Major Additions - Synergy by Zoints - A system like Digg integrated into forums.

Index

Installation and Upgrading
FAQ, Changelog and Troubleshooting
Pre-written threads

This plugin is not currently available for vBulletin 3.7.x. Several users have reported serious incompatibilities, and we would not suggest attempting to install it on a forum running 3.7.x at this time.

Foreward

Awhile back, two visionaries by the names of Sal Collaziano and George B realized that a Digg-like system for forums could be highly beneficial. Kudos to those two for their understanding that by working together, we can all benefit.

What is Synergy?

How often does this happen to you? You or a member write a great thread, Google indexes it a week later, but it is buried in the search results so the masses never end up reading it. Frustrating, isn't it? Zoints solves this by taking a system like Digg, then integrating and mirroring in across all forums in a manner that allows great threads to be read by the masses. Synergy is designed to bring you more traffic and inspire your members to create higher quality content in order to obtain "Top Author" status.

Demos (with forums like these using Synergy, you're sure to get some traffic)

You'll notice all the demos look virtually the same except for the skins. This is due to the system mirroring itself across the forums. When a link is clicked, it takes the reader to the originating forum.

Ubuntu Forums
NASIOC
ThumperTalk
LWS


How Synergy Works

You have a lot of high quality threads on your forum. When you (or a trusted usergroup member you permission via the admincp options) decides a thread is worthy of Synergy, you select the "Add to Synergy" link as seen below.




During the next step, you write a short description for the thread and select which category it should go into.




Your thread is then added to a queue on your forum. Once every X hours, the top thread in your queue is added to Synergy.




When your thread is added to Synergy, the system distributes the link and description you wrote to all participating forums. If someone on any forum around the net clicks on your thread link, they are redirected back to your forum to the actual thread so they can read it. If people like your thread, they can vote on it which ranks it higher. Higher ranked threads, especially those that make it to the front page will in turn bring you more traffic.




The admincp settings are as follows:




Proof of Traffic

If you submit good content to Synergy that gets to the front page, you WILL get a lot of traffic. The following screenshot is from a small forum early in our testing. Guess which day it got a thread on the front page?



As more forums join Synergy, more and more people will be reading your threads. Let's work together to remove our reliance on search engines to send us traffic. Our communities are full of great content, it's time for it to be read!

[puertoblack2003]

+ 2 like it but showing up that crazy script and hate to refresh it to get rid of it.

[Lionel]

someone just told me that she was not able to access synergy at work.

Your organization's Internet use policy restricts access to this web page at this time.
Reason:
The Websense category "Message Boards and Clubs" is filtered.
URL:
http://zoints.com/synergy/?cmd=thread&synergyid=663

[Caerydd]

Still quietly voting for a local, customisable version. I need a digg like system for rating collaborative stories that my members write. While many of them are great, I do not think they fit in any of the synergy categories, and I also prevent 'controversial' debates on my site, as we are limited to writing, specifically in a fantasy genre.

So the categories I need for these 'dugg collaborative stories' are - Romance, Action, Dark, Intrigue, Comedy, Noir

And so on.

Otherwise, looking good! Would probably install if my board had a more general audience!

[Chadi]

I agree. This should be something internal of the forum only, customizable categories as well.

[caliman]

Originally Posted by chadi

I agree. This should be something internal of the forum only, customizable categories as well.

You are missing the point of this mod.

[Chadi]

Originally Posted by caliman

You are missing the point of this mod.

So you assume. You are wrong. I am not missing the point. I think its a great mod but I think the customizable options a few and I mentioned should be there, for each person's (forums) own reasons that apply.

[Artificial_Alex]

I can't get the token.."You do not have sufficient privileges to view this page."

and when I try registering my forum again, it says its already exsists.

Yet..I submitted it OVER a week ago..

:/

[project-Buckfas]

DChapman,

Firstly another great mod. I'm wondering if you could do this.

What would be ideal for my site would to have this integrated with vB Articles By Mary Is it possible?

[Zoints]

Originally Posted by Artificial_Alex

I can't get the token.."You do not have sufficient privileges to view this page."

and when I try registering my forum again, it says its already exsists.

Yet..I submitted it OVER a week ago..

Please be sure you're logged in at http://zoints.com with the username you registered your forum with. If you're still having problems, please open a support ticket at http://zoints.com/support.z

[Zoints]

Originally Posted by project-Buckfas

DChapman,

Firstly another great mod. I'm wondering if you could do this.

What would be ideal for my site would to have this integrated with vB Articles By Mary Is it possible?

Does that mod turn threads into articles? Does it change the url structure at all or just the templates? If it's just the templates, in theory, this should still work with it. Do you have it installed and it's not working?