Experiences with hidden forum-threads for small groups of visitors?

Hi, in our forum we plan to test small hidden threads that we password-protect and that only invited users can see and enter. We want to try that to get perspective from newbies on certain questions and not getting the same answers from the old experienced users that we already know and also to motivate newbies to give their point without fearing the experienced users would call them stupid etc...

Do you have experienced with such closed threads, or maybe with groups?

Do you get users to actively use these kinds of threads? Or won't they use it because they are not in the official section or because the more active users are excluded?

In our case we do not plan to let the whole forum know, but eventually they might get to know it. So do active users respect it when you use closed areas for just a group of users? Have you had any problems with restricted threads/areas/groups in the context of the whole forum?

any experiences appreciated

 

Why does it have to be hidden? Make it a section for people with under 20 or 50 posts (except site moderators and admin) to post to and ask anyone with more than that to keep to the main sections and not post there. Say that it is a section for new members to get into the way of posting and answering on the board but they are welcome to use the main board too.

That way you have nothing hidden, newbies will evolve out of the section naturally as they become more experienced.

Perspectives can be completely anonymous via PM and can be a prepared set of questions along the lines of....now you have made n posts on the board we would value your opinion as to ....

not sure it completely meets your needs but it is open and above board and people can take it badly when they are excluded by a password from areas others can access. And what are you going to do as newbies become regulars? All doable of course but littered with trip hazards.

Make it open and half the potential problems are gone.

just a point of view paul

 

I don't think your concept is all that bad given your purpose, which is to specifically gather input from a subset of your members.

I do believe execution might be a bit tricky (i.e., announcement or what have you).

I'm not sure I follow the password a thread....do you mean password a forum, which thereby the threads within (your questions) are passworded? Sorry, just trying to envision this.

Is there some difference to making secondary UG that has access to intended forum as opposed to the password? Might make things a bit more transparent given the excluded UGs.

Best analogy I can make is with my gaming clan. Specific forums are for non-members, members, and further other sub-members based on role. I don't see any issue with your concept.

Please share what you do go with.

 

With UG you mean user groups? Currently with our forum software (vbulletin 3.6) I am not sure this is possible.
Our forum uses the user database of an internet platform, therefore users all have the same member status.

What we would like to do is talk to a specific target group about certain ideas. E.g. when we want to change the user-profile of the platform for newbies to better understand it, we want their opinion on that and don't want the discussion to lead to all the complicated specialities that experienced users have.

As for the password, it might not be neccessary if the sub-forum is not visible anyway. We would like to specifically invite users to join the discussion and they can only access/see it with the correct link.

So what do you think?

 

If I'm not mistaken I vb3.6 does have a feature to create a usergroup based on criteria entered when they register. You should be able to create new usergroups unless you have limited access for some reason. If you don't you can use profile fields to define criteria you can match to and either send out a mass email or add to the registration process to answered. Which you should have even on a hosted.

As far as keeping the forum/threads hidden. Nothing stays that way on a forum. All it takes is on experiences user to notice something different. They don't say curiosity killed the cat for nothin.

My opinion would be to be open about it. If questioned. If you need to explain be general like you maybe asked to particiate in evaluating the forum from a novice experiense. Or better yet in a welcome to the forums email notice to all the newly registered members. Get the take on first impressions so to speak kinda group. It's best to be honest than try deceive. You want to stick to plain simple trusth.

There is one in everygroup that just doesn't seem to let it alone. If explained in a way most will understand and accept, people will be fine with that.

 

I like that Webmist. :thumbup:

 

The users do not really register, they are automatically registered when they use the external platform and hence get registered when they login to the forum with the platform login for the first time. So I am still not sure if that would work without a lot of extra effort.

However I second your thoughts about being open. Probably we should announce that we do some closed threads with invited users and let the forum know what they're about, so they don't get the feeling things are decided without their opinion...