Missing: Social Groups + Group-forums

[erich37]

XenForo is great as it is, but I think one of the Core-Features which are still missing are some sort of "Groups" so that users can associate themselves to certain Groups.

Maybe also having Group-Forums for each of those Groups ?

For example, XING.com is using Group-Forums (public or invitation-based), which can be applied for by moderators to "run" a certain Group, so people can set-up their own Group-Forum based on their interest and they can invite already existing members or people who are not yet members of your website to join this specific Group.

So this would be free viral-marketing for your very own Forum.

Also see this suggestion:
http://xenforo.com/community/threads/suggestion-replace-members-page-with.2773/

 

[Foxtrek_64]

I operate a community based around an online game where people can create in-game clans and factions. I would really love for this to be mirrored on my forum.

I've tried the social groups plugins from OzzMods and Nobita, and neither were really what I was looking for. I have not tried DragonByte's plugin yet, but it looks to be pretty similar to Nobita's.

I do hear Naz has one that he's working on and I'm holding out for that, but he's of course busy with getting XF 2.3 out of beta.

I'd really love to see some sort of native solution.

 

[Marcus]

Do you want a private forum with limited access ? Or that a user can setup a forum ?

 

[Foxtrek_64]

Do you want a private forum with limited access ? Or that a user can setup a forum ?

In my case, I would want this managed by the users.

 

[Marcus]

So that users can create a “forum” and also moderate it? So the user that creates the forum would have admin rights like forum view permissions and he can assign mods to the forum who then can moderate threads.

 

[Foxtrek_64]

So that users can create a “forum” and also moderate it? So the user that creates the forum would have admin rights like forum view permissions and he can assign mods to the forum who then can moderate threads.

That's the idea! You can take a look at the plugins by OzzMods and Nobita, both named "Social Groups," to get a better idea of what this suggestion is asking for.

 

[Seeker-Smith]

That's the idea! You can take a look at the plugins by OzzMods and Nobita, both named "Social Groups," to get a better idea of what this suggestion is asking for.

https://www.dragonbyte-tech.com/store/dragonbyte-social-groups.414/ does that and more. It's very slick, well coded and 2.3 compatible.

 

[cdub]

https://www.dragonbyte-tech.com/store/dragonbyte-social-groups.414/ does that and more. It's very slick, well coded and 2.3 compatible.

Yes but it should be 1st party

 

[Dad.]

Yes but it should be 1st party

Agreed. When I see a well-developed third-party product, my reaction is also to rebuild it first party.

 

[Seeker-Smith]

Yes but it should be 1st party

I disagree. Most don't use it.

 

[CedricV]

I disagree. Most don't use it.

Maybe more would use it if it’s first party.

 

[Seeker-Smith]

Maybe more would use it if it’s first party.

Well at least with a private developer you have a chance to get features added. XFMG looks like it’ll never change.

 

[CedricV]

Well at least with a private developer you have a chance to get features added. XFMG looks like it’ll never change.

Can’t argue there.

 

[Alpha1]

A strong aspect of this suggestion is that clubs or groups functionality in core, would be something that many addon developers could build upon in the same way that many 3rd party addons offer support for XFMG or XFRM if the functionality relates to the functionality of the addon.

For example: if XF would have clubs, then we will likely see 3rd party addon developers extend their existing addons and release functionality for things like Club chat/shoutbox, Club badges, Club blogs, Club articles, Club wiki, Club classifieds, Club shop, Paid clubs, Club Filters, Club Events/Calendar, etc.

 

[cdub]

Agreed. When I see a well-developed third-party product, my reaction is also to rebuild it first party.

Groups should be core so other add-ons can build off of it.

A strong aspect of this suggestion is that clubs or groups functionality in core, would be something that many addon developers could build upon in the same way that many 3rd party addons offer support for XFMG or XFRM if the functionality relates to the functionality of the addon.

For example: if XF would have clubs, then we will likely see 3rd party addon developers extend their existing addons and release functionality for things like Club chat/shoutbox, Club badges, Club blogs, Club articles, Club wiki, Club classifieds, Club shop, Paid clubs, Club Filters, Club Events/Calendar, etc.

Exactly.

 

[Hareon]

I think this is a wonderful idea, but I don't expect the Xenforo team to work on it. I've seen so many wonderful suggestions and... from 2010... After 14 years I have no hope that they will ever do it.

 

[Ricsca]

vbulletin and invisioni has groups, in the core but I have never seen a forum with the groups section active, that has users using it...
Groups can only work in a very, very active community, so active that users prefer to write in groups instead of writing in the forum...
otherwise they become counterproductive because they make threads in the forum lose and go to groups where they will be seen much less and therefore the probability that they receive answers becomes even lower.
I would be curious to see some community/forum urls of this kind...

 

[Suzanne O]

I have one on my mate's forum. That forum is bigfooty.
Now i think @BIG LLC uses @DragonByte Tech

 

[Wildcat Media]

vbulletin and invisioni has groups, in the core but I have never seen a forum with the groups section active, that has users using it...

Same here. I've visited and have been active in forums with these "social groups" or "clubs" and very few understand what they are and how to use them, and they go mostly unused. Even in large, busy forums.

It's such a niche item for most forums that I can't see it ever being a core feature.