Permissions Nightmare!

[r3m0t]

It would be cool if a "simple mode" merely removed some of the less common options: HTML, BBCode, etc.

Ideally the permissions would be sectioned by how useful they are.

[nahtanoj]

It would be cool if a "simple mode" merely removed some of the less common options: HTML, BBCode, etc.

yeah, the new permissions system is certainly not short on control!

[r3m0t]

Can see forum
Can read forum
Can post in forum
Can reply to posts
Can quote posts
Can edit own posts
Can lock own topics
Can delete own posts
Can bump topics
Can create polls
Can vote in polls
Can change existing vote
Can post announcements
Can post stickies
Can attach files
Can download files
Icons
Can post HTML
Can post BBCode
Can post smilies
Can post images
Can post Flash
Can use signatures
Can search the forum
Can email topics
Can rate posts
Can print topics
Can ignore flood limit
Increment post counter
Posts are moderated
Can report posts
Can subscribe forum

I have sorted them nicely:

Can see forum
Can read forum
-> Can search the forum
-> Can print topics
-> Can download files
Can post [threads]
in forum
-> Moderate posts before showing
-> As stickies
-> As announcements
-> With polls
-> Can lock own threads
Can reply to posts
-> Using quote
-> With attachments
-> With HTML
-> With BBCode
-> With images
-> With Flash
-> With smilies
-> With signatures
-> With post icons
-> Ignoring flood limit
-> Post count is incremented
-> Can edit own posts
-> Can delete own posts
Can bump topics
Can vote in polls
-> Can change existing vote
Can email topics
Can report posts
Can rate posts
Can subscribe forum

Maybe this could be used after a bit of revising? Ideally selecting "No" for one of these would cause all the -> options under it to be disabled.

I hope I can help.

PS What is the reasoning behind permissions "Can reply using quote" and "Can print topics"?

[Graham]

As a note, your interpretation on the structure there is a little off

It has some merits, but I'm not sure of the practicalities in implementing it.

[r3m0t]

You just need to change the order of the table rows in the template. (I would expect.)

Agreed, it can't be perfect. For a start, everything should be under "Can see forum" and then everything else under "Can read forum". That wouldn't look very good, though. I think.

[psoTFX]

It's a non-starter I'm afraid ... like many of the suggestions people make to try and "simplify things" we've already discussed this and dismissed it. It assumes too much. For example, during the development of 2.0 I made an assumption that a forum that is unreadable must be unpostable ... yet people noted examples where support (ticket) style issues make this type of setup necessary.

That's not to say categories are not a good idea, indeed categorisation was suggested a long time ago and is on my list of things to (hopefully) do. However there are more basic ways to simplify things I believe. That will (I hope!) basically see the current preset system expanded out in the "simple" format present in 2.0.x.

[r3m0t]

-> Using quote
-> With attachments
-> With HTML
-> With BBCode
-> With images
-> With Flash
-> With smilies
-> With signatures
-> With post icons
-> Ignoring flood limit
-> Post count is incremented

This at least is a clear group. Maybe this could be clearly marked off at the bottom of the permissions list.

It's a non-starter I'm afraid ... like many of the suggestions people make to try and "simplify things" we've already discussed this and dismissed it. It assumes too much. For example, during the development of 2.0 I made an assumption that a forum that is unreadable must be unpostable ... yet people noted examples where support (ticket) style issues make this type of setup necessary.

You've already discussed this? Can you provide a link?
If made carefully, it will allow all reasonable combinations. (Unreasonable: BBCode = (explicit) YES but posting = (explicit) NO and replying = (explicit) NO)
My version doesn't have this particular problem. I don't think it assumes much. One thing to note is that people might be able to post threads without replying (example: "Suggestions to the admins"). The quote I just put at the top of this post would therefore have to be seperate.

[psoTFX]

And there you go, perfect example of what I'm saying ... at least one item in a category "may have to removed". IMHO it assumes too much and we'll pay the price in extra support requests if we do it this way and that's why we won't.

[r3m0t]

And there you go, perfect example of what I'm saying ... at least one item in a category "may have to removed".

Sorry... what category? Removed from what? Which item?

[r3m0t]

Could you at least add a final column showing the forum default? That way people will know for certain what "UNSET" actually means.