How many user-groups does your community have?

[TheBigK]

I'm making a few changes to our community and updating the usergroups is one of the items on my list. Until now, I used to have a one-one relationship between usergroups and user ranks (I carried over the setup from my vBulletin installation).

So -

User Group ------ User Rank
New Member ----- New Member
Addict ------------ Addict
Moderator ------- Moderator

and so on. But I figured out that managing so many usergroups is not a good idea. Now I'm thinking, I should only have following usergroups -

1. Unregistered/Guests
2. Registered
3. Moderators
4. Administrators

Do you think this usergroup structure is better for maintenance or I should have larger number of usergroups just like before?

 

[MagnusB]

I only have as many user groups as permission levels I have. I think I have 4 for registered members (2 for the ICE shop addon) and 1 for admins and moderators each.

 

[TheBigK]

Well, we enabled more features to the users as their usergroup got upgraded. So that's one thing we'll have to re-consider. I'm installing a new post-rating system and I want only few of the members to be able to use it.

 

[MagnusB]

What I have is a 2 level user permissions. as registered users they can post in most forums, and a second one with all forums and extended permissions (more PM's, longer edit times etc). I have been thinking of changing it up with more groups, where each level unlocks more permissions, just so there is something to strive for...

 

[Digital Doctor]

Well, we enabled more features to the users as their usergroup got upgraded. So that's one thing we'll have to re-consider. I'm installing a new post-rating system and I want only few of the members to be able to use it.

Then do user specific permissions, not usergroup permissions.

 

[AdamD]

On UOForums.com (VB 4.2), we have 61 in total (....oof lol)

 

[Digital Doctor]

On UOForums.com (VB 4.2), we have 61 in total (....oof lol)

Ouch. Definitely unmanageable !

 

[Chimpie]

www.emtlife.com 18k members, 20 usergroups (vB 3.8)

 

[AdamD]

Ouch. Definitely unmanageable !

Yea, heh
We need them though, as we have a usergroup for each gaming guild forum (for their private areas), so their moderators can accept/remove members, rather than bothering us each time for additions/removals.
Doesn't seem to be any other option.

 

[Digital Doctor]

Yea, heh
We need them though, as we have a usergroup for each gaming guild forum (for their private areas), so their moderators can accept/remove members, rather than bothering us each time for additions/removals.
Doesn't seem to be any other option.

There isn't I don't think.
Of the 61 user groups, how many of them are for this "each guild needs a private forum option" ?

 

[AdamD]

6 default VB groups, so 27ish misc/staff groups and 25ish guild groups.

We did get a plugin made which gave people control of their own forum (with admin permissions etc), but we were told it'd be "illegal" by Vb unless we bought a license for each and every guild forum heh

 

[Adam Howard]

• Banned
• Guest
• Noob
• Member
• Moderator
• Super Moderator
• Administrator
• Super Administrator
• God Mode

That basically covers all our user groups.

 

[Luke F]

5 primary groups (not including unregistered) and about 30 secondary groups for styling or minor extra permission changes

 

[Morgain]

I have quite a few usergroups. About 15 I think.
Like Darkimmortal I use them for styling, or access permissions.
Also Neighbour OR Faraway = geographical distance from HQ - I use this for sending out info.

 

[Lawrence]

Slave (we don't ban members, and never will)
Adventurer (members)
Dungeon Masters
Bounty Hunters
Spokesmen

Then there is one other "group" that does not show up in the AdminCP and is handled automatically by a cron job when criteria isn't met within a certain time frame: NPC's. Removes spammer (or inactive) accounts and converts them into NPC's to be battled by Adventurers in the arena.

 

[vVv]

Administrative
Banned Users
Global Moderator
Model Access
Moderating
Paid Access
Registered
Unregistered / Unconfirmed Guest

I did have "Contributor Access" before, but dropped it. I'm kind of thinking about redoing the usergroups again though.

Registered originally had nearly no privileges at all before. Just access to Lounge / Welcome forums. Then after they've posted "initiation threads", they'd be elevated to "Contributor Access", which of course had a little more privileges and accessibility to mainly general areas. (But if they stopped contributing after while/month, then were demoted back to Registered.) I dropped Contributor Access a while back though, and just made Registered users with more privileges and access.

Model Access, for those that want to model off their own feet for site, same as Contributor Access but a little more privileges than Contributor Access. Then Paid Access had the most access/privileges than lesser groups. Of course staff usergroups were above them all. I really need to redo the usergroups or install plugins though too, which "tames" them to be more active. If they're not really active and posting much, but just browsing and leeching.. the forum is pointless to have from get go.

 

[Cal]

Admins
Chief Mod
Mods
gold members (vip)
registered
banned

so about 7 I suppose lol