ok.. now that's where the problem is then. 

so my only choice to have them show up in active topics is to unhide them? 

then lurkers would know they were there, and would be able to register just to read, but googlebot wouldn't have access then.. hummm..

is there a way to have them show up in active if you have access?

well.. is that true for 7.01 also, because they aren't showing up for me, and I have permissions..

we are just trying to make a couple 'private' forums, because sometimes threads get pretty personal, and they were being cached by google..   so making them private would fix that.. but not if they can't be seen in the active topics, because then our members won't remember to look for posts there..

I have this very same question.

I have some hidden forums.. for registered guests only, but they don't show up on the active topics list..

what exactly do I need to change.. and what to change it to?!  thanks much!!

oh.. I have 7.01 still..

still i didnt understand

help!!

Hey i tweaked the Stored Procedure a bit I wanted to post it here.

CREATE PROCEDURE  [dbo].[wwfspActiveTopics] ( @AuthorID int, @dblActiveFrom int ) as set nocount on IF  @AuthorID = 1 --admin (get everything)  SELECT       --dbo.tblCategory.Cat_ID AS Cat_ID,dbo.tblCategory.Cat_name AS Cat_name,   dbo.tblForum.Forum_name AS Forum_name, dbo.tblForum.Password AS Password,   dbo.tblForum.Forum_code AS Forum_code, dbo.tblForum.[Read] AS [Read], dbo.tblTopic.*  FROM dbo.tblCategory RIGHT OUTER JOIN    dbo.tblForum ON dbo.tblCategory.Cat_ID = dbo.tblForum.Cat_ID RIGHT OUTER JOIN     dbo.tblTopic ON dbo.tblForum.Forum_ID = dbo.tblTopic.Forum_ID  WHERE   (tblTopic.Last_entry_date > GetDate() - @dblActiveFrom )  ORDER BY       tblCategory.Cat_order ASC, tblForum.Forum_Order ASC, tblTopic.Last_entry_date DESC ELSE IF  @AuthorID = 2  --guest (only get read = 1 for all)  SELECT       --dbo.tblCategory.Cat_ID AS Cat_ID,dbo.tblCategory.Cat_name AS Cat_name,   dbo.tblForum.Forum_name AS Forum_name, dbo.tblForum.Password AS Password,   dbo.tblForum.Forum_code AS Forum_code, dbo.tblForum.[Read] AS [Read], dbo.tblTopic.*  FROM dbo.tblCategory RIGHT OUTER JOIN    dbo.tblForum ON dbo.tblCategory.Cat_ID = dbo.tblForum.Cat_ID RIGHT OUTER JOIN     dbo.tblTopic ON dbo.tblForum.Forum_ID = dbo.tblTopic.Forum_ID  WHERE   (tblForum.[Read] = 1 OR (tblTopic.Forum_ID in (select Forum_ID from tblPermissions where Author_ID=@AuthorID or Group_ID in (select Group_ID from tblAuthor where Author_ID= @AuthorID)  and [Read]=1)))   AND (tblTopic.Last_entry_date > GetDate() - @dblActiveFrom )   AND NOT tblForum.Forum_ID in (select Forum_ID from tblPermissions where Group_ID in (select Group_ID from tblAuthor where Author_ID= @authorID and [Read]=0))   AND NOT tblForum.Forum_ID in (select Forum_ID from tblPermissions where Author_ID = @AuthorID and [Read]=0)  ORDER BY       tblCategory.Cat_order ASC, tblForum.Forum_Order ASC, tblTopic.Last_entry_date DESC ELSE IF @AuthorID  > 2 --Registered user (get read =< 2 applies)  SELECT       --dbo.tblCategory.Cat_ID AS Cat_ID,dbo.tblCategory.Cat_name AS Cat_name,   dbo.tblForum.Forum_name AS Forum_name, dbo.tblForum.Password AS Password,   dbo.tblForum.Forum_code AS Forum_code, dbo.tblForum.[Read] AS [Read], dbo.tblTopic.*  FROM dbo.tblCategory RIGHT OUTER JOIN    dbo.tblForum ON dbo.tblCategory.Cat_ID = dbo.tblForum.Cat_ID RIGHT OUTER JOIN     dbo.tblTopic ON dbo.tblForum.Forum_ID = dbo.tblTopic.Forum_ID  WHERE   (tblForum.[Read] <= 2 OR (tblTopic.Forum_ID in (select Forum_ID from tblPermissions where Author_ID=@AuthorID or Group_ID in (select Group_ID from tblAuthor where Author_ID= @AuthorID)  and [Read]<=2)))   AND (tblTopic.Last_entry_date > GetDate() - @dblActiveFrom )   AND NOT tblForum.Forum_ID in (select Forum_ID from tblPermissions where Group_ID in (select Group_ID from tblAuthor where Author_ID= @authorID and [Read]=0))   AND NOT tblForum.Forum_ID in (select Forum_ID from tblPermissions where Author_ID = @AuthorID and [Read]=0)  ORDER BY       tblCategory.Cat_order ASC, tblForum.Forum_Order ASC, tblTopic.Last_entry_date DESC ELSE  SELECT       --dbo.tblCategory.Cat_ID AS Cat_ID,dbo.tblCategory.Cat_name AS Cat_name,   dbo.tblForum.Forum_name AS Forum_name, dbo.tblForum.Password AS Password,   dbo.tblForum.Forum_code AS Forum_code, dbo.tblForum.[Read] AS [Read], dbo.tblTopic.*  FROM dbo.tblCategory RIGHT OUTER JOIN    dbo.tblForum ON dbo.tblCategory.Cat_ID = dbo.tblForum.Cat_ID RIGHT OUTER JOIN     dbo.tblTopic ON dbo.tblForum.Forum_ID = dbo.tblTopic.Forum_ID  WHERE   (tblForum.[Read] = 1 OR (tblTopic.Forum_ID in (select Forum_ID from tblPermissions where Author_ID=@AuthorID or Group_ID in (select Group_ID from tblAuthor where Author_ID= @AuthorID)  and [Read]=1)))   AND (tblTopic.Last_entry_date > GetDate() - @dblActiveFrom )   AND NOT tblForum.Forum_ID in (select Forum_ID from tblPermissions where Group_ID in (select Group_ID from tblAuthor where Author_ID= @authorID and [Read]=0))   AND NOT tblForum.Forum_ID in (select Forum_ID from tblPermissions where Author_ID = @AuthorID and [Read]=0)  ORDER BY       tblCategory.Cat_order ASC, tblForum.Forum_Order ASC, tblTopic.Last_entry_date DESC GO

Well borg... i figured out the issue. It has to do with the cursorlocation being set BEFORE the DB was queried (it doesn't work when you put in the actual recordset.open).  stupid, i know.

The stored procedures work great now.  If you want to use/mod it be my guest.

for those that want to use this... grab the SP from above (all of that works) and modify active_topics.asp (at line 256):

(changes in BLUE, comments in PURPLE)

'Initalise the strSQL variable with an SQL statement to query the database to get the Author and subject from the database for the topic If strDatabaseType = "SQLServer" Then  'strSQL = "EXECUTE " & strDbProc & "ActiveToipcs @dblActiveFrom = " & dblActiveFrom  strSQL = "EXECUTE " & strDbProc & "ActiveTopics " & lngLoggedInUserID & "," & dblActiveFrom & ""  Else ' all of the Access stuff needs to be fixed... but since i dont use it i dont care.  strSQL = "SELECT " & strDbTable & "Forum.Forum_name, " & strDbTable & "Forum.Password, " & strDbTable & "Forum.Forum_code, " & strDbTable & "Forum.[Read], " & strDbTable & "Topic.* "  strSQL = strSQL & "FROM " & strDbTable & "Category, " & strDbTable & "Forum, " & strDbTable & "Topic "  strSQL = strSQL & "WHERE ((" & strDbTable & "Category.Cat_ID = " & strDbTable & "Forum.Cat_ID AND " & strDbTable & "Forum.Forum_ID = " & strDbTable & "Topic.Forum_ID) AND (" & strDbTable & "Forum.[Read] = True) AND (" & strDbTable & "Topic.Last_entry_date > " & strDatabaseDateFunction & " - " & dblActiveFrom & "))"  strSQL = strSQL & "ORDER BY " & strDbTable & "Category.Cat_order ASC, " & strDbTable & "Forum.Forum_Order ASC, " & strDbTable & "Topic.Last_entry_date DESC;" End If ' ADDED BY glyph rsForum.Cursorlocation = 3   'Query the database rsForum.Open strSQL, adoCon

that's it... everything seems to be working like a champ!!!

(oh, and i still you borg )