Non-logged in users cannot view public forums

[n1fdadmin]

I am using your plugin to create several forums that can only be updated by logged in members. I have the posting access control working properly for my groups. The problem is with the settings that should allow non-logged-in users to view but not post in public forums.

I have the following options set for the plugin:
+ Forum visibility – activated
+ Topic permissions – activated

Folks who are not logged in get a login page rather than the ability to view but now post in forums with the “Only View Topics/Replies” option set. Visitors who are not logged in should be able to view the topics in the forums that have “Only View Topics/Replies” option set for non-logged-in-users. Can you please help me to solve this problem?

This is still a problem with the latest version update. Can you please help me to resolve this problem?

The page I need help with: [log in to see the link]

[Robin W]

you want to deactivate forum visibility (that shows forums but does not allow access to topics/replies) and then using ‘topic permissions’ (which controls who sees topics/replies) in each forum, set it so non logged in can see.

[n1fdadmin]

I believe that I am doing what you suggest. Here’s my current setup for an example forum YYY –

Forum YYY Attributes
Visibility – Public

Forum Groups
All available groups checked

Groups
Group xxx – Create/Edit Topics and Replies (and view all topics/replies)
Group aaa – same for all groups that are checked under forum groups
Non-logged in users – Only View Topics/Replies

What is happening for non-logged-in users

1) Viewing all topics shows sticky but not other topics in forum YYY, clicking on one of the sticky topics in forum YYY shows the topic title but not the content
2) Viewing just Forum YYY results in a prompt to login to the website

Note that I have some forums where only a subset of groups are allowed to creat/edit and other forums where a subset of groups are allowed to view only and other groups are allowed to create/edit.

Do you have any other suggestions to solve the problems that I am having?

[Robin W]

link to an example on your site please

[n1fdadmin]

Here is a link to a forum that is configured as I outline in my previous message –

https://www.n1fd.org/forums/forum/general-forum/

[n1fdadmin]

And here’s a link to a page that should list all forums. Note that most of the forum content that should be displayed is not and note that the content that is listed in the summary links cannot be viewed when clicked on –

https://www.n1fd.org/forums/

[Robin W]

ok, If yu are happy that in private forums you have DEactivated forum visibility, I can only suggest it could be a theme or plugin issue

Themes

As a test switch to a default theme such as twentytwenty, and see if this fixes.

Plugins

If that doesn’t work, also deactivate all plugins apart from bbpress and see if this fixes. if it does, re-enable one at a time to see which is causing the error.

If you cannot do this to your site (say because it is live) then use the ‘troubleshooting’ features of this plugin to let you test without affecting other users

https://en-gb.www.ads-software.com/plugins/health-check/

Then come back

[n1fdadmin]

Making some progress on the problem here. After some careful testing, I believe I have determined that the problems here are due to a conflict between bbPress Private Groups and a plugin from UseStrict Consulting call bbPress Notify(No-Spam)/Private Groups Bridge. You can find information on the later plugin at –

https://usestrict.net/product/bbpress-notify-no-spam-private-groups-bridge/

The family of plugins that the above plugin is a part of enables end-user configurable notifications and digests when topics/replies are posted in our forums. I would very much appreciate it if you could work with UseStrict Consulting to resolve this conflict as we need both of your plugins to fully implement the bbPress forum functionality on our site.

[n1fdadmin]

One additional detail that may be relevant here. If I disable or enable the “…Private Groups Bridge” plugin mentioned above, I do not see any change in the ability to view or not view forum posts as a non-logged-in user unless I also flush the varnish cache on our website.

[useStrict]

Hi, I’m the author of bbpnns Private Groups Bridge.

My plugin simply calls a modified version of the private_groups_can_user_view_post method to check if a given recipient should be included in new topic/reply notifications.

It does not run at any moment other than the sending of said notifications so it should not be taken into consideration while troubleshooting this issue.

Cheers,
Vinny

[Robin W]

@usestrict – thanks for that ??

@n1fdadmin – not sure I can help further here – the settings you say you have should produce what you want. I am fully tied up in paid work at the moment to be able to help further. I can only suggest you play with the settings to see if you can resolve.

[n1fdadmin]

Here is some information from the author of the conflicting plugin –

useStrict wrote:

Hi, I'm the author of bbpnns Private Groups Bridge.

My plugin simply calls a modified version of the private_groups_can_user_view_post method to check if a given recipient should be included in new topic/reply notifications.

It does not run at any moment other than the sending of said notifications so it should not be taken into consideration while troubleshooting this issue.

Cheers,
Vinny

Post Link: https://www.ads-software.com/support/topic/non-logged-in-users-cannot-view-public-forums-2/#post-15295153

[n1fdadmin]

Hello Robin. Resolving this is important to our website. If you would be willing to spend a little time to see if this problem can be resolved, I’d be happy to make a donation in support of your work.

I have tried playing with the setting for the plugin to see if I can resolve the problem but the only ones that work totally eliminate the visibility controls for the private groups that we have which, of course, defeats the purpose.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 10 months ago by n1fdadmin.

[Robin W]

ok, you have not positively stated that forum visibility is NOT Activated – cab you confirm?

[n1fdadmin]

Thank you, Robin. For clarity, here are the exact settings for one of the problem forums:

Forum Attributes
Type: Forum
Status: Open
Visibility: Public

Forum Groups:

Groups 1 – 5 enabled

Group 1: Create/Edit Topics and Replies (and view all topics/replies)
Group 2: Create/Edit Topics and Replies (and view all topics/replies)
Group 3: Create/Edit Topics and Replies (and view all topics/replies)
Group 4: Create/Edit Topics and Replies (and view all topics/replies)
Group 5: Create/Edit Topics and Replies (and view all topics/replies)
Non-logged in users: View only Topics/Replies

The content on this group is not displayed to users who are not logged in. Logged-in users seem to be handled properly.

I am not 100% clear which of these settings maps to forum visibility?

Interestingly, super-sticky topics in this forum are shown in the list that non-logged-in users see but clicking on the link associated with one of the displayed topics in the list displays a blank screen (ie. the actual topic/reply content is not shown).

[Robin W]

Dashboard>settings>bbp private groups>forum visibility settings>

and make sure that ‘Click to activate forum visibility’ is not ticked.