Discouraging people from certain forums? How?

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#259366 - 09/24/03 02:43 PM Discouraging people from certain forums? How?
monkeyra Junior Member Registered: 06/28/01 Posts: 363 Loc: uk	I know this may sound strange, but i'd like to discourage use from a forum!<br />I run a car website, and just lately the off-topic forum is being used more and more, the site is turning into a general chitchat dating site! I dont want to switch it off completley and annoy the users, i just want to gently push them into using the site for what I intended it for, to be used for car chat/advice.<br />Is there anyway to hide a certain forum from the activetopics list? <br />If anyone has any general advice i'd be welcome to hear it.<br />TIA
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#259367 - 09/24/03 02:59 PM Re: Discouraging people from certain forums? How? [Re: Luka_dup1]
msula Addict Registered: 02/18/02 Posts: 1969 Loc: Lansing, Michigan	I know what you mean, my site is vehicle oriented... but now, the off-topic area is way more busy than all of the other forums combined. It was bothersome at first, but the more I thought about it I realized that the people came to the site for one reason.. for the information. Then while there, they make friends who share similar interests, and then spend time chatting.<br /><br />I think the biggest thing to be concerned about is to make sure that ALL off-topic chat is contained in the forum setup for it. Be very strict with that so that all of the technical forums and such are just that. I found that without a place for people to chit-chat and just talk leisurely, then the off-topic dribble gets brought into other forums, and causes more problems.<br /><br />I supposed you could add a small hack or something that limited the number of posts in a certain forum per day or something, but I think like you said, you will start to upset people and may cause more problems.<br /><br />Sorry I can't be of much more help, just some of my own observations from running a specific vehicle forum for 3 years <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
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#259368 - 09/24/03 04:49 PM Re: Discouraging people from certain forums? How? [Re: palmen]
ericgtr Junior Member Registered: 05/12/03 Posts: 1109	Another option is to make it group based and only allow certain users into the group, all others wouldn't be able to see or post in it. I have a couple of them setup that way on my site.
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#259369 - 09/24/03 09:47 PM Re: Discouraging people from certain forums? How? [Re: BlarC]
JoshPet I type Like navaho Registered: 11/29/01 Posts: 11330 Loc: Charlotte, NC	Yeah, make it so only paying members can post there. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /><br /><br />Or tweak it so that the off topic forum doesn't count for post count. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> But maybe that's not their motivation. _________________________ Joshua Pettit www.JoshuaPettit.com My abilities are for hire.
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#259370 - 09/25/03 04:49 AM Re: Discouraging people from certain forums? How? [Re: Daine]
monkeyra Junior Member Registered: 06/28/01 Posts: 363 Loc: uk	[]JoshPet said:<br /><br />Or tweak it so that the off topic forum doesn't count for post count. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> But maybe that's not their motivation. [/]<br /><br />i was going to ask that but didnt think it was possible!<br />so it is possible?
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#259371 - 09/25/03 12:20 PM Re: Discouraging people from certain forums? How? [Re: Luka_dup1]
JoshPet I type Like navaho Registered: 11/29/01 Posts: 11330 Loc: Charlotte, NC	Yeah I've done it here so navaho can't bump his post count in the test forum. LOL <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /><br /><br />Let me see if i posted instructions and/or write something up. _________________________ Joshua Pettit www.JoshuaPettit.com My abilities are for hire.
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#259372 - 09/25/03 09:20 PM Re: Discouraging people from certain forums? How? [Re: Daine]
ksanuk Member Registered: 02/06/02 Posts: 297 Loc: Bangkok, Thailand	Hi,<br /><br />"Or tweak it so that the off topic forum doesn't count for post count."<br />Ooohh, I like it <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/threaddevil.gif" alt="" /><br />We have a forum called the Board Bar in which pretty much anything goes (with exception of flaming and such) and we have had many, many posts in there of people posting only to increase their postcount.<br /><br />Would be a hoot to add this <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /><br /><br />Sanuk!<br />
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#259373 - 09/26/03 02:01 AM

Re: Discouraging people from certain forums? How? [Re: Deyth_Combine]

JoshPet Offline

I type Like navaho

Registered: 11/29/01
Posts: 11330
Loc: Charlotte, NC

OK - here's what I've done here......

Code:

<br />In addpost.php Find this:<br /><br />   // ------------------------<br />   // Up their totalposts by 1 <br />      $Totalposts = $user['U_Totalposts'] + 1;<br />      $CurrTitle  = $user['U_Title'];<br />      $Color         = $user['U_Color'];<br /><br /><br />Change to this:<br /><br />   // ------------------------<br />   // Up their totalposts by 1 <br />   		// If it's the test forum then it's navaho uping his post count<br />   		// don't increase the post count<br />		if ($Board == 'test') {<br />		      $Totalposts = $user['U_Totalposts'];<br />		      $CurrTitle  = $user['U_Title'];<br />		      $Color         = $user['U_Color'];<br />		}    <br />		  else {<br />		      $Totalposts = $user['U_Totalposts'] + 1;<br />		      $CurrTitle  = $user['U_Title'];<br />		      $Color         = $user['U_Color'];<br />		}    <br /><br />

Replace "test" above with the board keyword to exclude. If you have more than one board to exclude.... do the line like this:

Code:

<br />		if (($Board == 'test') || ($Board == 'whatever')) {<br />

or

Code:

<br />		if (($Board == 'test') || ($Board == 'whatever') || ($Board == 'thridboard')) {<br />

Hope that helps. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

_________________________
Joshua Pettit
www.JoshuaPettit.com
My abilities are for hire.

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#259374 - 09/26/03 04:55 AM Re: Discouraging people from certain forums? How? [Re: Daine]
monkeyra Junior Member Registered: 06/28/01 Posts: 363 Loc: uk	Cheers m8!
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#259375 - 09/27/03 11:13 PM Re: Discouraging people from certain forums? How? [Re: Daine]
ksanuk Member Registered: 02/06/02 Posts: 297 Loc: Bangkok, Thailand	Hi,<br /><br />Thanks.<br />Now I am debating whether or not to implement this and risk getting lynched <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /><br /><br />Sanuk!<br />
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#259376 - 09/28/03 01:36 AM Re: Discouraging people from certain forums? How? [Re: Deyth_Combine]
donJulio Code Monkey Registered: 06/17/02 Posts: 682 Loc: CA, USA	[]ksanuk said:<br />Hi,<br /><br />Thanks.<br />Now I am debating whether or not to implement this and risk getting lynched <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /><br /><br />Sanuk!<br /> [/]<br />Maybe they won't even notice. I mean, don't even tell them. Let them figure it out on their own, if someone asks, then explain it to them <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> _________________________ Too many men. There's too many people making too many problems, and not much love to go around. Can't you see this is the Land of Confusion? <img src="http://www.ubbdev.com/forum/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />
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#259377 - 09/28/03 01:48 AM Re: Discouraging people from certain forums? How? [Re: luan]
JoshPet I type Like navaho Registered: 11/29/01 Posts: 11330 Loc: Charlotte, NC	it took people here about a day to notice. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> _________________________ Joshua Pettit www.JoshuaPettit.com My abilities are for hire.
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#259378 - 09/28/03 03:21 AM Re: Discouraging people from certain forums? How? [Re: Daine]
Ian_W Veteran Registered: 02/22/02 Posts: 2570 Loc: England	... Navaho is still not aware <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> Sshh don't tell him though.... _________________________ Fans Focus - Focusing on Fans of Sport (Okay - mainly football (the British variety at the moment - but expanding all the time....)
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#259379 - 09/28/03 02:07 PM Re: Discouraging people from certain forums? How? [Re: Gorlum]
JoshPet I type Like navaho Registered: 11/29/01 Posts: 11330 Loc: Charlotte, NC	LOL<br /><br />I think he noticed right way. LOL He no longer posts there. :lol: _________________________ Joshua Pettit www.JoshuaPettit.com My abilities are for hire.
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#259380 - 10/26/03 04:54 PM Re: Discouraging people from certain forums? How? [Re: Daine]
Mudpuppy Journeyman Registered: 08/16/02 Posts: 113 Loc: Sin City	Since the addition of Josh's Google-friendly mod on my forums, I don't care what my mostly-teenage members are posting about, as long as they're posting. I'm very strict about ensuring that "chit chat" stays in the "off-topic" forums, but I don't mind if they want to talk about homework or complain about their parents or review the new album by P!NK. I link to one of my other sites in my footer file, so every new page which my members generate is another page for Google to crawl, and another backlink for my other site. It also ends up driving new members to the board, because my forums now show up in search results for hundreds of different topics, not just the main topic of my board. I used to be very strict about what could and could not be discussed, but then I realized that the kids saw the board members as "family", and so I changed my thinking to make the best of the situation.<br /><br />To keep other forums on-topic, I try to facilitate discussion by giving the members "topic starters".
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#259381 - 10/26/03 05:14 PM Re: Discouraging people from certain forums? How? [Re: jbiz]
JoshPet I type Like navaho Registered: 11/29/01 Posts: 11330 Loc: Charlotte, NC	<img src="http://www.ubbdev.com/forum/images/graemlins/yay.gif" alt="" /> for Google. <img src="http://www.ubbdev.com/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> _________________________ Joshua Pettit www.JoshuaPettit.com My abilities are for hire.
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#259382 - 12/09/03 10:50 AM Re: Discouraging people from certain forums? How? [Re: Daine]
Mirez Lurker Registered: 12/08/03 Posts: 2	Josh, implemented the code on our site (threads 6.4b1) and can't get it to work?<br /><br /> // Up their totalposts by 1 <br /> // Hack implemented Tue 9th Dec by Mirez<br /> // don't increase the post count in certain forums <br />if ($Board == 'UBB5') { <br /> $Totalposts = $user['U_Totalposts'];<br /> $CurrTitle = $user['U_Title']; <br /> $Color = $user['U_Color']; <br /> } <br /> else { <br /> $Totalposts = $user['U_Totalposts'] + 1; <br /> $CurrTitle = $user['U_Title']; <br /> $Color = $user['U_Color']; <br /> } <br /><br /><br />As above, the forums key if deffo UBB5 but it still increments 1 each time??
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#259383 - 12/22/03 12:58 PM Re: Discouraging people from certain forums? How? [Re: calabash23]
Anno Code Monkey Registered: 05/23/01 Posts: 562 Loc: Austria	It should work...the only thing I could imagine is write<br />if ($Board == "UBB5") { <br />instead of<br />if ($Board == 'UBB5') { _________________________ Subforums for UBBThreads PF-Tek for Simple Minds Mushrooms Gobe
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#259384 - 01/26/04 08:23 AM Re: Discouraging people from certain forums? How? [Re: domain123]
monkeyra Junior Member Registered: 06/28/01 Posts: 363 Loc: uk	Still havent got this hack to work Josh. <img src="http://www.ubbdev.com/forum/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> Mirez is an administrator on my site, he had a go as you can see above, but nothing seems to happen.
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#259385 - 01/26/04 03:50 PM Re: Discouraging people from certain forums? How? [Re: Luka_dup1]
slayer60 Junior Member Registered: 06/14/03 Posts: 1185 Loc: New Boston, NH	Are you sure that UUB5 is the keyword for that board. I'm pretty sure that it is case sensative, so even it is ubb5 instead UBB5, that would be enough of a difference.
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#259386 - 01/26/04 05:50 PM Re: Discouraging people from certain forums? How? [Re: BrokenToy]
omegatron Member Registered: 04/05/01 Posts: 3440 Loc: abingdon,md	UBB5 would be the keyword. That is the base for anyone converting from UBB _________________________ Chuck S DIVE IN AND VISIT ME: Omegatron\'s Reefs Administrator at ReefTalk
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#259387 - 01/27/04 01:27 AM Re: Discouraging people from certain forums? How? [Re: calabash23]
JoshPet I type Like navaho Registered: 11/29/01 Posts: 11330 Loc: Charlotte, NC	Actually - in a recent version the code got changed..... I'm going to report it as a threads bug, as it makes the existing code redundant. But you'll also need to find this:<br /> Code: <br /> UPDATE {$config['tbprefix']}Users<br /> SET U_Totalposts = U_Totalposts + 1,<br /> U_Laston = '$date',<br /> U_Title = '$UserTitle_q'<br /> WHERE U_Number = '{$user['U_Number']}'<br /> <br /><br />Change to this:<br /> Code: <br /> UPDATE {$config['tbprefix']}Users<br /> SET U_Totalposts = $Totalposts,<br /> U_Laston = '$date',<br /> U_Title = '$UserTitle_q'<br /> WHERE U_Number = '{$user['U_Number']}'<br /> _________________________ Joshua Pettit www.JoshuaPettit.com My abilities are for hire.
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#259388 - 01/27/04 06:41 AM Re: Discouraging people from certain forums? How? [Re: Daine]
monkeyra Junior Member Registered: 06/28/01 Posts: 363 Loc: uk	I get this error when installing the hack. The hack seems to work, but i get the error. Also, it doesnt allow post count in any forum, so i need to tweak the code to only let it miss out certain ones yeah?<br /><br />[]<br /><br />SQL ERROR: Tue, Jan 27 2004 07:36:48 -0500 Unable to do_query: UPDATE w3t_Users SET U_Totalposts = Totalposts, U_Laston = '1075225008', U_Title = 'Webmaster' WHERE U_Number = '2' <br />Unknown column 'Totalposts' in 'field list' <br /><br />[/]
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#259389 - 01/27/04 07:01 AM Re: Discouraging people from certain forums? How? [Re: Luka_dup1]
Anno Code Monkey Registered: 05/23/01 Posts: 562 Loc: Austria	=$Totalposts <br />has to be <br />='$Totalposts' _________________________ Subforums for UBBThreads PF-Tek for Simple Minds Mushrooms Gobe
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#259390 - 05/19/04 07:26 AM Re: Discouraging people from certain forums? How? [Re: domain123]
monkeyra Junior Member Registered: 06/28/01 Posts: 363 Loc: uk	just like to say, finally got this working. nice little hack, thanks everyone.
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