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This page provides support and answers about the Willco Forums Module.
To read about the full list of features, click here.
Forum Moderator
You can be notified by email whenever a posting is made to your forum. Contact us and supply the moderator's email address and they will receive an email as soon as a forum posting is made.
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Open or Closed Access Forums
Forums are 'open access' by default (meaning members don't have to login to view the postings). Also, they are not locked (meaning that replies can be posted; if a forum is 'locked' then it becomes a 'blog'). Contact us to change either of these options.
You can also control access to a forum yourself by setting up a 'hidden list' in the Lists Module (i.e. begin the list name with an underscore '_' character), and then in the Forum Settings choose that list name in the 'Accessed linked to list' pull-down menu.
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XML Feeds
Set up an XML/RSS content feed from your forum. Edit the settings in the Forum Admin, but contact us first to set up the feed.
Read this introductory article.
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Searching Forums
It is now possible to run fast keyword searches within forums hosted by the Willco Forums Module.
Add the following code to your forum's 'Index Header' box (in Forum Settings):
<FORM action="./search.php" method="GET"><input type="Hidden" name="f" value="1">
<input type="hidden" name="match" value="1">
<input type="hidden" name="date" value="0">
<input type="hidden" name="portico_search" value="portico">
<input type="hidden" name="fldauthor" value="1">
<input type="hidden" name="fldsubject" value="1">
<input type="hidden" name="fldbody" value="1">
<P CLASS=plain>
Search: <input type="text" name="search" size=10 CLASS=plain>
<input type="submit" value="Search" CLASS=plain>
</FORM>
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Forum Browser
Allow your visitors to browse by category rather than chronologically. The Forum Browser is available now at http://communityname.willco.com/forum/forumname/browser/ (replace 'communityname' and 'forumname' with the correct details).
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Customisable 'name' label
In the Willco Forums Module it is now possible to change the 'Name:' label on the posting form.
As an example, in the VIP Wire at http://web.vivavip.com/forum/Wire we wanted to be able to put 'Organisation' against this field on the posting form. The Wire is a database of press releases from organisations and so it makes more sense to have the organisation's name as the author, rather than an individual's.
To change the setting, visit the Forum Settings page in the forum admin section, and change the 'Author Label' setting.
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Forum posting form header
If you are a customer of the Willco Forums Module, you have always been able to enter customised text to appear at the top of the Message Index in your forum.
Now you can also add text to appear above the 'Name' field on the posting form too.
This might, for instance, be guidance on what is (and is not) appropriate to post at the forum.
To edit the 'forum header text' and 'posting form header text', click on 'Administration' and 'Discussion Forum', then click on the 'Admin' link next to the appropriate forum name, then 'Forum Settings'.
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Edit Message Header on Forums
In the Willco Forums Module it has long been possible to edit the 'header' on the message listing page (i.e. the text which appears at the top of the message listing).
It is now possible to edit the header on pages when reading individual message postings.
Editing of this 'Message Header' is performed in the same place as editing the 'Forum Header'; from your community homepage, click on:
- Discussion Forum
- Make sure you are logged in
- Click 'Admin' next to the forum name
- Choose 'Forum Settings'
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Posting form footer
Some time ago we added the ability to add a 'Header' to the posting form on your forum(s). This is shown just *above* the posting form in your forum (see 'Forum posting form header').
We have now added the ability to load a 'Footer' too. This is shown just *below* the posting form.
A good example is the FreePint Bar, where the posting form has both a Header (which shows posting guidance) and a Footer (giving quick access to DigBig); see:
http://web.freepint.com/forum/bar/post.php?f=
You add/edit a Footer on your forum's Admin page. Simply login to your account, view the forum listing page at http://yourcommunity.willco.com/forum (replace 'yourcommunity' with the correct value) and click on 'Admin', 'Forum Settings'.
For Willco customers who don't yet use the Forums Module, you can find out more at:
http://www.willco.com/products/forums/
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Posting administration - O E D L
When you are fully logged in as a forum administrator and viewing a specific message, you will see links to 'O E D L' at the top of the posting.
These refer to the following functions:
- O - Orphan - If a reply has been posted incorrectly to a thread and you want 'disconnect' the reply and start a new thread with it.
- E - Edit - Change the text of the message.
- D - Delete - Remove the posting.
- L - Lock - Postings older than six months are automatically 'locked'. This means the posting form is removed so that new replies cannot be added to the thread. If you wish to 'lock' a posting sooner than six months, then click 'L'.
These functions are also available via the forum's own admin page at:
Administration > Forums Module > Admin
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