New Posting Features - LAM - Dispute Resolution

This product will allow you to configure a forum so that only a thread creator, their nominated list of disputed members, and moderators are able to reply to the thread. When a dispute thread is created a PM will be sent to all those involved in the dispute.

On my site we have a lot of people selling items, and occasionally something goes wrong during the process. Before we had this product a member would post up about their problem and it became a free-for-all with 'friends' of both sides posting up slating the other side for being wrong and generally turning into a slanging match until the thread eventually got locked. Now, thanks to this product, only those actually involved in the dispute can reply. This has resulted in almost all of our disputes being resolved in a way where both sides are happy.

As of version 4.0.8.1 it is now possible to configure this product to run in "Private Dispute" mode. This extends the normal functionality described above to also prevent those not in the dispute from being able to view the contents of the thread. They can still see it exists but any thread preview text, or opening the thread itself, will show a "You are not authorised to participate in this dispute" message.

As of version 4.0.8.2 it is now possible to configure this product to run in "Extra Privacy" mode. This extends the "Private Dispute" functionality described above to also prevent those not in the dispute from being able to see the thread exists. With this setting enabled dispute threads will not be shown when browsing a forum if the user is not the thread creator, on the disputed list, or a moderator.

As of version 4.1.3.0 it is now possible to make entering the disputed user names optional via the "Optional Disputes" setting. You can also enable the dispute functionality on all forums by enabling the "Globally Enabled" setting.

As of version 4.1.4.0 it is now possible for the thread creator, or a moderator, to edit the threads dispute list by performing an advanced edit on any post in the thread which they have permission to edit. Upgrade instructions for this version can be found here.

As of version 4.1.4.1 it is now possible to create a dispute against a single user group by enabling the "Enable Usergroups" setting. This will allow anyone in the user group to participate in the dispute, as well as anyone on the normal dispute list. PM notifications won't be sent to the user group. This version also fixes several bugs with the Private Dispute option where searches would still show a dispute thread even if the user wasn't allowed to participate in the dispute.

Tapatalk Users - Please see this important note about Tapatalk support.

Installation

1. Download the attached .xml file
   product-LAM_DisputeResolution.xml
2. Install the product
   AdminCP -> Plugins & Products -> Add/Import Product -> Import Product

Configuration

You need configure which forums you want this product to run in, or globally enable it to run in all forums. You can also specify if creating a "dispute" thread in a dispute forum is optional. There is a setting that lets you override who the notification PM is sent from should you prefer it to come from an admin account rather than the user's account. And finally there are the privacy and user group options as detailed above.



Example

When creating or advanced editing a thread in a disputes forum there is now an additional row where the user can edit the user names (and user group if enabled) of those they are disputing...



When the thread is created (or advanced edited) a PM is sent to those involved in the dispute (only newly disputed members are PMd when editing a thread)...



When the thread is viewed it shows at the top who the dispute is between...



An error will be shown if; the thread creator forgets to enter any names and the "Optional Disputes" option is set to No...



the thread creator enters an unrecognised name...



or someone not in the disputed list tries to reply to the thread...




Version History

4.1.4.1 - Added user group option. Stopped threads showing in searches when Private Disputes is enabled. Stopped sending PMs to users already on the disputes list when editing a thread. (2011/07/19)
4.1.4.0 - Added the disputed users to the advanced edit screen & removed the admin option (2011/07/05)
4.1.3.0 - Added optional disputes, global enable and prevented the admin option appearing in non-disputes forums (2011/05/01)
4.1.2.0 - Fixed an SQL error if the admin option was accessed in a forum that didn't have disputes turned on (2011/03/25)
4.0.8.3 - Added auto-suggest to the user names field (2010/11/01)
4.0.8.2 - Added Extra Privacy mode (2010/10/24)
4.0.8.1 - Added Private Dispute mode (2010/10/23)
4.0.8.0 - Initial release (2010/10/23)


Credits

Although I've written this product for vB 4 the original idea came from the Private Debates product written by beebi.

The code to not send PMd to users already on the disputes list when edited a thread was contributed by CheeSie

[Alan_SP]

Originally Posted by mawby

I've just done a quick test and couldn't replicate this. The obvious error in the SQL is the missing threadid, although having quickly looked at the code I cannot see why this would happen. I know it's a pita but if you could try disabling all other mods quickly to see if the problem goes away, it will at least rule out a compatibility problem with another installed mod.

I tested it with another thread I created just for testing. There it worked without problems.

What's happened to this thread, I don't know. I'll try to play a bit more with it.

EDIT: Here's a more info. It seems that this is problem only with this thread. Other threads, AFAIK work ok. Also it is interesting that I could add some users, but some I couldn't. Then I created new thread, with all users from thread with problems and added those I couldn't add in this particular thread. New thread was created without problems.

It seems that something is messed with this particular thread. One of my admins was trying to add this particular user, maybe she did something that messed this thread. Anyway, very strange indeed. I think that she maybe tried to use old option, from administrative tools (I didn't removed it till now from template). Also I tried to use it, when it didn't worked, I come here to see instructions. Basically I'm probably guilty party.

EDIT2: I forgot to mention, when I copied first post of messed thread, new thread still had problems with adding users. Some information is lost, or changed, or added.

EDIT3: User created new thread, with more or less same first post (not exactly same and not copied). And forgot to add same user which caused problems in the beginning. Anyway, now it's impossible to add that same user. So, it makes me wander if it is something with mod? This user could be added at the beginning, at least I managed it with test thread.

[Cicada]

are mods/Admins exempt from the privacy rules?

[Alan_SP]

Yes, but when you say moderators, it means only moderators of particular forum where is thread. So it includes supermoderators and admins, as they moderate all forums they can see.

[thunderclap82]

Originally Posted by mawby

I've had a quick look at the Tapatalk code and as suspected it does by-pass the normal vB code and therefore doesn't execute any of the hooks needed to allow the Disputes Resolution add-on to work...

By uncommenting these lines do you mean that users will be able to see, but not post, to the dispute threads? If I leave them commented then the threads will remain hidden?

[thunderclap82]

Is this mod no longer being supported?

[thunderclap82]

I went ahead and just hid the dispute forum from Tapatalk. Simple workaround. However, I have noticed that threads in the Disbute forum are ignored by What's New. Anyway to have these threads shown, but only to those involved in the dispute?

[thunderclap82]

Disregard. Resolved.

[Phaedrus]

Originally Posted by mawby

If anyone has any ideas of changes needed to make this product usable for anything other than dispute resolution, let me know and I'll try and incorporate it into the product.

It's already full phrased so it wouldn't take much effort to make this product appear like a basic ticketing system or private debates, etc.

Easily editable phrasing that allows different phrasing for different active forums.

"You have been challenged to a debate in "such and such" forum" would be something I would use. Activating it in more than one forum. As it stands I'll just edit the phrase for the PM to challenge them to a debate... then see if I can figure out how to make it tell them which forum it is in later.

[Phaedrus]

Originally Posted by mawby

I've had a quick look at the Tapatalk code and as suspected it does by-pass the normal vB code and therefore doesn't execute any of the hooks needed to allow the Disputes Resolution add-on to work. However, the calls to the necessary hooks are in the Tapatalk files but they are commented out. By un-commenting the hooks it is possible to prevent Tapatalk creating threads in a Disputes forum (necessary because Tapatalk is not able to collect the disputed user names needed by this add-on), and prevent it from allowing people to reply to Dispute threads of which they do not belong. There are some limitations to this though...

• None of the extra privacy options of this add-on will work with Tapatalk
• It is not possible to create a Dispute using Tapatalk
• The error messages returned when trying to create a thread/post are generic and not relevant to the Disputes add-on

I also want to state clearly that...

• Applying these changes may break Tapatalk! By un-commenting the hooks you are exposing Tapatalk to all of your installed add-ons that use these hooks and although my Disputes Resolution add-on works fine other add-ons may not.
• These changes will need re-doing every time you update Tapatalk
• I make no guarantees that these changes will work with future versions of Tapatalk
• Although I will try and keep the Disputes Resolution add-on and Tapatalk working together (for my own sites benefit if nothing else) I cannot offer any support for problems arising by making these changes. You make these changes at your own risk.

With that said, if you want basic Disputes Resolution support within Tapatalk then un-comment (remove the // from the beginning of) the following lines...

mobiquo/functions/new_topic.php
//($hook = vBulletinHook::fetch_hook('newthread_post_start')) ? eval($hook) : false;

mobiquo/functions/reply_post.php
mobiquo/functions/reply_topic.php
mobiquo/functions/get_quote_post.php
//($hook = vBulletinHook::fetch_hook('newreply_start')) ? eval($hook) : false;

This actually also fixed my "ban from thread" that Taptalk users were able to get around as well... Brilliant!

However reply topic doesn't exist anymore and the hooks are a bit different. It worked brilliantly for the ban from thread and forum mod though and I hope it will work for this one.

[Zakalway]

Does this work on 4.2.0 PL3?