Miscellaneous Hacks - Rotating Banner System

With the Rotating Banner System software, you may publish literally anywhere standard banners and advertising, with no restriction but your imagination. Unlike many other products, it allows to show an unlimited amount of banners and advertising, which are randomly shown at the places you choose, and you may refer generically to an Ad by using specific placeholders.

Also the management is straight-forward and simple to use. Forum administrators with maintenance rights may add, edit and delete records from the Administration Control Panel (ACP), one of each representing a banner. After saving the new banner settings, they are immediately visible at your board.

Compatibility: from vBulletin 3.6.5 onwards

By the way, I do also install the hack on your boards, but since I am very, very busy, it may take some time (weeks) until it gets done.


Tutorials:

• How-to create my first banner (Flash).

Updates:

• 2.0.1: Simple click tracker added, HTML help included.
• 2.0.3: Small bug fixes; additional banner list, navigation bar, E-Mail field for banner event notifications and automatic save on scroll setting; absolute URL to rbs_banner.php in order to allow click tracking on non-standard pages; supported languages: English, Italian; Help file clean-up.
• 2.0.5: Small bug fixes; additional details in banner list; email notification for epired banners.
• 2.0.6: vbCMS compatibility bug fix; additional banner lists.
• 2.0.7: Usergroups filter: now it is possible to define a list of usergroups which may show a banner; additional vbCMS compatibility bug fix.
• 2.0.8: Various fixes and most of all, inclusion of the right files: admin_rbs.php, cpnav_rbs.xml
• 2.0.9: Extra comma fix in new record creation.
• 2.1.0: Fix for an occasional banner type selection bug, when the sample banners have been deleted or disabled.
• 2.2.0 (Major upgrade): Up to 10 different banner locations. Requires changes to your existing placeholders in your templates, since a more generic format has been chosen. If you don't need more than 2 different locations, you don't need to upgrade. Changed files: rbs_banner.php, admin_rbs.php
• 2.2.1: Minor bug fix in files: admin_rbs_h_banner_list.php, admin_rbs_v_banner_list.php
• 2.2.1: Hotfix for Max Clicks saving bug.
• 2.2.2: More listings and less files. PDF Help. Separate Italian add-ons and help. Duplicate button.
• 2.2.3: Minor bug fixes. Changed files: product-rbs.xml
• 2.2.4: Flash Banner support (beta). Changed files: product-rbs.xml, rbs_wrapper.swf, admin_rbs.php, English Help.
• 2.2.5: Hotfix for vBulletin 4.0.2 compatibility bug.
• 2.2.6: Checking for installed Flash Wrapper rbs_wrapper.swf; A few English FAQ; Help files. Changed files: product-rbs.xml
• 2.3.0 (Major upgrade): New modules: Delete Expired Banners, Disable Expired Banners; Detail Banner Statistics with unique access key for your customers; Updated help; Changed files: all.
• 2.3.1: Hotfix for missing field in rbs_hist table. Changed files: none, just update product.
• 2.3.2: Added: Unsupported option for setting any number of available positions between 1 and big bang. Fixed: Small bug and speed issues. Removed: Italian translation. Italians may now request support at www.vbulletin.it. Changed files: admin_rbs.php.
• 2.3.3: Fix: Copy selected forum ID's during banner duplication. Changed: start and end hours for new banners are set to 0:00 and 23:59 respectively. Changed files: admin_rbs.php.
• 2.3.4: Option: Send Mail Before. This option allows to schedule expiring banners differently. New variables for emails: $rbs_enddate: This variable holds the formatted banner ending date and time based on the standard formats for date and time in vBulletin settings; $rbs_name: This variable holds the banner name. EMail Notifications option description: Added direct links to the email phrases for quick changes. Changed files: rbs_mail_cron.php.
• 2.4.0 (Major upgrade): Removed: Option to enable or disable mailing. Banners with email addresses to notify are handled. Setting to reset mailing in single banners. Now, if mailing should be repeated, you will have to edit the banner from phpMyAdmin. Added: Order links in lists. The initial state is ordered by ID, as before. By clicking the titles, the other voices can be ordered. Clicking twice inverts the order. This works in all lists. Options to prevent counting and reducing thus a tiny bit of load. A new bunch of demo banners for new installations. Demo banners are locked into database in order to avoid 30% of the questions because of the 'experts' deleting them before trying the product. They can be disabled and modified though. The true experts can delete them after all testing from the database by using phpMyAdmin without side effects. Changes: Phrase for emailing about expiring banners, now also with direct links to the phrases. Demo banners. Our old publisher ID is replaced with the new ones, and old demo banners are updated with the new ones, if found. The functions have been exported to includes/functions_rbs.php. This makes the product code smaller and easier to maintain, and runs faster on sites where caching/acceleration is enabled. Changed Files: all *.php
• 2.4.1: Option Likelihood. This new option adds a weight to banners and allows thus to show one banner more often than another. The default weight is 100%. We also make sure that the final date of the default banners falls into a valid range. Changed files: includes/functions_rbs.php and rbs_stats.php.
• 2.4.2: Workaround for update sequence problems.

Hacks and unsupported add-ons:

• Banner Rotator Widget To CMS
• Rotate banners in-place
• Italian Translation

[sonic83]

Originally Posted by Alan_SP

It depends on many things.

Basically, pageviews are how many times your pages are viewed. Any pages, with any content.

Impressions, from ad's point of view is how many time ad was showed on any of your pages.

So, it is really hard to tell if the two corresponds and how exactlly. You can have one ad showed on all of your pages two times. In that case, you'll have double impressions (for that ad) for pageviews. Or, ad could appear once in every ten pages, so you'll have 1/10 impressions for pageviews...

Thank you. This placed a banner I have it once in every page. For that reason think that should match.

To you match google analytics and rotating Banner System, for example?

Thanks again

[ohadpartuck]

hi,
I have installed the rotating banner system long ago, and the banner worked fine in the forum section -
see here s-maof.com/Forum
but now, for no reason the banners show up in the blog page also
see here - http://www.s-maof.com/Forum/blog.php

how did this happened?

[Ice UK]

I'm using this forum skin http://www.completevb.com/demovb4/forum.php?styleid=85

and as you can see there is a custom advertising space at the top of the skin.

The HTML for this ad space is this

<div class="bannerBox"><a name="top" href="URL" id="BannerBox"><img src="images/styles/twisteddark/style/bannerBox.png" alt="" /></a>

My question is, is there any way to make this custom ad space rotating by adding a hook such as @vbbanners-custom@

Sorry if this has already been answered but I don't have time to go through 126 pages

[FrankP]

I found a weired behaviour of the RBS, and I hope one can help me to figure out what to do.

I want to display a banner after every 5 and 10 Posts of a Thread. So I simply added one Banner Definition for Position2 and another for Position 3 and modified the postbit_legacy as follows:

<vb:if condition="(THIS_SCRIPT == showthread) AND ($post[postcount] == '5')">
<div class="thread_controls">
<div style="width: 100%; text-align: center">
<!--@vbbanners:2@-->
</div>
</div>
</vb:if>
<vb:if condition="(THIS_SCRIPT == showthread) AND ($post[postcount] == '10')">
<div class="thread_controls">
<div style="width: 100%; text-align: center">
<!--@vbbanners:3@-->
</div>
</div>
</vb:if>

In most of the threads the banners are displayed as required. But there are some threads where not, and I have no idea why.

I tried to use the "show only in Forums" setting by selecting all Forums, as well as to select not one, because it's ok to show the banner in all forums.

I don't have a limitation on the usergroups, as all of them should see the banners.

I have absolutely no idea where there could be the difference between two threads in the same forum, where in one thread the banners are displayed and in the other thread not.

Btw., it doesn't matter if a thread has more than one page. If the banner is not displayed on page 1 of a thread, it's not displayed on page 23 of 45 neither. If it's fine on page 1, it's fine on the following pages, too.

Maybe one has an idea.

We're running VB Suite 4.1.11

[FrankP]

I'm wrong,

the way I described is only working on Page 1 of a thread, I want to have it on every page.

Our default "Posts per Page" is hardcoded to 15, and the users can't switch to another value.

Any idea how to modify the postbit_legacy to support what I want?

[FrankP]

UPDATE:

I did it now by using:

<vb:if condition="(THIS_SCRIPT == showthread) AND (in_array($post['postcount'], array(5,20,35,50,65,80,95,110,125,140,155,170,185, 200,215,230,245,260,275,290,30 5,320,335,350,365,380,395,410,425,440,455,470,485, 500,515,530,545,560,575,590,60 5,620,635,650,665,680,695,710,725,740,755,770,785, 800,815,830,845,860,875,890,90 5,920,935,950,965,980,995,1010,1025,1040,1055,1070 ,1085,1100,1115,1130,1145,1160 ,1175,1190,1205,1220,1235,1250,1265,1280,1295,1310 ,1325,1340,1355,1370,1385,1400 ,1415,1430,1445,1460,1475,1490,1505,1520,1535,1550 ,1565,1580,1595,1610,1625,1640 ,1655,1670,1685,1700,1715,1730,1745,1760,1775,1790 ,1805,1820,1835,1850,1865,1880 ,1895,1910,1925,1940,1955,1970,1985,2000,2015,2030 ,2045,2060,2075,2090,2105,2120 ,2135,2150,2165,2180,2195,2210,2225,2240,2255,2270 ,2285,2300,2315,2330,2345,2360 ,2375,2390,2405,2420,2435,2450,2465,2480,2495,2510 ,2525,2540,2555,2570,2585,2600 ,2615,2630,2645,2660,2675,2690,2705,2720,2735,2750 ,2765,2780,2795,2810,2825,2840 ,2855,2870,2885,2900,2915,2930,2945,2960,2975,2990 ,3005,3020,3035,3050,3065,3080 ,3095,3110,3125,3140,3155,3170,3185,3200,3215,3230 ,3245,3260,3275,3290,3305,3320 ,3335,3350,3365,3380,3395,3410,3425,3440,3455,3470 ,3485,3500,3515,3530,3545,3560 ,3575,3590,3605,3620,3635,3650,3665,3680,3695,3710 ,3725,3740)))">
<div class="thread_controls">
<div style="width: 100%; text-align: center">
<!--@vbbanners:2@-->
</div>
</div>
</vb:if>
<vb:if condition="(THIS_SCRIPT == showthread) AND (in_array($post['postcount'], array(10,25,40,55,70,85,100,115,130,145,160,175,19 0,205,220,235,250,265,280,295, 310,325,340,355,370,385,400,415,430,445,460,475,49 0,505,520,535,550,565,580,595, 610,625,640,655,670,685,700,715,730,745,760,775,79 0,805,820,835,850,865,880,895, 910,925,940,955,970,985,1000,1015,1030,1045,1060,1 075,1090,1105,1120,1135,1150,1 165,1180,1195,1210,1225,1240,1255,1270,1285,1300,1 315,1330,1345,1360,1375,1390,1 405,1420,1435,1450,1465,1480,1495,1510,1525,1540,1 555,1570,1585,1600,1615,1630,1 645,1660,1675,1690,1705,1720,1735,1750,1765,1780,1 795,1810,1825,1840,1855,1870,1 885,1900,1915,1930,1945,1960,1975,1990,2005,2020,2 035,2050,2065,2080,2095,2110,2 125,2140,2155,2170,2185,2200,2215,2230,2245,2260,2 275,2290,2305,2320,2335,2350,2 365,2380,2395,2410,2425,2440,2455,2470,2485,2500,2 515,2530,2545,2560,2575,2590,2 605,2620,2635,2650,2665,2680,2695,2710,2725,2740,2 755,2770,2785,2800,2815,2830,2 845,2860,2875,2890,2905,2920,2935,2950,2965,2980,2 995,3010,3025,3040,3055,3070,3 085,3100,3115,3130,3145,3160,3175,3190,3205,3220,3 235,3250,3265,3280,3295,3310,3 325,3340,3355,3370,3385,3400,3415,3430,3445,3460,3 475,3490,3505,3520,3535,3550,3 565,3580,3595,3610,3625,3640,3655,3670,3685,3700,3 715,3730,3745)))">
<div class="thread_controls">
<div style="width: 100%; text-align: center">
<!--@vbbanners:3@-->
</div>
</div>
</vb:if>

This way I'm prepared for threads with up to 250 pages, but this is much more dirty than quick :-)

[Videx]

If I forced my users to use 15 posts per page they would revolt. Or they would just use that add-on that strings pages together. Do you also go to great efforts to force them not to use an adblocker? Because I know if I saw ads every 5 posts I would sure use one.

It seems to me you could have put two ads on each page simply by putting one at the top and one at the bottom, or after the first post. No custom coding required.

[FrankP]

The Issue is we moved from an old Board using SMF, and our contracts with our advertisers are set for a place between post 5 and 6 and between 10 and 11.

We don't want to change the contracts. Probably, to switch from 5 to the top will be accepted, but from 10 to the bottom for sure not....

If our users are using adblockers is not our issue...

[y2ksw]

Originally Posted by VBLUIS

Thank you. I think in theory, pageviews and impressions are the same, but I hope they are not.

Anyone know if they are? Client pressures me

No, they aren't. Impressions is the number of times a banner has been shown. The more active banners you have in your database, the less will be the impression count on each, provided they are evenly distributed.

[y2ksw]

Originally Posted by ohadpartuck

hi,
I have installed the rotating banner system long ago, and the banner worked fine in the forum section -
see here s-maof.com/Forum
but now, for no reason the banners show up in the blog page also
see here - http://www.s-maof.com/Forum/blog.php

how did this happened?

this depends on which template you have changed in order to show the banners. if you change only forumhome and eventually forumdisplay, the banners cannot appear elsewhere. But if you have sidebars, widgets, special templates or use global templates such as header and footer, the banners may appear everywhere.