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

[flOid]

Is the "Users must join to view the content" option applied at all for private groups/forums, or am I missing something? Users of my board are complaining that despite of the setting, other users who are not member of the group can't view the forum link/content.

[Phalynx]

Once again: Check usergroup permissions and also if you enabled restriction mode.

[flOid]

Restriction mode is enabbled.

I don't see any option in usergroup permission which sets the permissions for private groups/forms with "Users must join to view the content" enabled. There are only general permissions for read/write access for public and private forums, but not for private forums that have "Users must join to view the content".

I'm quiet sure that this option isn't applied at all for moderated groups/forums.

[Phalynx]

Read = View

[flOid]

I'm aware of that.

But I just realized that I did put myself wrong: What I'm speaking about are private forums which have not "Users must join to view the content" enabled. So for example new members are moderated, but all groups can view the content of the forums.

Right now, this doesn't seem to be possible.

[Phalynx]

Usergroup permission is independent of "Users must join to view the content"

[flOid]

So what does that mean? The "Users must join to view the content" function is completely ignored for private groups/forums? It's not possible to make contents of moderated groups/forums available to other groups?

Please be finally clear on this!

[Phalynx]

As I already said, forums are using permissions that are set via usergroup. If you want to share private forums content, set it via usergroup manager.

[flOid]

Sigh. I only want to share private forum contents of groups that have "Users must join to view the content" disabled, but I don't want to make forum contents of private forums generally available for any specific usergroup.

I don't understand, why isn't the "Users must join to view the content" function being ignored for moderated/invite only forums? Why is it there at all, if it isn't applied? Does it only apply for pictures and group messages, but not for forums? Please be finally a bit more specific on this, and explain this with more than a one line reply!

All I want is a link for a group forum in the forum index and group home page for a moderated group with "Users must join to view the content" disabled, and the possibility to actually view forum contents for non-members of a moderated group.

Please let me know if that is possible at all, and how to do that.

If that is not posible, I think it would be a good idea to change that with the next update, as this is VERY confusing, especially for users.

[Phalynx]

"Users must join to view the content" does not come with my modification, it is included by Jelsoft. Please ask them about this as I'm also not sure why it is there.