Password-Protected Archives?

[James]

I've been considering what to do lately with the password protected Hogwarts boards (the common rooms, prefect's bathroom and wherever else), and I've decided to take it to the members, since it is ultimately your threads that we are talking about. Let me present your options to you:

Leave the passwords the same - The passwords that we have now, will be the passwords for next term. This means that the only people that can view, say, the Hufflepuff Common Room, will be Hufflepuffs, or former Hufflepuffs (seventh years who have graduated and kept their passwords will be able to view both the current and the old boards). This is pretty much a compromise between the two below.

Change the passwords for the 2008-2009 boards - This means that the passwords you've been using up until now wont work once the new term starts, and you will be issued new ones. For the archives, this means that the only people who will be able to view the password protected areas are the people who can view them NOW, rather than any new member being able to flick through the old common rooms. This keeps it like an exclusive club, where only the people that were involved in that board at that time will be able to view it.

Since there will be new passwords for the 2008-2009 boards, ex-Hogwarts students passwords will be out of date and no longer work.

Make all of the archives accessible to everybody - Freedom of information, make all of your old, formerly private threads available to everybody by removing the passwords for the archived versions. Keeping in mind this only affects boards in Hogwarts, not private home boards, etc. And of course, your character cant learn anything through this freedom of information that they wouldn't know anyway, its just for the member's benefit.

Make the archives accessible, but new '09 passwords - As above, remove the passwords from the archives, but also reset the passwords for the new term (they will be PMed to you).





Vote, discuss, and share any other ideas you have. A decision will be reached by the 14th, at latest. Please don't abuse this poll by voting with multiple accounts, I will be watching.

[Stacey Amber]

I think everyone should be able to view the archives, but the passwords for 2009 should be changed so that there's still the feel of 'privacy' like in the real Hogwarts.

[Laura Kehoe]

Yeah I agree with Stacey-the archives should be accessible to everyone-I've always wanted to know what happens in the common rooms I don't have access to...not that much ever happens in the ones I do have the password to-no one posts in the common rooms much really.

[James]

Probably because they are password protected boards, Laura, lol. Not as many people to post with in each common room, but its easier to forget threads are there if they dont show up in any of the regular recent posts places ('Last Post' column, profiles, info center, 20 Most Recent Posts, etc.).

Should be made easier in v5, they are changing it so that you only have to enter the password once (unless it changes), rather than every time you log in... So then, ideally, once you have put the password in for that common room, you should be able to see all the posts in that board through all the recent posts stuff all the time.

That's kind of off-topic but I thought I'd throw that in there anyway.

[Hugo Stein]

Maybe we could have the odl Hogwarts boards hidden. That way, they would not be in the way.

The New board for Hogwarts could be hidden, but the Category could have brackets that say 'closed for the summer.' That way, the guest would know where Hogwarts has gone to.

[Laura Kehoe]

Probably because they are password protected boards, Laura

^^Oh really...I never knew that! (sarcasm..) lol!

I definately agree about people forgetting about threads in the common room though, no one ever seems bothered to enter the password everytime they log on to check. It'll be much better with v5! Yay!

[Madame Lee]

"Make the archives accessible, but new '09 password"

Once long ago, my character was at Hogwarts. Now that I am not, I don't know if I have much of a say. However, To me, this sounds more like Hogwarts. In the books, the passwords were changed over the year. It was even changed after holidays, or every few months. I think it would be cool to follow this pattern. Even if it is just once a year.

[James]

Yeah, it is more canon (although the second option also changes the passwords but leaves the old ones on the archive boards as well).

Jul 6, 2008 11:23:08 GMT -7 Hugo Stein said:

Maybe we could have the odl Hogwarts boards hidden. That way, they would not be in the way.

The New board for Hogwarts could be hidden, but the Category could have brackets that say 'closed for the summer.' That way, the guest would know where Hogwarts has gone to.

The Archives will be a separate category accessible to visitors, but it will be collapsed by default so it shouldn't take up too much space. The new Hogwarts boards wont be accessible until the start of next term, but there will be a notice in the header.