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Name mods of private/restricted forums

  • 05-07-2011 11:23PM
    #1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,807 ✭✭✭✭


    I just tried to access a restricted-access forum that I used to have access to and got:
    Orion, you do not have permission to access this page. This could be due to one of several reasons:

    You may be trying to post in a restricted forum such as Soccer, or one of the many private forums on boards.ie.
    For clarification, check our Help Desk forum.
    You may be banned from this forum if you contravened an element of the forum charter.
    Your user account may not have sufficient privileges to access this page. Are you trying to edit someone else's post, access administrative features or some other privileged system?
    If you are trying to post, the administrator may have disabled your account, or it may be awaiting activation.

    I'm not banned afaik - I reckon I was just removed from the access list for lack of use (use it or lose it was a thread in there at one stage iirc).

    Is it possible for forums like that one to name the mods in the Denied message so that they can be contacted to request access?

    - - - - - - -
    No - I won't say what forum I was trying to access. :p
    No it's not the uber-sekrit donkey-pr0n forum - mere mortals like me can't get into there - that's reserved for the admins and snyper.
    Post edited by Shield on


«1

Comments

  • Registered Users, Subscribers, Registered Users 2 Posts: 47,369 ✭✭✭✭Zaph


    It's a standard message that appears when you try to access a forum that you don't have permission to access. I stand to be corrected, but I don't think you can customise it for individual forums, the one message applies to all.

    If you want to PM me with the name of the forum I'll dig out the mods' names for you.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 12,807 ✭✭✭✭Orion


    That's ok thanks - I dug up the mods name from the biki. It was just a general query. I thought that might be the case alright.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 22,584 ✭✭✭✭Steve


    Orion wrote: »
    No it's not the uber-sekrit donkey-pr0n forum - mere mortals like me can't get into there - that's reserved for the admins and snyper.
    God bless the good ship Sl***ce and all who used to post there...

    *salutes*

    :D


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 12,807 ✭✭✭✭Orion


    Good guess. But nope - I'm still a crewmate on the good ship Sl***ce :D


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 11,299 ✭✭✭✭later12


    There are sekrit forums?

    like Narnia?


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 41,926 ✭✭✭✭_blank_


    there are more secret forums than public ones tbh.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,479 ✭✭✭Conor


    Des wrote: »
    there are more secret forums than public ones tbh.

    You'd be surprised.

    There are roughly 170 private forums out of a total of roughly 900 at the moment.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 41,926 ✭✭✭✭_blank_


    Conor wrote: »
    You'd be surprised.

    There are roughly 170 private forums out of a total of roughly 900 at the moment.

    That's close on 20% of the forums, I am surprised.

    Any data that can be shared on what % of total Boards.ie posts are in the Private Forums?


  • Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 42,361 Mod ✭✭✭✭Beruthiel


    Conor wrote: »
    There are roughly 170 private forums out of a total of roughly 900 at the moment.

    There are 900 forums!?
    I know there's a lot, but 900????


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 41,926 ✭✭✭✭_blank_


    Beruthiel wrote: »
    There are 900 forums!?
    I know there's a lot, but 900????

    Some forums have Forum ID with 4 digits, for example all the Feed Forwards are 13xx


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,479 ✭✭✭Conor


    Des wrote: »
    That's close on 20% of the forums, I am surprised.

    90 of them are under the Sys category (69 of which are mod forums).
    59 of them are under the Hosted category.
    9 of them are in the Inactive category.
    Des wrote: »
    Any data that can be shared on what % of total Boards.ie posts are in the Private Forums?

    Roughly 5% or so.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 41,926 ✭✭✭✭_blank_


    Conor wrote: »
    90 of them are under the Sys category (69 of which are mod forums).
    Ah yeah, all the mod forums, makes sense.
    Conor wrote: »
    Roughly 5% or so.

    That's not insignificant, and surprises me.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,479 ✭✭✭Conor


    Beruthiel wrote: »
    There are 900 forums!?
    I know there's a lot, but 900????

    Arts: 77
    Biz: 40
    Edu: 42
    Games: 64
    Hosted: 110
    Inactive: 9 (Used to be a lot more, but many were merged for performance reasons)
    Music: 24
    Rec: 90
    Region: 69
    Science: 24
    Soc: 95
    Sports: 69
    Sys: 122
    Tech: 64


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,479 ✭✭✭Conor


    Des wrote: »
    That's not insignificant, and surprises me.

    It's about 3.5% if you exclude things like reported posts, reported PMs, reported sigs, etc.

    Also, it's spread out a lot more than in the public forums. Only one private forum would make the top 50 forums by post count.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 17,689 ✭✭✭✭OutlawPete


    Conor wrote: »
    Hosted: 110

    That's a fair number. It's a wonder then that the Hosted Moderator forum is so quiet. Last post there was over a year ago. The Carlsberg complaints office is busier.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 41,926 ✭✭✭✭_blank_


    OutlawPete wrote: »
    That's a fair number. It's a wonder then that the Hosted Moderator forum is so quiet. Last post there was over a year ago. The Carlsberg complaints office is busier.

    It's not really surprising though, the Hosted Forums don't really have anything in common with each other, or the rest of boards.

    Especially the private ones. If there is an issue with any of the private hosted forums I mod, they are either solved in house, or in private with an Admin, I certainly wouldn't be discussing them with any randomer on the HMod Forum.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 17,689 ✭✭✭✭OutlawPete


    Des wrote: »
    Especially the private ones. If there is an issue with any of the private hosted forums I mod, they are either solved in house, or in private with an Admin, I certainly wouldn't be discussing them with any randomer on the HMod Forum.

    Which is why I never posted in it tbh. There are some commonalty issues though, that could be discussed without revealing any anything about each others respective forums.

    Just on the message that non-members of private forums see when clicking on a link; that was discussed in detail here in Feedback last year:

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055813032


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,555 ✭✭✭✭AckwelFoley


    My brain hurts.

    I preferred it when we said there were a load of forums


  • Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 35,930 Mod ✭✭✭✭pickarooney


    I never knew there even was a HMod forum. I can't imagine what its purpose is.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,228 ✭✭✭epgc3fyqirnbsx


    Anyone ever feel left out?


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,716 ✭✭✭✭Earthhorse


    I never knew there even was a HMod forum. I can't imagine what its purpose is.

    Hmods don't have access to the Mods forum so it's for things like how to use ModUtils etc. that they wouldn't be able to ask elsewhere.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,315 ✭✭✭A-Trak


    I never knew there even was a HMod forum. I can't imagine what its purpose is.

    It's the best forum ever. Stop trying to wreck our buzz.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 14,670 ✭✭✭✭Wolfe Tone


    I'm only a member of 2 private forums, I feel left out :(


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 41,926 ✭✭✭✭_blank_


    Wolfe Tone wrote: »
    I'm only a member of 2 private forums, I feel left out :(

    I'm a mod of three. BOOM!!:cool:


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 413 ✭✭The Left Hand Of God


    Conor wrote: »

    Only one private forum would make the top 50 forums by post count.

    What one is that? Sounds interesting!


  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    I genuinely don't get the point of most of the private forums. I've been members of one or two and have lost interest entirely - the majority just discuss the exact same things as other places.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,871 ✭✭✭Corsendonk


    Member of none, started a thread in the help desk about them once because most seem to be so secretive that you have to either ask or be "selected" but they can't really tell you what they are about until you join! I don't want to end up a member of the republican crossdressers private forum. :D

    How do you start a private forum? Do you have to do a public request like normal forums? Or is it through pms?


  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators, Help & Feedback Category Moderators Posts: 9,813 CMod ✭✭✭✭Shield


    A private forum for what? If it's a good enough reason, and one doesn't already exist, and there's enough demand, then it might be granted. The chances are that a forum exists for just about everything now though.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,871 ✭✭✭Corsendonk


    Shield wrote: »
    A private forum for what? If it's a good enough reason, and one doesn't already exist, and there's enough demand, then it might be granted. The chances are that a forum exists for just about everything now though.

    Some of the private forums I gather are private forums within public forum, could you say have a private forum inside one of the busier private forum? A kind of Russian Doll.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 14,670 ✭✭✭✭Wolfe Tone


    Is there a list of them anywhere? I know some you can request access, like the Republican forum and The Lock inn.


  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators, Help & Feedback Category Moderators Posts: 9,813 CMod ✭✭✭✭Shield


    No. There's deliberately no list of private forums. It would lead to far too many "What's that forum for" kind of questions. These are private invite-only forums, and access is usually by invitation only OR unless you know what the subject matter being discussed is like Nein 11, Sl****e (masking intentional), and so on.

    Sometimes, private forums will advertise in Feedback when they're allowing applications for access. If the subject matter genuinely interests you, then you can apply for access.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,871 ✭✭✭Corsendonk


    Sounds very elitist to be honest with all this secrecy. A society within a society hmmmm Like apart from going to a beers and someone letting slip what private forum they are in or becoming very friendly on boards with a member of a golden circle your chances of becoming a member of most is zero.



  • Registered Users, Subscribers, Registered Users 2 Posts: 47,369 ✭✭✭✭Zaph


    Tbh, most private forums would be of no interest to the vast majority of posters. A number are deliberately private but are public about it, Soccer and Nein 11 being the most obvious ones I can think of, and you can easily apply for access. Most others were requested so a particular group of individuals can congregate and if you're not a friend of any of that group or a member of that profession/organisation then why would you want access anyway?


  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators, Help & Feedback Category Moderators Posts: 9,813 CMod ✭✭✭✭Shield


    Corsendonk wrote: »
    Sounds very elitist to be honest with all this secrecy. A society within a society hmmmm Like apart from going to a beers and someone letting slip what private forum they are in or becoming very friendly on boards with a member of a golden circle your chances of becoming a member of most is zero.
    I don't think I'd go that far. For example, you can at least 2 private forums under my name which are "Police & Policing", and "Garda Reserve". These are either special interest forums, or forums where privacy is enjoyed. Unless you have a demonstrable interest in Policing or you are a Police Officer, you wouldn't need access to P&P. Unless you're an attested Garda Reserve, you don't need access to that forum.

    Those are just two examples of why private forums are just that. Neither are golden circles. They're just special interest forums which are private so people can enjoy meaningful discussion without having to endure trolls, muppets, and so on.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,871 ✭✭✭Corsendonk


    Shield wrote: »
    I don't think I'd go that far. For example, you can at least 2 private forums under my name which are "Police & Policing", and "Garda Reserve". These are either special interest forums, or forums where privacy is enjoyed. Unless you have a demonstrable interest in Policing or you are a Police Officer, you wouldn't need access to P&P. Unless you're an attested Garda Reserve, you don't need access to that forum.

    Those are just two examples of why private forums are just that. Neither are golden circles. They're just special interest forums which are private so people can enjoy meaningful discussion without having to endure trolls, muppets, and so on.


    True but you did pick two self explanatory forum titles. Just off the top of my head some of the private forums that I came across that arn't too self explanatory,
    1. Lock Inn- I asked about this in the Helpdesk and OutlawPete kindly explained it.
    2. RaN???????
    3. Peartree House?http://wiki.boards.ie/wiki/Board:PearTree_House
    4. Champs?????
    5. Nein 10? Conspiracey theory private forum for people bad with dates?
    6. Nein 11? Conspiracey theory private forum for people good with dates?
    7. Diagon Alley? Harry Potter addicts?
    8. BAPS?????? I know what your thinking not an acronym.
    9. Knights of the Round Table??????
    10. PFJ??????


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  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators, Help & Feedback Category Moderators Posts: 9,813 CMod ✭✭✭✭Shield


    Yep. Look under my name and you'll also see another one called The Briefing Room. That might as well be added to your list for all you know about it.

    The RaN forum stands for Republicans and Nationalists. You can understand why that would be private right? Not everyone is of that political opinion and if it was public, there would be chaos every night from those who have opposing political views.

    I don't understand what your point is? Should people not be allowed to have a private space to discuss a special interest/hobby/opinion with the assurance that they won't have to suffer outside interference from people with opposing views?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,871 ✭✭✭Corsendonk


    Shield wrote: »
    Yep. Look under my name and you'll also see another one called The Briefing Room. That might as well be added to your list for all you know about it.

    The RaN forum stands for Republicans and Nationalists. You can understand why that would be private right? Not everyone is of that political opinion and if it was public, there would be chaos every night from those who have opposing political views.

    I don't understand what your point is? Should people not be allowed to have a private space to discuss a special interest/hobby/opinion with the assurance that they won't have to suffer outside interference from people with opposing views?

    My point is others have already asked if you have a list of private forums, I would like to see that and a small explanation of what the room is about so people then know what private forum they may want to appy for membership of, the mod of that forum can say yey or nay to keep out the trolls or the known difficult people from the public forums. I ain't asking for an explanation for each case of refusal of entry, just yes/no. Is it wrong to ask for the system to be more user friendly?

    Your under the assumption that if you chat in a particular forum someone is going to slide up to a poster and whisper in their ear asking them if they want to join such and such private forum that is connected to that forum. I am a Harry Potter fan but I don't post in the forum because its dead most of the time but I do read the posts there, how would anyone know to invite me to the Diagon Alley private forum or me to know about it unless I spot it under the mods Avatar. For all I know the debate may be more frequent in the private forum than the public Harry Potter forum.


  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators, Help & Feedback Category Moderators Posts: 9,813 CMod ✭✭✭✭Shield


    I think we've gone full circle on this one. Suggesting the system isn't user-friendly is very much a strawman argument that I'm not going to be drawn into.

    Boards doesn't release a list of private forums, let alone a description of what is discussed in each private forum.

    I'll give you a final few examples, and then I'll leave it at that:

    Let's say you posted in Politics often, and your views were Nationalist in nature. Over the course of time, you may be approached by the "RaN" members with details of their private forum and offered membership. (RaN mods, this is just an example. I don't know if that's how you operate.)

    If you post often in the Humour forum, and it is noticed that you have a rather dark sense of humour, and you are not easily offended, you may be approached and made aware of the "Nein 11" forum.

    The whole idea is that you don't go looking for private forums. They'll find you if you're suitable. If you've never displayed an interest in knitting, then I wouldn't expect you'd be approached by a private knitting forum inviting you to join.

    The other thing to consider is, moderators of private forums like to know that the people who are potential members aren't going to be disruptive and problematic. You might very well have a keen interest in knitting, but if you have multiple warnings, infractions and bans to your name across several forums on the site, that is usually a good indicator as to whether you are likely to 'gel' with the others - and that is always taken into consideration when a moderator decides whether access will be granted.

    So in your example, if you're not posting in the public Harry Potter forum, and a private forum exists for enthusiasts, then it's a safe bet that you wouldn't be granted access to it even if you knew its name. You are free to start threads in the public forum, and it is expected that you would display a level of interest somewhere if you are a fan, and that would include replying to current threads, or starting a few yourself. Your behaviour in the main forum is the gauge used for what kind of member you would be in a private forum. Nobody wants a private forum with passive members.

    So to conclude:
    1. In the main, private forums find you, not the other way around.
    2. You have to display an active interest in the subject matter discussed in a private forum somewhere on the site if you stand any chance of being accepted as a member if/when applications for membership are open.
    3. Warnings, infractions and bans are considered when a moderator decides whether to grant access to a private forum.

    I think that's all I have, so I hope it's been helpful/useful in some way!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 14,670 ✭✭✭✭Wolfe Tone


    In the case of RaN, as you can see in my sig, all you need to do is drop dlofnep a PM and ask.

    Same with The Lock Inn.

    Vast majority of people would be granted access to either of them if they asked.

    With the republican forum we have been trying to raise awareness and get people to ask, hence the sig. Same with the lock inn, people have that in their sig too.


  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,113 Mod ✭✭✭✭Tar.Aldarion


    Shield wrote: »
    No. There's deliberately no list of private forums. It would lead to far too many "What's that forum for" kind of questions. These are private invite-only forums, and access is usually by invitation only OR unless you know what the subject matter being discussed is like Nein 11, Sl****e (masking intentional), and so on.

    Sometimes, private forums will advertise in Feedback when they're allowing applications for access. If the subject matter genuinely interests you, then you can apply for access.

    Some are not invite only, and there should be a place where they are listed and any application process. The current threads on feedback are not great and certainly not scalable.


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  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators, Help & Feedback Category Moderators Posts: 9,813 CMod ✭✭✭✭Shield


    It would need a massive concerted effort to get all HMods together to start the ball rolling. Idea: Great. Execution: Very difficult.


  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,113 Mod ✭✭✭✭Tar.Aldarion


    Be handy enough to send each mod a request of what to do, and they can reply if they wish. What one would want them to do would take some thought :p
    Even if just a paragraph about the forum and what one has to do to join.


  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators, Help & Feedback Category Moderators Posts: 9,813 CMod ✭✭✭✭Shield


    Pretty soon, Newbies & FAQ will be just a one-page forum, so I don't mind hosting a thread in there with a list of all private forums that one can apply to for access.

    Might be an easy and quick way to get the ball rolling?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 17,689 ✭✭✭✭OutlawPete


    Some are not invite only, and there should be a place where they are listed and any application process.

    I agree and it was suggested by many on that last Feedback thread also.
    Be handy enough to send each mod a request of what to do, and they can reply if they wish.

    Don't even think that much would be needed if a system similar to the one that exists for current 'social groups' (they can add an Icon and a certain amount of blurb) was also implemented for hosted/private forums, as I think that would more than suffice:

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/group.php?cat=10

    Ability to place a link to it somewhere in the following message, along with current Hmods, would also be favourable:

    nonspecificmessage.png


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,339 ✭✭✭✭LoLth


    *if* any system of listing private fora was implemented, I think it would only be fair to ensure that it is an opt-in system where mods of private fora have to actively look to have their forum listed or searchable. By default the private nature of a private forum should be just that, private.


  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,113 Mod ✭✭✭✭Tar.Aldarion


    I agree that they should indeed look to have it done, but that they should also have the information foisted on all of them so that they know they can do it.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 17,689 ✭✭✭✭OutlawPete


    LoLth wrote: »
    *if* any system of listing private fora was implemented, I think it would only be fair to ensure that it is an opt-in system where mods of private fora have to actively look to have their forum listed or searchable. By default the private nature of a private forum should be just that, private.

    Meant to add that also ..

    I think if a system something similar to the current social group directory listing were to come into effect for hosted/private forums, then 'unlisted' should most definitely be the default setting. Same goes for the suggestion that current HMods be listed on the landing message when users click on forum names, I think it should be an opt-in rather than an opt-out feature.

    Not sure if this is true or not, but I did read somewhere that there were/are in fact some hosted forums that are not even listed on the profiles of their moderators (as the HMods of them, had requested it to be that way). Was a good time ago that I read that, so not even sure if there was any basis to it.
    I agree that they should indeed look to have it done, but that they should also have the information foisted on all of them so that they know they can do it.

    Yeah, maybe if the options could somehow be incorporated into the 'Forum Tools' menu. Overall though, it would just be nice that, when a user clicks on a private forum that they do not have access to, the message they get reflects the forum in a way in which it's current moderators would wish it to.


  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,113 Mod ✭✭✭✭Tar.Aldarion


    If it is hard to make personalised messages for denied access messages then it could be as simple as adding a link to a place where there is a list of the private forums that have opted in with their blurbs. So yeah, good ideas by all! :pac:


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 13,429 ✭✭✭✭star-pants


    OutlawPete wrote: »
    Yeah, maybe if the options could somehow be incorporated into the 'Forum Tools' menu. Overall though, it would just be nice that, when a user clicks on a private forum that they do not have access to, the message they get reflects the forum in a way in which it's current moderators would wish it to.

    Just as a point of information, I recall this question being asked before, and the message of denied access is the same across the board, it's automatic and not based on the forum itself but more what your access is/isn't.
    In short, denied access messages cannot be personalised.

    As to whether it could be altered, is another thing, it does say to go to HelpDesk if it's a private forum you've clicked on, if someone was to create such a thread describing 'some' private forums I guess the link could be redirected there if the question was asked nicely.

    On a personal note I genuinely don't understand the 'need' for listing and explaining of private fora. If I see a forum that's private and I'm really really that curious, I'll PM the mod and ask. Those forums that want to recruit in a public sort of way, generally put it in their sig, seems fairly straightforward to me.


  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,113 Mod ✭✭✭✭Tar.Aldarion


    star-pants wrote: »
    Just as a point of information, I recall this question being asked before, and the message of denied access is the same across the board, it's automatic and not based on the forum itself but more what your access is/isn't.
    In short, denied access messages cannot be personalised.

    As to whether it could be altered, is another thing, it does say to go to HelpDesk if it's a private forum you've clicked on, if someone was to create such a thread describing 'some' private forums I guess the link could be redirected there if the question was asked nicely.

    On a personal note I genuinely don't understand the 'need' for listing and explaining of private fora. If I see a forum that's private and I'm really really that curious, I'll PM the mod and ask. Those forums that want to recruit in a public sort of way, generally put it in their sig, seems fairly straightforward to me.

    Not that straight forward.

    95.5% of members have sigs turned off.
    99.35% of members who signed up in the last 2 years have sigs turned off.


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