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

[Christos Teriakis]

Originally Posted by Jncocontrol

I don't mean to be rude about this mod, But could in theory just make a section of the forums and just name it "question and advice"?

By saying your opinion doesn't means that you're becoming rude. If you read my main post I'm trying to explain the reason that push me to code this mod.

Yes sure you can make a forum working as you said. But for how many categories? eg if you have 5 main categories with 5-10 subcategories each, forum should works fine. But if you've more? vBulletin has limitations on how many categories-> subcategories can hadle (categories = forums).

But even if you don't reach this limitations, why to add them there, while you can have them seperate, with much less queries than vB has in forums? Another point is the interface, even if this is a personal touch, so maybe I'm wrong. I like the interface that I did (comparing with the forums interface).

Last thing is, that usally a question of this style is not a discussion. Is a simple question with 5-10 answers. Why to waste the resources of a full thread of it. Also (in my opinion) has a disadvantage. Actually I don't like the quotes as most users are loosing the meaning. Also posts like "Thank you", or "I agree", even if they're very polite, are making a long thread without special reason. Again here, is just a question and just the answers to the question.

Again in no way you're rude. It was a logic question.

Chris

[Ahmet Turan]

that was the color distortion on the site


I dont see CSS code please help

[wat3v3r]

Nice mod but I think the CSS is broken completely in custom skins. If you do not use the default skin this mod looks a lot different then what you see here...

A few examples:

No BG colors as show in demo


Tabs do not show up


Format does not look same as seen in demo


How do you edit these rules ??


Nice mod nonetheless.. guess I will remove it from our main site for now and try customizing it on our test board, when I get time.

Also seems like info.png is missing from the file uploaded here ?

[victorvu]

Originally Posted by 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.

I do agree that only the default style can be with the box, boxing the Ask and Answers. I used custom style and I donot have that box. How can I edit the .css for getting it?

Victor

[victorvu]

Chris:

It is a great mod; however, I could not create sub-categories for the main ones. Every time I do that, it just deletes it. Wondering what I did wrong!

Victor :up:

[Alfa1]

Do new entries come up in What's New?

This looks awesome Chris.

[axix20xx]

Thanks ...

Where can I change this one : Place your rules here.......................
and how can i delete others questions

We ask some test Questions and know Must be Delete them

thank again

[majjed2008]

hi

i have DB error when i tray to give user group promotion to use it .

Please kindly how i can fix that ?
thank you in advance .

[Christos Teriakis]

Originally Posted by Alfa1

Do new entries come up in What's New?

This looks awesome Chris.

You know that I'm not using forum engine in my mods

Chris

[Christos Teriakis]

Originally Posted by majjed2008

hi

i have DB error when i tray to give user group promotion to use it .

Please kindly how i can fix that ?
thank you in advance .

Can you post the db error?

Chris