My latest CB install isnt a conventional social net or community.

so I dont really have a use for the traditional friend connections functionality.


but what I do have a need for is a Favorites Tab.

Basically the ability for my Paid users to see a profile they like and add it to a "lightbox" or a favorites type tab. That way they can refer back to this tab to find the profiles they liked to most.

I searched the JED and CBD, I havent found any type of plugin that can do this.

so I thought about modifying the existing CB Connections system to act as a favorites system. It doesnt seem, like it would be a hard mod to do.

The mods:
Set all the language files to use the word "favorites" instead of "friends" or "connections"

Set the connections system to NOT require mutual consent

Set the connections tab to private and not public.

Set the the display path to OFF

Set connection notifications to NONE

Set cross connections to NO

set the connections tab to be visible/available/editable by only a CB-subs PAID plan.

This should allow for a paid user to browse to a profile her likes and click the "add as friend" and have this user added to his Connections tab (now called "Favorites")

Lower rank users wouldnt even have any knowledge of this as the tab and add message would not appear.
and they would not know if they have been added as a favorite since the notifications have been turned off.


Results
My first attempt at this is partially successful however I am having an issue with the CB core menu display.

This core menu has always confused me.

This is my code as listed inside the Menu tab

<div align="center">[menu style="color:black;" caption="- Edit Your Profile - " img=""] _UE_MENU_EDIT : _UE_UPDATEPROFILE [/menu] [menu style="color:black;" caption="- View Your Profile - " img=""] _UE_MENU_VIEW : _UE_MENU_VIEWMYPROFILE [/menu] [menu style="color:black;" caption="Manage Favorites - " img=""] _UE_MENU_CONNECTIONS : _UE_MENU_MANAGEMYCONNECTIONS [/menu] [menu style="color:black;" caption="Add as Favorite -" img=""]_UE_MENU_CONNECTIONS : _UE_ADDCONNECTIONREQUEST [/menu]</div>


The problem is that the "Add as Favorite" item only appears only when the CB master setting is set to mutual consent...toggling the display path to OFF doesnt seem to make a difference either.

Why is this? is there a workaround
perhaps the tag in my core menu code is incorrect?

Thoughts?
suggestions?
comments?

feeedback is appreciated.

Post edited by: jakobe75, at: 2010/11/15 20:00

Post edited by: krileon, at: 2010/11/16 16:32

This "Stalker Mode" has another issue:
even though I have the notifications set to OFF

users are still being ask to confirm the connection request via the cb login module, I am assuming this is because mutual request is turned ON.

but how to turn mutual consent to OFF, and have it still display a profile connection request button, but not notify the user?

Whats the purpose of mutual consent?

I guess I could just turn it off in mod_cblogin
but I was hoping it wouldnt even trigger the display.

maybe I am not understanding the terminology correctly.

I have it working for the most part.

When you break it down, the connection system can be loosely interpreted as a two way favorites system.

By turning off some features and limiting one plans access to the tab via cb-subs. and then going through the language files and changing the terminology.

It can be crudely modded into a single sided favorites system.

"I add you but you dont know it"

I think I am understanding the Mutual Consent concept, just still unclear on why when it is turned off, the "add as friend" button disappears...why would it matter? I dont need the favorites tab to be viewed by anyone other than the profile owner.

The request button should stay visible for both settings, I dont believe mutual consent should have any bearing on whether or not a user can request a friend.

Thats why I though maybe my core menu coding was wrong...maybe it required a different command.

BTW, is there a complete list of these anywhere?

Leaving it on can be worked around, I think the only problem is when you are in the manage connections tab you still see the little clock timer next to each connection.

This will always be there since the other user has no way to confirm this connection.

I have the system set not to notify, the tab hidden and the cblogin mod set not to notify of pending connections.

but even this icon could be replaced with a green check mark to identify it as a "confirmed connection"
You would have to modify the tool tip text as well.

Its not clickable so either replace and re-purpose it it or comment it out.

I have been mocking this concept up and playing around with it for a few hours, trying to access it from different plans and whatnot.

Everything seems good except for the mutual consent toggle turning off the "add as friend" button.


Its not really a "Got to have it or I'll just die" function, but if I dont use it then the entire friendship system goes unused..why waste it?..a little modification here and there and I can add it as another item on the site's feature list.

Post edited by: jakobe75, at: 2010/11/15 22:07

Yes Nant I think thats where I was at when I discovered that removing MUTUAL consent also removes the request friend button altogether.

my current CB config--->connection settings

Enable / YES
Display type / PRIVATE
Display path / NO (not sure what this does)
Mutual consent / NO
Notification method / NONE
Cross connection / NO

this will not show a Add as friend button.
but then changing Mutual consent to YES shows the button.

MY cb_login module setting:

Connections notification / DO NOT SHOW


Is it mutual consent supposed to remove the request button from the cb_menu on the profiles? Or is my menu code wrong?