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

[Phalynx]

Maybe
Should Users that are not a Member of the social group allowed to read in the social forum?

Originally Posted by cd1986

I just came from vbulletin.com, having had my first look at vB 3.7, and was disappointed with their half-hearted attempt at social groups. This mod might just have convinced me to renew my old vB licence.

One quick question - is it possible to require users to subscribe (pay) to join a social forum? If not, would I be able to help by funding the development of that particular feature for this mod?

Setup a subsription with usergroups and allow only this usergroup to join a social group.

Originally Posted by aidler

What can I do to link a already existing forum (a forum that I had before this mod came out) to a social group.

Run a query (don't forget a prefix):
UPDATE socialgroup SET forumid=YOURFORUMID WHERE groupid=YOURSOCIALGROUPID

[Mum]

Is there any way i can hide just ONE social group - ie no one can see it.

[Phalynx]

This mod does not hide groups, it hides forums of the groups.

[Mum]

Yeah, i was just wondering if there was a way Thanks.

[almera]

Originally Posted by almera

Will the forum section of a social group be more visible too? As it is now it's easy to miss out the feature. I think the best would be if the forum either was integrated in the group page, or if there was a feed consisting of the latest posts on the group page.

No one else agrees on this, or maybe it is easy for anyone to change the layout for the group pages?

[Mum]

Ok, there appears to be an issue.

Under the social group it is set as Group Type: Public, and i've got it ticked that you must be a member to view.

Then under usergroup permissions it's got Can read messages in public socialforum NO Can write messages in public socialforum NO.

Yet they can still see the forum, and see the messages inside it. Why?

[Phalynx]

Originally Posted by almera

No one else agrees on this, or maybe it is easy for anyone to change the layout for the group pages?

I already confirmed multiple times that the group homepage will have threads from the forum.

Originally Posted by Mum

Ok, there appears to be an issue.

Under the social group it is set as Group Type: Public, and i've got it ticked that you must be a member to view.

Then under usergroup permissions it's got Can read messages in public socialforum NO Can write messages in public socialforum NO.

Yet they can still see the forum, and see the messages inside it. Why?

Did you enabled Restriction Mode?

[Mum]

Yes.

[Phalynx]

Please PN me with details of a temporary admin account to your forum.

[Phalynx]

Everyone who is asking why invite only groups (not forums!!!) are still visible, can read this thread on vbulletin.com:
http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php?t=265487

Programmers of vBulletin are argumenting why they did not implemented a hidden group.