When will XenForo integrate anonymous posting like Invision Community has?

[SalesQuery3234]

I have mixed thoughts on Invision Community vs XenForo, but I lean towards XenForo. Invision recently added an anonymous posting feature, allowing permitted user groups, in permitted boards, to post anonymously by clicking a toggle under the post body. This posts with "Anonymous" as the username, with a silhouette as an avatar, but still allows permitted user groups like moderators to show the account behind the post. This is a native function.

This would be very powerful in many communities where people may not post. There may be various reasons for this, but one would be that a topic is uncomfortable to post about, or they worry that something might come back to them for their post.

From my research, the only way to get this with XenForo is with plugins. I'm not willing to use a plugin for this, for many reasons, but my main reason is that if the plugin is no longer developed, it could break with an update, and there's the potential for the real usernames to become exposed.

I am correct that this functionality doesn't exist without plugins, right? If so, is XenForo considering adding similar functionality natively? If not, you really should, it would make your product more competitive. Thanks.

 

[Dragonfruit]

There's a lot of things people would consider 'competitive' if included. I like XF the way it is, it's simple and light. Not bloated. It's the reason I'm not a fan of Invision. To each their own.

 

[Paul B]

There is very little support for it.

Anonymous Posting

I'd like to see a built-in anonymous posting feature at some point. We have an add-on for this at TAZ, and it's very useful for members who want to post something too sensitive to publicly attach their name to. The problem with the add-on is that it puts all of the anonymous posts under a single...

xenforo.com

 

[Mendalla]

I see possible issues so would remain off on my site even if offered unless it included the ability for mods to "peek behind the mask".

 

[SalesQuery3234]

There is very little support for it.

Anonymous Posting

I'd like to see a built-in anonymous posting feature at some point. We have an add-on for this at TAZ, and it's very useful for members who want to post something too sensitive to publicly attach their name to. The problem with the add-on is that it puts all of the anonymous posts under a single...

xenforo.com

In fairness the thread is from 2010. I feel like anonymous posting is one of those features that many won't think about or ask for unless you explicitly wanted, but if you discovered it later, you'd wish you'd seen it before!

I see possible issues so would remain off on my site even if offered unless it included the ability for mods to "peek behind the mask".

That is what I explained in my original thread - staff would be able to see who posted. Otherwise you may well as well just open up registrations and let people be anonymous by creating throwaway accounts.

There's a lot of things people would consider 'competitive' if included. I like XF the way it is, it's simple and light. Not bloated. It's the reason I'm not a fan of Invision. To each their own.

From what I've seen administering XenForo forums before, I don't consider this script as simple and light, personally. It seems XenForo is more reliant on mods/plugins than Invision Community is though.

 

[beerForo]

You should show your support in that thread to see if it gains traction. It hasn't been posted in in 12 years, and times are different. If it does gain traction, it will put it on XF's radar. If you post your own it will be marked as duplicate even though it is old.

I'm not sure you are able to post there.

 

[Dragonfruit]

Give a like to the suggestions you support. So the fact that it only has about 11 likes, does mean it has low support as of right now.

 

[beerForo]

Likes don't matter upvotes do.

 

[Dragonfruit]

Likes don't matter upvotes do.

Oh my bad, I recall reading about the likes, maybe it was before it was implemented or long ago.

 

[Paul B]

Yes, likes was the original system, before the voting feature was implemented.

Guide to Suggestions

When posting suggestions or commenting on suggestions others have posted, it's important to follow some guidelines to ensure that your thoughts are understood. Replying to Suggestions First and foremost, if you like the suggestion that a person has made, upvote the suggestion. If you have...

xenforo.com

 

[SaveTheWest]

It seems an add-on exists to allow for anonymous posting:

Anonymous Posting

Permissions-Based Access The "Allow User Posting to Thread as Anonymous" add-on offers permissions-based access, which ensures that only trusted users can post anonymously. This helps reduce the risk of misuse or abuse of the feature. Assign...

xenforo.com

Haven't used it myself, so cannot say much about it (beyond what you can read on that page).

From my research, the only way to get this with XenForo is with plugins. I'm not willing to use a plugin for this, for many reasons, but my main reason is that if the plugin is no longer developed, it could break with an update, and there's the potential for the real usernames to become exposed.

As for the plug-in concern, the only way around that is to ask the add-on developer to update it whenever XenForo is updated, or, ask for their permission to have it updated by someone else (yourself or a trusted XenForo software developer) if the original add-on developer don't want to continue maintaining the add-on.

 

[beerForo]

If you ask me there's a very good reason to not use an add-on in such a situation. The add-on becomes unsupported or stops working and anonymous posts are revealed.

 

[beerForo]

I didn't see that was an reginal concern, but I agree.

 

[Max Taxable]

The add-on becomes unsupported or stops working and anonymous posts are revealed

The attribution for any post the add-on touches stays "Anonymous" regardless, it's in the database that way. Even if the add-on is uninstalled. So yeah, the developer thought of this.

 

[beerForo]

It's one add-on I would not install, but to each.

 

[Max Taxable]

It's one add-on I would not install, but to each.

Yeah I see no use for it either. Nor do I see any use for it as a native feature. And certainly not anything to judge xenforo on, when considering purchase. It's kind of silly actually.

 

[Mr Lucky]

Yeah I see no use for it either.

Nor me, I can imagine this would not be good for a forum encouraging healthy discussion and debate. If you have something to say, put your name to it otherwise it seems it could be a cowardly way to just stir things.

But however pointless (or even damaging) it seems, there is obviously some demand for this. However I'd really prefer xenForo developers to concentrate on on more useful user features and SEO for core developments.

 

[Mendalla]

If you have something to say, put your name to it otherwise it seems it could be a cowardly way to just stir things.

I had a member (he finally crossed a line and got permabanned) who would have used it in exactly this way. He was constantly posting provocative opinions and needling other members, then trying to run away from what he posted. He's the reason I used to have a 15 minute limit on editing posts. One time he deleted the text of a controversial post after a couple of us called him on it. Fortunately, we both used "Reply" so his original words were quoted in our posts.

 

[beerForo]

Anonymous posting definitely has its place. Health/Mental Health/Trauma, etc. I am sure the need is small and if there is a larger need, we'll see it in Suggestions.

 

[Mr Lucky]

Anonymous posting definitely has its place. Health/Mental Health/Trauma, etc. I am sure the need is small and if there is a larger need, we'll see it in Suggestions.

Yes I can understand that but doesn’t the mere act of making up a username as opposed to posting with your real name do that anyway?