Discuss!! A Yahoo Answers Clone
 

1. Why we need a discussion mod:confused:

Maybe sounds crazy to have a powerfull forum and to install this AddOn. But this is not true. I do agree that vB has tons of features for any type of discussions. But from the other point Yahoo Answers (and dozens of similars sites) became famous, because they offer a simple way to users to get replies. Short questions, with a couple of replies. Why to go in a complicated system for this? And why to add dozens of extra categories, subcategories etc etc, just for this? This is the reason that you need it.

2.- How it works?

Very simple, so easy to use by novice users too. A member is posting a question in any of your categories (unlimited level are supporting) and then is waiting other members to post a reply. Reads the replies, chooses the best and that's all. There is no need for discussion here.





3.- Installation

1. Download, unzip and upload all files from the "upload" folder where your vb installation is (you can't install in different directory).
2. Goto you admincp and import the product-discuss.xml
3. That's all:)

4.- Configuration





Configuration is very easy and is like all other addons here. You need to follow the steps below, and soon you'll be ready:

1. First of all goto Usergroup permissions and set what each usergroup can do or not do.
2. Goto Discuss General setting, check the default values and change them if you want
3. PM Templates. I believe that the predefinied text is ok for most of you. But if you want you can change them. Please don't touce the variables (anything inside {}). The available variables are:
   1. {questiontitle} : Title with link
   2. {questiontitle_nolink} : As above but without link
   3. {category} : Category name with link
   4. {category_nolink} : Category without link
   5. {questionowner} : The author's username with link
   6. {questionowner_nolink} : As above, no link
   7. {description} : 200 chars from the question body
   8. {username} : This is the "To:" value. eg Dear {username},
   9. {postdate_short} : Post date in format that you've set as long dates
   10. {postdate_long} : Same as above in long date format
   11. {signature} : Anything that you've set in your settings
4. Last step is to set your categories.

5.- Copyright

In the footer of each page there is a link back to my site vBulletON.com. Even if it easy to remove it, please avoid doing it. Respect if you want to be respected. That's the only that I can say.

6.- PRO version

Currently there is no one. I don't use to build an addon, and then remove 90% of its features to make a free version. No. This is all that I've done. Sure there are dozens of more features that I can add. If I see that this mod becomes popular then I'll add them but as commercial version.

7.- Live Demo

http://www.christeris.com/testvb4/discuss.php

Login:
demouser1 / demopass1
demouser2 / demopass2
demouser3 / demopass3

Enjoy
Chris

Cool looking mod, I could use this, thanks, I'll test it now.

Just wondering, rather than emailing the user, would it be possible to send them a PM instead?

Also maybe a notification for staff in a specified forum or via PM to a specified Admin or Moderator to alert them of questions pending approval.

This is GREATEST MOD EVER.

Thank you very much Chris.
Installed & Nominated

They're PMs and not emails.

Thank you
Chris

Thank you:) To be honest, I liked it too. A lot!!. Maybe because I like the way that Yahoo Answers (and similar sites, like Experts-Exchange.com) are working.

Chris

Excellent, give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done, Installed and rated 5 and nominated for MOTM, also.

Installation is so easy for such a major mod.

There is problem with discuss main template, I think it doesn't call "Additional.css" template.

I've resolved this problem temporarily by adding additional.css template content inside discuss/css/discuss.css file

Thank you,

Very nice. Although it would also be cool if you could turn a forum section into a q&a

Another small problem is the mod isn't using all the stylevars for custom styles, could this be addressed as it looks a bit messy on styles other than the default one.

Would it be possible for you to edit the discuss.css file to use stylevars, rather than pre determined colours, otherwise this mod is useless for anybody who does not use the default style.

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/attachmen...1&d=1334693838

jawbreaking... i hope it does what it shows... :)

if yes, you will be FAMOUS... AAHAAHAHAHAHAHHAH


...

Superb mod and a great add on thats needed for us!
Thanks so much superb work

This has super potentials!

Installed + Nominated!

WOW, this looks fantastic. Have not installed it yet, as I see there are a bit of issues with non-default skins. So I hope that you will be able to resolve that. I will then most definitely install!

As I found that vB has some bugs loading additional.css template I decided to have my style in a seperate file. I think that is easier to modify it. The file is at:
discuss/css/discuss.css
Chris

I've tried it with some 3nd party commercial templates that I've and works fine, even with dark backgrounds. If I understood well you've add the content of discuss.css to additional.css. I think is better to revert it and let the mod works as is planed to.

I'm using "blockbody", "blockhead", "blocksubhead", "blockrow" stylevars which are common ones.

Sorry but I'm not a designer and thus I can't help you more.

Chris

I really like this mod but that's so inconvenient and a hassle if you have multiple skins.
Oh well, gotta just live with it....for now.

Looks awesome Chris, but the fb buttons are not properly aligned.

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/external/2012/04/30.png

The code for FB is as I got it from FB site. I've installed it many times and always appear ok, except the case that even if their width is set to 90px, they never align right, but always there is an empty space from the right edge. But never seen them in different place.

I'll look to find another solution for sharing features.

Chris

Sorry but is not that I don't want to do it, but I don't have the designing knowledge to do it.

Chris

Looks pretty sweet :up:

I can not edit categories.

Thanks this for plugin

Just tried it. I was able to edit the name, and the usergroups who can post. So it works. What are you trying to change and is not working? Are you getting any error message?

Chris

hello,
it is possible to rewrite url for vbseo user?

but I do not know how to add a category. I wanted to add a page has been deleted or there is not an admin panel

If you installed it correct, then you must see a menu block like in the attachment, in your admincp. From there you can add categories.

Chris

I dont use to support commercial addons, especially vbseo. For 6 years now I'm paying them to renew my license, and when some months ago I asked them a license to use in my developer site (closed for registrations), so I can test my mods, they said me to buy another license.
In another release I'll include normal (htaccess) rewrite rules. Meanwhile, if someone wants to release vbseo rules for this mod, is free to do it. But not me.

Chris

Yes, I see. Question Categories page will not turn on I say. Page does not get a warning in the form of

When you click on Discuss category for first time, you'll see a grey page on the right. There is a button there saying "Add New Category". Click it and you'll see the form to add a category.

Chris

Admin panel:
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/attachmen...1&d=1334741166

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/attachmen...1&d=1334741166

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/attachmen...1&d=1334741166

Interesting. I live this.

Please upload this file again. Don't know why the link is not working. Upload the file at:
forum_directory/includes/xml/

Chris

add my ftp this xml file.

not open. discuss_admin.php?do=categories can not open this link. tries to display pages

discuss_admin.php file exists in your admincp/ directory?

I really like this mod, it will be huge, and that is the concern.

Years down the road will it be supported?

Do you have a plan to allow others to take over this work if something happens to you or you get tired of doing updates as Vbulletin rolls out version after version?

my admin panel name: sude/

ok

was changed

Thanks

Do you know many people ready to spend time for free? Maria gaves full rights to anybody who wanted to port her mods for xenForo, but as a rule to post them for free. She even gave the ability to the new owners to have an income by selling the copyright notice. As I know only one shown interest, but later on he was asking permission to have a commercial version.

About me now. As you can see in the photo I'm not that young anymore, running on my 56. Day be day (and not year by year as you said), many things are changing in my life. Nobody knows how I'll be feeling after some months.

I'm willing to give rights to other coders to continue my work. I'm not asking money, or anything in exchange. Just the promise that what they will get for free, will continue giving if for free. If you find one, I advice you to bet on the next Lottery. Seems that you're a lucky person:)

Chris

I am using a custom template and after I added this mod the template images are broken in the Discuss section. This occurred because the the template I use is fixed and the the mod is fluid/100% of the page. How can I change this?

My templates are using 100% of the available space. They don't interact in anyway with the doc width that is specified in any template. Normally the {headinclude} loads the additional.css template, in case that your custom style is using it. If not test the homepage, by modifying the template discuss_main
Add:
below of:
If it works you need to repeat this step for other templates too. But really I don't understand how this bug appeared to you. I'm also using fixed template at 960px width and works fine.

Chris

I modified the template with the above code but with no luck. I do appreciate your support and quick reply.