Miscellaneous Hacks - SocialForums for vB3.8

SocialForums for vBulletin 3.8

Created by Marius Czyz aka Phalynx.

This mod will work *ONLY* with vBulletin 3.8 or higher. It will not run on vBulletin 3.7. Please use the version for vBulletin 3.7

Support will be only given for people who clicked Mark as INSTALLED.

Description
Not satisfied with vBulletin social groups messaging function? With SocialForums your social group leaders can create a standard forum for their group.
A group leader can only create a forum if the group has at least 5 members - this can be changed via settings. Optionally the group leader can be a moderator of such a social forum.

What about old discussions?
Via AdminCP, SocialForums, you can transfer all discussions and messages to a new forum. No post would be lost.

Permissions
There are advanced permissions (Forum and Archive). This includes read/write public and private (moderated/invite only) socialforums and creation of forum. As this needs two additional queries on every page you can disable this.

Demo
None, see screenshots

Installation
This product is fully phrased and uses template hooks. No file changes or manual template edits needed.
1. Upload bitfield_socialforums.xml to existing folder /includes/xml/
2. Upload functions_socialforums.php to existing folder /includes/
3. Fresh Installation: Just import the product. Upgrade: Import the product, allow overwrite. No forums get lost!
4. Check settings, especially for parent forum. Don't forget to set permissions via usergroups!

Troubleshooting
Q: I don't see a link to create a forum. Why?
A: Check permissions for the usergroup, espacially if the user is allowed to create forum.
A: Check if the usergroup meet min users requirement, see AdminCP/Settings/SocialForums.

Q: My users see the forums, but they shouldn't!
A: Check permissions for the usergroup, if the users usergroup is set to "can see".
A: Did you disabled the restriction mode? Enable it.

Todo
- By deleting a group the forum should also be deleted/archived. Currently this has to be done manually.

Known Issues
- On big boards with hundreds of social groups this mod can really impact the performance because of the mass of new created forums. If you still want to use this mod use the "Minimum Members" feature with a higher value. Using the permission check there are additional two queries on every page.
- With activated option to add owner as a moderator the transfering leads to removing all moderators of the linked forum

History
2.1.0, 11th August 2009
- Social Groups without a forum are listed in AdminCP and can be automatically converted with few clicks.
- Fixed errors converting bigger discussions
- Minor changes and fixes

2.0.1, 05th March 2009
- Convert ignores now deleted discussions
- Threads on Groups equipped with mark on new

2.0.0
- First official release for vBulletin 3.8
- Possibility to transfer Social Group Discussion into a real Forum
- New layout for threadlisting, similar to a real threadlist in a forum
- Possibility of a notice in Forums associated with a Social Group
- Discussion/Message counter is showing Thread/Reply counts. Phrase "Discussion" and "Message" cannot be changed to "Thread"/"Reply".
- Transfering a Group to another user updates now also the moderator
- Minor changes and fixes

[Adromir]

No, thy dont show too. Must the Discussions have a certain number of Posts, before they were Converted?

[Phalynx]

Please provide me a temporary admin account, if you need further assistance

[Adromir]

Thanks for your help, but its not that important to the moment, because there arent many active users in my forum yet.

[WDZaphod]

Originally Posted by Phalynx

Few years ago there was a hack which allowed creation of forums. Jelsoft has banned it.

But it won't work in another way than socialforums? Just the way of presenting would be a bit different - like showing a social forum inside a members profile...

[blue_asterisk]

Originally Posted by Phalynx

Yes punchbowl, you are right.

It's possible using the "profile_start hook" to allow regular members to ignore forum leaders (moderators).

Setting $vbulletin->options['ignoremods'] = true; in the vbplugin has the same effect as enabling the "Allow users to add Moderators and Administrators to their ignore list?" option. This capability allows one to whitelist only a specific list of moderators to be exempt from ignoring instead of allowing all moderators to be ignored. I haven't fully tested but the testing I've done suggests this is certainly possible so it isn't the only option to allow regular members to ignore forum leaders.

[lordtopcat]

Hi Guys,

I'm just wondering if there is a way (or a mod) where when a user creates a social group, they are placed into a user group? Basically for my new project I'm focusing heavily on the Social Aspects, and I would like all group leaders to be able to view a special "Group Leaders" forum.

Any help/direction is appreciated

Cheers,
LTC

[Lord Doys]

Hi,
an idea for a next release is to have the ability to create a social group forum with sub forums.
my members have been asking for that if it is possible to have multiple forums within a social group (maxxed by setting)

[Spikey47]

I have never set up a bb system before... what does "import the product" mean in installation steps?

[Phalynx]

Originally Posted by Lord Doys

Hi,
an idea for a next release is to have the ability to create a social group forum with sub forums.
my members have been asking for that if it is possible to have multiple forums within a social group (maxxed by setting)

Nice idea, yes. I'm also missing this.

Originally Posted by Spikey47

I have never set up a bb system before... what does "import the product" mean in installation steps?

You need to import it via AdminCP, Plugins.

[reddyink]

I have easyforms, rating system installed on the forum.

Will they automatically transfered to Socail Groups?

Thanks