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

[punchbowl]

Originally Posted by Rickeo

This should be made like MySpace where it doesn't create a forum on the actual board but creates a posting area in the group section.

Or just at least make it so people including admins and mods on the board can ONLY see forums THEY are apart of.

I mean otherwise it's going to look over flooded and stupid I think it would be best if there was a discussions area on the group page itself that's just my idea and suggestion would be nice to see.

Rick

Group threads are in 3.8. imo social forums are far, far better. Great mod.

[Phalynx]

Originally Posted by mescalin

It would be nice to see delete groups forum for admins just from admincp since some groups are inactive so it would be easier to manage groups forums..

There is no possibility for the user to delete a forum.

Originally Posted by Chris11987

Is this the same thing that they're adding into 3.8?

Almost. Here the group discussions are directly integrated into the forum, with 3.8 you will have discussions like the Blog.

[flOid]

I know from Phalynx that the mod will possibly not being ported into 3.8. The current version of the mod can't be installed on a 3.8 forum anyway.

I'm aware that this mod is better in some ways than the new group discussion feature in 3.8, but nevertheless vB 3.8 does include some social group features which are bloody needed like the ability to transfer groups from one member to another.

So for those who decide to switch, there is something like a converter needed, and I actually hired a freelancer to get it coded. I'll keep you updated about it, and will probably post it here at vB.org as a mod when it's finished.

[fly]

I hope you have his permission...

[punchbowl]

Originally Posted by flOid

I know from Phalynx that the mod will possibly not being ported into 3.8. The current version of the mod can't be installed on a 3.8 forum anyway.

Say it ain't so! It'll take until vb4.0 for them to copy the idea properly.

[Phalynx]

He does not need my permission for this as there are now changes in my code. Also, I would support such a tool. Based on this I would love to see a converter vB3.8 -> SocialForums.

[Morrus]

Eeek. I can't be sure, but I upgraded to 3.8.0 and social groups are now completely broken - no discussion capability at all.

[ReCom]

Installed! Looking good so far but ...

1. The display options (Sorted by, Sort order, From the, Show Threads) at the top of the thread listings doesn't work. Clicking the "Show Threads" button will return error page "Invalid Action Specified" in IE6 and "You did not select any valid threads" in Firefox 3
2. It would be nice if the thread list appear in the social group page as well ...

vB 3.7.3 PL1 btw ..

[Mark.B]

I have to say I shan't be upgrading to 3.8 because of Social Forums not working. vB's new system, whilst an improvement on what went before, still leaves Social Group discussions isolated just like the blogs...if like me you have a site where everyone uses Today's Posts/New Posts, then nobody EVER sees these things. My site's last blog post was in August, for example.

To be honest I'm starting to regret using all the blogs and social networking stuff, it's ill thought out and cobbled together very badly, and now they are having to change it all round again which breaks all the custom fixes people put in to make it work properly - such as this excellent mod!

The *only* way forward for Jelsoft is to have social group discussion posts and blog entries/comments mixed into getdaily and getnew searches, with an additional column to show what each result is..."Forum Post", "Blog Post", "Social Group Post" etc. That's the ONLY way it will ever work properly. But that's not really for this thread.

[Mark.B]

And with that, I successfully killed yet another thread.

It's a new service I offer.

Have YOU got a thread that's bubbling along nicely that you would like stopped in its tracks? Then drop me a line....I'll post to it, and I guarantee it won't get any more replies, ever!