Forum with mix of Public and Private Sub-Forums

classic Classic list List threaded Threaded
4 messages Options
Reply | Threaded
Open this post in threaded view
|

Forum with mix of Public and Private Sub-Forums

Marc Martin
Hi, reading through old support posts, it's hard to tell what information is current and what is obsolete.

I'd like to create a forum that has public and private sub-forums.  According to some posts I've read, you cannot do this if the root application is set to Forum, but you can do this is if the root application is set to Mixed or Categories.  Is that correct?
Reply | Threaded
Open this post in threaded view
|

Re: Forum with mix of Public and Private Sub-Forums

GregChapman
Hi Marc,

Since my recent post in Free Support, I have tested the applications "Forum", "Board" "Mixed" and "Category" and can confirm that only the latter two will completely hide sub-forums set to be viewable by members of certain groups.

There are two further restrictions for this privacy to work. The private sub-forums must be immediate child forums of the root forum and the add-on "Smart Application Pages" must be activated.

It only takes a couple of minutes to test this for yourself. Register a second user on your forum that you can use as a test user, adding and removing group memberships as required. Then change your forum to each of the application types logging on first as a user with the group membership that you want to see the private sub-forum and then as a member without that access.

I always recommend that any forum administrator should have a second registration to use as a test user for just such a purpose. It ensures you can write definitive responses to any user who is having problems with your forum and it allows you to double check that what you plan should happen is happening for those in the "Anyone" and "Registered" groups. This is especially important if you use the "Member" group, or create special ones for "Moderator" or other special classes of user on your forum.

I go further and have a specific test forum where I check how complex CSS rules will work and other particular customisations that people ask about in Free Support.
Volunteer Helper - but recommending that users move off the platform!
Once the admin for GregHelp now deleted.
Reply | Threaded
Open this post in threaded view
|

Re: Forum with mix of Public and Private Sub-Forums

Marc Martin
Great, thanks for clearing this up!

"Categories" it is, then.  I think the only thing I lose from that is discussions taking place at the top-level, but that's okay...
Reply | Threaded
Open this post in threaded view
|

Re: Forum with mix of Public and Private Sub-Forums

Pedro
In reply to this post by GregChapman
Thanks, Greg.
My test forum.