Add-on Trending Threads / Topics addon

[Stuart Wright]

Trending topics is a feature I see on a lot of websites. It feels like it should absolutely be on Xenforo.
How about a Trending Threads link next to Watched Threads in the Forums menu?
It would open a paginated list of the trending topics.
How about a Trending Threads sidebar block? Shows the top n trending topics and links through to the trending topics page?

What's a trending topic? So how do we define the popularity of threads?
I suggest it has to be a calculation based on the number of views and/or the number of replies divided by the age of the thread. There are probably some people on Xenforo who already have a tried and trusted method of deciding this.

So I'm looking for quotes for a trending topics system, please. Specification to be decided here with input from other members with the intention to freely release or sell the addon depending upon its cost to us.
Thanks

 

[Paul B]

Hmm, I've been looking for a new project to take on.

The trending criteria would just be an extension of the automatic featuring code I use for my featured threads add-on.
It would be set in the ACP on an options page so would be specific to each site.

 

[Stuart Wright]

Yeah, it sounds like a natural extension to Featured threads, Paul. Although I do think that we specifically need a list of trending threads. Which is effectively sorting them by the trending calculation of (replies +/or views) / minutes since thread creation.
So adding in the above criteria, I'd probably want to make it so that the thread is recent - replied to in the last day, plus the trending criteria.
Since replies are a lot more important than views, I'd be tempted to start off by just using that and seeing how it goes.
So sort the threads by (# replies / #minutes since creation).

You'd already have the ability to pick what forums to take the trending threads from, which I think is important.

I do think it's important to be able to have the Trending topics link in a reasonably prominent place on the forum.

 

[Paul B]

I would agree with that.

I doubt a "can view trending threads" permission would be required.
I can't really think of a reason why you would want to prevent guests or other users from being able to view them.

 

[Stuart Wright]

On the contrary, showing that the site has trending threads will send a message that your site has traffic. It's all good showing trending topics to guests. Possibly the best reason for it.
Particularly if the threads are from a variety of different forums showing the diversity of the site.

 

[Allan]

Humm, as this add-on ?

 

[Daniel Hood]

https://xenforo.com/community/resources/best-posts-uncover-your-top-content.3264/ -- fixed the link for you.

 

[Stuart Wright]

Humm, as this add-on ?

Luke's Best Post System is more about finding which posts have got the most likes and highlighting those individually.
To me, it's different to highlighting which are the trending threads. Although incorporating the total number of likes (or positive ratings) for a thread might not be a bad idea. It might make the ORDER BY element of the query a bit heavier on the servers, though.

 

[Stuart Wright]

So @Brogan is this a possibility?

 

[Paul B]

Definitely possible.

I just need to find the time to map it out in terms of features, functionality, options, etc.
I find it helps if you have a clear idea from the start of what you plan to develop.

 

[Stuart Wright]

We're near implementing bd widget framework on every page. This will require some useful sidebar widgets like trending topics. Can I request the consideration of a bd widget for trending threads please?

 

[OakleyForum]

This seems like an awesome idea! Any progress on this add-on?

 

[Paul B]

It appears this has been developed: https://xenforo.com/community/resources/trending-topics.3986/

Glad I didn't waste too much time on it...

 

[Daniel Hood]

There's still openings for featured threads to expand on it. Shoot me a pm, I actually have an idea for you

 

[Stuart Wright]

It appears this has been developed: https://xenforo.com/community/resources/trending-topics.3986/

Glad I didn't waste too much time on it...

Sorry Paul, I didn't think this was on your radar since it's a couple of months down the road from the original thread.

 

[Wildcat Media]

So has anyone considered developing this for XF 2.2? I was using one option but I am told it is now part of a package that costs in the four figures for me to continue using and getting updates for. Plus, it is not flexible enough. I like @Brogan's idea for the options page, with the possibility of expanding it to a system of Trending Categories we would create (choose a node or nodes to apply it to, with a limit on results returned and all the customizable parameters shown above). For instance, one forum might get a lot of traffic, and that would push trending posts from less popular forums down, or off the list, as it did with one of our forums. (To outsiders, it made the entire site look like it was primarily devoted to only one category of discussion.)