Gossamer Forum
Quote Reply
[NEW PLUGIN] LinksForum
I have developped a plugin that will allow you to tightly link your Links SQL directory with Gossamer Forum. Namely, the plugin will allow you to create and synchronize forums for (parts) of your Links SQL directory.



What does it do? Who does it work?

  • The category structure of LInks SQL is mirrored in GForum, and for every link in the directory, there is a corresponding forum. Of course, you can still have "normal" forums and categories, the forums/categories generated by the plugin can be e.g. in a special category.

  • As a webmaster, you can set up a forum area where visitors can discuss the links in your directory. Next to every resource in your directory, you can place a link "Discuss this Resource" (or similar), which will bring the visitor to the appropriate forum.

  • The synchronization (which can be done whenever you feel like it) is such that it changes forum titles, descriptions, categories etc according to the changes in your Links SQL directory. If you delete a link, the correspondig forum will not be deleted (there might be a lot of valuable discussion about the link). However, there is a function that allows you to trace "lost forum", i.e. forums that once belonged to a link, but where the link has been deleted.



I have set up a demo installation at: http://www.iyengar-yoga.com/linksforum/gforum.cgi

The plugin comes as a three day try-out version, after which it will cease functioning. If you want to keep it you are required to pay USD 40 for registration. The plugin is available for download from the GT server, i.e. you can download it directly from within your Links SQL admin area.

A word of warning: while the plugin will never delete any of your forum data, it will create categories and forums. Before you know it, your forum will be huge. Be sure to read the instructions carefully. I also advise you to set up a test forum first, before you run it on your production forum.

Ivan
-----
Iyengar Yoga Resources / GT Plugins
Quote Reply
Re: [yogi] [NEW PLUGIN] LinksForum In reply to
Hi Yogi,

Will this allow the opposite as well? Showing the forums within the LinksSQL directory.



Thanks!
Quote Reply
Re: [Teambldr] [NEW PLUGIN] LinksForum In reply to
This depends on how you set your Links SQL directory up.

You could, e.g. on the detailed page for a link, include a list of the latest posts in the corresponding forum. This would have to be done through an SSI call, or a Links global (yet to be written).

Ivan
-----
Iyengar Yoga Resources / GT Plugins
Quote Reply
Re: [yogi] [NEW PLUGIN] LinksForum In reply to
Thanks Yogi



What about in the "other categories" section where it shows XXXXXX@ for relative categories? The detail page idea is pretty cool as well.



Thanks!
Quote Reply
Re: [Teambldr] [NEW PLUGIN] LinksForum In reply to
I am not sure I understand you correctly. Here is an attempt for an answer:

On a category page, you can also place a link to the corresponding forum category. With every subcategory, you can place a link to the corresponding forum subcategory.

One thing though: there is no such things as related categories on the forum side (GForum does not support that at the moment). And there is no such thing as a forum being in two categories (a link can be in two categories, but again GForum does not support this at the moment).

Ivan
-----
Iyengar Yoga Resources / GT Plugins

Last edited by:

yogi: Jun 19, 2002, 7:05 AM
Quote Reply
Re: [yogi] [NEW PLUGIN] LinksForum In reply to
Thats Yogi.

That answers it perfectly.
Quote Reply
Re: [yogi] [NEW PLUGIN] LinksForum In reply to
Yogi,

I get this error message when trying to install your plug-in. How do I resolve this problem?

Thanks a lot.

mgeyman

Uninstalled Plugins Name Version Author Action

LinksForum
Unable to load plugin LinksForum Reason: Install.pm does not compile: Can't locate GForum.pm in @INC (@INC contains: /home/ohiobiz/linkssql2/gforum/admin /home/ohiobiz/linkssql2/gforum/admin /home/ohiobiz/linkssql2/admin /usr/lib/perl5/5.00503/i386-linux /usr/lib/perl5/5.00503 /usr/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.005/i386-linux /usr/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.005 .) at (eval 6) line 22.

Quote Reply
Re: [mgeyman] [NEW PLUGIN] LinksForum In reply to
This happens when you enter a wrong path for your GForum admin area during installation of the plugin. Simply click on Plugin Manager again, and the message should disappear.

Make sure you enter the correct path (I assume that neither /home/ohiobiz/linkssql2/gforum/admin nor /home/ohiobiz/linkssql2/gforum/admin are correct paths, excuse me if I'm wrong), and also make sure that you have GForum already installed.

By the way, the plugin needs GForum version >1.1.3 (current is 1.1.6).

I hope that solves your problem.

Ivan
-----
Iyengar Yoga Resources / GT Plugins
Quote Reply
Re: [yogi] [NEW PLUGIN] LinksForum In reply to
Hello planet GT,

I just wanted to add my two cents in here on this plug in.

A few months ago I asked for this:

http://gossamer-threads.com/...search_engine#190763

I have been using this linksforum plug in since. I guess I was part of the beta testers Angelic.

This plug in is great. For me, it created 500 category forums and 1500 link forums in about 3.5 minutes. It synchronizes the forum structure and Lsql structure whenever you want it to, in only one click Angelic.

If you are looking to get more feedback from your visitors than you can get with the review system (that was my case), then the linksforum plug in is what you need. There is now other way to get the job done so quickly and efficiently.

You can simply link to the links forum, or even include it in the links page with no trouble.

So voilą. Give it at least a try.

Last edited by:

nt6: Jun 20, 2002, 1:08 AM
Quote Reply
Re: [nt6] [NEW PLUGIN] LinksForum In reply to
Thanks a lot for the positive feedback.

I have put up a demo page, i.e. a Links SQL detailed page, with the inclusion of the relevant forum. The layout of the forum is very basic, I have just taken the default forum template. The page can be found at:

http://www.iyengar-yoga.com/demo/detailed.shtml

Comments/suggestions are welcome.

Ivan
-----
Iyengar Yoga Resources / GT Plugins
Quote Reply
Re: [nt6] [NEW PLUGIN] LinksForum In reply to
Just a quick note.

The plugin is still available for download from the download area. Users who have paid for it can download it as usual. User who don't own the plugin will be presented with a link to buy it.

Ivan
-----
Iyengar Yoga Resources / GT Plugins
Quote Reply
Re: [yogi] [NEW PLUGIN] LinksForum In reply to
Yogi,
I set up a map for one category and when I try to syncronize I get this error
Code:

Synchronizing Forums ... Can't use an undefined value as an ARRAY reference at nph-lfsync.cgi line 188.


Please advise.
thanks

CCUnet
my Christian web
Quote Reply
Re: [ccunet] [NEW PLUGIN] LinksForum In reply to
Question,
Just bought the linksforum plugin, works fine when creating the categories / forums, but cannot get the hyperlink to the forum to display on the Links category pages??
Using 2.2.0 links, and the latest Gforum...

</not a clue>