Show Thread Enhancements - Post Ranking System

Post Ranking System
by FullyTested

This product does not modify any VB MySQL tables and thus can be used by all forums regardless of whether they have three thousand posts or three million posts in their database.
Also, no manual template edits.

In A Nutshell:

1. This product provides the ability to track the quality of post contributions made by your registered members.
   Each member's rank totals may be displayed (and are searchable) via the postbit template and/or public profile page.
2. Each post may be ranked 'up' (+1 point) or 'down' (-1 point) by your registered members. Each member may only do this once per post.
   This is done via AJAX if the viewer's browser has JavaScript enabled, or via a link, if not.
   Once a post has reached a certain point threshold (value is set via AdminCP), it's rank changes accordingly.
   All posts start as 'Neutral'.
   Positively ranked posts may have their rank changed to 'Highly Ranked' or 'Highest Ranked'.
   Negatively ranked posts may have their rank changed to 'Lowly Ranked' or 'Lowest Ranked'.
3. Whenever a post has its rank changed, the post creator has his/her rank totals updated accordingly.

Available Options:

• Rank threshold values may be changed at any time., Rank totals are then updated accordingly.
• Each rank can have it's own text colour.
• Each user has the option to have 'Lowest' ranked posts hidden in a collapsed state (same as the ignore postbit). This option is turned on via the User CP thread display options.
• Each user has the option to have 'Highest' ranked posts highlighted to destinguish them from the rest of the posts in the thread. This option is turned on via the User CP thread display options.
• Ability to globally force the above highlighted/hidden posts on all users.
• Option to have extremely lowly ranked posts auto 'soft' deleted. If post is subsequently undeleted, it's rank will revert to 'Neutral'.
• Ability to email mods upon auto deletion of a post.
• Selection of usergroups that may not rank posts.
• Selection of usergroups who's posts cannot be ranked.
• Exclude specific forums from post ranking.
• Ability to include/exclude rank name ('Highest Ranked') in postbit
• Ability to include/exclude rank score (+10/-5) in postbit
• Display user's post rank totals within the postbit template.
• Display user's post rank totals within the public profile page.
• Search for posts of a certain rank, which belong to a specific member, via the postbit or public profile page.
• Display total count, and search for, posts of a certain rank via the 'Post Ranking System' menu in AdminCP.
• Manage votes by User or Post via Admin CP.
• Statistics page where top posts and top posters are displayed. This page may be limited certain usergroups.
• Ability to set a cut-off date (in days). Posts older than x number of days cannot be ranked.

Accountable Actions

• Post delete (soft and physical) // rank totals decrement
• Post undelete // rank totals increment
• Post mergers // rank totals decrement as post may no longer reflect original content on which it was ranked
• Thread delete (soft and physical) // rank totals decrement
• Thread undelete // rank totals increment
• User mergers // ranks transferred to new user
• User delete // voted upon post ranks updated., tables cleared of said user

To Install:
Please see the 'ReadMe' file for installation instructions.
Installing this mod should take no longer than 5 minutes.

Version 2.5
Fixed small bug with the stats page.
Added the ability to have the score and rank images display in a separate line when default setting is to not have the thread title in every post.
The following files have changed:
- postrankstats.php (please re-FTP to your server)
- product_postrank.xml (please re-import with 'Allow Overwrite' selected)

[Stubbed]

furst - Sounds like a JS issue, might pay to post up what OS/Browser you're running.

I've changed the values multiple times and all appears well.

[furst]

Originally Posted by Stubbed

furst - Sounds like a JS issue, might pay to post up what OS/Browser you're running.

I've changed the values multiple times and all appears well.

I'm using Chrome. I reinstalled the mod and now that issue is gone.

I have another problem now. I've enabled highlighting in my User CP. Now pages that contain highlighted posts are all broken. When I try to enter one I just get a big white screen. This is probably because my postbit legacy template is modified a bit. What is an elegant solution around this?

Feature Wish List:
- option: person can't rate themselves
- option: turn on highlighting for all members by default

I want to restrict rating to my moderators. This will keep it from becoming a popularity contest and will help bring attention to high quality content. I just need to fix my highlighting issues to get started. I've disabled the hack until then.

[FullyTested]

Originally Posted by Cryo

Is there any way to customize this further, by making it a global setting starting on "Low" ranked posts?

Originally Posted by furst

Is there a way to turn highlighting on for all users by default?

I will look into setting these two options (lowest and highest) globally for all users

Originally Posted by Cryo

I'd like to have the option to show post values, doesn't seem like it would be too difficult to add.

I purposely chose not to do that as +100/-30 means nothing if one does not know what the threshold values are.
Besides not knowing what other people voted makes your vote bias free

Originally Posted by furst

- option: person can't rate themselves

What difference does it make? If moving up/down one level takes lets say 25 votes then who cares about that one vote.
I chose to do it this way as it displays the post with the coloured icons instead of the greyed out ones

Originally Posted by furst

I've enabled highlighting in my User CP. Now pages that contain highlighted posts are all broken. When I try to enter one I just get a big white screen. This is probably because my postbit legacy template is modified a bit. What is an elegant solution around this?

As I did not want to create a duplicate postbit template just for highlighting, I chose instead to do the inelegant way of substituting the alt1 and alt2 classes in highlighted posts. As your problem illustrates this is not an ideal solution, however, since you have a custom postbit, a duplicate template would not have solved the issue either. Not sure what the answer is.

Originally Posted by furst

I want to restrict rating to my moderators.

Do you mean you do not want others to rank posts created by your mods?

[PamelaE]

Originally Posted by Vaupell

Hmm clicked tons of posts and had a few testers just clicking around + and -
still it says

i was able to vote the same threads again..

Thats meant to be normal but not a great user experience on on many levels leaves the application rather redundant. Its basically another ratings type system but you need a certain amount of votes to get any form of feedback via the stats.

The forum I run is busy and the posts turn over quickly. It might be better is this was not done on a post by post basis but instead took into account all a users posts.

So if I get positive clicks on 25 of my posts I get ranked as a positive poster or something. I just don't see this working. I think the concept is a great one and perhaps its something that could be integrated with the groan/thank you hack or the actual ratings system already built in. But as a standalone application it will leave most people either without any stats or if you alter it, with too many.

Originally Posted by FullyTested

First of all I assume (we all know what that means ) that if one is capable of installing this mod, then one is also capable of opening the readme file in a text editor to read it. But, none the less, point taken and I shall convert it to html on next update.

Thanks.

I thought this too. Don't people own wordpad. Its fine in wordpad.

[FullyTested]

Originally Posted by PamelaE

Thats meant to be normal but not a great user experience on on many levels leaves the application rather redundant. Its basically another ratings type system but you need a certain amount of votes to get any form of feedback via the stats.

The only reason the stats are there is so one can search for posts of a certain rank by a specific user.
The post ranking is not supposed to provide an 'experience' for the clicker, nor is it meant to be a good behaviour point gathering counter (such as ranked badges).
It is what it is, a post ranking system. Nothing more.

[imedic]

I have same issue with a very active forum already surpassing moderators ability to keep a close eye on posts.
I was looking to a solution to that (more moderators not solving the problem of overlapping when reading so I will still need to read all posts to be sure I don't miss unwanted behavior)

This mod can be used to give permission only to a group (say junior moderators). Access to that group will be automated and reputation based, so it will have valuable members in it (like members with allot of thanks , nominated threads, number of posts)
Then the most important feature will be deletion of posts when a certain number of negative votes will be met.

This will give them a sense of responsability for our forum and will auto delete offtopics or not useful messages upon junior moderators negative vote.

The color change feature will make a Christmas three of the tread so I will ignore it. (does not work for me not that is not useful)

1. I am not clear if you don't have permission to vote you will see the notice in each message (High , low ... )
I will keep an eye on the mode and if my moderators think it will help will give it a go because is already full time job to moderate my forum (actually a very good thing )

I will appreciate thoughts regarding the integration of this mod in the community and how was perceived. Did it helped you in any way? How?

Edit:
2. Can the buttons and the High / Low ranking text be placed on the blue bar next to post number and how? It will not eat space from the actual post and it will not clutter the view.
3. Deleted posts are soft deleted? Is there any marking so I can see is deleted by this mode and not manually by a supermoderator?

[superthang]

This is kind of confusion with all the highest and highly.

Is there a way to make it more simple like slickdeals?

just thumb up and thumb down?

[furst]

Originally Posted by FullyTested

What difference does it make? If moving up/down one level takes lets say 25 votes then who cares about that one vote.

Refer to the point made at the bottom of this post. I do not want to have my mods rating themselves as there is no way to track who rates who.

Originally Posted by FullyTested

As I did not want to create a duplicate postbit template just for highlighting, I chose instead to do the inelegant way of substituting the alt1 and alt2 classes in highlighted posts. As your problem illustrates this is not an ideal solution, however, since you have a custom postbit, a duplicate template would not have solved the issue either. Not sure what the answer is.

So what do you suggest I do in order to get this working correctly?

Originally Posted by FullyTested

Do you mean you do not want others to rank posts created by your mods?

No, I want only my mods to have rating power. This way it's like my mods are responsible for locating and highlighting quality content.

[FullyTested]

So what do you suggest I do in order to get this working correctly?

You will have to create a duplicate to your custom postbit and then call that one for highlighting purposes. I'm afraid I cannot provide free services to custom modify this or any other mod.

No, I want only my mods to have rating power. This way it's like my mods are responsible for locating and highlighting quality content.

All you have to do then is add everyone except your mods to the exclude usergroup list.

[FullyTested]

Originally Posted by imedic

Deleted posts are soft deleted? Is there any marking so I can see is deleted by this mode and not manually by a supermoderator?

Yes