The New Post Flags in Xen

[tobedetermined]

The Zen forum software obviously offers a lot of customization. I noticed some Grow Diary posts have red Diary flags in the post listings. And then I noticed that it can be added to a Grow Diary post – only. Btw . . . if it is your diary, you can edit your first post and add the flag!

This is a great feature for really highlighting a post in the thread listings. But but but . . . can I ask that it not be overused? I think it would be best kept for Grow Diaries and Contests and Announcements from management – in other words really special things that deserve highlighting. Otherwise, if too many different flag variants are allowed, the listings will be colorful but the flags would lose all impact.

Just my feelings . . .

 

[StevenHXF]

The Zen forum software obviously offers a lot of customization. I noticed some Grow Diary posts have red Diary flags in the post listings. And then I noticed that it can be added to a Grow Diary post – only. Btw . . . if it is your diary, you can edit your first post and add the flag!

This is a great feature for really highlighting a post in the thread listings. But but but . . . can I ask that it not be overused? I think it would be best kept for Grow Diaries and Contests and Announcements from management – in other words really special things that deserve highlighting. Otherwise, if too many different flag variants are allowed, the listings will be colorful but the flags would lose all impact.

Just my feelings . . .

Somebody noticed! Well @exploziv and @Entusia noticed them as well but you're the only ones who've said anything.

We've been messing around with these and think that they will be a great addition to the forum. Currently we've only set up prefixes for Diary and Competitions, both have been limited to the Grow Diary and Vendor forums.

What I'd like to do is come up with a full list of these that we can enable site wide, the only issue I see is overuse / misuse which we'll have to get around with moderation. Basically we don't want a situation where every thread is highlighted a diary or competition simply to get people to look at it. There should at the lest be an understanding that they only get applied to 'decent' threads.

I think one solution is going to be to limit some of them to certain forums, for example the Diary prefix, if that's limited to the Grow Diaries sub only then it will be a lot more visible if it's being misused.

Between me and @exploziv we came up with:

• Diary - main vendor forums / grow diaries | moderating / administrative / vendors / senior member
• Competition - all nodes | moderating / administrative / vendors / senior members
• Announcement - all nodes | moderating / administrative / vendors
• Promo / Giveaway - all nodes | moderating / administrative / vendors

I also considered Question, but I think that's probably overkill, instead of Question I'd much rather we start using the Question thread type which hasn't yet been enabled on forums yet.

Would love to hear thoughts on other possibilities for these and where they might apply if not globally.

Steven

 

[StevenHXF]

To add, we can limit the use of any of the prefixes to any user group so could limit the use of the Diary prefix to Senior Members or any other usergroup.

 

[exploziv]

Senior members and mod admins. Other guys can ask for them or get them from the mods if we notice a need. I think we will need less time mantaining it that way than letting everybody use them.
My !

 

[exploziv]

Tutorial tag @StevenHXF I Know we used to have a nice diy link-o-rama filled with tutorials to build stuff, and also some complete grow or cloning tutorial. This would be a badge of honor to have your thread considered helpful and complete on that matter it preaches!

 

[tobedetermined]

This would be a badge of honor to have your thread considered helpful and complete on that matter it preaches!

If used wisely (!!!!) it could be very helpful. I know in the hash sub there are one or two posts that deserve the honour and I am sure that many topics have one or two posts that are deserving.

And Steven . . . I agree that questions would create too many.

 

[exploziv]

We could only let mods use that one, yes!!

 

[exploziv]

Maybe poll tag auto assigned to poll threads? Or they are already diferentiated in the list? I can't remember.. @StevenHXF

 

[StevenHXF]

Ok so our initial list would be :

• Diary
• Competition
• Announcement
• Promo / Giveaway
• Tutorial

and we'd limit the setting of Tutorials to mods / admins only, everything else could be set by senior members or vendors.

Any ideas on what would be limited to where?

 

[exploziv]

Diary - only in growers subforum, and in diaries, for senior members and up.
Competition - Vendors for sure but we used to have some friendly competitions in other subforums as well like the yoghurt cup or the beer cup or whatever so I would let this only to vendors and mods, and leave it open for all forums.
Announcement - everywere for mods and admins, maybe allowed for vendors in their subforum as well? - if possible
Promo / Giveaway - same as the one above??
Tutorial - everywhere but just for mods and admins

 

[StevenHXF]

The only thing we can't do is have different permissions in different forums. For example, if vendors can use Announcement then they can use it everywhere it's enabled.

 

[exploziv]

Allow it everywhere but tell them they should only use it in their subforum? I don't think there is reason to abuse that for a vendor in good standing..

 

[tobedetermined]

Maybe restrict it to top level vendors only. The lesser vendors - Seedbay and Boutique would have to ask a mod, maybe?

 

[exploziv]

then they would need to be in seperate groups.., but yeah could work.

 

[StevenHXF]

Ok, I think we have a plan. We'll allow vendors access to those prefixes so that they can use them on the vendor subs but access will be on the condition that they don't use them anywhere else.

 

[StevenHXF]

Here we go @tobedetermined @exploziv

I've followed the permissions and rules in the post by @exploziv above. I think we'll change the colours but we need to do that in CSS so will get to that in the next few days.

Will have to let the mods and vendors know about it and maybe make a thread in the Grow Diaries forum so senior members how what it is.

 

[exploziv]

We now also take nominations for threads in the Tutorial category! Should be very informative threads with pictures where needed. Like a whole DIY build or a cloning guide or an outdoor growing guide or a hash making guide or any other threads that treat a subject in a way that teaches us the way to do that! What I said above are just examples that I know are out there, but could be anything, really. Post here or pm me with the threads you feel are worth this "Tutorial" tag.
@StevenHXF maybe this could become gold colour in the future? Like the gold seal?!

 

[tobedetermined]

We now also take nominations for threads in the Tutorial category! Should be very informative threads with pictures where needed. Like a whole DIY build or a cloning guide or an outdoor growing guide or a hash making guide or any other threads that treat a subject in a way that teaches us the way to do that! What I said above are just examples that I know are out there, but could be anything, really. Post here or pm me with the threads you feel are worth this "Tutorial" tag.
@StevenHXF maybe this could become gold colour in the future? Like the gold seal?!

Excellent! The first thread I would nominate is Sam's CANNABIS BIBLIOGRAPHY SORTED AND ALPHABETIZED BY SUBJECT.

 

[exploziv]

Done!

 

[tobedetermined]

Maybe you should create an official nomination thread to get more attention.

Here's another How to Make Full Melt Dry Sift!!! photo essay by Bubbleman