Profile Enhancements - e-steki Karma version 2.2

e-steki Karma v2

I'm really excited to present the new, better from all aspects, version of my previous hack (the one that was in beta stage). I've spent numerous hours to make this, its my greatest modification so far, so I hope you like it!

What is it?
e-steki Karma is a powerful system to let users rate each other with a rating from -5 to +5. Each user's karma is a number, which is the average of all votes they have received. Refer to the Features section for more information.

What's the use?

1. Less flames. Users vent their spleens on rating the one that got on their nerves with a -5 and that's it.
2. Easier spotting of bad members/trolls by new users. This way, new users will not take seriously the bad members' posts and they won't get a bad idea about your forum, they will just think "oh nobody likes that guy anyway, he's not representative of the forum".
3. Users try to have a good behaviour because they know that otherwise their karma will decrease.
4. On a big board, it makes it easier for you to spot members that would perhaps make a good moderator (if they have a high karma value) or members that may need to get banned (if they have a very low karma value). You will also be able to judge how a ban will affect your other users, according to how much they like the soon-to-be-banned user (which is reflected in his karma value).
   

Features

The features in bold were added in the second version. Features in bold italics were enriched in version 2 but existed in version 1 partially.

Admin/Mod Features

1. Now compatible with vBulletin 3.6.8 (link to e-steki Karma 1.0 for 3.5.x).
2. Customizable via a lot of settings.
3. Much better and more safe coding than the previous version. Most of the code has been rewritten from scratch.
4. Great power about who will use the system, via the permission settings.
5. Maintenance section
6. Easier installation than version 1 (Only one template edit (placement of a small comment), the others that version 1 had are now performed via template hooks).
7. Fully phrased (exept for the AdminCP Maintenance section)
8. Users with karma administrative priviledges can see for every user who they rated and by whom they have been rated and remove any vote they wish (useful for karma flooding that some users perform to be in the stats).
9. Most of the bugs in the previous version are now fixed with the maintenance section addition.
10. The bug with the date of the last vote in the profile is now fixed.
11. Displaying the karma in the postbit is now done with no queries.
12. Users with karma administrative priviledges can see the IP of the rater in each vote
13. A nice, usable and extensive html manual instead of an ugly readme.txt ;-)

End user Features

1. Users that have the Karma turned off don't count at all for the system. their votes don't count in anything, and the votes others gave them before they turned it off also don't count at all. Those users also, can't see anything that has to do with the karma system, anywhere. It's like the karma does not exist for them and they don't exist for the karma. However, if they switch it on again, nothing is lost and they may continue from the point where they deactivated it.
2. Rating is now performed by clicking on an image, no form submitting required (saves one click)
3. There is a complete statistics page, with 7 tables that display various statistics.
4. The Karma of each user displays in the postbit (unless he has opted out of the Karma, is not permitted to use it, or the admin has turned off this feature) and users can rate him from there
   
5. In each member's profile they can see if they have previously rated them and what rating they gave.
6. They can view all the votes they have given in a separate page and remove some of them if they wish (or go to the member's profile and change them). Votes that are not active at the time are marked with an admin-controlled formatting. He can also sort the votes by date or rating (default sorting is controlled by the admin). In the same page, users with karma administrative priviledges can also view who rated each user (fully, with sorting, formatting and vote removal).
7. Controversy feature, via an admin customizable algorithm. Controversy for each user is displayed in their profile, as well as in the stats and is color-coded as well as descriptive.
8. Each user can view the percentages of the votes he (or every user, if set so by the admin) has received in a nice graph by clicking in the controversy value.

Don't forget to Mark as INSTALLED!
Important: Supported for only a few days after each release.
Installation/Upgrade instructions included in the zip.

Changelog
2.2.1: Important bugfixes
2.2: I don't remember as apparently, I forgot to add it to the changelog initially
2.1: fixed bugs, cached templates and added the feature of a popup menu rating form in the postbit.
2.0: Initial release

[lazserus]

I really liked the idea behind this mods. It has the potential to be a nice alternative to reputation, but it just needs more work.

[Lea Verou]

Development of this mod will not continue, as I won't use it on my boards any more.
Sorry people.

[djtweekin]

Installed, and works pretty good. In your product xml file you have the neutral icon being referenced from your website instead of where the user installs the mod, and the actual icon packaged in your zip doesnt match whats being called either.

Just an FYI

[Kaelon]

This works on vB 3.7, Michelle, but I was only able to include the Karma table in the user's profile when placed in memberinfo (tried putting it in memberinfo_block_statistics, but nothing showed up). Any thoughts on where I can put this so that it displays in the profile, other than just dropping it into memberinfo?

Otherwise, a superb modification, as usual, Michelle. Can't wait to see what else you come out with

[AzzidReign]

You've deleted "noexpression.gif" from your server and you have the template pointing to your server for that image. Anyway you can post it here so I can upload it to my site and change the image location in the template....

[Lea Verou]

Originally Posted by AzzidReign

You've deleted "noexpression.gif" from your server and you have the template pointing to your server for that image. Anyway you can post it here so I can upload it to my site and change the image location in the template....

Oops!
Here's the image:

Kaelon I think it can only be put in memberinfo...
I haven't looked vb3.7's code/templates so far, so I can't be certain.
I'll lay my hands on 3.7 when its gold

[Kaelon]

Originally Posted by Michelle

Oops!
Here's the image:

Kaelon I think it can only be put in memberinfo...
I haven't looked vb3.7's code/templates so far, so I can't be certain.
I'll lay my hands on 3.7 when its gold

Thanks, Michelle. I plopped it at the bottom of memberinfo and it's a good work-around for now.

Any easy/quick way to modify the karma template so that it can expand and collapse like other blocks?

[AzzidReign]

Thanks Michelle!

[Nightcast]

Hi, one of our users may have found a glitch.
Message from the user

Originally Posted by UnknowingAcorn

hey i dunno if im the first to find this. but i stumbled upon a glitch in the Karma system.
i didnt make this into a thread because people would probably use it.

Basically you can get the link for giving the person -5 rep.
for example this random person.

http://www.se7ensins.com/forums/karma.php?do=processvote&u=37978&rating=-5

Than change the last number to like. -10

http://www.se7ensins.com/forums/karma.php?do=processvote&u=37978&rating=-10

and it works without giving an error.

Just thought i should point that out to you.
Thanks,
Adam

[Lea Verou]

I have fixed this, read the thread as I don't remember if I posted an upgrade on the hack or a fix.