Topic: I would like to see forum shop in default SMF

[Arskrigitsioniets]

Forum shop is the best stimulus for users to write messages. It seems to be a default option on IPB engine (at least all gaming forums on IPB that I saw had this system) and I would like to see it in SMF.

The essence is simple: the user writes messages and gains "credits" per each message. The amount can be set in general and regarding boards. Then he can buy something in forum shop, for example, +5 karma, +100 messages, possibility to change an upper title and etc (ready to use scripts). Also, it is a wide possibility for webmasters: for example, Admin can create stuffs like "free advertisement for 500 credits", VIP status for 100 credits and etc." (just an empty shop item with a description and then Admin manually set advertisement/give status). You can look at the SA shop mode http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=1794 to get an idea.

[Arantor]

It’s not default in IPS either.

Never going to be default in SMF, it just isn’t used nearly as much as you think.

[GigaWatt]

Agreed. Seen it on some forums, but this stimulates post count, nothing more.

We even tried to have a post count based group that opened a new board after a certain post count... didn't end well. Basically, if one user got in, all of the content of that board was shared between all of the other users that were buddies with the one who got in . Eventually, all of the content was shared, even though there were only about 20 users that had permissions to view that board.

IMO, those kind of automatic reward systems don't work. Users will always find a way to fool the system... if someone is genuinely interested in writing relevant content on the forum, they will do it, with or without stimulus. Basically, forum culture is about sharing and you can't expect that people who don't want to share anything (just grab as much as they can) will be stimulated to write meaningful posts for +50 Karma or whatever.

[Arskrigitsioniets]

Agreed. Seen it on some forums, but this stimulates post count, nothing more.

We even tried to have a post count based group that opened a new board after a certain post count... didn't end well. Basically, if one user got in, all of the content of that board was shared between all of the other users that were buddies with the one who got in . Eventually, all of the content was shared, even though there were only about 20 users that had permissions to view that board.

IMO, those kind of automatic reward systems don't work. Users will always find a way to fool the system... if someone is genuinely interested in writing relevant content on the forum, they will do it, with or without stimulus. Basically, forum culture is about sharing and you can't expect that people who don't want to share anything (just grab as much as they can) will be stimulated to write meaningful posts for +50 Karma or whatever.

In Russia we have the most popular forum about strategy games strategium.ru, it has "shop system". And it is a key aspect of the forum - there is a roleplay system there in that moderators give salary, people can create "forum parties" for credits that can change forum rules by introduction of draft laws. People give loans to each other and etc. Without the credit system, the forum would not be the most popular. In fact, using "forum money" is limited only by a fantasy of admin. And it is very simple to realize, just to give a possibility to additional count and settings of it, so I don't understand why forum shop is bad idea for default smf 

[Arantor]

The fact it is a core part of some forums does not mean it applies to *every* forum. The only communities I can genuinely think of that a shop system applies are ones that inherently have some kind of gaming focus - every example you've given is gaming related. And in those cases, sure.

But for *every other kind of forum ever*? It's just not something that works for them.

Case in point - IPS doesn't have a shop by default, and you'd think for software that charges as much as they do, they'd have it by default. But they don't. Neither does XenForo. Nor vBulletin. Nor phpBB. Nor MyBB. None of them have it by default because the percentage of forums that would actually benefit is less than 1% of the users - it's simply not enough to justify their time building it as a core feature.

And I say this as someone that is literally building a forum system designed solely for roleplay (which will have a currency system in the core but I guarantee what I'm building is unlikely to be suitable for you)