Here is suggestion of a typical feature set of an "Invite a Friend" system for Community Builder:
Community Builder integration is a must taking advantage of the main code but adding functionality as a plugin.

Ability to switch the Joomla web site from a public system to an invite only system.
- this would add a feature to switch the CB login module on and off from the admin backend
- also protecting the registration page so it can not be accessed without an invite when it it's turned off

Invite Message Admin Control:
- From Field
- Subject Field
- Default Message
- Users additional message field (so use can add a message to the default if wanted - this should be able to be on or off)

Invite sends an email with a link to register.
- this link should open a page only accessible for that users email message (keeping the site private to invites only if switch is on)
- Opens a new user registration page (using CB Registration and not the simple Joomla page)

Registration Page (Community Builder Registration Page)
- Code must use the Community Builder registration pages not Joomla
- Ability to force the user on the registration page to upload a photo before becoming active (photo upload field required)
- Upon new user registering the new user is then added to the main users connection list

CB Plugin architecture leaving main CB code untouched for future upgrades of Community Builder and/or Joomla
Invite Tracking
- Ability to track all invites with new friend status
- Cancel Invite
- Resend abilities, all or just one request.
- Ability for the Admin to limit the amount of invites per day a user can send

Kinda strange that a social networking system called "Community Builder" doesn't have this feature builtin.

Have you checked out the Invite a Friend component from www.galangph.com I also just created a Invite a Friend plugin for this component.

I installed the invite component and got it working HOWEVER it embeds a registration link in the invite that is to a registration form that is in the com_invite/include/ folder

to an included registration form.

I need to have it sent to a specific static link that has an affilaite id taken from the senders cb profile in it.

The link sets an affilaite cookie and then sends the invited guest to cb registration form.

the invite.php file in the package includes the logic for the signup link. No being a php programmer though I don't want to muck about with it....

I'm wondering also if the backend/tracking of invites and signups would be broken if this link was changed.

Post edited by: jmaduk, at: 2006/10/04 02:54

the problem is that the "invite a friend" ext you're talking about does not use the CB registration.

Does your plugin add the user who was invited to the person who invited them to their contact list?

I posted a simple basic list of features that almost every social network out there is using to invite friends and grow their communities.

cheers...

www.galangph.com is offline at the moment :(

SO I guess what we need here is two things in my mind - the Invite a Friend component needs to be changed by the individual user to go to the CB registration - or added as an option in the component's admin side.

Also, as was suggested somewhere else I think it should be an option to automatically add (if selected in admin side) any new user that comes thru 'invite a friend' to the user's Connections that sent the invite. Makes perfect sense - of course I lack the knowledge to do that so somebody get crackin!