[RESOLVED] forums for end-of-life releases now inaccessible

[jlittle]

In the past the forums for end-of-life releases were closed, in that they became read-only. But now...

I've been getting annoying "notifications" for posts that when I click on them

Sorry, you are not authorized to view this page. For assistance contact the site administrator.

Today I clicked on the link given, https://www.kubuntuforums.net/contact-us, and filled in a description of this. I got a quick response (thank you, Snowhog):

That thread was started in Kubuntu 21.04 Hirsute Hippo which became EOL on 19 Jan 2022.

And I notice that on the forums page the end-of-life releases are no longer there.

In another thread here in "Access, Posting, or other Concerns" I've found

We are only allowing View access to the last three EOL releases.

21.04 is one of the last three EOL releases. Perhaps the access window needs moving on one.

IMO all the old posts going back to the beginning of KFN are valuable data, and should be accessible some how, if not the normal hierarchy.

In any case, notifications for inaccessible posts don't make sense. I suppose it might occur that a notification was generated, then the status of the forum changed, but I get about one a week of these notifications.

[Snowhog]

This has already been fixed. Was my mistake when I archived it but permanently closed it.

[Snowhog]

IMO all the old posts going back to the beginning of KFN are valuable data, and should be accessible some how, if not the normal hierarchy.

They are (valuable). They are accessible, just not to everyone. I am still working out how to get vBulletin 5.6.4 to do what we'd like it to do in an easy way if possible. That however, isn't always easy, and sometimes, not possible to accomplish.

One of the reasons for limiting Archived EOL Releases to the last three, was purely for readability and navigability of KFN from a mobile device. We still have all the forums for every release of Kubuntu, starting with Dapper Drake 6.06. That's 32 top-level forums and their sub-forums.

As Administrators, we do pay attention to criticism (re: critique) our members present. We manage KFN, but we do so for the benefit of its members. We try our best to balance the wants, needs, and desires of our members, with the effective and efficient management of KFN. That balance isn't/can't always (be) achieved.

I'll look at how we are managing the Archives > EOL Releases again. Maybe I can tweak them some more.

[Snowhog]

jlittle Take a look at https://www.kubuntuforums.net/forum/...s/eol-releases now. Do so with a PC browser, not on a mobile device, or you likely won't see the Notice I put there to address your concern that these EOL forums "should be accessible some how". I hope this 'solution' satisfies that concern.

[jlittle]

jlittle Take a look at https://www.kubuntuforums.net/forum/...s/eol-releases now.

That link gives

Sorry, you are not authorized to view this page. For assistance contact the site administrator.

In another post I can't reply to,

If you are logged in to KFN, go to EOL Releases to see the Notice at the top of the page with instructions on how to access the other, non-listed EOL Releases.

I do not see "EOL Releases" on the KFN home page, while logged in. By "home page" I mean what I get at https://www.kubuntuforums.net/, or clicking the "kubuntu forums" title.

[Snowhog]

Hmmm.

I don't understand why this would be. I created a 'test user' here in KFN so I could see what "he" would see/have access to when logged in. The test user account has zero posts and is just a member of the Registered User Usergroup, and it can see and access the EOL Releases forum, both visible and hidden. You should have no issue doing the same. I'll review your account 'just in case.'

[Snowhog]

And to be clear, you aren't seeing this, which is just below Kubuntu Catchall?

[Snowhog]

Okay. I think MAYBE I've got this sorted out. Again, my test user sees, can access both the the listed and the hidden EOL Release forums. You should have no issue doing the same.

[jlittle]

Yes, I can see it now, thank you.