Miscellaneous Hacks - SocialForums 1.4

SocialForums for vBulletin 3.7
Created by Marius Czyz aka Phalynx.

This mod will work *ONLY* with vBulletin 3.7 or higher. It will not run on vBulletin 3.6.x due to non existent feature of "social groups".

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.

Permissions
Since 1.3 there are advanced permissions active (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.

History
1.4.6, 6th October 2008
- Permissions are now also active in Archive

1.4.2, 27th May 2008
- Added: If a group has a linked forum the grouplisting has the last post date and count of postings (with permission check).
- Added: Recent threads in linked forum on group home
- Added: Private groups: Link to forum only shown to members of group
- Changed: Enabled permissions for unregistered usergroup. Unregistered Users are not more explicit denied without a check of it's usergroup

1.3.1, 23th May 2008
- Fixed: Not existing array

1.3.0, 23th May 2008
- Added: Permissions are now active. This includes read/write public and private (moderated/invite only) socialforums and creation of forum. Please check permissions for every usergroup! As this needs two additional queries on every page you can disable this.
- Added: Checks for permission before the creation link will be displayed
- Changed: Default View Age set to "Show all Threads"

1.2.1 8th April 2008:
- Added: Group messaging can be disabled via options (previously: always disabled)

1.2.0 4th April 2008:
- Added: Groupleader can now be moderator of group forum
- Added: Minimum Members that are required for own forum
- Added: Group messaging will be automatically hide for group that has own forum
- Added: Forums are created with more allowances
- Added: By deleting a forum the linked socialgroup get's updated
- Added: Forum's description contains link back to social group
- Added: By changing group's name it synchronize it with the forum's name

1.0/1.1 1st April 2008:
- Initial releases

[Smiry Kin's]

Originally Posted by Phalynx

Already posted that I'm currently busy with other (paid) hacks.

ah i see. well if thats the case

[high]* Smiry Kin's uninstalls[/high]

[Baldilocks]

Originally Posted by Reeve of shinra

Very nice -- would love to see a future option where forums are only visiable to group members.

Yep, what's the point of having private Social Forums if anyone can see and post in them..... this MUST be addressed.

[Mum]

Yeah it's a shame, this almost fixed the problem of the social groups, and now it's been abandoned just when it was going to get good!

[Baldilocks]

Hopefully someone else will pick up on it.

[Phalynx]

This hack is NOT abandoned, it will continue just 1-2 Weeks. But CURRENTLY I'm busy with other stuff.

[Phalynx]

Originally Posted by Baldilocks

Yep, what's the point of having private Social Forums if anyone can see and post in them..... this MUST be addressed.

No, also with this version only members of the group can post in it. Also, why don't you set the visibility to 0?

[Baldilocks]

I was able to post in the forum of a private group without being a member of it, that's why I brought it up.
We tested it dozens of times just to make sure.

Even if I don't belong to a private group I can view messages and/or post to the forum.

Don't get me wrong, this is an EXCELLENT product. I just think it's not complete yet is all....

[almera]

When I set this product up I disabled the regular group guestbooks. However I decided to disable the product later, since I don't think the forum integrates as well with the group as the guestbook did.

Now when SocialForums is disabled again, and the option to disable guestbooks are set to no again, the guestbooks still doesn't appear! How do I get my guestbooks back?

[Baldilocks]

You will have to manually edit each social group. Just check the box that says, "Enable Messaging".

[Mum]

Baldilocks, i don't have that problem, i can't post in a group unless i am a member, however anyone can view them adn see then in New Posts/