I've got a couple of suggestions regarding validating members.

1. If a member is logged in but has not yet validated their account, it should be a quick and easy task to remind them to check their mailbox (particularly spam/junk folders) and to check their e-mail address is correct. Currently there's nothing to help a member who hasn't yet validated their account to do either of these things. I use a simple message across the board index, visible only to validating members, but there much be a better way.
2. I've found that many members who fail to validate their account after the first e-mail do so after they receive the mails again (which I manually resend). I'd like the forum to automatically send a reminder/chaser if the first validation mail isn't acted upon, to remind them that they're literally one step away from gaining access to the board's features. I see some of the big names like Facebook and Twitter doing this.

Thanks :)

1. If a member is logged in but has not yet validated their account, it should be a quick and easy task to remind them to check their mailbox (particularly spam/junk folders) and to check their e-mail address is correct.

IMO a member who did not validate their account shouldn't be able to login at all.

IMO a member who did not validate their account shouldn't be able to login at all.

That is exactly the confusion new members get when they don't validate, login, and go... "huh, I can't do anything." They obviously don't see the red resend validation link and only a few clue in to check their mailbox and actually validate. The best way is to not offer them any type of access if they are validating and force them to complete the process. You can always put up introduction text where needed to direct them properly and explain validation. There is a really modification to help with Validation:

(IPT33) Validating Message 1.0.0

IMO a member who did not validate their account shouldn't be able to login at all.

Whilst I agree to an extent, that doesn't help them to complete the process.

What I would prefer is way to tell them to check their mailbox (the message mod posted by Nevo would suffice) and a proactive way for them to check and correct their e-mail address. They can already correct their e-mail address but they have to know how to do it. I'd prefer something up-front, preferably on the board index, that asks them to confirm their e-mail address.

We have overhauled the validation process completely in 4.0. I think it will address your concerns.

I display a message at the top of my community for anyone who has not validated their account, with a link to resend it.

This changes to a guest message, a message for zero posters and one for regular posters.

I display a message at the top of my community for anyone who has not validated their account, with a link to resend it.

This changes to a guest message, a message for zero posters and one for regular posters.

Similar to how I do to just the validating group. :smile:

We have overhauled the validation process completely in 4.0. I think it will address your concerns.

I'm very much looking forward to seeing what you've done with it!

I create and display Forum sections just for Validation group and call them "Validate Your Account To Access This Area" then in the description of that section add a URL to a page, that explains what to do, and how to do it.

Also do the same for guests, saying to view this section register for a free account.

EDIT: forgot to add that I set the system to automaticly delete accounts awaiting validation after 14 days, thats plenty of time for them to activate their accounts, if they don't bother then they are not worth the space on the site. Would rather have a small number of members that are active and post a lot, instead of having loads of members but only 10% post.

We have overhauled the validation process completely in 4.0. I think it will address your concerns.

If it has removed ALL of those who have been banned ( spammers who are auto banned ) from the members list in manage members i'll love you guys forever. In short those should be automatically moved to spammers only and not show at all in the members list in ACP/manage members. ALL of them seem to have the same IP's so i usually just ban the IP and then can the account so i don't have to look at them when i pull up the members in ACP.

We have overhauled the validation process completely in 4.0. I think it will address your concerns.

:)

We have overhauled the validation process completely in 4.0. I think it will address your concerns.

:)

I create and display Forum sections just for Validation group and call them "Validate Your Account To Access This Area" then in the description of that section add a URL to a page, that explains what to do, and how to do it.

Also do the same for guests, saying to view this section register for a free account.

If I am reading your reply correctly, not keen on that method, as it means that the search engines are blocked from seeing topics.

I also prefer to see content before I register for a site.

You could create an extra category at the top, which only shows to guests and one that only shows to validating members. That would work :)

Just my opinion though :)

If I am reading your reply correctly, not keen on that method, as it means that the search engines are blocked from seeing topics.

I also prefer to see content before I register for a site.

You could create an extra category at the top, which only shows to guests and one that only shows to validating members. That would work :smile:

Just my opinion though :smile:

The search engines / guests see content in most of the sections, except the members only section, that one has the "please register to view this section", that shows guests there is more to see if they sign up.