I should like to add a section on our forum where there is an RSS feed from our members' blogs. Is it possible on forumup? I've seen it on a vBulletin forum and it seems a great idea.

Many thanks.

pi xxx

I never tried it. It might be possible. Try and see.

Please use caution with experimenting, since some scripts can mess up your forum.

Pistachio, if you can do the initial research, then I can do the "risky" part for you, when I find the time. It's certainly better that I make a mess of one of my test forums, than if you mess up your forum. I deliberately crashed two forums last night, for example, but that's another story...

Find a free, remotely hosted "add on" or script (hosted in the same way that shoutboxes are hosted, to simplify) that can do what you want it to do, and send it in a PM to me, using Code tags (button next to Quote), like this:

Code:

code goes here

Using a PM is for two reasons; first of all that it could "erase" parts of a forum, if it doesn't work, and also because it is likely that you need to sign up for it, and that part of the code you get will be your personal code (as is the case with shoutboxes, for example).

If everything works, I can make a Guide out of it. If not, we'll know for the future that the answer is no.

FoxLeonard -- ForumUp Stunt Admin

Thank you! I have been looking but so far without luck.

Will come back to you with a pm as soon as I find anything that looks remotely viable.

pi

Leonard, I have a feeling that something similar I am seeing on a vBulletin board is perhaps redirected by the admin under the username RSS Feeds. Meaning that he is receiving it via a usual feed programme and then redirecting it to the forum as posts.

Would that be a possibility do you think?

pi x

No, that's not possible, Pi. It requires a "free standing" forum, where you have access to the software, to install a Mod that enables it. Hence the remotely hosted part, in what I say above.

You need something that you can ad to your forum in the same way as you add a Shout Box or a Slide Show, for example. I'm not certain that there are any such scripts, but I can see no reason why not; i.e. a "feed box" like that should work, as far as I can understand...

FoxLeonard

Perhaps he's posting the feeds manually, Leonard. There aren't that many, maybe ten blogs.

pi x

Meanwhile, I could not help myself. So I let my curiosity take over, as usual...

Take a look at my testforum, and see if the "gadget" in the Script Test RSS Feed forum description is something for you:

Only registered users can see links on this forum! Register or Login on forum!

I've used the standard "template" and only entered three arbitrary music blogs from blogspot in it, but there are no limits really. You can enter loads of URLs, and customize it as much as you want.

And if you don't want it in public, it works in a forum with the Permissions set to Registered [hidden] as well, so it only shows up for logged in members.

You will find it here:

Only registered users can see links on this forum! Register or Login on forum!

FoxLeonard

Hey Leonard, did you make this widget yourself? It's not like I was imagining it as the rss feed on the vBulletin forum I mentioned to you comes up just like a regular post. But you know it is a definite possibility

This has also been bugging me too and I've sent a pm to the admin on the vBulletin site to see if I can get any further info. It doesn't mean however that what works over there would work on forumup.

I'll keep you informed.

Many, many thanks.

pi xxx

Just wondering, what is RSS and what does it do?

Admin on the vBulletin forum just pm'd me ...

The vbulletin software has an actual (Admin) function built in that enables one to add RSS feeds.

Why don't we also have one ????

pi xxx

Well, something like that may show up on phpBB3, when Raulken decides it is safe to make the upgrade. I don't know if it is part of (one of) the standard set ups, but with the slightest of luck...

If it is a Mod (as it is for phpBB2 -- this version) it is more unlikely to be included, as Mods tend to be bugridden.

Keep in mind that an important part of the ForumUp concept is to provide forums that are as simple and safe as possible to "handle", for the forum owners.

Quote:

Hey Leonard, did you make this widget yourself?

Well, I just used the default and added the links at that point. However, now I have customized it a little, just for fun. So it may be worth a second look...

Only registered users can see links on this forum! Register or Login on forum!

It's still only three blogs in it, but it shows three different kind of feeds.

The Trad Music News only shows (part of) the latest entry, and you need to click the Widget to get to the first page of theblog and read more. It opens in a new window.

The No Rock and Roll Fun feed gives you several of the latest posts, and you can click them separately to get to them in the blog.

The Psy Trance Music gives you headlines only, but more of them instead.

This is depending on the settings for the feeds that the bloggers have made, and nothing you can change at the recieving end.

I can for sure see some advantages with feeds directly into posts. But the advantages here are that you have everything in one place, and you can have literally loads of feeds, from various sources, as long as you use the correct feed URL's.

And last, but not least: It cannot cause bugs or other problems on your forum, as long as you are careful when you install it; when you copy and paste it into a site description, or into the Header (if you have No Ads) or Footer.

PirateScoobs wrote:

Just wondering, what is RSS and what does it do?

It's a "live feed" on your site, of what's happening on other sites. That's the (too) short answer, but there is more info here:

Only registered users can see links on this forum! Register or Login on forum!

FoxLeonard

Ha ha! Fox News Feed ... I love it

Quote:

Keep in mind that an important part of the ForumUp concept is to provide forums that are as simple and safe as possible to "handle", for the forum owners.

I really do appreciate that Leonard because when we set up the forum we were complete novices and so I guess it was a lucky shot choosing forumup.

Quote:

Well, something like that may show up on phpBB3, when Raulken decides it is safe to make the upgrade.

Fantastic news that there is an upgrade in the works.

Yep, understand about what you see on the feed is down to the bloggers settings. I personally have mine set to "short" so that anyone interested to see more will visit my blog.

Two questions. I would like the reader to be visible to just registered members. I was thinking to give it a place inside a forum so it is not taking up a lot of space on the main page. To do this where do I copy in the script?

Secondly, how do I customise it as you have to put our own title on it?

Leonard ... you are an absolute star



pi xxx