[RFC] New Forum permission for viewing other users' topics

[brunoais]

Introduction
A feature many forums deliver (specially paid ones) which is a permission to allow the user who created the topic to view it.
With this permission, the user can only view the topics in that forum that he created himself (he's the author or the 1st post. Something like me in this topic ).
According to my small investigation:

• When a user wants to protest something, sometimes it's better not to show the topic itself to the public depending the way the conversation is going.
• When the moderators/administration wants to isolate a post to discuss it, it's better not to allow other people than the poster (in order to justify the post, for example) to view the isolated post (sometimes things get really nasty ).
• Sometimes the forum admins likes to have a system where the user can have private support without intervention of other users and when it's solved, the topic is moved and other users may come and discuss the result. (this is rare but still does exist)

Proposal
Add a new permission under

Can read forum

for this feature.

How the permission works:
if can read forum is no OR never -> This option should he hidden using javascript. Any option selected will take no effect.
if can read forum is Yes -> This option should be available. The meanings are:
Yes -> It works exactly like the system is now. The Yes will be used as the default for the current roles.
No OR never -> The user can only see the topics in which he is the author

Name the option
I don't know which name is better for this option.

1. Can read topics started by others
2. Can view other users' topics
3. Can view topics started by other members

Acording to a small discussion, #3 seems the best option. If you find an even better one, propose away


Source of data: Recently, a pull for 1 month in a private sub-forum in a forum. 68% -> yes 10% -> no 22% -> I don't use it but I believe it is useful.
[EDIT: Fixed some syntax mistakes and a missing bold]

EDIT: Due to the "spirit" of the permissions system, this option, when set to yes should allow something more then then set to no.
Any more comments?

[MichaelC]

+1

[brunoais]

@dev team!
May I develop this functionality?

[imkingdavid]

You're welcome to work on it if you'd like. I'm not against such a new permission.

EDIT: And if you would like to do the javascript hiding/showing based on other permissions, that's a big +1

[brunoais]

I'll do anything needed for this added functionality.
I just question this because I don't want to develop and then get refused or ignored.

[imkingdavid]

I'll do anything needed for this added functionality.
I just question this because I don't want to develop and then get refused or ignored.

Well unfortunately it can take a while for things to get reviewed. We're not ignoring you, it just takes time for stuff to happen. I even have a couple of pull requests that are basically ready to be merged but are waiting for people to review them or for other patches to be done first.

[brunoais]

Well unfortunately it can take a while for things to get reviewed. We're not ignoring you, it just takes time for stuff to happen. I even have a couple of pull requests that are basically ready to be merged but are waiting for people to review them or for other patches to be done first.

Hum... Did I explain wrong? Maybe I did. Here's a better, more complete one.
See something like this:
viewtopic.php?f=108&t=42431
or even:
viewtopic.php?f=108&t=42477
It may sound like a great to the thread OP but the community just says no.
At least for me, when I post, I like to receive review. After I know people like it, I need to know if the ones that will analyze or know how analyze works approve or disapprove the idea. In those 2 it was quick to get to that idea. In some of mine I have already written (I actually still have 5 in which 2 scratched right away and think of doing a MOD instead so I still have 3 in the drawing board being improved so that I can propose) they don't get a discussion. Not much people don't answer them and then I don't understand how the community of this forum relates to them (likes, doesn't like, needs more discussion, has improvements to propose, etc...). Did you get the idea?

The thing is simple. If I make code for phpbb 3.1 I don't care much if the code takes time to get reviewed people here are working for free. I just need to know if I'm working for the right idea. If I have an idea, no one acknowledges saying ok or nook for it or suggest improvements I don't know if it's a good idea or not or even if it will be rejected when trying to add to phpbb core because they don't like the idea. I don't really know how things work around here, I came from a different open source project (where the staff went from 10 to 0 and seems now abandoned (sorry, I won't tell which project was)) where adding code is definitely different from here so I need some help fitting in. When I make code, in this case, for phpbb 3.1 and the code is ready before 3.1 goes to beta, I want the feature in 3.1. It may take 1 week, 1 month, or even 5 months but I want my code reviewed and I want an answer so that I can make some code changes, if needed, to allow it to pass in the review (I hope I wasn't too brute with words ).
I hope I was able to express myself ok this way even if it's a long text.

[Jacob]

I like the idea. And I'd like it to be in the core, but if not at least as a mod.

If a few permissions are removed I don't think it would be bad to add a new one.

[brunoais]

Due to the spirit of the permissions system, I think the name should not be something that limits but something that allows.
In other words, when the option is set to yes, it should allow the user to see, do, etc... more than if set to no.
More comments?

[imkingdavid]

Due to the spirit of the permissions system, I think the name should not be something that limits but something that allows.
In other words, when the option is set to yes, it should allow the user to see, do, etc... more than if set to no.
More comments?

Unfortunately, the point of this permission is to limit what topics the user can see. So it may be hard to figure out a way to say it in a way that doesn't sound like it's limiting. Also, because it's the admin that sees the permissions, rather than the user, I don't think it would be an issue if the text is "limiting"

Here's what I'd go with: "Can only view own topics".