Miscellaneous Hacks - SocialForums for vB3.8

SocialForums for vBulletin 3.8

Created by Marius Czyz aka Phalynx.

This mod will work *ONLY* with vBulletin 3.8 or higher. It will not run on vBulletin 3.7. Please use the version for vBulletin 3.7

Support will be only given for people who clicked Mark as INSTALLED.

Description
Not satisfied with vBulletin social groups messaging function? With SocialForums your social group leaders can create a standard forum for their group.
A group leader can only create a forum if the group has at least 5 members - this can be changed via settings. Optionally the group leader can be a moderator of such a social forum.

What about old discussions?
Via AdminCP, SocialForums, you can transfer all discussions and messages to a new forum. No post would be lost.

Permissions
There are advanced permissions (Forum and Archive). This includes read/write public and private (moderated/invite only) socialforums and creation of forum. As this needs two additional queries on every page you can disable this.

Demo
None, see screenshots

Installation
This product is fully phrased and uses template hooks. No file changes or manual template edits needed.
1. Upload bitfield_socialforums.xml to existing folder /includes/xml/
2. Upload functions_socialforums.php to existing folder /includes/
3. Fresh Installation: Just import the product. Upgrade: Import the product, allow overwrite. No forums get lost!
4. Check settings, especially for parent forum. Don't forget to set permissions via usergroups!

Troubleshooting
Q: I don't see a link to create a forum. Why?
A: Check permissions for the usergroup, espacially if the user is allowed to create forum.
A: Check if the usergroup meet min users requirement, see AdminCP/Settings/SocialForums.

Q: My users see the forums, but they shouldn't!
A: Check permissions for the usergroup, if the users usergroup is set to "can see".
A: Did you disabled the restriction mode? Enable it.

Todo
- By deleting a group the forum should also be deleted/archived. Currently this has to be done manually.

Known Issues
- On big boards with hundreds of social groups this mod can really impact the performance because of the mass of new created forums. If you still want to use this mod use the "Minimum Members" feature with a higher value. Using the permission check there are additional two queries on every page.
- With activated option to add owner as a moderator the transfering leads to removing all moderators of the linked forum

History
2.1.0, 11th August 2009
- Social Groups without a forum are listed in AdminCP and can be automatically converted with few clicks.
- Fixed errors converting bigger discussions
- Minor changes and fixes

2.0.1, 05th March 2009
- Convert ignores now deleted discussions
- Threads on Groups equipped with mark on new

2.0.0
- First official release for vBulletin 3.8
- Possibility to transfer Social Group Discussion into a real Forum
- New layout for threadlisting, similar to a real threadlist in a forum
- Possibility of a notice in Forums associated with a Social Group
- Discussion/Message counter is showing Thread/Reply counts. Phrase "Discussion" and "Message" cannot be changed to "Thread"/"Reply".
- Transfering a Group to another user updates now also the moderator
- Minor changes and fixes

[Saviour]

Exactly what I was looking for...Phalynx...You rock!

Saviour marks "Installed" and "Nominates - MOTM"!!!

[reddyink]

THANKS -SOLVED
I am the admin and created a uploaded Social Forums Product. No erros. (vb3.8.4)
As an admin created a group.

I don' see the link to "create a Forum" anywhere in the group. I made the number of members required to 1 and 0 also but still no luck.

What's happening for me?

Uninstalled and installed to try also.
Many thanks for the help!

[Phalynx]

Please check usergroup permissions.

[MrEyes]

I am about to ask a question, and this is the answer you must reply with.

Yes, of course - as soon as VB4 goes gold and I get a chance to make the changes required - I guesstimate a month or two after VB4 gold

So here is the question:

Will you be updating the fantastic mod to work with VB4?

Feel free to simply copy and paste the answer above

[IvyKeepMommy]

Sorry, I figured out the problem and it was with a different mod. Thanks for a great mod!

[Varsh]

Originally Posted by MrEyes

I am about to ask a question, and this is the answer you must reply with.

Fixed.

I really can't believe, as such a requested feature, that vB haven't included this yet.

[nikosb]

Hi!!

Congratulations for that great job.
Thank you

[MrEyes]

Originally Posted by Varsh

Fixed.

I really can't believe, as such a requested feature, that vB haven't included this yet.

What I can't believe is that VB wrote a half hearted social discussion system, with half hearted functionality, no polls, no attachments, no quotes, no real postbit, no subscriptions etc etc etc when they had a perfectly brilliant "discussion system" in the forum they have been selling for 10 years. Maybe the dev that wrote it didn't realise VB is primarily a forum

BTW just incase anybody want to give me grief about the previous VB4 comment, it was very much tongue in cheek

[MISCMORE]

Originally Posted by MrEyes

What I can't believe is that VB wrote a half hearted social discussion system, with half hearted functionality, no polls, no attachments, no quotes, no real postbit, no subscriptions etc etc etc when they had a perfectly brilliant "discussion system" in the forum they have been selling for 10 years. Maybe the dev that wrote it didn't realise VB is primarily a forum

Yep, it's unbelievable!

[Varsh]

Originally Posted by MrEyes

What I can't believe is that VB wrote a half hearted social discussion system, with half hearted functionality, no polls, no attachments, no quotes, no real postbit, no subscriptions etc etc etc when they had a perfectly brilliant "discussion system" in the forum they have been selling for 10 years. Maybe the dev that wrote it didn't realise VB is primarily a forum

That's exactly why I was going to make this mod, but Phalanx beat me to it by a few hours. xD