Disable user auto creation

VW_Club

Hello,

We implemented this on our test forum which is phpBB version 3.1.6.
When existing user wants to login/register/connect and enter its email if the email doesn't exist the extension automatically creates a new user.
We rummaged into extension settings but couldn't find any option to disable automatically creation of new users if mail doesn't exist.
We want to use user creation feature only when user explicit clicks on site "Registration" button - particular page

thanks

Fred_Pinel

Hi,

Did you try the configuration setting: "Prompt new users to validate username and email ?" in our extension's settings?

Regards

VW_Club

Hello Frederic,

Yes. This option only brings up additional window where user must confirm username and mail address fetched from Google, if they are correct or not, then the user auto-creation continues.
The whole idea is user auto-creation functionality to be disabled or to be available only for particular page - when user explicitly goes on registration page. Otherwise a lot of new users which actually already have accounts in the forum will occur due their try to login with their social accounts.

thanks

Fred_Pinel

Hi,
It is not possible to enable this feature only through registration.
For information: this setting allows for an option to validate only when email address is missing from their social profile.
Now, for existing users who now want to connect via Social Login, and should not create a new account, maybe this can help:
- these users can, from their profile, link their account to a social network account, which will let them login either way,
- automatic social linking will match social login users to an existing account via their email address.

Thanks.

VW_Club

Hello Frederic,

Let me give you an example, real example.

So I am existing user, long time ago registered, into the forum - username: mlade77 with email: mlade77@XXXX.com.
Forum admin implemented two days ago social login functionality and today when I visit the forum I notice the option.
"Cool, what a good new surprise" will told yo myself and immediately will try to use it. But I will try to use it with my secondary, created several months ago, email address which is google - mlade77@gmail.com
At this moment the extension will create a new user cause the email provided by me, mlade77@gemial.com, will not match to any existing account. I will tell to my self "Damn...something doesn't work as expected. Can't login, nothing happened, never mind will use old way" and will follow normal procedure for forum login

I know that this example is a bit of dump but believe me it is normal users behaviour so that is why I am looking for a way to prevent this from happening.

cheers

Fred_Pinel

Hi,
Thanks for the example.
If a returning user decides to log in with a secondary email address (the google account mentioned), then how can we determine that this is the returning user, and not a brand new user?
Isn't similar to a returning user that decides to create a new regular account but with different info?
This is why we have the social linking feature. Although it is true it is not obvious to use for returning users.
Anything I missed?

Thanks again.

Fred_Pinel

Hi,
Regarding one of your initial remarks: "We want to use user creation feature only when user explicit clicks on site "Registration" button - particular page", you can perhaps get close to this by only displaying the Social Login on the registration page.

Hope this helps.

VW_Club

Hello Frederic,

"If a returning user decides to log in with a secondary email address (the google account mentioned), then how can we determine that this is the returning user, and not a brand new user?
Isn't similar to a returning user that decides to create a new regular account but with different info?"

This is the problem. The user doesn't realise that he is registering himself again by supplying its secondary email address. Have you ever deal with regular users, not users with a bit of computer knowledge? The regular users think that the computers and computer software is something with his own logical think and would know what the user is trying to do. In other words your extension is not stupid proof.

Will give you another example. Now we have two forums, one live and one for test purposes - forum.vwclub.bg and testforum.vwclub.bg. Test forum doesn't look like the live one - style is totally different, not to mention the addresses(URLs). Two days ago several users posted a comments at our facebook page "What is going with the forum? It looks different. Some functionalities doesn't work. Comments and topics are not there" Somehow they come across on the test forum and even didn't realized that.

In my opinion in order unwanted auto-registration to be done on the "login" page if someone try to login with non matching email address it should throw an error which says something like "Sorry we are unable to find such user. Please give use correct login credentials or follow registration page if you are a new user"

Got it now?

cheers

Fred_Pinel

Hi,
Thanks for the explanations, and the patience required when dealing with computer people ;-)
Our API services can do this, however the PhpBB plugin implementation has not split the login from registration features that way (because our intention is to precisely auto-register users).
I can add it to our todo list for PhpBB.

Thanks.

VW_Club

Hi,

Ok. Of course it depends on you but I think you having this sorted out would be good.
Meanwhile we are continuing our tests with your extension on our test platform.

cheers