Can SMF be configured to have these features...

[ukssa]

I recently sent the following post to a forum for web questions. One of the people that replied suggested that SMF may be a solution. I wonder if anyone here can confirm or deny this.

======================================================

I would like to set up a simple forum for a small number of users. The features I would like are the following, in order of priority:

    * logging on not compulsory for posting.
    * A single thread. All the messages are immediately visible - no need to "open" them.
    * most recent message at the top by default.
    * The ability to upload photos.

Chatango is the closest thing I've found so far, but its a little bit buggy and the maximum message size is rather restricted.

[kat]

Hi, UKSSA!


    * logging on not compulsory for posting.  YES!
    * A single thread. All the messages are immediately visible - no need to "open" them. It could be done, kinda.
    * most recent message at the top by default. YES!
    * The ability to upload photos. YES!



Howzat?

[Arantor]

1. You can enable guest posting, however that encourages spammers. You could have it so that it remembers users by them selecting "logged on forever"

2. Not recommended, though doable with some work. Performance tends to hurt after a while.

3. That's an option in Admin > Current Theme, and is changeable by the user in their profile.

4. The attachments system is perfect for that, though it does depend exactly what you're looking for.

[ukssa]

Thanks for the quick answers...

So it seems that point 2 requires some work... does that mean some php programming?

[Arantor]

Yes, that means some PHP programming, though there are quick and dirty ways it could be done, though really pushing everything into a single topic does leave it somewhat hard for organisation since there's no way to have multiple discussions at once.

What exactly were you planning on doing?

[kat]

If you take SMF, out of the box, as it were, you'd need a thread inside a board.


Two clicks, instead of one.


Not so bad, eh?

[ukssa]

Yes, that means some PHP programming, though there are quick and dirty ways it could be done, though really pushing everything into a single topic does leave it somewhat hard for organisation since there's no way to have multiple discussions at once.

What exactly were you planning on doing?

I just wanted a super-informal discussion board/chat box for a small number of users (< 100 people total). Often messages are of the type "see you guys in the pub in an hour" and I don't want people to have to log-in and select from a tree of subjects and threads etc to view this information. I'd like them to be able to go to a fixed URL and hey-presto see that the gang are meeting at the pub.

Or to put it another way: A filing cabinet is positively a handicap when there are only three documents to read... its more convenient to just have them all face up and spread out on the table.

[kat]

Well, you can have just one board, with one topic, if you use SMF as-is, if you want to.

[ukssa]

Well, you can have just one board, with one topic, if you use SMF as-is, if you want to.

Ok, this is sounding promising... I guess I should give it a go.

Thanks to everyone who's answered,
Mick.

[kat]

No sweat, mate.


Got to help fellow Brits, ay?


If you need any help, you know where we are.