTP_USER_AGENT'])) 
{ 
    print_no_permission(); 
}

With my code:

$grouparray = array ( 3,4); 
if (in_array($bbuserinfo['usergroupid'],$grouparray) OR $bbuserinfo['userid'] == 0 AND !preg_match("#(google|slurp@inktomi|yahoo! slurp|lycos|ask jeeves|scooter|fast-webcrawler|turntinbot|msnbot|webcrawler|Infoseek|W3C_Val|googlebot)#si", $_SERVER['HTTP_USER_AGENT']))
{ 
	  echo "<center><font face=verdana, arial, helvetica size=3>You are not allowed to show our archive.<br><br>Your have to <a href=\"$vboptions[bburl]/register.php?\">register</a> first at $vboptions[bbtitle] to show threads in our forums.<br><br>If you are registered at our forum it could be that you are not logged in our your account must first be checked and enabled from an Administrator.</font></center>\n<hr />\n";
	 
    print_no_permission(); 
}

You can add or remove search engines by editing this line:

!preg_match("#(google|slurp@inktomi|yahoo! slurp|lycos|ask jeeves|scooter|fast-webcrawler|turntinbot|msnbot|webcrawler|Infoseek|W3C_Val|googlebot)#si",

for each new spider add his user agent identification to the line with a "|" between like "spider1|spider2|spider3"

The echo syntax is only for index.php of archive because if you use this code and a unauthorised person will access the archive only a white page is shown. Therefore I added the echo information to the screen to show "what is wrong".

I used the "$grouparray = array ( 3,4); " function to define my usergroups which are not allowed to access the archive. You can put here any usergroup ID you want not to access your archive separated by ",". Usergroup 8 and 11 are defined groups from my board, just remove that both group ID's.

I hope I could help and the instructions are easy to understand

Thanks for that, works great to stop other usergroups awaiting email. But there is still one problem you might know the answer to. If you logon to an account you create that needs email validation. You can still hover over thread titles on your board and read the full THREAD PREVIEW as a member waiting email validation.

Which defeats the whole object if they can read the thread that way

[MRGTB]

I've spotted a problem with this. Even if you protect the Archive and threads from being viewed on the forum board.

They can still view them via the printthread.php link instead to bypass the permissions as a guest and still view the full thread as a printable thread version. By simply replacing the showthread name in the link they want to view with "printthread" instead. This can be done manually quite easy to view all threads as printable versions.

Does anybody know how to use the same method to stop certain usergroups from accessing the printthread page?

EDIT:

Fixed it now for printthread.

Find:

globalize($_REQUEST, array('perpage' => INT, 'pagenumber' => INT));

below it put:

$grouparray = array ( 3,4); 
if (in_array($bbuserinfo['usergroupid'],$grouparray) OR $bbuserinfo['userid'] == 0 AND !preg_match("#(google|slurp@inktomi|yahoo! slurp|lycos|ask jeeves|scooter|fast-webcrawler|turntinbot|msnbot|webcrawler|Infoseek|W3C_Val|googlebot)#si", $_SERVER['HTTP_USER_AGENT']))
{  
    print_no_permission();  
}

[Snoop-It]

Originally Posted by Zachery

If your using the 3.5 you already have it built in.

Can view forum > Yes
Can View Others Threads > Yes
Can view thread content > No

that does not work with 3.5.x

it makes no difference what so ever. guests can still view thread content. iv had that option on since 3.5.0 was released even now i still have it on 3.5.2 and guests still can view the posts.

if i edit the files that is explained on here would it work with 3.5.x ?? :ermm:

[MRGTB]

Originally Posted by dholaholic

that does not work with 3.5.x

it makes no difference what so ever. guests can still view thread content. iv had that option on since 3.5.0 was released even now i still have it on 3.5.2 and guests still can view the posts.

if i edit the files that is explained on here would it work with 3.5.x ?? :ermm:

Do you not have to setup them settings in the Usergroups rather than board settings. I don't use vB 3.5. So I'm not sure, but I would have suspected you set that up as a Usergroup setting to stop guests from viewing threads if the option is there.

[Snoop-It]

Yes thats correct. In the unregistered / not logged in usergroup - I selected those permissions and it didnt make a difference...

very annoying..

[MRGTB]

Originally Posted by dholaholic

Yes thats correct. In the unregistered / not logged in usergroup - I selected those permissions and it didnt make a difference...

very annoying..

Did you also check the permission on forum boards for Guests. To make sure the same permission was in place for them to not view thread content. I would just double check your forum category and boards usergroup permissions also to see if the permissions has be over ridden.

[Snoop-It]

that means in each category i have i will need to set the permission? but then it will display to them that no posts been made in that category.

I remember using your hack on the 3.0.x version... it was cool. It displayed the number of posts and latest post made etc... but then when the guest tried reading it or checking it out it will say log in..

[Snoop-It]

ok it displays PRIVATE... but it should act as normal.. thats what i want to show the guests and others that yeh there are posts inside that category.. but once some 1 clicks the category the LOGIN comes up