Welcome Thread Created on Members first post

Product Name:
Welcome Thread Created on Members first post

Product Description:
This Hack/Product creates a new "welcome post" when a member posts for the first time. You can choose to either create a new thread in a welcome forum or create the post in an existing thread. The user's original first post can also be modified, allowing you to link to their "welcome post".

I have only tested this package install on 3.5.4. Please post if you successfully (or unsuccessfully) install this under any other 3.5 versions.

This Hack was created as a generic way to post "welcome threads" for all types of registration situations: wide open, authentication, approval, etc. It also keeps the number of welcome threads down somewhat by never posting one for users that register and never post. Lurkers can still register and lurk.

This Hack was inspired by amykhar, PaulM, Andreas, and others and leans heavily on their previous work. This is my first attempt at a packaged, released hack so I hope they will help me out if I screwed anything up

Contents:
This package includes:
1 Plugin:
"Welcome Post and First post modify": Code to create the "welcome thread" and modify the user's original post via templates.

3 Templates:
welcome_thread: The text of the "welcome thread" created.
welcome_title: The title of the "welcome thread" created.
welcome_addon: The text to be added on to the members original first post.

3 Option/Setting:
welcomeforum: (group "Welcome New Users Options"): The forumid of the forum where the welcome threads will be created. A "0" passes control to the welcomethread option.

welcomethread: (group "Welcome New Users Options"): The threadid of the thread where the welcome posts will be created. This option is ignored if the welcomeforum option is set. Setting both welcomethread and welcomeforum options to "0" disables the creation of welcome posts entirely (though modification of the original post may still occur)

welcomeposter: (group "Welcome New Users Options"): The userid of the user that will post the welcome message. If this setting is "0", the welcome post will be poster as the new user.

Installation Instructions:
Step 1: Import the product .xml file (attached here)

Step 2: Change the "welcomeforum" option or the "welcomethread" option to the correct welcomeid or threadid where you wish the welcome messages to be created. "welcomeforum" takes precedence over "welcomethread". Set both to zero if you wish to disable the creation of welcome posts.

TIP: An easy way to get the forumid or threadid number is to put your cursor over the forum or thread you want to use and read the link information in the bar at the bottom of your browser. Look at the "t=xxx" for threads or "f=xxx" for forums.

Step 3: Set "welcomeposter" to the userid of the user you wish to post the welcome message. If this setting is set to "0", the welcome post will be posted as the new user. The default for this setting is "0".

Step 4: Modify the 3 templates to your taste. The sample templates show how to make both the welcome thread and the modified first post point back to each other.

Step 5: Enjoy.

Version History:
version 0.9 - Initial release

• Initial public release

version 0.91

• added welcomethread option and functionality
• code cleanup and template cleanup

version 0.92

• added welcomeposter option and functionality
• code cleanup and template cleanup

[b6gm6n]

Just to clarify... can i use this mod to create an auto welcome reply to a members first post? - this would be perfect for me... cheers

-b6

[sinaluna]

This mod has two parts.

The first part creates a welcome post either as a new thread in a welcome forum or new post in a welcome thread. The second part tacks on some text onto the users first post, based on a template named "welcome_addon". You can turn off either part in the options.

Is this what you need? If not, can you describe exactly what you want?

[b6gm6n]

Hi.. well exactly would be this : Person joins and makes his/hers first post on my forums.... i would like to welcome them automatically in the form of a reply to their first post... i could use a pre-determined template with information for new users etc... y'know what i mean?

-b6

[sybakaos]

Can it be modified when a user reaches a certain postcount to welcome him in a new section automatically? For example, someone reaches 50 posts and is upgraded to usergroup X. Usergroup X has it's own forum for welcome messages.

Eventually I'd like to add filters like a registration time of x days and a thread amount of x.

I think it's an awesome addition for forums using a hierarchical scheme of ranks.

[Tralala]

Originally Posted by Tralala

This seems to be working okay, for the most part... but I am noticing one issue... it makes new posts in the pre-existing thread, yes... but it doesn't bump that thread and change it's date. So the new posts get lost in the shuffle. Ideally I'd like for these "welcome posts" to act just like any other, effectively being marked as new and bumping the thread.

The thread that this hack posts to never gets bumped and new posts aren't marked as "new."

Is there any way to fix that?

[I||usi0nz]

^so does this work as it is like that or it changes?

[grc]

Any updates to make this work with 3.6?

[sinaluna]

Looking at it right now...Might be a problem with posting new threads. Ill update here when I get it figured out

[grc]

Originally Posted by sinaluna

Looking at it right now...Might be a problem with posting new threads. Ill update here when I get it figured out

Thanks! I'll be watching for it!

[sinaluna]

The problem was in the posting of the welcome note. There was a small change to the way the libraries created new posts involving the post flooding settings. I have a fix and it is installed on my test forum. As soon as I know its solid, I will post an update here.