Geek Advertising Banner system RC1

HowdA All.

From the makers of Hydrogen comes the latest mack - GAB (Geek Advertising Banners).

This has come about by needing an advertising system that no other hack seemed to totally fulfill. Personally - I really didnt want to burden myself with supporting another hack - but I felt it was significantly better than other hack systems out there so I thought many would be able to benefit from it.

Whats so freaking cool about it?

1- use flash, normal, text based (google adsense) or rotating banners
2- Decide which scripts run the banners
3- Define which forums run the banners
4- define which usergroups can turn off the banners
5- Make ads stop at x amount of hits
6- Make ads stop at x amount of views
7- Make ads start/stop at certain times
8- track views and/or hits
9- Wipes your bum

Why am I releasing this now? It seems to be hip and trendy to release Banner hacks. In all reality - this has been a very long work in progress that is finally rounding the finsihing stages. The current RC pacakge is considered complete except for the show stats segment (its recording stats, but you cant browse them easily yet).

LIke with any hack (especially a Beta) back up you DB and files needing change (global.php,admincp/index.php).

Known issues:

• Flash ads can not appear on same page as a rotating banner ad.
• After installing for the first time, you will most likely need to edit a phrase (any phrase) and click save to rebuild phrases
• Flash banners hide drop down menus!!! Be careful where you put them or dont use them!

Basic install instructions:

• Upload all files to relevant locations
• chmod the gab and gish folders to 777 (or change the owner of the folders to whatever account your PHP process runs under).
• Run the gab_install.php file in your admincp folder.
• Follow the steps.
• On the file changes - pay close attention to see if certain changes couldnt be made. If any changes could not be made, you need to manually make those changes.
• When complete, move changed files from gish/gab/rc1.0 to their respective locations
• Ad a new cron job to run daily (file: GAB_cron_daily.php)
• Edit each gab category to include the forums you want the ads to appear in.
• Ad $GAB_ads[x] to your templates where ever you want ads to appear (x represents the ad number depending on how many ads are set to run on that script. $GAB_ads[0] is the first ad block, $GAB_ads[1] would be the second, etc...)
• Read The Freaking README!!!!!!!

Quick Upgrade instructions

For users of GAB Beta 2, uninstall it and then install this version. In all reality, you could just revert the file changes and delete the GAB_ tables from yur DB (heck, you dont even need to do that).

To upgrade from RC1.5 to RC1.6, just replace existing files with the latest from the downloaded package and run the template portion of the installer (you can skip the rest of the install steps). You may have to revert your GUSH_main and GUSH_ad_row

Donations

I have never asked for donations for any of the macks I have done - however since I have spent well over 60 hours coding this - I thought I would stick my neck out there. If you like my mack, it brings you some money and you want to keep my fridge stocked with beer and Cheetos, then feel free to drop some cash in my paypal account: geek@thenailgeek.com
If youre having difficulty keeping beer in the fridge yourself - fill yours before you fill mine.
If you think the mack sucks, or youre just a tight git then please dont bother

nJoy

[The Geek]

Originally Posted by dmatthams

Hey there, this is the exact hack I have been looking for my site, so much thanks! ( I also just installed your auto av resize =] )

I have followed the instructions and everthing seems to be ok. I have placed $GAB_ad1 in my navbar template, but I get no ads show up

Im betting on it being me doing somthing stupid, but can anyone give me a hand?

you sure that you have ads that qualify to be pulled? ie ticked for the correct scripts, forums, etc... ?

[dmatthams]

tada! (ad is just a tester)

[The Geek]

Originally Posted by dmatthams

tada! (ad is just a tester)

how about your settings? Can you show me those? Or can you give me admin access (need style access to) . Just PM me them if so.

[dmatthams]

hey there, i managed to sort it, but i have no idea how! But thanks all the same

I think i also spotted an error, when I click save on the settings section it shows an error saying could not find phrase 'GAS_settings_saved' ...typo?

Thanks again x] cool forum btw

[The Geek]

cheers. glad its sorted. That error has been fixed for the next release. Its just a phrase error.
THe next release should be out soon - its quite wicked

[danhaga]

Ok... I have made some progress with my issues.. My GAB settings are sorta working.

settings: all the options are there but no save button

display: just a tiny grey box shows up on blue background

add: again all the options are there but no save button..

any help?

thanks

[The Geek]

<div align="center">:cross-eyed:
</div>You have a seriously whacked out situation. None of that makes sense. Have you installed any other mods?

[dmatthams]

http://www.varilla.co.uk/forum/index.php

works like a dream

now to customise my forum :/

[danhaga]

Originally Posted by The Geek

:cross-eyed:

You have a seriously whacked out situation. None of that makes sense. Have you installed any other mods?

just vb3 arcade

do you have aim? if so send me a message at "A Mustang Guy"

thanks

[The Geek]

Originally Posted by dmatthams

http://www.varilla.co.uk/forum/index.php

works like a dream

now to customise my forum :/

glad to hear dmatthams (though when I went I didnt see any ads!)

danhaga - Nope. I avoid MSN and AIM like a Huggy man with a Flesh Eating Bacteria infection. If you want to pm me login details with admin access - ill look into it tomorrow.

[danhaga]

here are my 3 admin screen with there problems (attached)

[vinnycuz]

I am using a old GelTech Blue template....where would I put this:

$GAB_ad{#) ie. $GAB_ad1 and $GAB_ad2

and also, what are the numbers about? Wow Im lost...

btw...using 3.0.6

[gldtn]

Geek,

Gotta love your hack's :P

I think you forgot to drink you coffee and forgot the " . TABLE_PREFIX . " on line 81 of the /admincp/GAB_admin.php which could cause a problem to those using a table prefix on thier database.

Also would be nice to edit the README file to mention something about the table prefix if not somehow add a code that would check for a prefix when running the tables.

Well done hack, but I want my installer

-----

Also when I place the $GAB_ad1 variable on the navbar template I can not see it on forumhome, the forum index page.

[lasto]

installed - got 2 test ads and nothing shows.Have added the info above the navbar yet no ads show and they are correctly done.

[The Geek]

Originally Posted by vinnycuz

I am using a old GelTech Blue template....where would I put this:

$GAB_ad{#) ie. $GAB_ad1 and $GAB_ad2

and also, what are the numbers about? Wow Im lost...

btw...using 3.0.6

Hey guys.
The numbers (ie GAB_ad1, etc...) is to allow you to produce multiple ads depending on your settings. Most will ned up using just one.

gldtn - yea - noticed that and fixed in the next release. Next release should also have installer for phrases, db, and templates

For those with ads not showing up - this is most likely due to no ads qualifying for being pulled. Check the individual settings AND global settings. Remember that they have to be part of a group that will SEE the ad, be in a script that will see an ad.

Play with the settings and remember - this is a beta