Questions(user groups etc.) before buying

[Vicki]

Hello!

I am considering to buy a license sometime this month to try out my very first forum software and very first website attempt... Like anyone new to this field, I've got tons of questions in mind, but I'd like to ask the essential ones first:

1. What is the realistic limit in terms of the number of user groups that you can have in this forum software without slowing down the site? I've got a couple of major design ideas about this site, and one of which might be pretty ambitious-I basically want to categorize users by assigning them each to a default user group according to certain set of custom user profile fields, then after they login, each user will be redirected to a different front page based on which default user group he/she is in, and if I go with this design idea, it could potentially reach a big number of user groups if the foundamental idea of the site goes well. Has any xenForo site used extensively user groups and runs pretty smoothly?

2. Are there any user group based Calendar and Event Scheduler for xenForo? I saw some xenForo sites used Calendar, but I haven't seen one using user group based Calendar...

3. Can admin configure xenForo so that there is number of charaters limit for each reply for certain threads, basically, for certain forum categories, only short replies allowed?

4. Can xenForo be configured that there is a time limit be placed on certain threads, like letting some specific threads run for only a week then it stops accepting replies? Or letting all threads in some specific forum categories to run for only a week then gets locked automatically?

5. Can admin configure xenForo so that when user opens up a thread, some related threads could show up on the side?

Please bear with my English, hopefully what I've written is understandable... Thanks in advance for anyone who replies!

 

[Slavik]

Hi!

1) XenForo should handle large numbers of usergroups without issue.

2) I think the current calender addon can do this

3) You can set a maximum post length yes, this is forum wide though, and not per node.

4) This would require an addon, I think there is one out there which has an auto-lock functionality. http://xenforo.com/community/resources/ds-auto-lock-threads.210/

5) There is no current related threads option available.

 

[Morgain]

Just to add some thougts to Slavik - this could be very interesting functionality.
The things Slavik tells you do not exist could be made. Not complicated.- you need some conditionals made. There are excellent coders (programmers) here will do it for you.

I hope my English is clear. Your English is 100% excellent.

 

[Vicki]

Hi!

1) XenForo should handle large numbers of usergroups without issue.

Thanks Slavik for the prompt response! Are there any xenForo sites that you know have used xenForo user groups extensively?

 

[Vicki]

Hi!


2) I think the current calender addon can do this

Can you point me the link to the current calender addon that is USER GROUP based? Thanks!

 

[Vicki]

Additional questions:

Do xenForo Addons have a formal approval procedure in place? I am asking just because I'd like to know if the addons will have solid support once purchased/installed. How to find out?

Also, if in the future, you want to remove certain addons, is it easy to do so?

Thanks!

 

[RobParker]

No they don't have an approval process and yes they can just be removed with no warning.

 

[Slavik]

Thanks Slavik for the prompt response! Are there any xenForo sites that you know have used xenForo user groups extensively?

There is one though I cant remember the forum off the top of my head, its a forum which provides forums to MMO guilds, so for each guild it has

New Guild group
Internal guild structures., eg Leader, Officer, Member, Trial, Guests.

Can you point me the link to the current calender addon that is USER GROUP based? Thanks!

http://xenforo.com/community/resources/8wayrun-com-xenatendo-events.99/

Additional questions:

Do xenForo Addons have a formal approval procedure in place? I am asking just because I'd like to know if the addons will have solid support once purchased/installed. How to find out?

Also, if in the future, you want to remove certain addons, is it easy to do so?

Thanks!

No approval procedure. If you want to remove an addon, just click the remove button and delete the relevent files

 

[Morgain]

Addons are published on the Resource Manager - very much part of this site, not separated off.
There is no top-down approval system but the community demonstrates approval by clicking Like on an addon, and if someone downloads it and uses it they can Rate it and Review it. Addons have a kind of Top Ten most popular list.
All that creates s good indication of an addon's quality. But then you can also check its discussion thread for support. It's linked off the Resource Manager section for that addon. It shows whether a developer is fast, courteous and clear on support, whether the product is buggy and conflicts with other code, and so on.
Generally I find the developers here are good, and a lot of the addons are really amazing. Also there are not a lot of dead wood addons. They are nearly all in use and actively supported.

Finally a big point is that the mods here know the addons because the addons are central to the community site here which they moderate. (Addons are not actually used on this site, I mean they are published, supported and discussed here.) It's a big advantage to ask for help and the mods generally know the addons I'm using and the effect they have.

 

[Vicki]

Thanks Morgain for your detailed directions, greatly appreciated!

For the addons, are there dedicated areas for the developers to provide documentation? I browsed a few addons, found the description pages not quite providing enough information(maybe because I am new to this, and not familiar with the forum software yet), so I am wondering if missed any documentation area for the addons under the Resources... Thanks!

 

[oman]

Thanks Morgain for your detailed directions, greatly appreciated!

For the addons, are there dedicated areas for the developers to provide documentation? I browsed a few addons, found the description pages not quite providing enough information(maybe because I am new to this, and not familiar with the forum software yet), so I am wondering if missed any documentation area for the addons under the Resources... Thanks!

The documentation (if any) would usually be provided in the resource description, e.g. How to install, upgrade, set up permissions. Some developers may also provide a video. With paid add ons, you'll sometimes find that documentation may be included within the add on package or at the dev's support site.

 

[Vicki]

http://xenforo.com/community/resources/8wayrun-com-xenatendo-events.99/

Thanks for the reply!

But this addon's description doesn't mention anything related to USER GROUPS... maybe it can only be used as a public forum event scheduler/calendar?

What I am looking for is a calendar/event scheduler that allows each user group has its own calendar display that anyone who does not belong to the group cannot see their information on the calendar; also it allows each user group to schedule events within that user group that noboday else could see; and of course, it shall also allow the calendar/event scheduler to be used with the public sections of the forums where everyone is allowed to put events that are open to public in there.

 

[Morgain]

I've usually found there's a Readme text file downloaded with the addon tells me what to do with it.
I think you need to ask th developer of the calendar addon if it does what you want - or could be tweaked to do so. There'll be a discussion thread linked to its resource page.

 

[Vicki]

I've usually found there's a Readme text file downloaded with the addon tells me what to do with it.
I think you need to ask th developer of the calendar addon if it does what you want - or could be tweaked to do so. There'll be a discussion thread linked to its resource page.

I'll check the discussion thread then for that addon. Thank you! Might ask more questions later when I get sometime...