Mini Mods - Welcome headers - Improve community registration rates

Exciting Announcement! vBulletin 3.7.0 now includes a built in Welcome Headers System (named "Notices") that easily allows you to add and control your own welcome messages with functionality above what can be found in the traditional welcome headers system. There are some important differences in these systems so please read this thread before upgrading.

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Important: If you are upgrading from the 3.6 or earlier versions and have modified the navbar template you will either need to revert it or add new vBulletin code as shown in https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....&postcount=152.

Out of the box, your forum isn't personalized to assist or address your visitors. As a result, guests entering on a page other than the homepage (which is most often the case) have no idea what to do or why to register. Additionally, there are no visible status indicators, making it confusing for unconfirmed, unapproved or new members to know what to do or where to begin. But with a little customization, the use of the vBulletin Notices System and Welcome Headers, you can solve these issues in just a few minutes.

What is Welcome Headers?

Welcome Headers is a set of predefined messages and rules designed to help you get started in personalizing your site's notices using the vBulletin notice feature. The default templates are just that, default ? I highly encourage you to modify and add to the language and rules to meet the needs of your actual community environment.

Modifications/ Instructions:

Plugins: 1 (notices entries, rules and phrases)
This template hack should take under 5 minutes to implement and customize.

Installation/ Upgrade Instructions

1 ? Backup any existing welcome header messages (upgrading)
2 ? Remove the default welcome header from your forum home template (new installs)
3 ? Install the attached plugin file
4 ? Now Required: Customize the messages to include your site's name

For detailed instructions on each step please view the install.html file included with this addon.

Support

Please post any enhancement or technical questions you may have and I will do my best to respond in a timely manner. Please note: I can not guarantee an immediate response and am unable to assist with integrating this addon with other addons or with HTML related questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Please see the second post in the thread for a list of frequently asked questions which is updated periodically.

Older Version Support

While most users are choosing to upgrade to the notices system, there are some advantages to the "old" system mainly in that it does not rely on a rules system and can be configured as designed with code changes. Additionally, the "old" version has automatic interfacing with several other addons which the notices system does not. For this reason, the old version is still supported and remains fully compatible with 3.7.

Updates

- 5/9/2008 :: A small upgrade has been released fixing the typo in the sendmessage.php file

[BassX]

Just a note:

The default Guest Message notice installed has en error-

It uses: send_message.php
It should use: sendmessage.php

[DawnsWebDesigns]

Originally Posted by BassX

Just a note:

The default Guest Message notice installed has en error-

It uses: send_message.php
It should use: sendmessage.php

You're right. Thanks for this.

I've installed & looking good so far. I hope it helps. Thanks for this.

[EcoForumZ]

I tried to install but get the below error. I installed on VB 3.7 Gold php5.

Any suggestions?

Database error in vBulletin 3.7.0:

Invalid SQL:
INSERT INTO notice (noticeid,title,displayorder, persistent, active) VALUES (1000,'Guest Message',1,1,1);

MySQL Error   : Duplicate entry '1000' for key 1
Error Number  : 1062
Request Date  : Wednesday, May 7th 2008 @ 09:43:34 AM
Error Date    : Wednesday, May 7th 2008 @ 09:43:34 AM
Script        : http://ecoforumz.com/admincp/plugin.php5?do=productimport
Referrer      : http://ecoforumz.com/admincp/plugin.php5?do=productadd
IP Address    : 69.87.52.48
Username      : admin
Classname     : vB_Database
MySQL Version : 5.0.45-log

[EcoForumZ]

Originally Posted by BassX

Just a note:

The default Guest Message notice installed has en error-

It uses: send_message.php
It should use: sendmessage.php

Ah this may be my problem as well. Let me give that a try.

I edited the XML install file and replaced send_message.php5 with sendmessage.php5 Still doesn't work. Get the same error.

[DawnsWebDesigns]

Originally Posted by EcoForumZ

Ah this may be my problem as well. Let me give that a try.

I edited the XML install file and replaced send_message.php5 with sendmessage.php5 Still doesn't work. Get the same error.

I'm afraid you misunderstood him or her...that's not what they meant.

What they meant was in one of these 4 messages it has a link to "contact us" but instead of it saying sendmessage.php it's saying send_message.php. You must edit to sendmessage.php for the link to actually work.

[EcoForumZ]

Originally Posted by DawnsWebDesigns

I'm afraid you misunderstood him or her...that's not what they meant.

What they meant was in one of these 4 messages it has a link to "contact us" but instead of it saying sendmessage.php it's saying send_message.php. You must edit to sendmessage.php for the link to actually work.

Gotcha. Any idea what my issue is then?

[Ted S]

Originally Posted by EcoForumZ

Gotcha. Any idea what my issue is then?

Do you have any other notices setup in the notices system?

[EcoForumZ]

Originally Posted by Ted S

Do you have any other notices setup in the notices system?

I guess there are a few that are created by default that are setup. I will try disableing them.

[goddess_dix]

Originally Posted by EcoForumZ

I guess there are a few that are created by default that are setup. I will try disableing them.

there are a few that are created by this product, but none by default. perhaps it was trying to reinstall the messages a second time?

[TheInsaneManiac]

When can you port Limited Guest Viewing?