Access Manager - Controlling Posting and Reading

The following documentation is for the Discus Pro features of the Access Manager; in general, the freeware version contains only a subset of these features, but the features that are contained will typically work as described here.

IMPORTANT: Many of the screens in the Access Manager pop up in a new window. In order to use these dialog boxes, your browser must support JavaScript and pop-up windows. If the screen described in these instructions does not appear, turn off your personal firewall or enable JavaScript in your browser as needed.

Posting versus Reading Privileges

Posting privileges describe the ability of a user to post messages or start new threads on a discussion board. Any authorized individual may post a message onto any page where an "Add a Message" form is turned on, and start a new thread on any page where at "Start New Thread" button or link is present. You control who is an "authorized individual" using the settings in the Access Manager.

Reading privileges describe the ability of a user to view content in a topic. Any authorized individual may read messages, view attachments, and otherwise see all content of a topic. You control who is an "authorized individual" using the settings in the Access Manager. Freeware Discus supports only public reading privileges, which means that any visitor to your board can read all topics, and hence there are no reading options available in freeware Discus.

To use the interface, select posting and/or reading privileges, as described in the following documentation. Then click the "Save Settings" button at the bottom of the page to commit your changes.

Posting Privileges

• All Posting Disabled: No posting is permitted in the topic at all. Anyone, including moderators, attempting to post in the topic will be given an error message. This setting is typically used only to entirely shut off posting when a topic is no longer accepting new posts.

• Public Posting: Anyone at all is allowed to post, regardless of whether they have an account on the board.

• Restricted Posting: Posting is permitted but is restricted to a subset of persons with access to the board. The various options for restricted posting privileges are:

  • Moderators: Check this box to enable posting for moderators, and select from among the following options to refine your choice:

    • Moderators permitted to edit this topic: Any moderators to whom the board administrator has granted editing privileges in the topic. If you are able to get to the Access Manager for the topic, you yourself are one such moderator. The board administrator can clarify which moderators have editing privileges (the easiest way is to use Topic Manager and click the moderators icon). Should editing privileges in the topic change, the privileges granted with this option will change automatically.

    • All board moderators: All moderators on the board, regardless of editing privileges.

    • Specific moderators: Click the "Select" link to bring up a list of all board moderators (in a pop-up window). Check those moderators that will have privileges in the topic and save your settings in the pop-up window. Remember to save your settings with the "Save Settings" button at the bottom of the main page as well.

  • Registered Users: Check this box to enable posting for registered users of the discussion board, and select from among the following options to refine your choice:

    • All registered users: Anyone who is a registered user, and whose account is not suspended.

    • Certain groups of users: Click the "Select" link to bring up a list of all groups on the board (in a pop-up window). Check those group that will have privileges in the topic and save your settings in the pop-up window. Remember to save your settings with the "Save Settings" button at the bottom of the main page as well.

  • By IP address: You control privileges for unregistered individuals by IP address. (If you turn on privileges for moderators or users, they will have privileges regardless of their IP address.) Click the "Select" link to bring up a list of IP addresses (in a pop-up window).

    The list of IP addresses works as a "rule set" proceeding from top to bottom. Discus Pro compares the first IP address in the list to the person's IP address. If there is a match, it applies the privileges in the "Perm" column, and stops processing. If there is no match, it proceeds to the next rule in the list, and so on, until it finds a match. If no match is found among any of the IP addresses, the permissions in the "No match above" row are applied.

    Because the IP address restrictions in this section apply to unregistered individuals only, it is possible for you to configure your board to grant privileges to some people, but to require registrations from others. For example, it is possible to require any AOL users to register, but allow anyone else to post unregistered, by entering "*.aol.com" as a denied IP address in this section (assuming you enabled posting for registered users).

    • To add an IP address, type the IP address in the box in the "IP Address" column. Choose either Allow or Deny in the "Perm" column.

    • To remove an IP address, select "----" in the "Perm" column.

    • The icons at left allow you to move an address to the top of the list, up one row, down one row, or to the bottom of the list, respectively. The fifth icon inserts a blank row immediately above the one you are viewing. You can use these icons to rearrange your IP entries, keeping in mind that top-to-bottom order is very important.

  • With special password: This allows someone to post using any username, provided that they enter the "special" password that you choose. This is not a real account on the board, but it provides a level of restriction beyond simple public posting. Click the "Select" link to bring up the special password dialog (in a pop-up window). If you've never selected a special password, you will be prompted to enter one. If there is already a special password for the topic, you'll be permitted to continue using that password, or to choose a new one. Remember to save your settings with the "Save Settings" button at the bottom of the main page as well.

Reading Privileges

• All Reading Disabled: No reading is permitted in the topic at all. Anyone, including moderators, attempting to access the topic will receive an error message.

• Public Reading: Anyone at all is allowed to read, regardless of whether they have an account on the board.

• Restricted Reading: Reading is permitted but is restricted to a subset of persons with access to the board. The various options for restricted reading privileges are:

  • Moderators: Check this box to enable reading for moderators, and select from among the following options to refine your choice:

    • Moderators permitted to edit this topic: Any moderators to whom the board administrator has granted editing privileges in the topic. If you are able to get to the Access Manager for the topic, you yourself are one such moderator. The board administrator can clarify which moderators have editing privileges (the easiest way is to use Topic Manager and click the moderators icon). Should editing privileges in the topic change, the privileges granted with this option will change automatically.

    • All board moderators: All moderators on the board, regardless of editing privileges.

    • Specific moderators: Click the "Select" link to bring up a list of all board moderators (in a pop-up window). Check those moderators that will have privileges in the topic and save your settings in the pop-up window. Remember to save your settings with the "Save Settings" button at the bottom of the main page as well.

  • Registered Users: Check this box to enable reading for registered users of the discussion board, and select from among the following options to refine your choice:

    • All registered users: Anyone who is a registered user, and whose account is not suspended.

    • Certain groups of users: Click the "Select" link to bring up a list of all groups on the board (in a pop-up window). Check those group that will have privileges in the topic and save your settings in the pop-up window. Remember to save your settings with the "Save Settings" button at the bottom of the main page as well.

  • By IP address: You control privileges for unregistered individuals by IP address. (If you turn on privileges for moderators or users, they will have privileges regardless of their IP address.) Click the "Select" link to bring up a list of IP addresses (in a pop-up window).

    The list of IP addresses works as a "rule set" proceeding from top to bottom. Discus Pro compares the first IP address in the list to the person's IP address. If there is a match, it applies the privileges in the "Perm" column, and stops processing. If there is no match, it proceeds to the next rule in the list, and so on, until it finds a match. If no match is found among any of the IP addresses, the permissions in the "No match above" row are applied.

    Because the IP address restrictions in this section apply to unregistered individuals only, it is possible for you to configure your board to grant privileges to some people, but to require registrations from others. For example, it is possible to allow reading from your intranet without a login, but to require those outside your company to register. For example, you would enter "192.168.*" in a box with an "Allow" privilege, and set the "No match above" to deny.

    • To add an IP address, type the IP address in the box in the "IP Address" column. Choose either Allow or Deny in the "Perm" column.

    • To remove an IP address, select "----" in the "Perm" column.

    • The icons at left allow you to move an address to the top of the list, up one row, down one row, or to the bottom of the list, respectively. The fifth icon inserts a blank row immediately above the one you are viewing. You can use these icons to rearrange your IP entries, keeping in mind that top-to-bottom order is very important.

  • With special password: This allows someone to read simply by typing in the "special password" (no username required). Click the "Select" link to bring up the special password dialog (in a pop-up window). If you've never selected a special password, you will be prompted to enter one. If there is already a special password for the topic, you'll be permitted to continue using that password, or to choose a new one. Remember to save your settings with the "Save Settings" button at the bottom of the main page as well.