A Few Hack Questions

[johncasy]

I'm setting up a new website and thinking of VB for the message board, but have a few questions.

First of all, is there help available where I can hire a VB expert to modify and hack the forum as I need? Even if provided a well-tested hack code, I'd feel more comfortable allowing a professional - or at least a more knowledgable programmer - to do it?

And more specifically, these are some of the things I'd like to do, can someone tell me if they are possible...

- Import a colleague's registrants files to my new BB, so that if they registered at that other site than can automatically use my new board with their existing member name, password and profile from that other site, without having to register?

This without negatively affecting my colleagues existing BB of course?

- And/or perhaps can two VB boards (running the same version) be merged into one larger board?

- Can the board be programed to automatically insert Google or Adsense ads, or even banners, into threads between posted messages, like the free version of Delphi forums does?

Any help would be appreciated,

Best,

JC

[Marco van Herwaarden]

First of all, is there help available where I can hire a VB expert to modify and hack the forum as I need? Even if provided a well-tested hack code, I'd feel more comfortable allowing a professional - or at least a more knowledgable programmer - to do it?
Yes, just post in the service request section


Sorry no time to answer your other quesitons right now. If nobody beat me too it, i will come back on this in a while/.

[Colin F]

To your other questions:

Pretty much everything is possible, the question is usually how big is the effort needed.

I know that ads can be automatically inserted between messages, using template conditionals.
I haven't heard of anyone successfully merging the user database of two forums, allthough it's been discussed before...

[filburt1]

A while ago, Jelsoft was working on a vB-to-vB import script. I don't know its current status.

[Colin F]

Ah, that of course is possible :)

There's a vB3 to vB3 Importer, with which you can totally merge two boards. I'm not sure that's what you're looking for though...

[Zachery]

Ah, that of course is possible :)

There's a vB3 to vB3 Importer, with which you can totally merge two boards. I'm not sure that's what you're looking for though...
There are vB3 > vB3, vB2 > vB3 importers avaible.

[johncasy]

I know that ads can be automatically inserted between messages, using template conditionals.

Know of any sites that have successfully done this? In my experience in Delphi forums, the Google ads don't seem contextual with the subject matter of the individual Delphi boards. The all seem to be about website service providers of some sort, password management for example.

Thanks,

JC

There's a vB3 to vB3 Importer, with which you can totally merge two boards. I'm not sure that's what you're looking for though...

That's ONE option if the other is not possible, so thanks.

Option #1 (preferable) would be to import the existing boards registrants files into my new board, so that registered users of the existing board could begin posting immediately on my new board with all their user settings intact, without having to reregister. Along with showing my register users to number in the amount registered at the existing board when the import took place.

Obviously with the cooperation of the owner of the other board of course.

If anyone has heard of this, please let me know.

JC

[Reeve of shinra]

Your friends site could do a back up of the user tables which you could import into your new forum. There are a few ways you could do it.

The problem is if you want to have the password at site A updated when site B changes. Things like that are where the problems come into play.

[johncasy]

The problem is if you want to have the password at site A updated when site B changes. Things like that are where the problems come into play.

Not sure what you mean. Sorry, I'm more of a content provider than webmaster. Can you explain what you mean in more detail?

thanks,

JC

[Colin F]

Well what you could do is import just the user data from that other board, but you would be actually making a snapshot of that data.

Once the member changes any data on one of the two forums, there'll be a difference though, as the data wouldn't be updated on the other one.
Additionally, I think I recall that the license number is integrated into the password hash... If that is the case, there could be problems logging in...

About the google ads: I don't know of any forums that do this, but it has been discussed here and on vbulletintemplates.com, so you could look through the discussions for people that integrated it.

[johncasy]

Well what you could do is import just the user data from that other board, but you would be actually making a snapshot of that data.

Once the member changes any data on one of the two forums, there'll be a difference though, as the data wouldn't be updated on the other one.

Oh, yeah, I know that. I wouldn't expect the two boards to constantly emulate each other. It would be a one time deal to give registrants a 2nd place to post messages.

They'd certainly have to maintain each account as if it were a totally different one from THAT point on.

Additionally, I think I recall that the license number is integrated into the password hash... If that is the case, there could be problems logging in...

Thanks Colin,

JC