Forum Passwords?

On most forum softwares, when creating a new section, there is an option to protect it with a password. Do you use this feature? Why or why not?

I don't use this feature. I find it kind of pointless to use. If I wanted to make a forum for private use, I would most definitely head over to the Permissions. In my opinion, there is only one case where this could be put to good use. This is if you wanted to make a section in which members have to be invited to be able to use it. By invited I mean being sent a PM with the password in it.

 

I have never used the passwords feature for forums and I have found it pointless to be honest.

 

I agree. Set it up with your permission system. With a password all it takes is someone putting it on twitter/facebook/etc and then it's full access.

 

Yea, and I see some forum owners by making a mistake of making their premium/staff sections password protected, the password can be easily given away, and all that private content can be leeched. So its best to stick to permissions.

 

I have used this feature in the past when I was using vBulletin on forums such as adult forums, I must admit it's not really a great form of protecting a forum as anyone can give it away to be honest. It would be great if forum software had the ability for admins to password protect a forum and then give you an automated password so that it was a different password each time that would always work.

 

I don't bother with it, passwords can be guessed/cracked/given out, etc...permissions cannot!

 

Yea, sticking to permissions is the best.. I dont know why people bother with passwords.

 

neither do I, but I guess some people are more comfortable with passwords than permissions, etc.

 

Or they probably think having passwords is cool lol.

 

Maybe, but I like phpBBs test password within their area51 forum, lol

 

Using password for unimportant sections can be fun though, that's an advantage of having the feature. I seen on some forums where they have a password forum where it would be changed regularly and they would have people guess it and things like that..

 

yea, it can be a good guessing game, and just adds some extra fun and may have given me an idea for Chatting Time

 

Haha yea it can be used for fun things like that, and the prize for whoever could guess the pass would get the prize which would be in the locked forum. It can be used for many enjoyable games like that, but you would have to give them some hints for the password.

 

of course, where's the fun if you can't even guess it

 

I'm not following. What sort of prize would be in a forum? And wouldn't it be mostly empty?

 

Just some ideas being thrown around with what can be done with password protected forums.

 

Haha. That'd be a good promotion trick. You could say something like "Every 10 posts gets you a hint to the password" or something like that. So, the people who post more, get more hints, which get them closer to the prize.

 

Ive only used passwords on forums to play a "Guess the Password" game with my members. I give hints and clues and they go to the forum and enter their password guesses to try to get in. Once they get in, they get a prize (usually forum cash).

I might start that up again sooner or later.

 

Not a bad idea, can be a fun community game. I would say using forum passwords is just good for that, and nothing serious like using it for important sections which I would use permissions for and not passwords.

 

I personally don't use forum passwords, but, I have done a contest where the user guesses the password like someone said above. It was fun for the community and the members loved the rewards.