I'd like to see it be done strictly via the information the user places in their profiles. I would be willing to pay $$ for this hack or to add money to a pot for the designer.
I'd like to see it be done strictly via the information the user places in their profiles. I would be willing to pay $$ for this hack or to add money to a pot for the designer.
Probably best to do it by IP address since databases are readily available to convert that into a geographic location. You could put something in the user profile allowing the user to opt out of having their location show up. The pin or icon could simply be a link to the member's user profile with the user's name shown on the pin.
Unfortunately I'm not skilled enough as a programmer to even approach creating something like this. Though I'm sure many people on this board could do it.
The version I posted in an earlier post that is working on Invision board works off a user profile field. This is often better because members may log into the forum from various computers. Also the IP databases are not that accurate. Right now I am in Dallas but MaxMind shows me in Seatle (Sprint IP from our T1 at work). http://www.maxmind.com/app/lookup_city
Plus why add a dependancy of having to subscribe to an IP database when your member can explictly tell you where you are.
The version I posted in an earlier post that is working on Invision board works off a user profile field. This is often better because members may log into the forum from various computers. Also the IP databases are not that accurate. Right now I am in Dallas but MaxMind shows me in Seatle (Sprint IP from our T1 at work). http://www.maxmind.com/app/lookup_city
Plus why add a dependancy of having to subscribe to an IP database when your member can explictly tell you where you are.
You're right of course. Your IP is not a good indicator of where you're logging in from since your ISP can be anywhere. I currently use a free geotracking IP database for my adserver and it's quite incomplete. A more comprehensive version has a monthly or yearly subscription.
There exists already a vBulletin v2.x compatible flash user map; has anyone who's competent with coding taken a look at this and seen if it's readily portable into 3.x or 3.5.x?
There is a vBulletin 3 hack that permits members from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland to enter their ZIP codes via a field. If they do so, their location will be plotted on a map.
I can imagine that this implementation has to rely on large data tables, linking the ZIP codes to a position on the map and the town's name. Hard to imagine that someone would compile all these data for the whole world.
However, there would be an easy alternative to it: Why not permit members to enter their lattitude and longitude and plot them then on a world map, like the aforementioned hack does with a map of the German-speaking countries.
I think that would be a great addition for everyone that runs an international vBulletin board (= really most people.)
I could imagine that many vBulletin board operators would even be willing to make a small PayPal donation for such a hack.
Comments, ideas, suggestions, and, above all, any master coder volunteers?
I followed those directions .. didn't work at all for me..
Claygp, follow the instructions in my last post in that thread, re-do things carefully, experiment around a bit (although following the instructions in my last post will be most important) and I'm sure you'll get it.
Claygp, follow the instructions in my last post in that thread, re-do things carefully, experiment around a bit (although following the instructions in my last post will be most important) and I'm sure you'll get it.
It works great in 3.0.7
Do you happen to have a sample of another board running this mod?