Buy/Sell/Trade User Rating System (aka eBay Style User Feedback Hack)

Buy / Sell / Trade User Rating System (aka eBay Style User Feedback Hack)

Standard Disclaimer:
BACKUP YOUR DATABASE & FILES BEFORE IMPLEMENTING THIS HACK!!!

Description:
This is a rating system for when members buy / sell /trade items from each other. It is based on the honor system since there is no way to truly tell if they did engage in a transaction. However I created this system because it was a pain to try and maintain a single thread listing good / bad traders and so far has worked out quite well.

Key Features:
- Rate Member Positive/Negative/Neutral
- Specify Buyer, Seller, or Trade
- Leave comments about the deal
- Records date when rating created
- Specify a URL to the deal
- Admins & Super Mods can delete ratings (just incase)
- Pagination (Just for Mist )

Current Version: v1.11
There are instructions in the zip for upgrading from 1.0 -> 1.1
*Note*, I forgot the change of templates "faq" & "faq2" (added as steps 19 & 20), thats why I uploaded v1.11, otherwise everything is the same as v1.1 (If you don't want the little FAQ part, just remove the FAQ link in the getinfo template below the rating stuff)

Tested On vBulletin Version: 2.2.9, 2.3.0
(should be compatible with all versions, very simple stuff)

To Do List: (Last Edited: 05/01/03)
- Send user an email when feedback is left for them
- Allow the user who received the feedback to comment on the feedback left for them. (For Neutral/Negative Feeback Only)
- Allow optional time limits for how often you can rate someone
- Allow all columns to be sortable ASC/DSC
- create a sort of wall of fame / shame (check this thread) for more info
- have a link so you can find out all the people you rated (and how you rated them)

Additions & Changes:
1 File Uploaded
1 Table Added
1 Table Changed
3 Files Changed
10 Templates Added
5 Templates Changed

Credits:
I can't take the entire credit for this hack, while I did have the idea in my head for a while, I took bits and pieces of code off of the User Ratings hack written by EXCHANGE.

Also I would like to give a big thanks to all the members at the Extreme Overclocking Forums that helped me test out this hack as well as give me suggestions for additions and improvements.

Like My Hack?:
If you like this hack and are currently using it, please click the INSTALL button. You will receive updates in your e-mail, whenever I add new features (or fix bugs). Also any comments / suggestions are welcome. Your opinions help make it a better hack!

Sites Currenly Using This Hack:
(If you would like your site listed, please let me know so I can add it to the list!)
forums.extremeoverclocking.com
www.sportscardforum.com
www.honda-acura.net
www.graphcal-illusions.com
www.7thgencivic.com/forums/
www.vb-host.com
www.planetwrx.com

[Fi_InCogNiTo]

Today at 01:53 PM eoc_Jason said this in Post #16
Fi_InCogNiTo - 1. I can add that in fairly simple, but most people seem to notice their number change as soon as they post something. 2. Hmmm, so you mean like a rebuttle type comment? That is definitly possible, I'll have to sit and think about that for a while. So far the few members I have that got negative comments knew they were going to get them because a deal went bad...

It would still be nice to have an email sent just to inform the person of a new entry. If possible, it would be nice to have a link back to the users feedback page/profile and the member name and comment left in the email also.

And yep, a rebuttle type comment would be nice also.

I sent you a PM

[eoc_Jason]

That was actually a feature I was going to add in, and have the comment hyperlink to the thread. I just had to make the decision to stop adding and tweaking stuff and finally get some code written out so other people could implement it.

I'll add that feature in on the next release, which I should probably have posted maybe this next weekend.

Today at 05:00 PM CJi said this in Post #18
I've added a field to supply the URL to which the feedback relates, this way users can't just add feedback to their friends, and if they do, they get found out.

[PurpleCow]

This is an extremely useful hack for my new board to be launched. Since my board will be a marketplace, where trading/buying/selling is done...i am also considering a few custom modules to be coded. This one will be integrated along with those hacks. I'll wait for your next release, which'll have more features.

Well done ! Keep up the great work, chief !

Cheers

[LavaNoX]

This is such a great hack idea, great work

[eoc_Jason]

Just a little progress update, since I couldn't sleep tonight I worked some more adding in the features that some of you suggested.

Things I have added (this will be v1.1 when I post it):
1. Pagination - It defaults to the user's / forum's default page length if you don't specify a number, otherwise it is whatever you want it to be. (This really only involved taking like 5 lines of code from showthread.php, no reason to reinvent the wheel).

2. Submitting a URL - I checked out how CJi did it on his forum, and since I really didn't want to add an extra column in the popup window, I made it if they entered a URL it would make the comment text hyperlinked, otherwise it displays as normal. However this can be changed up with minimal editing.

3. User Definable Stuff - Just set some variables at the top of the usertrade.php so that you can set various things to your liking.

4. Changed the [delete] link to just a [X] in smallfont, and also made the username in smallfont to match the rest of the displayed info in the popup box.

Things left to do - Email Notification & Rebuttle Box.

Unfortunatly I haven't upgraded to vB 2.3.0 yet, and I know they changed up the email function some from the changelog, so I need to glance over the stuff to make sure it is compatible across various versions.

I'll post the updated version (I guess we shall call it v1.1) tomorrow afternoon when I get home from work. It seems to be running all smooth on my forum but I want to glance over the code one last time when I'm actually conscience and clean it up a bit.

Most of the changes were in the usertrade.php file, I think you will have to change only 1 or 2 templates and that is all to make the upgrade.

[eoc_Jason]

Also, on a side note, I'm trying to think up a better name for the whole thing, something short and sweet... About the only thing I can think of is: "vBTrader"

Any ideas or suggestions?

[cinq]

Thanks for the explanation Jason.

I think this is a really useful hack. For almost all sites which have some form of Buying and Selling and Trading going on , this sure is good to have.

Will definitely install this once the new version rolls out

As for the name , how abt vBTraderRatings ?

vBTrader sounds more like an intergrated classifieds system ... of cos if you could make that too i would be eternally grateful haha ... ok ok so i digress

[Dean C]

Mist - I know, I'm gonna add pagination in next... , also about the colors I think I'm to have to create something because I would like it to be a little more user definable (thought it's just that one line of code, not hard to find), but I was thinking of having the actual number color-coded too on the threadview & profile page.

This could simply be done by adding an option vbulletin options to select the color for positive,neutral and negative. Then put the global variable in the templates - problem solved

- miSt

[eoc_Jason]

There is one in the works, it's called vBay, just do a search for it, it's still being developed by some guy, but it looks to be very promising. Auction style & regular classified style listings... If he does pull it off I think it should become standard in vBulletin!

Today at 06:05 AM cinq said this in Post #27
vBTrader sounds more like an intergrated classifieds system ... of cos if you could make that too i would be eternally grateful haha ... ok ok so i digress

[Dean C]

Such a feature would never get in simply due to the excess coding it would require and also because it would not be used by more than 25% of the audience (and that is being optimistic)

- miSt