Doing a complete overhaul of my forum.

[Starz0r]

Hello again.

I'm looking do to a complete overhaul of my forum, but before I do that, I have a few concerns I'd like to have addressed.

1. The current version of SMF is 2.0.10 but I haven't upgraded yet. I see that when I check what version I have it shows this: http://puu.sh/jZ3xk/308fbb1f31.png. I'd like to upgrade completely to SMF 2.0.10 without using the Modification Packages.

2. When upgrading, I don't want my mods to be effected. I have some mods that can no longer be found on the such as Color and Glow Title V2, is there a replacement to this mod incase it isn't support by the next version of SMF?

3. Support GeoIP is something else on the list since I want to open up the forum internationally to make it friendlier and livelier. Is Spuds GeoIP Modification still supported with SMF 2.0.10?

4. I'm also looking at adding an awards system to the forum, I've looked at Spuds Award System and the paid badge award system as seen here: http://www.smfhacks.com/badgeawards.php, which is supported by SMF2.0.10 and which is more recommended? I don't mind buying the mod for $30 (though it's slightly steep), does this one have features that the other one doesn't have that I can't do without? They both seem to support Auto-Awarding so that seems to be enough, but since there isn't a lot of information about either of these mods, maybe someone knows about their usability?

5. I'm going to be building or collaborating on a theme, what do I have to do to make sure it is compatible with mods?

6. I have a lot of unused tables in my database for mods I have since removed, is it fine to leave it there? I'd like to optimize the database without ruining anything, but I'm not exactly sure how.

7. I'd like to remove titles from every user on the forum, is there an easy way to complete such a task without going and removing them by hand?

8. I think I'm going to continue to support OS & Browser Detection modification on my forum, but I think I might have some pages with broken pictures or OS detection since I've had it visually disabled? The last time I removed the modification it never removed the parts of the page it modified, is this permanent or is there some way I can remove these?

9. There are emails that only spam bots are using, like 90% of the users are actual spam bots. To put this in perspective, I have 700 pages of users, and almost 90% use an email that I've identified as toxic, how do I prevent people to sign up with these emails? (e.g. yahoo, google).

10. Adding a simple HTML header bridge at the top of the page. Is there any simple way to do this? My website isn't just a forum.

Sorry for the long post and long text, but these are just some issues I need addressed before I update my forum. Thank you for reading.

[Antechinus]

Hello again.

I'm looking do to a complete overhaul of my forum, but before I do that, I have a few concerns I'd like to have addressed.

1. The current version of SMF is 2.0.10 but I haven't upgraded yet. I see that when I check what version I have it shows this: http://puu.sh/jZ3xk/308fbb1f31.png. I'd like to upgrade completely to SMF 2.0.10 without using the Modification Packages.

Just use the patches. 2.0.9 patch, followed by 2.0.10 patch. Shouldn't break anything.

2. When upgrading, I don't want my mods to be effected. I have some mods that can no longer be found on the such as Color and Glow Title V2, is there a replacement to this mod incase it isn't support by the next version of SMF?

3. Support GeoIP is something else on the list since I want to open up the forum internationally to make it friendlier and livelier. Is Spuds GeoIP Modification still supported with SMF 2.0.10?

4. I'm also looking at adding an awards system to the forum, I've looked at Spuds Award System and the paid badge award system as seen here: http://www.smfhacks.com/badgeawards.php, which is supported by SMF2.0.10 and which is more recommended? I don't mind buying the mod for $30 (though it's slightly steep), does this one have features that the other one doesn't have that I can't do without? They both seem to support Auto-Awarding so that seems to be enough, but since there isn't a lot of information about either of these mods, maybe someone knows about their usability?

There's 99% chance these will all be fine with 2.0.10. With the awards mods, it'd be up to you to check out the features of each and make your own mind up.

5. I'm going to be building or collaborating on a theme, what do I have to do to make sure it is compatible with mods?

If you're really paranoid about it, don't make any template edits at all. If you can handle doing a few edits manually, the sky's the limit.

6. I have a lot of unused tables in my database for mods I have since removed, is it fine to leave it there? I'd like to optimize the database without ruining anything, but I'm not exactly sure how.

7. I'd like to remove titles from every user on the forum, is there an easy way to complete such a task without going and removing them by hand?

Dunno about the db stuff, but removing titles is going to need some editing of templates. There are some which could be targeted by CSS for a quick and dirty hide trick, but not all of them.

8. I think I'm going to continue to support OS & Browser Detection modification on my forum, but I think I might have some pages with broken pictures or OS detection since I've had it visually disabled? The last time I removed the modification it never removed the parts of the page it modified, is this permanent or is there some way I can remove these?

9. There are emails that only spam bots are using, like 90% of the users are actual spam bots. To put this in perspective, I have 700 pages of users, and almost 90% use an email that I've identified as toxic, how do I prevent people to sign up with these emails? (e.g. yahoo, google).

Dunno about the browser mod. You can use email bans (specific ones) or domain bans, and you can use wildcards as well to ban a range of IP's or emails (like viagra@* for example). Keeping on top of the bastards is always a bit tedious.

Check this out: http://wiki.simplemachines.org/smf/SMF2.0:Ban_list

10. Adding a simple HTML header bridge at the top of the page. Is there any simple way to do this? My website isn't just a forum.

Yup. Basic index.template.php edit to just drop the header code in.

[Starz0r]

Thank you for such the quick reply!

I just have a few more things to add.

Both award mods either have outdated pictures or don't really go into detail about what their features are.
When I meant removing titles, I didn't mean hiding them, I just want to reset them for everyone so only certain groups can use them.
I also didn't know adding a header would be that easy, thank you for that.

[Kindred]

As said, upgrade using the patch files. That is the only way to upgrade without affecting installed mods.

There is a geoip mod...

Dunno about the awards mod. I have tried a few of them, but they never were really useful or popular on my sites.

Installing themes later is always difficult.  Adding a theme AFTER you have installed mods is tough, because any template edits previously made by mods will NOT be applied to the new theme is it uses non default template files.


Btw, adding a header might be easy if you understand HTML and php...   Otherwise,miss not quite as simple and antechinus says...  There is a global header and footer mod and portal mods that make it easier.

Old tables and rows probably won't affect much... Unless it's a HUGE table... I wouldn't really worry about it.

Dunno about os detection. Never bothered to use it myself.

Regarding spam...  Stop them before they register. See the FAQ entry on spam.
Regarding existing spammer accounts...  You can always prune them... Delete any account which has no posts and has not logged in in the last 120 days, maybe....
Don't ever bother with banning spammer accounts...  1- they just create a new one form a new email and new ip... 2- enough bans in your ban list and your site can start to slow down...  If you absolutely MUST ban them,then us an ip deny from ban in .htaccess.... But that WILL affect non spambot users as well, at some point.

[Antechinus]

Thank you for such the quick reply!

I just have a few more things to add.

Both award mods either have outdated pictures or don't really go into detail about what their features are.
When I meant removing titles, I didn't mean hiding them, I just want to reset them for everyone so only certain groups can use them.
I also didn't know adding a header would be that easy, thank you for that.

I'd grab the free awards mod and see if it does what you want it to do. If it doesn't, contact the guys who own the paid mod and get them to tell you what theirs does.

Ok, so you're talking about custom titles? Like where it says "Master of BBC Abuse" under my avatar? Controlling those by membergroup would require a mod. Somebody has probably written one, but I'm not aware of it offhand. Have a look on the mod site for "custom title" and/or "personal text". You could also try "permissions".

With the header, I may have misunderstood. Are you wanting to embed your forum inside another template system, or are you just wanting to add something above the default forum header?

[Starz0r]

There is a geoip mod...

Spuds GeoIP mod? Pretty sure that's the one.

Btw, adding a header might be easy if you understand HTML and php...   Otherwise,miss not quite as simple and antechinus says...  There is a global header and footer mod and portal mods that make it easier.

Well since I made my site from the group up (forum being the exception), I doubt that will be much of a problem unless it doesn't support using a different CSS than the one the forum theme is using.

Ok, so you're talking about custom titles? Like where it says "Master of BBC Abuse" under my avatar? Controlling those by membergroup would require a mod. Somebody has probably written one, but I'm not aware of it offhand. Have a look on the mod site for "custom title" and/or "personal text". You could also try "permissions".

Yes, is there no way to erase ones people have already made other than by hand either?

[Kindred]

Well, it supports additional CSS, if you add that CSS... Either by adding the call for another CSS file or by adding it to index.css

The only way to remove someone's title from a membergroup is to remove them from the membergroup.

[Starz0r]

The only way to remove someone's title from a membergroup is to remove them from the membergroup.

It's not a title from a membergroup.

Ok, so you're talking about custom titles? Like where it says "Master of BBC Abuse" under my avatar? Controlling those by membergroup would require a mod. Somebody has probably written one, but I'm not aware of it offhand. Have a look on the mod site for "custom title" and/or "personal text". You could also try "permissions".

I'm talking about these, custom titles that any user can make. I just want it to be changeable to only a curtain membergroup.

[Kindred]

Oh, that is a standard permission that can be set in the membergroup permissions.

As for removing th existing ones... This is one case where a direct database edit would be not only the only way a but the easiest way, without any side effects

[Antechinus]

Kindred means without any side effects (typo). IOW, just empty that field in the members table, as long as you're familiar with basic database operations.