Understanding the 'Special' channel...

[karlm]

So a few days back an admin reported he was blocked out of viewing a previously unknown channel called 'special'. I noted that the url & such he drew attention to was a flagged report rather than an actual post in a forum by any member.

I had a look around in the ACP and found under channel permissions that the special channel covered a variety of, presumably, hidden contents ranging from reported posts to visitor messages & suchlike. I presumed this is the reason he couldn't access the 'thread' as it was classed as special permissions (being as it was directed to our 'flagged/reported' area under the profile page.

Anyway, I've just realised - he too has now reported & unapproved a post. This unapproved/reported post has shown up in the recent topics module as if it's a perfectly normal thread for everyone to read. I gather non-admins/non-moderators won't see it - but I'm lost as to why it would show up in a recent posts module when it's technically not a thread and certainly not accessible via traditional means.

http://xxxxxxx.com/special/reports/593724-reply-to-ghostbusters-feminist-revisioned-edition-opens-to-empty-seats

[Mark.B]

The Special channel is only used in the background. You don't access it or change permissions in it at all.

[karlm]

Yes, I gathered that and haven't attempted to change any settings nor permissions.

But why is it showing up in search modules for recent posts?

[Mark.B]

Edit the module and make sure the special channel is excluded from the results.

[karlm]

Ooooh, thats a simple solution

I think it must be included as I did a global search... but in fairness, you'd think this would have been thought of by the devs...

[Wayne Luke]

It should be completely hidden. Unfortunately, the permissions on it don't inherit properly so it has had to be exposed in case something needs to be fixed on it. Hopefully the permissions issue gets resolved soon and we'll be able to hide it again. I'll open a JIRA to make sure it is always excluded from searches.

[karlm]

Edit the module and make sure the special channel is excluded from the results.

I'm not sure whether Wayne's response covers this precise issue as such, but the above by Mark.B doesn't, unfortunately.

I only realise this because having followed this suggestion (once I'd been reminded to look into it after more weird posts appeared in my 'recent content' query) it was revealed that the special-channel wasn't listed anyway as one of the search queries.


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[karlm]

So, further, I think I've found a small bug that may require attention, assuming it hasn't already been addressed in Jira...

After I've left someone a visitor message it shows up on the recent content searches, right...

There's a little icon thing just left of where the topic/title would be (if it were a thread) is an active link to the special channel.

Following the link takes you to an empty visitor message window - that does indeed allow for a message to be submitted - where it goes, I know not, yet.

[Wayne Luke]

Visitor Messages should not show up in searches per this issue: http://tracker.vbulletin.com/browse/VBV-8116

If they are then please petition to have it reopened and place your comments.

[karlm]

Done, thanks.

http://tracker.vbulletin.com/browse/VBV-8116?focusedCommentId=223856&page=com.atlassian.jira.plugin.system.issuetabpanels%3Acomment-tabpanel#action_223856