Source Code

[Marco]

I just read on the online help that the only way to prevent my members from customizing their pages it to access the source code and make the change there. Does anyone know if Ning will allow this as an option in an upcoming release without having to access the code? I was hoping to maintain a standard look and feel to help establish a brand identity, but I found out that this requires access to the code, which affectively eliminates feature updates. Although I'm working toward proficiency with PHP, I'd hate for my Network to lose the benefit of cool feature upgrades from Ning.

[Phil McT]

Marco,

There may be a way of doing this without the source code.

Ning has a 'redirect' facility that looks at the request and in some cases forwards it to another location.

You could take a request to:

/profiles/appearance/edit

And forward it somewhere else. I'd recommend you create a simple HTML page explaining that this is not allowed, please hit the 'back' button or something like that.

You can find this tool at:

home/apps/edit?appUrl=

(where is the 'X' in X.ning.com)

When you add a rule, please move it up in the list above the bottom rule, which matches with everything.

[Marco]

Interesting - I'll take a look at this. Thanks a lot.

Marco

[Fabricio Zuardi]

In addition to that, you could hide the edit appearance link with css to make it more difficult for your members to reach the edit page :)

[Ted Slater]

Phil McT -- I'm not sure how to find the tool you reference. You write: home/apps/edit?appUrl= -- but I'm at a loss as to how to get there.

Essentially, I'd like to disallow all users from updating their appearances. Some of them have already changed their appearances, and I'd like to undo that, reverting to the community's defaul appearance. Any thoughts on how to accomplish that?

[Phil McT]

Sorry Ted, looks like it got mangled some how.

Here's the URL for my site - just switch out the name at the end.

http://www.ning.com/home/apps/edit?appUrl=philsplayground

[Marco]

Hello Fabricio,

I like your solution better. It is more transparent to the user. I don't like when applications tell a user they can't do something after it invites them to do so. My question to you is "How do I edit the link that pops up for new users so that the link is not presented in the first place? Where is the file that maintains the link? I can't find it.

Thanks a lot!

Marco :-)

[Phil McT]

Hi Marco,

The file you're looking for is:

/widgets/index/templates/embed/embed2welcome.php

[Marco]

Hello Phil - Thanks a lot. I'll take a look at this.

Marco :-)