Hi all,

So, in the stories properties tab, there's a new option:

Disable Anonymous Reading:
Disable users not logged in from reading the story.

Basically, this will do what it says. If you select that check box, if the person isn't logged in, the story isn't displayed. This isn't going to stop people from searching for stories, or anything like that, just keep anyone not logged in from viewing them.

-J

Thank you for this wonderful improvement! Your hard work is much appreciated ^^

While I am sure there is a very good reason why authors want this option, as a reader this is very cumbersome. I'm not always logged in and for protections sake, I don't save logins or passwords on my various devices.

Zybentina wrote:
While I am sure there is a very good reason why authors want this option, as a reader this is very cumbersome. I'm not always logged in and for protections sake, I don't save logins or passwords on my various devices.

As I was the reason this came about, or part of it, I can say I adore it. I understand many don't want to log in but, sorry, I've had to fight with too many sites to get my work downed from where people posted it without my permission to want some form of protection against having things lifted. This will provide that. It may be a pain, but it's some kind of protection for those of us that have issues with sticky fingered lil thieves when it comes to their stories.

Thanks again, Mith, you're the best.

I think this is a good option to protect authors on this site and would like to suggest another one. Spam blockers that I have seen have a utility where you enter approved email addresses into the software and the spam blocker will let emails from those addresses through so the subscribers don't get personal messages deleted.
If it's not too complicated, maybe the admins should build a similar utility into the site. I've noticed that the authors on this site have built up very close relationships with certain other authors/slash readers and that's great. With this utility, it can be set up maybe so that an author can see who is downloading the story and if it's not an approved person, (someone they know and trust already), control what happens to it. By the way, only the authors can see who their approved people are. Anyone else can ask the authors for permission to download.

Wow! I didn't even know this was possible.

Thanks Mith!

Now the anonymous will have to get accounts to read my stories ^^ and maybe I'll get more reviews xD

I'm glad people have this option but I think I'm going to not use it. Although I don't write much, I want everyone who can see it to see it. Though this is good for those that want it!

As great as this option is in theory, if I were to use it, which I considered since my stories have been snagged by plagarists several times, it simply isn't plausible for me. I have 69 different stories posted on this site and it would take FOREVER to change this option on each story. I could go through and only do it on the biggies, but then who knows, someone might decide if they can't get those to pick up the smaller ones.

It would be nice if there was a way to change the setting on all of my fics at once, like a retroactive change. Then I could select that setting on each new fic without spending who knows how long editing them one by one. I'm sure I'm not the only one in this position.

I suppose there isn't a point anyway, considering I post on six different sites and I believe this is the only one with this option. If they don't find it here and they want it bad enough, they'll get it elsewhere.

It has come to my attention... yeah, that infamous phrase, for any of you who have been unfortunate enough to get a 'love letter' from me... that a number of anonymous readers are EXTREMELY upset that we have instituted this option for our authors. I have had several people approach me regarding the suddenness of this move and it is with that thought in mind that I ask our authors to do everyone a favor:

PLEASE, BEFORE YOU DISABLE ANONYMOUS READING, INSERT AN AUTHOR'S NOTE IN YOUR MOST RECENT CHAPTER STATING THAT YOU WILL BE DOING SO!!

At least give our anonymous users a little warning that the stories that they've been following will be disappearing from their radar? I would greatly appreciate your assistance with this, and I know that your anonymous readers will as well.

Thank you all for your time and assistance with this. I know we all want to balance the protection offered by disabling anonymous reading with the openness that we've been known for in the past.

~~Wiccan~~

SunsetMiko wrote:
It would be nice if there was a way to change the setting on all of my fics at once, like a retroactive change. Then I could select that setting on each new fic without spending who knows how long editing them one by one. I'm sure I'm not the only one in this position.

Well... I can go in and make these sorts of changes. If someone really wants all of their stories set to be set with this, and they've got a ton of them, I can do it pretty easily.

But following what Wiccan said, make an A/N or something in a current one, or update on your profile... or something maybe saying that they're all being blocked.

-J

I just did all mine. I'm not near what Sunset has up but pushing 30 fics with it. That would be a nice option to have. Mine are older, so not as in demand or updated anymore, but i made sure to leave a note on my profile about it. The one that is, it's in the summary so...

Yay site updating! New stuff is always fun! (Mostly always.)

Having said that, I don't think I'll use it. This is mostly because as a reader I find this pretty annoying. Obviously I have an account, but I usually read on my phone, which I am not logged in on because the box is so freaking tiny and it's a pain: I decided not to read the fic I was going to read today and read a different, un-blocked one, just based on my own laziness. I wonder if this change won't put more barriers on readers and just cause them to be lazy like me, and simply stop reading what isn't easily accessible.

Having said that, I am totally in support of writers having this option. 1) Options are always good, and 2) this is the Internet, and people should be able to take whatever precautions they feel are necessary to protect what they've posted. (Not that anything is really safe on the 'nets, but you can be more safe, which is always better.)

Two cents from me! And thanks to the hard-working admins!

It's a little bit annoying for people like me, who spend almost the whole day on college computers. I don't log on nothing while on public computers, as a matter of security, so the anonymous feature actually prevents me of reading fics.

I left permanently open a logged tab on my phone's browser and I try to read the blocked fics at night on my home PC, but every once in a while I miss an update, especially when the story is no longer on the front page.

I understand the necessity of protecting the authors, but I don't understand how exactly this feature will prevent unauthorized copies and plagiarism... they will just use another username, or a different email account, or whatever. Ill intentioned people always find a way, sad as it is.

So yeah, I'm not happy with the new feature, but as Sp@ceMonkey so brilliantly put on the post above, options are always good, and authors need to feel safe when posting their work.

Thanks for the attention, sorry by the whinning, and congrats for the hard work!

We understand the problems this may cause people and, as I've said, you have our apologies. The idea behind this is to make it more difficult to access stories that are prone to theft, like Danyealle-sama's. Yes, truly determined people will lift them anyway... but if a registered, logged in member of our site lifts a story, chances are good that we may be able to connect them to the plagiarism and thus block them from accessing Dokuga AT ALL. We do have the ability to block individual or whole ranges of IP addresses from being able to gain access to the entire site.

In the case of missed updates... have you tried adding the stories you're following to your favorites? That way, you get an email when the story updates and don't have to wonder if you've missed one! If you need help using that feature, please let us know.

~~Wiccan~~

Somehow, I think this is good idea...I had one of my fics plagerized a few years back...so I'm also considering this option. (she was banned from this site)

now people will have to make an account if they really want to read an author's fanfic

I think that this is a fair option, although I would likely apply it to ficlets that were MA in content, especially as sometimes a warning is not sufficient enough to prevent minors from gaining access to stories that are adult in nature. It would add a double layer of protection to prevent unauthorised access to such materials, i.e. you have to be logged in to access anything, although this will be an annoyance to some readers, one must remember that all you need is s valid email address to register for a user account on Dokuga.

To read anonymously is simple, to read while logged in is also simple. I believe that this option for authors is fantastic, since it provides those that create the story content with some customisability, and protection of their content. Although streamlining the process somehow might be easier too, especially if some authors do have more than one story they would like to change access too, but again having some flexibility is better than none.

Thanks Mitharus, and to Wiccan too.

This is a fabulous option for the authors.

While I understand that some authors are being plagiarized... I would like to express the annoyance this is to the people that use multiple devices to read the stories we love. I have actually only found a few stories where they have had this feature enabled... and I do not read them because it is not worth it for me to have to remember my password and log in to the site to read the story when there are so many more out there where I don't have to log in for every visit.

Selenityhyperion wrote:
While I understand that some authors are being plagiarized... I would like to express the annoyance this is to the people that use multiple devices to read the stories we love. I have actually only found a few stories where they have had this feature enabled... and I do not read them because it is not worth it for me to have to remember my password and log in to the site to read the story when there are so many more out there where I don't have to log in for every visit.

I would direct you to this post in this thread. I think the first paragraph says everything that needs saying about what we hope to accomplish by making this available to our authors and our apologies for the inconvenience it may cause some readers:

http://www.dokuga.com/forum/5-bug-reportsfeature-requests/86111-disable-anonymous-viewing-for-storie

Sincerely,

~~Wiccan~~