ForumIntegration

I've created a table in filmsoc called people_forums that links pid of our system to column in web_users with the user_id in phpBB.

I've created a page on the main website called autologin that looks up the correct user_id, and then redirects to another page called autologin in the forums. This then logs the specified user_id into the forums using a phpBB function called session_begin. A cyptographic token is used to prevent unauthorized use of autologin.

Still to do:

• Populate people_forums with information for current forum accounts
• Make autologin automatically create a forum account for people without an entry in people_forums, and add a row to it
• Allow autologin to redirect to any forum page, not just the start page (for next part)
• Redirect any login or register page requests on the forums to http://www.filmsoc.warwick.ac.uk/index.php?page=autologin
• Login & register links should be removed from phpBB and be provided solely through the website.
• Mechanism to ensure email address changes get transferred across to phpBB.
• Automatically put people in groups based on statuses
• Determine what session / cookie settings are required for phpBB login and set it from the filmsoc website.
  • I had a quick look at that, they are a abit esoteric as phpBB uses its own session table and logic, and it is difficult to include phpBB files in the website without breaking our things. The autologin system should be almost as seamless. mattrix
• Automatic phpBB account creation from website login creation.
  • This wouldn't neccessarily be very useful - not everybody will want to use the forums
  • This could be done on first login redirected from the forums rather than when a website login is created. When they attempt to login to the forums a message pops up saying "Your forum account hasn't been set up, please enter a display name to use".

Would be nice:

• Make look of forums closer to rest of website

Whould be nice, but particularly difficult:

• Make phpBB use the same user ids as the filmsoc website login

Decide on a policy for transfering people who have different usernames or passwords

• I'm inclined to say let people keep their different usernames - see my email. mattrix

Decide on a policy for people who would like to keep different passwords

• Forum passwords should become irrelevant as there won't be any way to log in to the forums directly. mattrix

Is the facility to have different passwords less important than the facility to have different usernames

• If people have different usernames, why can't they be allowed different passwords
• The use of different passwords for different systems is always recommended from a security point of view. If we have the opportunity to allow the option, why not use it.
• Should the forums be considered as part of a wider AuthenticationStratergy before we jump into what could be a involved, complicated and proprietary system.