Trader Ratings v1.2.0

Trader Ratings - A user feedback hack
Copyright ?2004 Jason Rabel, All Rights Reserved.
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Latest TR Verson: 1.2.0
vB Versions: 3.0.0 - 3.0.9
Author: Jason Rabel
Contact: PM me here, I'll respond.
Site: EXTREME Overclocking
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Updates:
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1.2.0 - September 4, 2004
- Added Trader Ratings Stats Page (finally!)
- Added PM notification when someone receives feedback
- Changed how positive feedback percentage score is calculated (bugfix)
- Ability to "close" the Trader Ratings pages (for maintainence or whatever) - TRATING_CLOSED
- Ability to set the URL field when submitting feedback to required or optional - TRATING_REQ_URL

1.1.0 - June 7, 2004
- Added time-based user edit/delete abilities, set via TRATING_UEDIT constant in traderratings.php file
- Userdate field is now an int field to be consistent with vBulletin
- Userrating field changed to tinyint to save space
- Fixed timeframes for showing historical ratings
- Made some various code consolidation
- Added missing ".TABLE_PREFIX." statement
- Templates.txt file shows code for postbit & MEMBERINFO, with conditional examples
- All 3 templates changed heavily
- Added some more phrases & fixed missing phrases

1.0.1 - June 2, 2004
- Fixed a "divide by zero" display error
- Postbit template fixed so guests do not have a trader rating

1.0.0 - June 1, 2004
- Initial Public Release

Description:
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Trader Ratings has evolved from my vB2 Buy/Sell/Trade User Rating System. This is a rating system for when members buy / sell / trade items from each other (presumably on a FS section of your forum). It is based on the honor system since there is no way to truly tell if they did engage in a transaction. (But I'm working on a way to fix that.) Trader Ratings came about because it was a pain to try and maintain a single thread listing good / bad traders and so far has worked out quite well.

Features:
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? Rate another member: Positive / Negative / Neutral
? Specify Buyer, Seller, or Trade
? Leave comments about the deal
? Records date when rating created
? Specify a URL to the deal
? Display ratings over time
? Filter based on Buyer/Seller/Trade/or feedback they left for others
? Users can edit/delete ratings left for others (time based limitation)
? Admins & Mods can edit/delete anyone's ratings (just incase)
? Stats page showing best & worst rated members, and recent ratings
? PM notification when a person is rated

Basic Info:
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I haven't written a FAQ or any real documentation yet, but the way the system works is very simple. The only part that might confuse someone is that the Feedback Score is based only on UNIQUE members. Also, there are simple checks in place to make sure they actually do select proper info and enter a comment. A user is not able to rate themself (obviously). Permissions for viewing / rating are similar to standard forum viewing / posting permissions. Also it checks to make sure users exist and all that good stuff.

Installation Info:
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This hack is very simply to implement requiring only:
? 1 new file
? 5 new templates / 2-3 template changes (navbar, posbit/postbit_legacy, MEMBERINFO, memberlist_resultsbit)
? 52 new phrases
? 1 new DB table / 1 table DB change & index

An install/upgrade PHP file is included to do all the template/phrase/DB stuff, so basically you run that, upload the file, and edit your postbit template. BAM!

Screen Shots / Demos:
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See Screenshots below, or you can view them on my forums: My Trader Rating Page

Standard Disclaimer:
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BACKUP YOUR DATABASE & FILES BEFORE IMPLEMENTING THIS HACK!!!

Forums Using This Hack:
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EXTREME Overclocking Forums
i-Club -- Forums
Accord Tuner
NSX Prime
Honda-Acura.net
Guns Network
PimpRig

(PM me your forum if you want me to add you to the list)

Donations:
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This hack will always be free, however your donations are kindly accepted and will help towards further development. If you donate, please leave me some info (either your forum site or username at vB.org) so that I can thank you.


Plans For Future Releases:
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? rebuttal / followup comments
? item description (possibly instead of thread url)
? button on thread that buyer/seller clicks to tie the transaction to two people

[sketch42]

Originally Posted by eoc_Jason

Okay, last night I couldn't sleep so I pondered on the part of making verified deals, and conceptually here's what I have come up with:

1. In your forum's FS/WTB section, whenever a user makes a new thread, the first post has an additional buton somewhere. Not sure of the name yet, maybe "Deal" or "Buy/Sell" or whatever...

2. Anyhow, people can reply to the thread as usual, however when someone agrees to purchase/sell said item, they click on the button in the first post. This does two things. First - it closes the thread and prepends the thread title with "SOLD -". Second - It creates a relationship between the user who clicked the button, and the person who posted the thread.

(Maybe have an intermediary page that confirms that they do indend to purchase/sell said item and must check a box before confirming.)

3. It will send a PM to both people, just as notification of the transaction. Also in each member's trader ratings page it will have a "pending transactions" link.

4. Under the pending transactions page it lists people who they have done the steps above. If neither person has rated each other, there will be a "cancel" button, however both parties much cancel for it to actually take place, then the original thread will automatically be reopend and title changed back. If one person rates the other, then neither can cancel the deal. They will also have a preset amount of time to rate the other person before the opportunity is lost.

5. The old rating still will still be in place, however they will be considered "unverified" deals. With the steps mentioned above, they will be considered "verified" deals, since there is a link back, they clicked the link with the knowledge of engaging in the transaction, etc...



Overall this shouldn't be too difficult to implement, and I think will enhance this hack a lot. Please give your feedback & suggestions as it's easier to make changes before I start writing/changing any code...

the only problem i have with this is the fact that the thread is getting closed based on this unknown buyer.. forcing the seller into a transaction with a possible scammer... if anything when the buyer clicks the button it should send a pm to the seller (thread starter) and when he returns to the thread he see a butoon to confirm the transaction therupon closing the thread or deleting the transaction... just like you can on ebay with suspicious bidders... you .. as the seller choose to cancel this persons bid or not...

other than that... great idea

[eoc_Jason]

Hmm, that's a good idea, I like where the thread starter has to come back and verify the person's intent to purchase....

[drumsy]

What about instances where a thread has multiple items for sale? This can get quite crazy for our members to be making multiple threads for a garage full of items they are wanting to sell.

[Ted S]

Amazing hack... live and running on www.scubaboard.com (when I have soem free time I'll be sure to give you some feedback on the verrified idea as I've built similar systems in the past).

[eoc_Jason]

Well at my forum the FS section is divided up into subsections, so each post is pretty much one item (or combo) for sale. It has worked well this way thus far... and thread titles have become much more descriptive (instead of "just a lot of stuff I'm sellin")...

When the classified/auction system is written, you can only list one item (or multiplies of the same items) anyhow... (like ebay)...

Originally Posted by drumsy

What about instances where a thread has multiple items for sale? This can get quite crazy for our members to be making multiple threads for a garage full of items they are wanting to sell.

[Yahhoon23]

Yeah, that is how we do it on ours as well.

We limit people to selling a certain amount of items in regular sections so each member can only make a thread for one item, and another thread for another item. We limit our members to an x amt of items to sell per month then have another forum called Dealer Section for people that want to sell a vast quantity of items and have to pay the site a certain monthly or yearly fee to be able to sell in the Dealer Section (We give them their own subforum).

[BamaStangGuy]

Originally Posted by eoc_Jason

Well at my forum the FS section is divided up into subsections, so each post is pretty much one item (or combo) for sale. It has worked well this way thus far... and thread titles have become much more descriptive (instead of "just a lot of stuff I'm sellin")...

When the classified/auction system is written, you can only list one item (or multiplies of the same items) anyhow... (like ebay)...

A auction system for Vb would be awsome!

[CADguru]

Originally Posted by eoc_Jason

You would have to show me how the old one is maintained, I might be able to give you some tips to port it over.

To be honest we just have a list of verified transactions by members with a "rating" next to their name. Currently all succesful sales are repoirted to one moderator who tirelessly updates the ratings thread :surprised:

Therefore we have a list of user names with nuimeric number ratings and just need to add these to the Trader Rating rather than start them at (0)

Many thanks
Mike

[eoc_Jason]

CADguru - well the actual trader rating is based on unique userids... so even if you created dummy rankings, it would be most appropriate to set them to a uid of 0 (so no name is displayed as the buyer/seller)... In theory you could modify the SQL code so that userid 0 would not be distinct, but the rest would be...

Everyone Else - So do you think it would be more worthwhile to just start working on a classifieds / auction hack (with the trader ratings system of course) rather than just try to bodge together this "buy/sell" button concept thing? I think there could be potentially 3 listing types, 1. classfieds (listings with no time limit till the user removes it), 2. auctions & 3. buy it now (time-limited listings)....

I think it would still be worthwhile to continue developing this hack, adding things like the rebuttal / followup comments, and a stats page...

Please let me know what you guys think...

[sketch42]

Originally Posted by eoc_Jason

CADguru - well the actual trader rating is based on unique userids... so even if you created dummy rankings, it would be most appropriate to set them to a uid of 0 (so no name is displayed as the buyer/seller)... In theory you could modify the SQL code so that userid 0 would not be distinct, but the rest would be...

Everyone Else - So do you think it would be more worthwhile to just start working on a classifieds / auction hack (with the trader ratings system of course) rather than just try to bodge together this "buy/sell" button concept thing? I think there could be potentially 3 listing types, 1. classfieds (listings with no time limit till the user removes it), 2. auctions & 3. buy it now (time-limited listings)....

I think it would still be worthwhile to continue developing this hack, adding things like the rebuttal / followup comments, and a stats page...

Please let me know what you guys think...

i dont believe everyone needs an auction/classified system i wouldlike to see further developement of theis hack as far as the connection between the buyer/seller and rebuttal