Major Additions - Discuss!! A Yahoo Answers Clone

Discuss!!
A Yahoo Answers Clone

by ChrisTERiS

Compatible with 4.2.0
but you must download the file Disucss_1_4_0.zip

1. Why we need a discussion mod

Maybe sounds crazy to have a powerfull forum and to install this AddOn. But this is not true. I do agree that vB has tons of features for any type of discussions. But from the other point Yahoo Answers (and dozens of similars sites) became famous, because they offer a simple way to users to get replies. Short questions, with a couple of replies. Why to go in a complicated system for this? And why to add dozens of extra categories, subcategories etc etc, just for this? This is the reason that you need it.

2.- How it works?

Very simple, so easy to use by novice users too. A member is posting a question in any of your categories (unlimited level are supporting) and then is waiting other members to post a reply. Reads the replies, chooses the best and that's all. There is no need for discussion here.





3.- Installation

1. Download, unzip and upload all files from the "upload" folder where your vb installation is (you can't install in different directory).
2. Goto you admincp and import the product-discuss.xml
3. That's all

4.- Configuration





Configuration is very easy and is like all other addons here. You need to follow the steps below, and soon you'll be ready:

1. First of all goto Usergroup permissions and set what each usergroup can do or not do.
2. Goto Discuss General setting, check the default values and change them if you want
3. PM Templates. I believe that the predefinied text is ok for most of you. But if you want you can change them. Please don't touce the variables (anything inside {}). The available variables are:
   1. {questiontitle} : Title with link
   2. {questiontitle_nolink} : As above but without link
   3. {category} : Category name with link
   4. {category_nolink} : Category without link
   5. {questionowner} : The author's username with link
   6. {questionowner_nolink} : As above, no link
   7. {description} : 200 chars from the question body
   8. {username} : This is the "To:" value. eg Dear {username},
   9. {postdate_short} : Post date in format that you've set as long dates
   10. {postdate_long} : Same as above in long date format
   11. {signature} : Anything that you've set in your settings
4. Last step is to set your categories.

5.- Copyright

In the footer of each page there is a link back to my site vBulletON.com. Even if it easy to remove it, please avoid doing it. Respect if you want to be respected. That's the only that I can say.

6.- PRO version

Currently there is no one. I don't use to build an addon, and then remove 90% of its features to make a free version. No. This is all that I've done. Sure there are dozens of more features that I can add. If I see that this mod becomes popular then I'll add them but as commercial version.

7.- Live Demo

http://www.christeris.com/testvb4/discuss.php

Login:
demouser1 / demopass1
demouser2 / demopass2
demouser3 / demopass3

Enjoy
Chris

[Da-Vinci]

Cool looking mod, I could use this, thanks, I'll test it now.

[Da-Vinci]

Just wondering, rather than emailing the user, would it be possible to send them a PM instead?

Also maybe a notification for staff in a specified forum or via PM to a specified Admin or Moderator to alert them of questions pending approval.

[Hareth]

This is GREATEST MOD EVER.

Thank you very much Chris.
Installed & Nominated

[Christos Teriakis]

Originally Posted by Da-Vinci

Just wondering, rather than emailing the user, would it be possible to send them a PM instead?

They're PMs and not emails.

Thank you
Chris

[Christos Teriakis]

Originally Posted by Hareth

This is GREATEST MOD EVER.

Thank you very much Chris.
Installed & Nominated

Thank you To be honest, I liked it too. A lot!!. Maybe because I like the way that Yahoo Answers (and similar sites, like Experts-Exchange.com) are working.

Chris

[Da-Vinci]

Originally Posted by ChrisTERiS

They're PMs and not emails.

Thank you
Chris

Excellent, give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done, Installed and rated 5 and nominated for MOTM, also.

Installation is so easy for such a major mod.

[Hareth]

There is problem with discuss main template, I think it doesn't call "Additional.css" template.

I've resolved this problem temporarily by adding additional.css template content inside discuss/css/discuss.css file

Thank you,

[Hornstar]

Very nice. Although it would also be cool if you could turn a forum section into a q&a

[Da-Vinci]

Another small problem is the mod isn't using all the stylevars for custom styles, could this be addressed as it looks a bit messy on styles other than the default one.

Would it be possible for you to edit the discuss.css file to use stylevars, rather than pre determined colours, otherwise this mod is useless for anybody who does not use the default style.