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]

powerful_rogue:

Originally Posted by Phalynx

It's just adding threads, not forums. So I think I will maintain this also with vB 3.8

vb3.8 has social groups with threads but not really forums like this mod. I'm not upgrading my main forum because of this.

[powerful_rogue]

Thanks punchbowl. I think i'll hang fire for the time being.
Hopefully someone might create it as a mod for 3.8

[abdobasha2004]

gr8 work
thanx

[rob01]

this cant work for 3.8? :S

[Varsh]

Originally Posted by punchbowl

vb3.8 has social groups with threads but not really forums like this mod. I'm not upgrading my main forum because of this.

Indeed. Phalanx made this mod a couple of weeks as I was thinking of a way myself of implementing it, then this came out of the blue and I was stoked to see it. As 3.8 still does not support attachments, then this is my only option until Jelsoft implement it itself.

Please update this soon Phalanx, we all love the mod.

[Phalynx]

Originally Posted by flOid

Done now. See https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=197898

Would be nice if thise who already used this script would mark this mod as installed now.

Thanks for sharing.

[wmlvb]

HI,

I was waiting for 3.8 to come out as I really need a good social group feature. I am extremely disappointed because they have no notification when you subscribe the the group under group tools. Instead to be notified of new message you have to go check for new discussion and subscribe to each new discussion.

I really need it to be on one time thing where you are subscribe to the entire group discussion if you choose that option. I am not sure why vb has group subscription if there in no notification. Seems like a huge mistake or bug.

Any way, Does socialforums have this feature where you are already subscribed to every new discussion topic that comes up new or do you have to come back online to check for new discussion and then subscribe?

If so I need to get this as a compliment or instead of VB social groups.

Can I use it as a compliment to VB 3.8 social group or will I have to disable it to use social groups? Will I be able to easily transfer all the social groups already created over to socialforums if I have to disable vb social groups?

[Phalynx]

SocialForums have ALL features that a forum can have, incl. subscriptions.

You can have both enabled, but only discussions are visible on group's page.

[wmlvb]

Originally Posted by Phalynx

SocialForums have ALL features that a forum can have, incl. subscriptions.

You can have both enabled, but only discussions are visible on group's page.

Thanks for reply. So does this mean that you actually have two groups systems or will the groups already created be integrated into the Socialforums system?

[Varsh]

All this plugin does is add the ability to have SG forums with the exact same ability that other forums can have. Why Jelsoft have not done this I do not know, it makes a lot more sense than SG discussions.

This plugin does allow you to turn off SG discussions (a very good idea as you'll be using forums).