Forum Request, Suggestion.

Discussion in 'Forum Related Discussions' started by AnthonyG, May 7, 2005.

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  1. AnthonyG

    AnthonyG Registered Member

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    This is a possible suggestion and something that i personally would greatly like to see included on the forum. I figured i would post a topic on the forum itself instead of PM'ing an admin so as to find out other members opinions on this idea.

    But my suggestion is, if possible could it be included on the forum the ability to see exactly which members have actually read a specific topic on the forum. Also to take that idea further the ability to also see the topic each member on the forum is currently reading. Most other forums offer this, but wilders does not. I assume there may be a very good reason for this but if it is simply something that has been overlooked from the forum i would like to possibly suggest for it to be added.

    Thanks for your time in reading this
    Anthony
     
    AnthonyG, May 7, 2005
    #1
  2. Firecat

    Firecat Registered Member

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    No. Not that feature, PLEASE no! :'(

    I dont even feel its required....waaa :'(
     
    Firecat, May 7, 2005
    #2
  3. LowWaterMark

    LowWaterMark Administrator

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    These items basically come down to a question of privacy for the site's visitors, so we're not going to be implementing them.

    When we first converted to vBulletin, we considered carefully enabling the options that allow visitors to see who is viewing what threads or using other forum features, and decided that we'd err on the side of maintaining privacy and not letting everyone see what everyone else was doing.

    As to the other item, seeing who has read what threads, that's not even possible. There is no record kept in vBulletin of who read what threads. (The "unread thread markers" are simply a relationship between your last site visit and when the last post was made in a thread, plus whether or not you have a session cookie that flags a thread or sub-forum as read... All that is session information kept only in your browser memory and can not be seen by anyone else, not even admins on the forum software.)
     
    LowWaterMark, May 7, 2005
    #3
  4. AnthonyG

    AnthonyG Registered Member

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    Thank you for your reply to my quiery, but can i say as to the second question where you say it is impossible to implement, i know of a Vbullitin forum which does it it is DVD swaps

    http://forums.dvd-swaps.co.uk/

    They have at the top of each post a list of every member who has previously or is currently reading a topic, so it definitely is possible.

    But i understand about privacy why you do not want to impliment it.

    Thank you
    Anthony
     

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    AnthonyG, May 7, 2005
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  5. Bubba

    Bubba Updates Team

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    Wow....they sure could use an update :doubt:

    Powered by: vBulletin Version 2.3.0
     
    Bubba, May 7, 2005
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  6. LowWaterMark

    LowWaterMark Administrator

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    I meant that it is impossible within the standard vBulletin software itself. (That function is not a normal feature in vBulletin.) Yes, anything can be hacked into software if you are willing to write the program, and then use the server resources needed to make it function.

    But consider this... Some of our threads are viewed thousands of times by 1000 to 2000 different members. Imagine displaying that at the top of every thread. Imagine the server resources and database accesses required just to track and display that information. :eek:

    I could easily write something like that, but even if it wasn't a privacy concern, I'd never dedicate the kind of resources needed to track and display all that.
     
    LowWaterMark, May 7, 2005
    #6
  7. snapdragin

    snapdragin Registered Member

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    I have been to boards that have that feature to show who is viewing a thread. Personally it makes me feel like someone is reading over my shoulder, and I rarely stay long in that thread or at that forum. It's just not a feature I really think is all that needed for the resources and clutter it causes on a forum.
     
    snapdragin, May 7, 2005
    #7
  8. AnthonyG

    AnthonyG Registered Member

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    Yes i am sorry it was clearly a poorly thought up idea, my reasons for suggesting it were not an attempt to spy on other members browsing but more to see if the specific forums expert had read my question or not.

    Such as for example if i made a post in the Firewall section asking for help and i saw that CrazyM had read it but not replied i would know my question was an difficult question to answer. Or if i had waited a few days and still no reply i would be able to see that neither he nor any other senior Mod/admin had read my post i would know i still have time to wait for an answer.

    But from what you have said i could see it was an poor and unfeasable suggestion so i must apologise for that.

    Thank you for your time
    Anthony
     
    AnthonyG, May 7, 2005
    #8
  9. Blackspear

    Blackspear Global Moderator

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    I don't think so, always better to ask and find an answer than not, and never know ;) :D

    Cheers :D
     
    Blackspear, May 7, 2005
    #9
  10. FanJ

    FanJ Guest

    I totally agree !

    I don't want such an option on this board !!!

    Heya LWM,
    Dear Mike, you're doing such an excellent job !!!!!
    Big huge Thank You my dear friend :D

    Most warmest regards, Jan.
     
    FanJ, May 7, 2005
    #10
  11. LowWaterMark

    LowWaterMark Administrator

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    Indeed, and it is an interesting idea, if just from the technical perspective (as a person who writes forum mods). :D *puppy*
     
    LowWaterMark, May 7, 2005
    #11
  12. FanJ

    FanJ Guest

    Yep, I agree :D
     
    FanJ, May 7, 2005
    #12
  13. Firecat

    Firecat Registered Member

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    Thank you LWM, Paul Admin Team and Mod Team! :)

    I love the way you guys work! Keep it up! :)
     
    Firecat, May 7, 2005
    #13
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