Activation Email discussion.

[TheHolo.Net]

FB's idea to have the activation/welcome email changed was a good one and I think we should discuss is and what should be added to it to make his idea a reality.

Her is the actual email from the Default template, which can be changed in any way by an Admin:
----------------------------------------------

Dear $username,

Thank you for registering for the $bbtitle forums. Before we can activate your account one last step must be taken to complete your registration!

Please note - you must complete this last step to become a registered member.

To complete your registration, click on the link below:
$bburl/register.php?a=act&u=$userid&i=$activateid

AOL Users click Here to be Activated ($bburl/register.php?a=act&u=$userid&i=$activateid)

**** Does The Above Link Not Work? ****
If the above link does not work, please use your Web browser to go to:
$bburl/register.php?a=ver

Please to be sure not to add extra spaces. You will need to type in your username and activation number on the page that appears when you click on our copy the above link in your browser.

Your Username is: $username
Your Activation ID is: $activateid

If you are still having problems signing up please contact a member of our support staff at $webmasteremail

Thanks very much,
$bbtitle team

[TheHolo.Net]

Replacement variable key:

$username = Screen name registered
$bbtitle = SWFANS.NET Forums
$activateid = code number and link to activate the name.

[Champion of the Force]

I'm too tired to offer a sample of what can be included. I might try tomorrow.

BTW, if it hasn't be done already, there should be mention as well as links to the FAQ when someone goes to register.

[TheHolo.Net]

Yes, registration templates can also be changed however we see fit. :)

And now I am off to try and sleep, hopefully people stay civilized in that thread, and it does seem it is headed that direction.

[Champion of the Force]

Don't fret - I'm working on dosing the flames by changing the discussion as to whether or not I need a new username. :p

Oldest admin trick in the book - to stop an argument you merely get some 'buffer' posts in by a few posters and you can help the argument lose its fuel for long enough to try and bring back some sanity. Just need good timing, and Havok's post was a perfect opportunity. :)

[Q]

I'm still trying to catch up on these things. When I went to sleep, that thread was about 3, maybe 4 posts and was still fairly civilized.

Yeesh... I really am sorry about all this. I need to learn to keep my trap shut sometimes. I just tend to voice my opinions rather loudly sometimes.

I think I'm going to start a new policy for myself. Everytime I'm going to open my mouth, I'm going to stop and think "WWOD" - What Would Ogre Do? :p

[Sanis Prent]

I will, of course, become rich and fat off of selling "WWOD" bracelets, necklaces, rings, and T-shirts to foolish naive posters MUHAHAHAHA!!

But yes, I can help on the email form tomorrow. Maybe we can even put graphics? :)

[Champion of the Force]

Well the 'buffer' posts appear to have worked for the time being, although Sanis's and Jedah's posts got stuck in the middle so it's not going to be all smooth sailing.

Good thing is that the removal of Ogre's post would appear to have ended that strife - Jedah posted saying it was sensible and then moved onto other things, so I doubt it'll be a sticking point.

Anyway, we'll let the issue hang and see how it plays out. The posts by Havok, LV and Figrin were good in that it diversed the opinions more and will force Firebird, Dara et al. to be more specific in what they are saying rather than just 'the people hate this' or 'this is bad for the forum'. That was the problem in the early stages of the thread - Firebird and co. pretty much had the dominance at the poster level which enabled them to get a good wind up throughout the thread, but it should be over now and get back to saner levels.

[Champion of the Force]

PS. I'd recommend against graphics in the registration e-mail, lest people think we're advertising or something. Just stick to simple stuff like mentioning the FAQ etc. :)

Besides, most people would probably only click the link to activate the account before deleting the e-mail anway.

[Q]

I'm still reading through it... :x

:: reads comments by Dara ::

Must... bite... tongue...

Crap, I think it's bleeding.

[TheHolo.Net]

She caused me to lose my cool on one occasion. We are all human, but at least I have the cajones to admit it, unlike some, whom I will not mention by name.

WWOD?!?!?! :lol.....I think sleep is in the program considering its 4 AM and I have had none, even after taking an hour away from all this and trying.

Goes in search of that bottle of Rum from last night.

[Champion of the Force]

Shhhhhh ... let it hang for a few hours at least. Gives everyone a bit of a breather. :p

We should have done that in hindsight - responded only once every 15 mins or so to drag the debate out to prevent it from gaining too much momentum (a favoured RPF tactic), but I guess we got caught up in the rush. :)

[Champion of the Force]

At least you don't think WWDD - What Would David Do, lest you start removing everyone's personal pics. :lol

[Q]

Originally posted by SWFANS.NET
Goes in search of that bottle of Rum from last night. You know, I do think I recall seeing a new bottle of chardonnay on my kitchen table....

:: stumbles off in the dark to find it ::

--

To get serious for a moment:

She said (to paraphrase) that she's going to continue to speak up when she sees newbies treated in a crass manner. I was tempted to post that I intend to speak up when I see fellow forum-goers - her peers - treated in a crass manner. But I think it's best that I just keep my mouth shut at this point. I'm tempted to just go ahead and tell you to remove my access to here, since the Rumor Mill is working overtime. I do plan to stop using the Q name for OOC posts anyway, once this is all resolved.

[Sanis Prent]

Damn...3 weeks till I'm 21. I need a drink right now so bad :(

(puts a few handles of Beam on layaway)

[TheHolo.Net]

Excerpt from Firebird's last post to the hot topic:

"add it to my pile of evidence"

:lol:lol:lol:lol:lol:lol:lol:lol

If you have a "pile of evedence" why aren't you presenting it?

Okay, I just had to say that somewhere.

[TheHolo.Net]

Back to the topic at hand and the reason for this thread(a bit of a tangent but related none the less):

I have recently discovered some issues with our FAQ and method of presenting them. The issue being, people load the FAQ Forum and see no posts within it, due to the fact that they don’t change their settings in the control panel and their default topic view is only set to the last ten days or so.

I have started a topic at the vBulletin support forums to see if there is any way we can make the settings for that forum override a user’s preferences and automatically display all topics.

I found an option to set the Default view age of the forum to forever, but it still doesn’t override a user’s prefs.

The topic can be seen here:

http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=31732

[Sanis Prent]

Okay thats a definite good plan :)

[Dalethria Mal Pannis]

Read things like what I see and yes a welcome email was a good idea.

But we don't listen to the players :p

[Sanis Prent]

Nein, nein!

(hand suddenly jerks upward, Dr. Strangelove style)

[Champion of the Force]

... due to the fact that they don’t change their settings in the control panel and their default topic view is only set to the last ten days or so.
Is there anyway to change this? Maybe set it to 30 days default or something?

[TheHolo.Net]

If you look at the topic at the vB support forums, you will see that there is a feature, but it doesn't overide a user's personal prefs. Or did I say that in my earleir post to?

[Champion of the Force]

But is there anyway to change the default thread view? At the moment it's 10 days - can it be set to be 30 instead so when a person signs up there default view is automatically 30 days?

PS. This is really beyond the FAQ issue - I'm just curious about it in more general terms.

[TheHolo.Net]

30 days wouldn't really help much when the FAQ topics are beyond that, which I think they already are. And changing such a setting would slow down loading of forums for users on slower connections in all forums, if they left their settings on default or didn't completely understand it. I would like to try and find a solution that won't do that kind of thing. Fewer lessons to hand out to novice users is what I am trying to accomplish.

[Champion of the Force]

Other alternatives:

1. Create a thread with links to each of the 4 FAQ threads, and have it linked directly from the heading up the top of the forums. Since it would go to the thread directly the age of the thread won't be an issue.

2. Try and insert all our own FAQ into the already existing vB FAQ.

[TheHolo.Net]

1. Create a thread with links to each of the 4 FAQ threads, and have it linked directly from the heading up the top of the forums. Since it would go to the thread directly the age of the thread won't be an issue.

Might be doable but would require periodic deletion and recreation to keep them visible.

2. Try and insert all our own FAQ into the already existing vB FAQ.

Not quite so feasable IMO, because its better if any Mod or Admin can easily change the FAQ, by editing a topic.

[Champion of the Force]

Might be doable but would require periodic deletion and recreation to keep them visible.
Not necessarily. Whilst it would be good if the normal viewer can actually see the threads in question, they should be able to access the said thread just by clicking the link at the top of the forum.

[TheHolo.Net]

Do you mean links in only that forum, or do you mean links across the entire board. Because if you mean links just within the forum, it would then require a "forced" style set to accomplish its difference from all the other forums.

[Champion of the Force]

I'm actually referring to the 'FAQ' link we have in the header of the board.

This is assuming that people can still access threads that are older than their default viewing limit if a link is provided directing them to the thread in question. If not, then the idea is pointless.

[TheHolo.Net]

Yes that is dooable, and would work, but would be tricky to do without cluttering up the default style based headers. :x

A good recommendation if vBulletin can't provide us with a method to overide user's personal prefs.

[Q]

Question: Can't you just make them Sticky? Wouldn't that keep them visible?

[Champion of the Force]

Good question.

I would have thought no, because if they were beyond the users default view then they wouldn't show up. I think 'Sticky' threads only stick to the top - they don't override the user viewing.

[TheHolo.Net]

I just tested Nup's suggestion, and guess what....It works!!!!

I "stuck" all the topics then went to my control panel and set it to only display topics from the last two days. I then went to visit the FAQ forum and I can see all the topics.

Such a simple solution overlooked. ^_^;

Thanks for the good idea. :)

[Champion of the Force]

Wow - I never realised that. :)

I wouldn't have thought that the sticky option would override the user defualt, but there you go. :)

[Q]

I just assumed it would since Sticky threads tend to be important subjects, yet don't get posts for a while sometimes.