2 q's: What's limit for pm #, and forum suggestion

Greets. This one is for admins, I suppose.

Ok, what is the maximum number of private messages one can have? I think I need to delete hundred or two if there is a tight limit...

I noticed someone cut back half a dozen of sections (all of archive and deshed ones), so that's good because we haven't had enough posts there. However I was wondering if we could have a section, under 'Other' where developers could share links on information. Something like "new module for apache/perl/php is coming out and it hasn't received enough coverege, so here's the link" kind of posts threads. I know there have been quite a number of links provided by Hero, rycamor, freebsd, rod, smoothy, nox, onslaught, sepo and jdk (in random order, of course ) well among other senior members and it's a shame all that information should be lost.

I am not sure about the PM limit, cause I have yet to reach it !!

in any case, your second suggetion is a really good one. I have many times faced situation where I know this question is discussed somewhere with links to solution, but can't remember anything about thread. And searching through those hundreds of results is pain.

We can suggest this to 'Zeus', he should do the needful. Why dont you put up poll for this Al ? We can also know other's opinion on this.

Regards,
JD

Another option for links- If someone wants to bang out a multi-user PHP/perl app that would allow folks to add categorized links with descriptions to a MySQL DB, I could extend the bot that updates my sig to push this into the relevant forums automagically. We'd allow pretty much anybody to set up an account, but all new submissions would need to be approved by an admin (most likely the forum moderator)

E.G. Al decides he wants to add a link to the "link" thread in the PHP forum. He signs into this mini-app with his account, selects "PHP" and the subcategory for the link under PHP, puts in a description and the URL. Next time my bot runs, it updates that sticky thread in the PHP forum with Al's new link (assuming it's approved by an admin).

Advantages- Multi-user, with a "mini-faq" feel to it. I could also put in a link for a user to download it in various formats- XML, HTML, etc. I could host it, too. Keeping it current by finding dead links would be simple, too. It could be a potential resouce to the open-source community at large- "Go to the devshed PHP forum and download the "links" doc- it's the BEST!!!" or whatever. Could also be released as a vBulletin hack.

Disadvantages- It would require folks to have another damn account somewhere.

Anyone? Ideas?

Hey, i'll pay for the server, no big deal..... Just PM me if you guys want to do that, I will set up an account.......

This sounds really interesting, especially Hero's extended version. Where/how/when shall we start?

//NoXcuz

Why not extend the vBulleting database?
You already got users and passwords to work against!
That way you could use your devshed login...

Well, I wouldn't particularly mind creating the app, though I'd like some guidance as to features and help on purty web design, if folks want to pitch in.

I'd mod_perl (yes. Because I like it.) it and release the code to y'all. Though I'd really want to get approval from the devshed folks before I release the 'bot part- it basically opens up devshed to me to post whatever I want whereever I want as many times as I want. . .

Kind of a pandora's box thing. A script-kiddie could use the 'bot to slam a forum with a few thousand posts to be a tool. It's not THAT difficult, but why make it easier?

Thanks for the server offer, but I have a number of boxes on stable connections freely available to me.

Ideas? Features/function/caveats?

It's a commercial product, and I don't particularly feel like thinking/dealing with intellectual property/licensing issues. I also think some quality control would be nice, passing links through the moderators or other "anoited" ones.

I've never seen the vBulletin code, nor do I want to. Perhaps the "super mods" know something about how vBulletin is licensed, but it seems like a potential can of worms.

No I don't mean use the vBulletin code.
The owner of the vBulletin license owns the intellectual rights to the data stored within the mysql database.
Therefore you can write your own app, open source whatever, which will use the data (which the owner owns) stored in the database.

I mean if you're worried about it speak to the guys at vBulletin, but I can't see at all what they could possibly do to stop you using your own data...

yeaha! go for it hero. Just don't release it - leave your bot hanging on some host somewhere becasuse there are helleva lot of vbulletins out there and I'm sure with little modifications you bot could work with either one. Which, yeah, basicly means shameless flooding from kids. We'll have to thin on that password issue too...

So are we going to have 'link thread' in most forums or make separate section for that? If former then we'll need to think how to cut down those stickies - there will be too many of them.

Any of you mods have that cool little red phone with 24x7 access to admins? It'd be nice to grab their attention for 5 minutes or so.

Excellent idea mob gangster Capone and Hero!!!

The ultimate knowledge base!

Let me tell you something.

Long back, I saw board which was bit customized and I foudn it to be very kewl. (I dont remember details of that feature) Then I suggested Devshed folks to incorporate that.

They replied back saying, They can put up the hack, but that violates licence agreement with vBulletin and you no longer get support from vBulletin. Also, hack might create problem when you want to upgrade your version of vBulletin.

So.
Btw, I just found something. I am not sure if this is similar to what we are looking for, but someone having test vBulletin setup can try and let us know.

Link is : http://www.vbulletin.org/hacks/inde...hack&hackid=445

Regards,
JD

jdk, I'm not really excited about using 3rd party hack for vbulletin when we have someone local with the same thing.

I too heard that vbulletin team doesn't like hacks, but on the other hand why are they so closely realted (vbulletin.com and vbulletin.org)? Also I hear that there will be some sort of team which well be checking all the hacks and give them score based on their portability, efficiency etc. I'm not sure that idea came to life though...