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

[Mum]

For added bonus set the Main Forum (the ID number for socialforums add-on) to not be indexed in searches either.

How do you do this bit?

[Mum]

Seems to be a problem? I have created a group, moderated. and set the forum member level at 2 (ie 2 members to make a forum) - there are 2 members in teh group, but there is no 'create forum' link - how do you make a forum now?

[Phalynx]

Do the usergroup the user is in have the permission to create a forum?

[Mark.B]

After today's update I have finally installed this, after watching for weeks, as it now does most things it needs to do to work well on my site.

I have thrown caution to the wind and opened it right up to my members, I predict chaos but I'm sure it'll settle down.

I firmly believe the next step for forums is giving users more control. This effectively allows them to create and, up to a point, manage their own forums.

My next addon will be the user smilies hack so that people can then also have their own smilies.

Having everything pre-ordained for you is SOOOO 2005!

[Mark.B]

Originally Posted by Mum

Seems to be a problem? I have created a group, moderated. and set the forum member level at 2 (ie 2 members to make a forum) - there are 2 members in teh group, but there is no 'create forum' link - how do you make a forum now?

Have you enabled it in the usergroup permissions?

[Baldilocks]

Originally Posted by Mum

How do you do this bit?

It the last selection in the same area as "Act as Forum, etc..." Last Choice is "Should Posts in this forum be indexed?" Set to NO.

[tei727]

Originally Posted by Baldilocks

They will only show if they have read/write permissions.
For added bonus set the Main Forum (the ID number for socialforums add-on) to not be indexed in searches either.

Even I as Super Admin can't get into the "Ladies Only" social forum--I already tried, nor do their messages show up on a New Posts/Today's Posts search.

i appreciate the idea but this makes me a bit nervous. i think the super admin needs to have, at least, viewing permissions if for no other reason but to ensure there is no illegal content. anyway to override this? thanks!!

[Baldilocks]

Yes, you can set it up in the Admininstrator Usergroup Permissions under Social Forums.

Set Can View Private Forums: YES

[AWS]

Permissions don't seem to work correctly.

I have unregistered/not logged in set to view public social forums and the rest as no. Unregistered can not view the forum. Even if I enable all permissions they still can't view them. The only way to make them visible is to turn off permissions system. The problem with this is private group forums are also visible. I want public group forums viewable by all and private groups forums viewable by only members that are invited.

Second problem is the write permissions seem to be backwards. If I disable posting to public forums for Users Awaiting Email Confirmation, Banned Users and 2 custom groups they can still post. If I set permission to enable posting they get no permission error. This one can create big problems. If you want to test the posting bug register an account. After you get the message to verify the account, don't verify it, go to the forum home and enter one of the social forums. Create a new thread.

For the record I have the newest version installed.

[Baldilocks]

In the SocialForums settings in vBulletin Options, do you have it set to "Check For Permissions" ??

Just wondering.