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

[Yahhoon23]

And actually, I was wrong sorry. I was thinking the array that was shown would make it check the forums you pick to make sure the threads or whatever they posted as the transaction link was in those forums.

Nevermind Sorry.

[Chriss74]

I installed the hack and when I start the hack via traderratings.html I get the error:

"This user has not registered and therefore does not have a profile to view."

Even after log off and log in, the error still occurs. I also changed a phrase to clear the cache - without success.

If I use traderratings.htlm?u=1 it shows me my (empty) trader-profile. That seem to work correctly.

What is wrong?
Thanks for any hint!
Chriss

[Watson]

Yeah Yahhoon, promotions are my friend

I could try summit like that I spose

[eoc_Jason]

You have to view a user, there is no page if you just call traderratings.php, technically it searches for userid 0. Eventually I'll probably make a stats page which will be the default if no userid is specified.

Originally Posted by Chriss74

I installed the hack and when I start the hack via traderratings.html I get the error:

"This user has not registered and therefore does not have a profile to view."

Even after log off and log in, the error still occurs. I also changed a phrase to clear the cache - without success.

If I use traderratings.htlm?u=1 it shows me my (empty) trader-profile. That seem to work correctly.

What is wrong?
Thanks for any hint!
Chriss

[eoc_Jason]

Watson - All Admins/Mods by default can edit/delete anyone's feedback. Users by default can only edit/delete feedback they leave for someone within 5 minutes of leaving the feedback. A person can not rate themself (hence the missing link), and guests can not rate people either (obviously).

I'm not sure what you mean by their addresses via forums? None of my users post their address publically (or any personal info for that matter).

I think Yahhoon23 gave some good suggestions, I too only allow a certain usergroups the right to use the trader ratings system (as well as see the FS/WTB section).

This hack was meant to be simple (hence the minimal changes to vB). You can add conditionals and checks in the code if you want to check for threads, usergroups, reputation, whatever. However like in my original post, this hack is meant to be based on trust (kind of like user reputation).

Since running this hack back on vB2, I have had zero issues with people intentionaly trying to abuse the system. The most I really had were people who mis-rated someone by accident (however now with the user edit abilities that's eliminated). People on my site know they will get banned for abusing the forum, which includes Trader Ratings. Unless you have a bunch of immature kids on your forum, you more than likely will have little to no issues with abuse.

Again, read (or at least skim) this thread, I'm planning on continuing development of this hack, however it will still be based on a "trust" system for the most part. It just doesn't make sense to hack the crap out of vB files and templates to make something work, when a complete classifieds/auction add-in could be built from the ground up, and be self contained for the most part.

The furthest I will probably take this hack is a link in FS threads that ties two people to that thread and then they can rate each other. (even though it sounds simple, it is a lot more code and templates than you might think).

[teksigns]

any idea on the timeframe for the next release ?

[eoc_Jason]

There is no time-frame that I can give you. Simply, when it is done and at a stable point in the code. There's a lot I want to add, but it all just depends on how much free time I have to do it.

Right now my top priority is finding a job as I have been unemployed over 6 months. (Gotta pay the bills, ya know.)

Originally Posted by teksigns

any idea on the timeframe for the next release ?

[Watson]

Yeah I think I am just gonny go for the promotions system.

Aint sure what I should do it as though, Mabye days Registed or something

**edit

I forgot to ask how I would go about setting this to only a certain user group can rate.

And also can I make it so only that usergroup can rate, but All other usergroups can read them.

Also this would be good to incorporate into a top5 sort of thing I was thinking about, to have at the top of forums home.

There are alot of new thread things etc, but I was thinking of a Top 5 Threads by Post, by view, and also a 5 newest posts. But also have the top 5 Members by rating.

Just an idea, and totally different mod I spose tho

[EyeCrave]

Hey Jason,

I have a quick question for you. I've read all the posts after 1.1.0 release and you seem to be heading towards a classified/auction type system.

I'm using the system for a DVD trading club and don't want to lose the trade features of this hack. Will it trading still be kept in mind for future releases?

[eoc_Jason]

Watson - look at the extra template examples with the is_member_of function to allow only specific user groups. You will need to change this on your trating_display template, and also add it to the proper actions in the traderratings.php file.

EyeCrave - The classified/auction system will be separate from this hack, but the two will be able to be tied / work together. It will be a long way down the line before I even start doing that one, so don't worry.