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graeme_smiffy
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Auto Subscribe to forum

Post by graeme_smiffy »

is it possible to set the subscribe flag on a forum to a default so when users register or are added to a group they are automatically subscribed to receive the new posts or updates ???

I am setting up a forum for people some of which who don't really use this type of interaction so thought it would be a good idea if they were automatically added to receive messages to say things have been added or changed so they know to go looking.

I dont want a blanket switch to yes just some specific forums i.e. meeting minutes and dive trips (yep its for a scuba club)

I hope this makes sense ??

Thanx Graeme
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ChrisRLG
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Re: Auto Subscribe to forum

Post by ChrisRLG »

You can set the default for notifications for where they post.
http://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtopi ... 4&t=543143

But not set a default for a whole forum notifications.

If you did you might get caught by the spam laws of some countries too, so do consider that - if someone has not expressedly said they require notifications (by clicking that link themselves), they should not have it thrust on them or it could be consided email spam.
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graeme_smiffy
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Re: Auto Subscribe to forum

Post by graeme_smiffy »

Chris,
I looked at the other post and understand your concerns about spam :!: I dont want everyone to be set to receive the notifications.

My forum is split in two main groups, registered and registered club members. registered people get access to a limited forum and the registered club members get access to parts of the forum that have info about the club activities. Within the extended club part there are a few important forums i.e. committee minutes & membership contact list.

What I wanted to do was to get everyone who registers and gets added to the club members group to have notifications automatically set to yes for the sepcific groups so they get notifications. I am dealing with techno phoebe's :? , at the moment I have to send emails out everytime something is added on our pre-PHPBB forum web site.

Hope this paints a clearer pic of what I am after !!!! :?:


Thanx Graeme :ugeek: :!:
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ChrisRLG
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Re: Auto Subscribe to forum

Post by ChrisRLG »

You can get them to set notifications for a forum (room) such that new topics get notified to them, and also use that small code change to change the default for where they have posted.

Even the forum notification would not give people notifications of replies to topics, only new topics and replies to those they have posted to (or manually set notifications to).

But anything more than that would require a MOD to be written.

Will move this topic to the requests for mod's forum - hopefully someone will think it a good idea and do the coding for you (and others).
phpBB: The All Important Rules - Bertie Bear 3.0 - No support via PM system - use the forums please.
phpBB v2: Retirement (1/1/2009) : phpBB v3: Read Me Topic - Custom BBCodes - Support Template
Matthew 7:7"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and a door will be opened to you."
My Links: MS MVP (Consumer Security) - Malware Removal:University - Own Forum: Custom BBCode testing
aburstein
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Re: Auto Subscribe to forum

Post by aburstein »

I would also appreciate having this functionality. I've moved over an organization that was using Google Groups, and people are used to automatically being notified of any new post that someone puts on the forum. As newly registered users, they haven't clicked 'Subscribe' to any forums and therefore have no idea of any new posts being written. I've told them how to subscribe, but since there are around 10 forums and subforums, it can be annoying to go to each one and click subscribe individually on each one. If there was a way to automatically have them registered to all the topics, it would make life easier for all involved, and they would prefer it. Spam is not really an issue at all, as this is a closed group, with only approved members being allowed to register.
livewirestu
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Re: Auto Subscribe to forum

Post by livewirestu »

I wonder if myACP manage subscriptions mod is of any use to you.
I don't think it 100% meets your requirements, but it is better than nothing.
Please understand there are a few limitations currently though. Read the thread in the link for full details.
Cheers,
Stu
mtrs
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Re: Auto Subscribe to forum

Post by mtrs »

ChrisRLG wrote:If you did you might get caught by the spam laws of some countries .
Do we know which countries are they? Does it bound us depending on where hosting servers located in and/or site owners resident country?
I abandoned all of my mods.
Gordon Bunker
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Re: Auto Subscribe to forum

Post by Gordon Bunker »

Does this help?


Correction, 15/10/2008 should have been this link:


http://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtopi ... 4&t=543143
Cooee
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Re: Auto Subscribe to forum

Post by Cooee »

aburstein wrote:I would also appreciate having this functionality. I've moved over an organization that was using Google Groups, and people are used to automatically being notified of any new post that someone puts on the forum.
I've set up a forum for my gliding club, which shares the same background. We would like to move away from Google Groups in favour of phpbb, and having the ability to auto-subscribe new users to certain forums (and all sub-topics) would be essential. So, +1 from me.

The other thing we would like to be able is sign up new members to the forum on their behalf. Then we could send an email along the lines of "Welcome to the forum. Your username is xxx, your temporary password is yyy, to opt out of mass group email, click this link."

I guess the lines between a forum and an email distribution group are narrowing :)
MacMyDays
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Re: Auto Subscribe to forum

Post by MacMyDays »

Cooee wrote:
aburstein wrote:I would also appreciate having this functionality. I've moved over an organization that was using Google Groups, and people are used to automatically being notified of any new post that someone puts on the forum.
I've set up a forum for my gliding club, which shares the same background. We would like to move away from Google Groups in favour of phpbb, and having the ability to auto-subscribe new users to certain forums (and all sub-topics) would be essential. So, +1 from me.

The other thing we would like to be able is sign up new members to the forum on their behalf. Then we could send an email along the lines of "Welcome to the forum. Your username is xxx, your temporary password is yyy, to opt out of mass group email, click this link."

I guess the lines between a forum and an email distribution group are narrowing :)
Ditto. I have a small board consisting of closed group of about 20 members. There are three forums (rooms), I would like to have phpBB auto-notify each of the 20 users every time someone posts either a reply to an existing topic or a new topic in any or all of the three forums (rooms). The SPAM concern is non-existent as all would pre-approve the terms of the forum and it would be closed so no new users could be admitted with admin approval.
ejenner
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Re: Auto Subscribe to forum

Post by ejenner »

I am still searching for an answer to this issue. Nobody seems to know how to do it, yet many people are asking.

At this point it might even be quicker to find the place in the database that says user xx is subscribed to forum xx and change the value so that the individual user recieves notifications for that forum.
dogslife
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Re: Auto Subscribe to forum

Post by dogslife »

Sorry ejenner, I wish I was posting a solution, but I'm just another user interested in the same feature.
:)
ejenner
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Re: Auto Subscribe to forum

Post by ejenner »

I couldn't find any pre-built modifications for making this work. But I have successfully identified the changes that need to be made if you want your users subscribed to a forum without having to individually open each user account.


What I did was as follows:

1. Open my SQL editor so you can see the tables in the forum database

2. Locate table named 'phpbb_users'

3. Open to view and edit rows

4. Make a note of the user id numbers I want to subscribe to a forum

Image


5. In my case I have users numbered up to 132 so far. I made a note of the users I wanted to subscribe (all of them)

6. Then I opened the table named 'phpbb_forums_watch' and added data into each of the 3 columns to subscribe everyone to a particular forum

Image

To work out what would be the correct number to specify for the forum I just manually subscribed my own account to the forum I wanted everyone else to subscribe to. Then I checked the 'phpbb_forums_watch' table to see what had been added.

I've checked all of the above and it works fine. But, it is not automatic. So when my new members join I would have to manually add them.

What would be really neat is if someone with SQL scripting knowledge were to create a little batch file that gets the user number from 'phpbb_users' and adds the line to 'phpbb_forums_watch' - then this could be scheduled for a couple of times a day or once a week or whenever...
doubleAA
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Re: Auto Subscribe to forum

Post by doubleAA »

I, too, would like a default option for automatic subscription to all threads posted on our forum. Ours is a closed forum and we would not have spam concerns. We are switching this group from a list serve to the new forum. Currently, they receive a list serve email every time an email is posted to the group. We want to mimic this feature by allowing them to choose to subscribe to all current and future threads in the new forum as they are posted.

We have not found a suitable mod to date, but we do have some funding available if some one is willing to take on the task.

Thanks for the help.

doubleA
pdgfigueira
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Re: Auto Subscribe to forum

Post by pdgfigueira »

ejenner,

The changes you are describing can be done with the following SQL (tested for mysql):

Code: Select all

$sql = 'INSERT INTO phpbb_forums_watch SELECT frm.forum_id, usr.user_id, 1 FROM phpbb_users usr, phpbb_forums frm WHERE (usr.user_id > 52 OR usr.user_id = 2) AND (frm.forum_id, usr.user_id) NOT IN   (SELECT frm_wtch.forum_id, frm_wtch.user_id FROM phpbb_forums_watch frm_wtch);';
$db->sql_query($sql);
$sql = 'INSERT INTO phpbb_topics_watch SELECT tpc.topic_id, usr.user_id, 1 FROM phpbb_users usr, phpbb_topics tpc WHERE (usr.user_id > 52 OR usr.user_id = 2) AND (tpc.topic_id, usr.user_id) NOT IN (SELECT tpc_wtch.topic_id, tpc_wtch.user_id FROM phpbb_topics_watch tpc_wtch);';
$db->sql_query($sql);
I've placed this code in the beginning (~line 48)of posting.php. Please note that the where clause (usr.user_id > 52 OR usr.user_id = 2) is meant to remove from default users from the notication (except administrator).

The problem that I'm having in version 3.0.4 is that no email is sent when I reply or create e a new topic. Does anyone know there is a global variable to control email notifications or other change I have to made?

Best regards
PFigueira
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