Forum Display Enhancements - [AJAX] Helpful Threads - Thread Rating System

After releasing Helpful Answers, a post rating system, many users commented that they wanted a more interactive way to rank and then sort threads. Helpful Threads is an AJAX based system that does exactly that letting users rate individual threads and then lets you sort by those ratings. The addon also switches from a positive / negative rating to a point system with one admin option.

Designed for maximum flexibility:

This addon is built to be flexible and offers several customization options including:

• The ability to decide which forums are open for helpful answer ratings.
• The ability to customize the AJAX message shown after a post is rated.
• The ability to set a minimum post count for users to avoid abuse.
• The ability to use a rating system and assign points.
• The ability to customize how threads are ranked.
• The ability to auto reset votes for thread rankings.
• Template driven display that can easily be customized to your forum.

Load & Scale:
This addon is designed to work with small to large sites and does not alter any existing tables.

Modification Installation:
This addon requires uploading multiple files, installing a vBulletin product and enabling the feature in any forums you wish. One template modification is required. Please see the included install file for detailed instructions.

If you are not seeing the rating bar double check that you have enabled the feature in the forum you are in and made the template change.

Coming Soon:
Like with Helpful Answers, the initial release is intended to get people exposed to this tool. Coming down the road I will be adding in more complex ranking options, the ability to report on threads, better AJAX support and much more.

Anonymous Stats Tracking (optional):
vBulletin forums reach millions of consumers around the world yet little is known about their habits and opinions. This addon was released to the public out of requests but also to further the research of forum user's behaviors and actions through collecting the most basic data on thousands of sites.

By default this addon will pass basic rating data (positive or negative) to a 3rd party site for statistical purposes. Only the most basic data is captured (the vote and your site name) and no user information or specific forum details are logged, not even an IP address.

While you may disable this feature through the administrative options I ask that you consider leaving it in place to help this research effort and insure the continued support of the addon.

The tracking feature uses the php library cURL on a 5 second timeout. If cURL is not installed this option is automatically disabled.

Updates:
- 08/29/2009 - Release of 1.0.2 stable

Other Versions:
This addon will work with 3.7 and is supported in the same thread.

[reddyink]

I have already set this to Yes in Vboptions > Helpful threads settings.
But it's not working.

Showthread Ranking Box
If enabled a box will show above threads letting users vote. This adds one query. Yes No

Originally Posted by Ted S

Enable the option "Showthread Ranking Box".

[reddyink]

I want this MOD but looking at Helpful Answers and modifying silightly may give us powerful MOD than this Helpful Threads MOD (HT MOD).
As the author posted on Helpful answers MOD (HA Mod), if we put the code below, HA Mod becomes powerful version of HT Mod.

My question: Why didn't the author take his/her powerful HA MOD and modify it to make it HT Mod? Should I use HA Mod or HT Mod for long term support?

Only missing piece is the you have to have a hook to display is Forumdisplay. But, Modified HA MOD adds all these below and become HT MOD.
The ability to show a user's vote stats in threads
The ability to use image or text ratings.
The ability to offer yes/no or scaled 1-10 point ranking.
The ability to turn off negative ratings for a positive only system.
The ability to decide which forums are open for helpful answer ratings.
The ability to audit the system and identify top users and potential abusers.
The ability to ban specific members from using the system.
The ability to customize the AJAX message shown after a post is rated.
The ability to edit all text and messages through phrases.
The ability to show a page with the top helpful posts.
The ability to show rating stats on a user's profile.
Integration with the reputation system for ratings.
Integration with points systems (VbPlaza and Experience)
Template driven display that can easily be customized to your forum.

posted by Ted S. (to show rating of first post only)
Code:
if($this->registry->options['helpans_hidefirst'] AND $this->post['postid'] == $this->thread['firstpostid']){
$show['helpfulanswer'] = false;
$show['rate_helpfulanswer'] = false;
}Originally Posted by reddyink

Code:
if($this->post['postid'] != $this->thread['firstpostid'] AND ($this->forum['helpfulanswerbits'] == 1 OR $this->forum['helpfulanswerbits'] == 2) ){
$show['helpfulanswer'] = false;
$show['rate_helpfulanswer'] = false;
}Where X and Y are forum IDs to show ratings for only in the first thread.

[Ted S]

Both mods are just about the same at their code. Helpful Answers has existed longer than Helpful Threads and as such has had more time to develop and mature. Like with all modifications, Helpful Threads will grow as people give feedback on what they want to do and may some day outpace Helpful Threads.

For now you may chose to run Helpful Answers on threads but it's not going to work perfectly... the ajax code and many of the voting options in HA are just not applicable to threads which is why there is a different mod.

[reddyink]

Critical feature for this MOD is to
+++
Integration with the reputation system for ratings.
Integration with points systems (VbPlaza and Experience)
+++

this has been done for Helpful Answers but after spending 10 hours, I couldn't make it work for Helpful Threads.

Thank you for the kind help!

[Ted S]

Originally Posted by reddyink

Critical feature for this MOD is to
+++
Integration with the reputation system for ratings.
Integration with points systems (VbPlaza and Experience)
+++

this has been done for Helpful Answers but after spending 10 hours, I couldn't make it work for Helpful Threads.

Thank you for the kind help!

Like with helpful answers this will require participation from the community of those mods, but I am definitely looking forward to seeing it!

[reddyink]

Ted,

I don't think the members are realizing the potential of this. With the power of this MOD combined w/ my requested addition, it will become a Digg like mod that has been requested both Paid and unpaid 50+ times on this board.

I am willing to pay for the development.

Many thanks!

Originally Posted by Ted S

Like with helpful answers this will require participation from the community of those mods, but I am definitely looking forward to seeing it!

[Ted S]

Care to explain a little further? Is there a reason it needs to integrate elsewhere versus more internal features? What's the goal...

[reddyink]

Here is what I am trying to do with your helpful threads/answers MOD.
Posted as a request in Paid work.
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthrea...94#post1905694

Originally Posted by Ted S

Care to explain a little further? Is there a reason it needs to integrate elsewhere versus more internal features? What's the goal...

[Ted S]

Got it.

I think helpful threads accomplishes point #2 out of the box and the slick deals mod with a few template conditionals so what's really left for core functionality is the points integration plus styling. Does that sound right to you?

[reddyink]

Exactly!. Many thanks for considering my request.
Please let me know if you can help do this. Your help with will be greately appreciated and properly acknoweldged.

As posted, I am willing to pay for the MOD (if required!)

Originally Posted by Ted S

Got it.

I think helpful threads accomplishes point #2 out of the box and the slick deals mod with a few template conditionals so what's really left for core functionality is the points integration plus styling. Does that sound right to you?