Miscellaneous Hacks - SocialForums 1.4

SocialForums for vBulletin 3.7
Created by Marius Czyz aka Phalynx.

This mod will work *ONLY* with vBulletin 3.7 or higher. It will not run on vBulletin 3.6.x due to non existent feature of "social groups".

Support will be only given for people who clicked Mark as INSTALLED.

Description
Not satisfied with vBulletin social groups messaging function? With SocialForums your social group leaders can create a standard forum for their group.
A group leader can only create a forum if the group has at least 5 members - this can be changed via settings. Optionally the group leader can be a moderator of such a social forum.

Permissions
Since 1.3 there are advanced permissions active (Forum and Archive). This includes read/write public and private (moderated/invite only) socialforums and creation of forum. As this needs two additional queries on every page you can disable this.

Demo
None, see screenshots

Installation
This product is fully phrased and uses template hooks. No file changes or manual template edits needed.
1. Upload bitfield_socialforums.xml to existing folder /includes/xml/
2. Upload functions_socialforums.php to existing folder /includes/
3. Fresh Installation: Just import the product. Upgrade: Import the product, allow overwrite. No forums get lost!
4. Check settings, especially for parent forum. Don't forget to set permissions via usergroups!

Troubleshooting
Q: I don't see a link to create a forum. Why?
A: Check permissions for the usergroup, espacially if the user is allowed to create forum.
A: Check if the usergroup meet min users requirement, see AdminCP/Settings/SocialForums.

Q: My users see the forums, but they shouldn't!
A: Check permissions for the usergroup, if the users usergroup is set to "can see".
A: Did you disabled the restriction mode? Enable it.

Todo
- By deleting a group the forum should also be deleted/archived. Currently this has to be done manually.

Known Issues
- On big boards with hundreds of social groups this mod can really impact the performance because of the mass of new created forums. If you still want to use this mod use the "Minimum Members" feature with a higher value. Using the permission check there are additional two queries on every page.

History
1.4.6, 6th October 2008
- Permissions are now also active in Archive

1.4.2, 27th May 2008
- Added: If a group has a linked forum the grouplisting has the last post date and count of postings (with permission check).
- Added: Recent threads in linked forum on group home
- Added: Private groups: Link to forum only shown to members of group
- Changed: Enabled permissions for unregistered usergroup. Unregistered Users are not more explicit denied without a check of it's usergroup

1.3.1, 23th May 2008
- Fixed: Not existing array

1.3.0, 23th May 2008
- Added: Permissions are now active. This includes read/write public and private (moderated/invite only) socialforums and creation of forum. Please check permissions for every usergroup! As this needs two additional queries on every page you can disable this.
- Added: Checks for permission before the creation link will be displayed
- Changed: Default View Age set to "Show all Threads"

1.2.1 8th April 2008:
- Added: Group messaging can be disabled via options (previously: always disabled)

1.2.0 4th April 2008:
- Added: Groupleader can now be moderator of group forum
- Added: Minimum Members that are required for own forum
- Added: Group messaging will be automatically hide for group that has own forum
- Added: Forums are created with more allowances
- Added: By deleting a forum the linked socialgroup get's updated
- Added: Forum's description contains link back to social group
- Added: By changing group's name it synchronize it with the forum's name

1.0/1.1 1st April 2008:
- Initial releases

[queengoc]

I just had 3 threads disappear from the social forum. I didn't delete them and the only other moderator didn't delete them. I checked the moderator's logs and there is no record of them being deleted and in fact, some of the deleted posts I had edited and I can click on that and read the threads but they're not in the forum. I even tried looking for them thru the poster and they're not showing up as ever have been posted.

Does anyone have any ideas on what happened and how I can fix this?

[WDZaphod]

Whow, installation was easier than easy, no Problems yet.
I will activate it in the productive Forum this weekend, can't wait so see the Users go crazy :-)
Amazing hack, this gives vB a bit the touch of Orkut.

WELL DONE!!!

[Phalynx]

Originally Posted by queengoc

I just had 3 threads disappear from the social forum. I didn't delete them and the only other moderator didn't delete them. I checked the moderator's logs and there is no record of them being deleted and in fact, some of the deleted posts I had edited and I can click on that and read the threads but they're not in the forum. I even tried looking for them thru the poster and they're not showing up as ever have been posted.

Does anyone have any ideas on what happened and how I can fix this?

This is not a behavior of SocialForums - this hack creates just normal standard forums. If you can click on the thread, you can see also it's location in the navbar. Maybe someone has moved it?

[queengoc]

Originally Posted by Phalynx

This is not a behavior of SocialForums - this hack creates just normal standard forums. If you can click on the thread, you can see also it's location in the navbar. Maybe someone has moved it?

OK, I was just coming on here to comment. Apparently some people can see the missing threads and some can't. I am the moderator and admin, I should be able to see everything. I've logged on as someone else and as a guest using safari and firefox and I still can't see the missing threads yet someone else could see them. I can't figure out what the heck is happening. It's only happening in the social group forum though. Should I post this question somewhere else?

[Phalynx]

As I already said, a social forum is just a standard forum. Check permission for this forum.

[queengoc]

Thanks Phalynx, you were right, the setting for some reason on that forum was set to show only the last 2 days. I didn't even know we had that function.

[rainyleaves]

Thanks for your MOD.

I installed and setting for parent forum.
I get this error message when I created forum.

A required field called allowupdate is missing or has an invalid value.

How can I fix?
Thanks.

[quioxte]

I uploa this mod and it doesn't seem to be working

I am running vb 3.7.0 beta 3

When I uploaded the product i got confirmation that the upload was succesful.
When i checked my template (vb classic blue) there are 2 new templates in the social group section.

One is socialgroups_create_forum with the code:

</li><li class="smallfont"><a href="group.php?$session[sessionurl]do=createforum&amp;groupid=$group[groupid]">$vbphrase[sf_create_forum]</a>

The other is socialgroups_linkto_forum with the code

<div id="group_creator" class="smallfont"><phrase 1="$group[forumid]">$vbphrase[sf_linkto_forum]</phrase></div>


There are no other changes that i can see in any of the other templates (i.e. socialgroups_group)

I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling the mod.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. this mod is exactly what i need

[Varsh]

Why're you running Beta 3? 3.7 is already out.

[jilly]

How exactly do the group leaders get permissions to moderate their forums? Does it put them into my regular moderator usergroup? is it some custom method?