Discussion board - add 'nickname' functionality (SharePoint 2010)

Question

Currently we have a discussion board on a non-SharePoint site which allows users to use a nickname or their own name (just through a simple toggle) when posting a message. How can this functionality be added to a SharePoint 2010 discussion list?

Before their first post (regardless of which discussion list they are posting on), I would like to show a 'terms and conditions' page that they have to agree to, then they can choose a nickname that they can use when posting if they wish to be anonymous (real name hidden from the view unless the user is an administrator).

How can I go about doing this? I would like the nickname to be shared across sites (probably stored in the my site host, in a hidden 'settings' list; or another database - although that seems like overkill)

Answer 1

Nickname I would implement in the user profile, especially if it has to persist across sites.

The T&C component, if its a "once-per-user" vs. a "once-per-discussion" then I'd also store that in the user profile as a date (i.e. LastAgreedT&Cs).

The actual implementation of this is obviously highly dependent upon the user stories you're seeing. For me, viewing content should not require T&C agreement, which would mean that you have a custom edit form that checks the "Discussion T&C Agreed?" property in the User Profile.

I'd also implement something whereby adjusting T&Cs automatically requires the T&Cs be agreed. Audit requirements will no doubt play a role in the specifics of your implementation.

Answer 2

We have built a third party solution that allows you to have discussion forums that are more similar to the ones you'll find on web sites. We recently implemented the ability for users to choose nicknames. You can find out more here:

SharePoint Forum - Social Squared.

Hope this helps

Nick