88 members and 122 guests

Hey, just a suggestion, but when I checked who was online, this is what it said: 88 members and 122 guests
I think to browse the forum you should have to be logged in. Now, I know it can be a pain registering to this forum, or logging in, but I think guests privledges should be taken away, at least partially. If 122 guests wan't to see this forum I'm sure they won't mind logging in. So why can't we make it that you have to log in to see the forum as I can see this will have benefits.

• It will increase the post count

How will it increase the post count you ask? Well, if to see the forum, everyone has to log in, they will be able to reply to any thread with ease. I know that when I just browse the forum as a guest, sometimes I may think about replying to a thread but I won't be bothered to log on to do so and when I'm next on i'll usually forget to respond to that thread.

Another benefit may be that some of these guests may be first time visitors who have never came to the forum before and they may have never wanted to make an account up untill now as they might get everything they need without logging in, well they can see every thread basically. Being forced to log in or register is bound have an increase in registering users and they may feel the urge to post for the first time. Anyway, I know there will also be negative effects, these being, potential users not bothering to register as they can't see what the forums like, decreased visitors as they won't be able to guest view. Anyway, I just think it would be a good idea. What does anyone else think?

Half and half. I like it as it makes it feel more safe and private - especially the photo threads they cover up from guests.
But the fact I don't like it is, that I have a dsi and a phone and I always have internet on them, and sometimes, some people send me links on msn when I am on my ds or phone, and I cant log in on my phone as it takes too much memory so it doesnt load, and my ds is sometimes slow so i dont like it in that respect.

But yeah, I know it would increase post count, I usually look and see more guests than actual members online.

Maybe just hide some forums, like the bottom ones like discuss anything and such because some of them can be rather personal. The jokes etc forum hardly needs to be hidden, the feedback section maybe need to be hidden. The gamign section doesnt need to be.

if you get my meaning.

Also, if you cant do that, just make it like they have to log in to specific forums if they wish to view it. I know i wont like the idea a bit but, eh im only one person.

nvrspk shot this down before but the newer management may be more inclined to see it your way. But I doubt it, I think it's a good idea but I think the uptake might still be low. Perhaps if it applied to just some forums, all announcement forums can have free access as well as the habbo orientated forums but the others you could impose a limit on how many threads they can see.

But this will probably be entirely up to Matt and Jin when it comes down to it and I think Jin sided with Nvr last time.

I have to agree it might be a good idea. I know people were against it but having more people feel as if they should log on to read would be a good idea. It's been suggested before that, once people have read a certain number of threads, it then redirects them to log in.

I agree with this, almost like the Facebook "limit profile" function. People can only see certain sections when not logged in etc.

also it makes cautioned people unable to logout and and check spam which some people would die without.

But I don't like logging in all the time, I like to view the forum in a noob invisible way

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Originally Posted by stephenHi

also it makes cautioned people unable to logout and and check spam which some people would die without.

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I'd prefer that Habbox implements the lovely Facepunch feature of no logout button, heh.

Edit: Drat, spoiled my post count.

Its a sort of half and half thing as sam said
Sure we'll get more posts, but some people I know dont have there emails working so they cant post, therefore there going on guests, Even if we do have loads of guests, it shows that habbox forum is popular, if they wanted to register they would :)

A large number of "guests" viewing the forum are actually search engine spiders. Also, as has been shown time and time again when this is brought up, we have no problem with getting new members, the problem is getting them to actually stick around. I'm certain that the figures I discovered showing something like 3% of new members actually having more than 10 posts after a month won't have changed that much, so forcing people to register doesn't look all that likely to increase post count here, despite the apparent logic behind it

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Originally Posted by FlyingJesus

A large number of "guests" viewing the forum are actually search engine spiders. Also, as has been shown time and time again when this is brought up, we have no problem with getting new members, the problem is getting them to actually stick around. I'm certain that the figures I discovered showing something like 3% of new members actually having more than 10 posts after a month won't have changed that much, so forcing people to register doesn't look all that likely to increase post count here, despite the apparent logic behind it

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More users = more success stories?

I like this idea. I think only the core threads (habbox announcements & habbo discussion) should be available to guests and all others you have to log in for.

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Originally Posted by FlyingJesus

A large number of "guests" viewing the forum are actually search engine spiders. Also, as has been shown time and time again when this is brought up, we have no problem with getting new members, the problem is getting them to actually stick around. I'm certain that the figures I discovered showing something like 3% of new members actually having more than 10 posts after a month won't have changed that much, so forcing people to register doesn't look all that likely to increase post count here, despite the apparent logic behind it

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Search engine spiders? what are they? Also can you elaborate a bit more on the figures you discovered? Thanks :)

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Originally Posted by The Don

Search engine spiders? what are they? Also can you elaborate a bit more on the figures you discovered? Thanks :)

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Search engine spiders are manless computers which scour the internet for websites.

i do think it will help the forum but when i pretend to quit every month i like to visit as a guest lol

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Originally Posted by Chippiewill

More users = more success stories?

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Logically that has to be the case eventually, but with such a tiny amount of new registrations turning into active users we'd need to up the userbase by a lot more than 122 lol

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Originally Posted by The Don

Search engine spiders? what are they? Also can you elaborate a bit more on the figures you discovered? Thanks :)

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Programs sent out to get info for search engines basically, I can't honestly claim to know much about them but basically just means the guests we see aren't actually people a lot of the time :P

As for the figures, did a bit of digging and found this thread by someone really fit that showed how membership wasn't on the decline, but posting was (and thus we don't need to take steps for boosts in registration) and alsooooo a post showing the mega amounts of registered accounts that never came close to being active by the same hottie, damn he's good.

That's out of date now though - there are now 1160 pages of members with under 10 posts and 737 pages of members with no posts whatsoever, and that's with 30 members per page. I feel at this point it's also worth noting that the total number of pages on the memberlist at this moment in time is 1469, meaning over half of our non-banned members have never posted, and around 79% have less than 10 posts in total.

If anyone really wanted to reply to a thread that they were viewing, they could easily make an account or sign in anyway.

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Originally Posted by Dean

If anyone really wanted to reply to a thread that they were viewing, they could easily make an account or sign in anyway.

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I think you've missed the point entirely...

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Originally Posted by The Don

Hey, just a suggestion, but when I checked who was online, this is what it said: 88 members and 122 guests
I think to browse the forum you should have to be logged in. Now, I know it can be a pain registering to this forum, or logging in, but I think guests privledges should be taken away, at least partially. If 122 guests wan't to see this forum I'm sure they won't mind logging in. So why can't we make it that you have to log in to see the forum as I can see this will have benefits.

• It will increase the post count

How will it increase the post count you ask? Well, if to see the forum, everyone has to log in, they will be able to reply to any thread with ease. I know that when I just browse the forum as a guest, sometimes I may think about replying to a thread but I won't be bothered to log on to do so and when I'm next on i'll usually forget to respond to that thread.

Another benefit may be that some of these guests may be first time visitors who have never came to the forum before and they may have never wanted to make an account up untill now as they might get everything they need without logging in, well they can see every thread basically. Being forced to log in or register is bound have an increase in registering users and they may feel the urge to post for the first time. Anyway, I know there will also be negative effects, these being, potential users not bothering to register as they can't see what the forums like, decreased visitors as they won't be able to guest view. Anyway, I just think it would be a good idea. What does anyone else think?

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Originally Posted by The Don

I think you've missed the point entirely...

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Surely making the forum only viewable to registered users will reduce traffic and I doubt half the people that are guests on the forum and just come for a quick browse can actually be bothered to register.

I've suggested it previous but it always seem to be shot down. I think we should take a leaf out of ClubHabbo's book and make it so you can only view 20 (?) threads before you are forced to register / log in :)

That's how they got me to sign up.

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Originally Posted by Mathew

I've suggested it previous but it always seem to be shot down. I think we should take a leaf out of ClubHabbo's book and make it so you can only view 20 (?) threads before you are forced to register / log in :)

That's how they got me to sign up.

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I agree with this idea. A lot of forums i've been on do this actualy.

i visited a popular forum the other day and after viewing 8 threads i had to register in order to see more. i think this should be the case at hxf so you can still see threads to get the general jist of it but you also have to register

Had I not browsed the forum in my early days as a guest, I would have never signed up - I signed up because I liked what I saw.

-snip forum lag-

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Originally Posted by -:Undertaker:-

Had I not browsed the forum in my early days as a guest, I would have never signed up - I signed up because I liked what I saw.

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If only the rule existed... We would never have had you or Nvrspk4 :P

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Originally Posted by -:Undertaker:-

Had I not browsed the forum in my early days as a guest, I would have never signed up - I signed up because I liked what I saw.

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Completely agree with this, why would i bother to take the time out to sign up if i don't know if the forum is any good or not? I think it could reduce traffic rather than increase, although i can see your viewpoint as to why you would think it could increase traffic.

I thought alot of these 'guests' were just members who have been automatically signed out? I don't mean all of the guests are as that is a very large amount, but i thought that a large chunk of the guests are.

Many people, me included, don't sign up to forums if they force me to view the content.

Silly idea that's been said no to in the past.

Forcing guests to register would do sweet naff all. If Habbox Forum is a specialist forum, which we all know it isn't (it's a fansite forum for Habbo, and there are plenty of them), then yes, forcing guests to register to see the forums would be a good idea, but seeing as there is nothing overall special about it, then it's best to leave it viewable. What would be the selling point for Habbox to a wide audience? Nothing. The only reason to ever have it as suggested would be to only allow Habbos from Habbo who are directed here from Habbox related rooms and are told to register for exclusivity, and again, seeing as there is nothing special about Habbox, it would be a waste of time and ultimately prove a drop in members joining, when other Habbo forums out there do not hide the forum from guests because they too know there is nothing special or unique about Habbo forums :P

The guest to member ratio varies alot, and Habbox does get linked to by quite alot of people who may not be logged in or want an account, ClubHabbo members are one example I can think of (they get chucked around alot and view the forum to see what's happening). Some may be bots too, but that's unlikely as they're either labelled "bot", hidden from view or labelled as guests but then you'd only get about 5 or so on at one given time.