[TH] Question and Answer Forums [Deleted]

ThemeHouse updated [TH] Question and Answer Forums with a new update entry:

Version 1.1.3 released!

Changes:
  • Added alert opt-outs for all Q&A alerts.
  • Added Q&A vote alerts.
  • Added question status filter to forum view and thread search.
  • Added a new permission to enable/disable selecting own answer as best answer.
  • Now logging person that has given best answer (not retroactively).
  • Meta description no longer shows text of best answer instead of first post on Q&A threads.

Read the rest of this update entry...
 
Would the developers of this addon (is it @Lukas W. ?) mind if I have a discussion with you about functionality? We're using Lior's Q&A addon which I think works OK and I'm looking for a replacement for AVForums on XF2.
I think this addon is close, but could I please ask/comment on how it works?

Normally, I think forums can contain a mixture of comment threads and question threads, so it seems logical to allow both and denote Question threads with a prefix, so I prefer that way of doing it.

Firstly I don't see the need to have a flag for Q&A threads if you're using prefixes. It seems simpler to set a particular prefix (e.g. Question) which, only in the forums designated to have the Q&A functionality switched on (which is most of them on AVForums), automatically enables the Q&A functionality for that thread.
And when a post is upvoted over the threshold and the thread becomes answered, the prefix is changed (e.g. to Answered) and so the Q&A functionality is then automatically switched off for that thread.

Second, I think it's a bad idea to reorder threads to show the best answer anywhere other than in the original position it was posted. This is because the answer post may have a different meaning in context to the preceding posts. So I think it's better to indicate that the best answer (or answers) exist and link to it (or them) under the first post in an extra design element. Like this. Is this how this addon works?
1.png

Lastly, I felt it was a good idea, once a question thread has had at least one reply, but no upvotes (or not enough to hit the threshold) to send an alert to prompt the question starter maybe a week after the date of the last reply to check whether his thread has had a best answer, consider upvoting one of the replies if so, and if not, maybe provide more information to prompt more replies.

Any thoughts on these ideas?
Many thanks
 
Normally, I think forums can contain a mixture of comment threads and question threads, so it seems logical to allow both and denote Question threads with a prefix, so I prefer that way of doing it.

Yep, this is possible. You can set whether or not a forum allows question threads (via permission) and additionally if the question status is forced (by editing the node itself)

Firstly I don't see the need to have a flag for Q&A threads if you're using prefixes. It seems simpler to set a particular prefix (e.g. Question) which, only in the forums designated to have the Q&A functionality switched on (which is most of them on AVForums), automatically enables the Q&A functionality for that thread.

Ours works in reverse to what I think you're referring to. Rather than us pulling whether the thread is a question or not from the prefix we have a checkbox when creating a thread (there is also the option to add/remove it later with moderator permissions):

205656

Optionally you can set a prefix to be applied to threads marked as a question

And when a post is upvoted over the threshold and the thread becomes answered, the prefix is changed (e.g. to Answered) and so the Q&A functionality is then automatically switched off for that thread.

We don't automatically switch off the functionality when a best answer is marked because there is the potential for a better answer to be posted at a later date, or the potential for an existing answer to no longer be relevant depending on the topic

Second, I think it's a bad idea to reorder threads to show the best answer anywhere other than in the original position it was posted. This is because the answer post may have a different meaning in context to the preceding posts. So I think it's better to indicate that the best answer (or answers) exist and link to it (or them) under the first post in an extra design element. Like this. Is this how this addon works?

We have the option to sort the thread either by votes or by the date posted. If you sort it by votes the best answer will be displayed at the top regardless of the number of up/down votes it has, when sorted by date the best answer will be in its original position based on the post date. You can switch the sorting with a button on the thread, and can set the default sort method in the options, so I think this will cover what you need here

Lastly, I felt it was a good idea, once a question thread has had at least one reply, but no upvotes (or not enough to hit the threshold) to send an alert to prompt the question starter maybe a week after the date of the last reply to check whether his thread has had a best answer, consider upvoting one of the replies if so, and if not, maybe provide more information to prompt more replies.

This is not currently possible, but is definitely something that could be considered, tagging @Lukas W. to see if there are any concerns with something like this
 
Ours works in reverse to what I think you're referring to. Rather than us pulling whether the thread is a question or not from the prefix we have a checkbox when creating a thread
Yeah, but if you use prefixes to enable the Q&A element, then you don't need that checkbox. My point being that it's an unnecessary user input.
I'd request that you allow an option so that if a forum admin chooses to allow users to use a specific prefix to define what are Q&A threads, that the checkbox not be shown to users when starting a thread, and instead, set the flag automatically.
We don't automatically switch off the functionality when a best answer is marked because there is the potential for a better answer to be posted at a later date, or the potential for an existing answer to no longer be relevant depending on the topic
Good point.
We have the option to sort the thread either by votes or by the date posted. If you sort it by votes the best answer will be displayed at the top regardless of the number of up/down votes it has, when sorted by date the best answer will be in its original position based on the post date. You can switch the sorting with a button on the thread, and can set the default sort method in the options, so I think this will cover what you need here
Right, but if sorting by the post date, it's still useful to show (under the first post), a link to the best answer(s) to save time for the reader.
This is not currently possible, but is definitely something that could be considered
That would be great because lack of follow-up by the original posters is the biggest reason why there are so many Question threads which appear to go unanswered. Prompting the OP to 'manage' their question thread would also increase engagement.
 
Two questions.
First, in the permissions, could I clarify please that
Mark best answer on own thread does not upvote any reply and
Mark own posts as best answer does upvote a reply
and both are changing the status of the thread to Answered?

And second, is there a fast way of setting the permissions for the base usergroup across several hundred forums? Otherwise, setting it up is going to take hours.
 
Mark best answer on own thread does not upvote any reply
Mark own posts as best answer does upvote a reply
That is correct, it doesn't change the upvote, downvote, or points. It just makes the thread the best answer and changes the status of the thread to Answered.

And second, is there a fast way of setting the permissions for the base usergroup across several hundred forums? Otherwise, setting it up is going to take hours.

Within [TH] Question & Answer Forums, no. But Node Permissions within your ACP might be what you are looking for. Be sure to set the forum as a Question & Answer Forum. This is explained here.
 
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Within [TH] Question & Answer Forums, no. But Node Permissions within your ACP might be what you are looking for. Be sure to set the forum as a Question & Answer Forum. This is explained here.
Thanks but I specifically don't want to have forums where all the threads are questions. They all need to be a mixture.
@Jake B. is there perhaps a query I can run or something?
 
That node option is not how you toggle whether questions can be posted in a certain node, just if you want it to default to that state. For setting whether questions can be posted you'd want to use the "Add question status to own thread" permission. You can set this permission to "No" on the user group, then "Yes" for user groups on nodes that you'd like to allow that status. Unfortunately there isn't a query you can run to update these as there is quite a lot that goes on when you set a permission
 
I still am hoping to see this feature added, per a previous conversation here:

"Force threads created in this forum to use the Q&A format" is working perfectly in the forum in which I only want question threads.

Other topics aren't large enough to warrant 2 sections, 1 for tutorials and 1 for question threads. In this case I just have 1 section, which allows question threads but they are not mandatory. Not a single user has selected the "question thread" checkbox in these sections because they do not see it. In this case, a popup on thread creation asking "Do you want to post a question and use the Question & Answer forum functionality to ensure you receive an answer?" instead of the checkbox would be sweet.

Most questions are asked by new members and honestly they're too dumb to know how to use a forum. Doesn't matter how many guides/tutorials/notices I make. I have to move threads and inline moderate question status like it's my job. I even wrote a query to check prefix id, check if it's the "help" thread id and force it to use question status. But the users aren't smart enough to even select the right prefix so that's not helping me either.

That's true. The question checkbox is way too down the screen for most to even notice. Would be good to have an optional modal per forum popup and ask if this is a qa thread.
 
bug report:
When your post gets upvoted you get an alert with 2 links, one to your answer and one to the thread. The answer links correctly but the thread link improperly links to: /{threadUrl} , the variable doesn't get populated.
 
bug report:
When your post gets upvoted you get an alert with 2 links, one to your answer and one to the thread. The answer links correctly but the thread link improperly links to: /{threadUrl} , the variable doesn't get populated.
Thanks for the report, I'll take a look and report this on our issue tracker.
 
Just installed this addon and testing it out :). Thanks for creating it.

I notice that I can "add question status" by using the moderator checkbox on the thread listings, but I can't add question status to a thread from the "more options" menu on the thread page. Should it be visible there, as I can't see a way to make a thread a question from thread view.
 
Should it be visible there, as I can't see a way to make a thread a question from thread view.
Should be possible when editing the thread (not in the drop down). There's a checkbox next to "Set thread status"
 
Just installed this addon and testing it out :). Thanks for creating it.

I notice that I can "add question status" by using the moderator checkbox on the thread listings, but I can't add question status to a thread from the "more options" menu on the thread page. Should it be visible there, as I can't see a way to make a thread a question from thread view.

click the three dots "..." on the top right of the first post, then select "select for moderation" and you will see "add question status" on the following drop down
 
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