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lawblogger

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Our forum is designed to engage users regarding experts. Is it proper to create a "new" forum for each named expert? If so, there is a limitation for only one thread per forum? If I anticipate multiple threads for each "expert", what is the proper design that my xenforo site?

I'd like to create one forum specific to each different type of expert (Civil, Mechanical, Electrical), but I'll need one thread within each Forum for each named expert. As a result, we may have 100's of experts under each forum name, then an infinite amount of replies. As people respond to the thread for each expert, would this make sense?

If this is the proper method, how do I rename each of the three FORUM titles (Civil, Mechanical, Electrical).

Thanks.
 
beerForo said:
You could consider sub-forums as well as prefixes or a mix.
Click to expand...
How do I use sub-forums? What is the "tree" format looking like? Forums (for each type of expert ie. Civil), then sub-forums for each named expert? Can you share an example from another xenforo client that is publicly available?
 
I tried the demo months ago, it didn't answer my questions. The manual contains examples and language that I am not very familiar with interpreting. Are there any Xenforo Freelancers that can "demonstrate" some examples to me? I can follow a sample xenforo thread of conversation by looking at a working model or example. Otherwise, I am wasting too much time "trying" various commands and then sending in tickets / posts in the community to answer my questions. Please let me know your thoughts. I wasn't aware of the limitation on replies for any forum topic.
 
It's easier to try it since sub-forums have a few ways of displaying. But you can see the arrow/dropdown style right here on XF (just scroll down the forum home to find one). Prefixes are also used on this forum, check out the Bug Reports forum for example.

So yes, this site is an example. Just click around.
 
Just like in this example, each forum has a title (public forum, bug reports), and within each forum, there are thousands of threads for the discussions.

I need to create about six forums (one for each expert field, ie. Civil, Mechanical, Electrical), then there are possibly thousands of threads within each forum. Can I use the "thread title" as the name (first name, last name) of the expert, since I believe the thread title field is a searchable field in your database?

Ideally, this is what I am trying to achieve? Thoughts or suggestions?
 
lawblogger said:
Can I use the "thread title" as the name (first name, last name) of the expert, since I believe the thread title field is a searchable field in your database?
Click to expand...
Are you talking about the "experts" starting the threads or about end users? If end users, how will they know "which expert" they want to talk with?

An option may be to look at using prefixes, and then giving the "experts" the ability to edit the thread titles and assign themselves via Prefix as the expert.

The best solution, since there is no clean way to do it without a lot of outside intervention for assigning to experts, would be pursue a bespoke add-on that would allow a set group or groups to assign a prefix to the topic, and those be your experts that would be handling it, and the prefixes be their identifiers.
 
Tracy Perry said:
Are you talking about the "experts" starting the threads or about end users? If end users, how will they know "which expert" they want to talk with?

An option may be to look at using prefixes, and then giving the "experts" the ability to edit the thread titles and assign themselves via Prefix as the expert.

The best solution, since there is no clean way to do it without a lot of outside intervention for assigning to experts, would be pursue a bespoke add-on that would allow a set group or groups to assign a prefix to the topic, and those be your experts that would be handling it, and the prefixes be their identifiers.
Click to expand...
The users will start the threads. They can search the database for an expert or start a new thread with the name of the expert. The experts can post replies to the threads. The members (or users) are driving the feedback, as a way to provide a review of their experience with the expert.

In other words, can I use the name of the expert as the "thread title" in order for users to search the database?
 
lawblogger said:
The users will start the threads. They can search the database for an expert or start a new thread with the name of the expert. The experts can post replies to the threads. The members (or users) are driving the feedback, as a way to provide a review of their experience with the expert.

In other words, can I use the name of the expert as the "thread title" in order for users to search the database?
Click to expand...
To "start a new thread with the name of the expert", prefixes would work.... for the other, letting the "experts" edit the thread and assign a prefix consisting of their name would work...
For that area, you could require the use of a prefix... and those prefixes be the experts names... but that pre-supposes that they know which expert they need to talk to.
But the BEST solution, since either one of the above is trying to shoe-horn a built in ability to fit an edge case need would be engage in a bespoke add-on. That way, you could have the add-on display different "Expert Fields", then in those the experts... then the end user could select the desired expert.... you could even go so far as to have a "bio page" link ability (in a pop up) for each expert so that the user could find one they would rather use, then once that is done, the post generated into a general topic area with that "experts" prefix attached to it. By using the prefixes, the end users could filter for that expert by simply clicking on the prefix name that is theirs. In fact, you could even take it MUCH further, allow multiple prefixes... one being the topic of experts and then the other the expert name. Then you could have the ability to filter based upon the experts topics (and replies from ALL the experts) or more detailed down to the individual expert level. THAT would fit what you need much better than trying to force an awkward solution upon your users.
 
Last edited:
You can search a user's posts by username. This can be their real name or not, doesn't matter. I can search by name in the "By:" field and leave the title blank or search a keyword. Why wouldn't this work for you? If you want experts to use real names you can require it.
 
Last edited:
Tracy Perry said:
To "start a new thread with the name of the expert", prefixes would work.... for the other, letting the "experts" edit the thread and assign a prefix consisting of their name would work...
For that area, you could require the use of a prefix... and those prefixes be the experts names... but that pre-supposes that they know which expert they need to talk to.
But the BEST solution, since either one of the above is trying to shoe-horn a built in ability to fit an edge case need would be engage in a bespoke add-on. That way, you could have the add-on display different "Expert Fields", then in those the experts... then the end user could select the desired expert.... you could even go so far as to have a "bio page" link ability (in a pop up) for each expert so that the user could find one they would rather use, then once that is done, the post generated into a general topic area with that "experts" prefix attached to it. By using the prefixes, the end users could filter for that expert by simply clicking on the prefix name that is theirs. In fact, you could even take it MUCH further, allow multiple prefixes... one being the topic of experts and then the other the expert name. Then you could have the ability to filter based upon the experts topics (and replies from ALL the experts) or more detailed down to the individual expert level. THAT would fit what you need much better than trying to force an awkward solution upon your users.
Click to expand...
I registered as a new user on my forum, just to check it out. I created like ten forums. Can I login again as a registered user and delete them? Knowing that I need only six forums, and the threads within each forum as the expert, I want to modify it. I created my own account as a user however, anytime I access the site, the forums that I created (not as an admin), can be viewed on the homepage (without any login)? Weird?
 
lawblogger said:
I was able to generate new "forums"? I need to better understand the forum commands / privileges when logged in as admin. How do I delete? The forums appear permanently when accessing www.esquireforum.com, even without a login?
Click to expand...
I checked it again. It appears like one forum named "Main Forum", with about ten threads inside this forum. How do I rename the Main Forum?
 
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