Solved Several how-to questions

Our config:

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Joomla! SEF: Enabled | Joomla! SEF rewrite: Enabled | FTP layer: Disabled |

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htaccess: Exists | PHP environment: Max execution time: 60 seconds | Max execution memory: 160M | Max file upload: 20M

Kunena menu details:

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ID	Name	Menutype	Link	Path
176	Forum	mainmenu	Itemid=241	2011-10-23-13-03-18
187	Support Requests	mainmenu	view=category&catid=5	2011-10-23-13-03-18/support-requests
186	General Discussion	mainmenu	view=category&catid=4	2011-10-23-13-03-18/general-discussion
188	New Features	mainmenu	view=category&catid=10	2011-10-23-13-03-18/new-features-enhancements
189	Tips and Tricks	mainmenu	view=category&catid=6	2011-10-23-13-03-18/tips-and-tricks-best-practices
190	Improvement Suggestions	mainmenu	view=category&catid=7	2011-10-23-13-03-18/improvement-suggestions
352	Documentation Feedback	mainmenu	view=category&catid=19	2011-10-23-13-03-18/documentation-feedback
191	FAQ Comments	mainmenu	view=category&catid=8	2011-10-23-13-03-18/faq-comments
192	Known Bugs	mainmenu	view=category&catid=9	2011-10-23-13-03-18/known-bugs
193	FreeToastHost Ambassadors	mainmenu	view=category&catid=11	2011-10-23-13-03-18/freetoasthost-ambassadors
367	Development Project	mainmenu	view=category&catid=18	2011-10-23-13-03-18/development-project
221	Update Profile||Reset Password	mainmenu	view=user	reset-password
241	Forum	kunenamenu	view=home&defaultmenu=243	forum
242	Index	kunenamenu	view=category&layout=list	forum/index
243	Recent Topics	kunenamenu	view=topics&layout=default&mode=replies	forum/recent
244	New Topic	kunenamenu	view=topic&layout=create	forum/newtopic
245	No Replies	kunenamenu	view=topics&layout=default&mode=noreplies	forum/noreplies
246	My Topics	kunenamenu	view=topics&layout=user&mode=default	forum/mylatest
247	Profile	kunenamenu	view=user	forum/profile
248	Rules	kunenamenu	view=misc	forum/rules
249	Help	kunenamenu	view=misc	forum/help
250	Search	kunenamenu	view=search	forum/search

Joomla default template details : yoo_nano | author: YOOtheme | version: 1.0.7 | creationdate: Unknown

Kunena default template details : Blue Eagle | author: Kunena Team | version: 3.0.3 | creationdate: 2013-10-20

Kunena version detailed: Kunena 3.0.3 | 2013-10-20 [ Bifrost ]
| Kunena detailed configuration:

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Kunena config settings:
board_offline	0
enablerss	1
threads_per_page	25
messages_per_page	25
messages_per_page_search	25
showhistory	1
historylimit	6
shownew	1
disemoticons	0
template	blue_eagle
showannouncement	1
avataroncat	0
catimagepath	category_images/
showchildcaticon	1
rtewidth	722
rteheight	300
enableforumjump	1
reportmsg	1
username	1
askemail	0
showemail	0
showuserstats	1
showkarma	1
useredit	1
useredittime	0
useredittimegrace	600
editmarkup	1
allowsubscriptions	1
subscriptionschecked	1
allowfavorites	1
maxsubject	75
maxsig	600
regonly	0
pubwrite	0
floodprotection	60
mailmod	0
mailadmin	0
captcha	0
mailfull	1
allowavatarupload	1
allowavatargallery	1
avatarquality	65
avatarsize	2048
imageheight	800
imagewidth	800
imagesize	1024
filetypes	txt,rtf,pdf,zip,tar.gz,tgz,tar.bz2
filesize	1024
showranking	1
rankimages	1
userlist_rows	30
userlist_online	1
userlist_avatar	1
userlist_name	1
userlist_posts	1
userlist_karma	1
userlist_email	0
userlist_joindate	1
userlist_lastvisitdate	1
userlist_userhits	1
latestcategory	0
showstats	1
showwhoisonline	1
showgenstats	1
showpopuserstats	1
popusercount	10
showpopsubjectstats	1
popsubjectcount	10
usernamechange	0
showspoilertag	1
showvideotag	1
showebaytag	1
trimlongurls	1
trimlongurlsfront	40
trimlongurlsback	20
autoembedyoutube	1
autoembedebay	1
ebaylanguagecode	en-us
sessiontimeout	1800
highlightcode	0
rss_type	topic
rss_timelimit	month
rss_limit	100
rss_included_categories
rss_excluded_categories
rss_specification	rss2.0
rss_allow_html	1
rss_author_format	name
rss_author_in_title	1
rss_word_count	0
rss_old_titles	1
rss_cache	900
defaultpage	recent
default_sort	asc
sef	1
showimgforguest	1
showfileforguest	1
pollnboptions	10
pollallowvoteone	1
pollenabled	1
poppollscount	5
showpoppollstats	1
polltimebtvotes	00:15:00
pollnbvotesbyuser	100
pollresultsuserslist	1
maxpersotext	100
ordering_system	mesid
post_dateformat	ago
post_dateformat_hover	datetime
hide_ip	1
imagetypes	jpg,jpeg,gif,png
checkmimetypes	1
imagemimetypes	image/jpeg,image/jpg,image/gif,image/png
imagequality	50
thumbheight	32
thumbwidth	32
hideuserprofileinfo	put_empty
boxghostmessage	0
userdeletetmessage	0
latestcategory_in	1
topicicons	1
debug	0
catsautosubscribed	0
showbannedreason	0
version_check	1
showthankyou	1
showpopthankyoustats	1
popthankscount	5
mod_see_deleted	0
bbcode_img_secure	text
listcat_show_moderators	1
lightbox	1
show_list_time	720
show_session_type	0
show_session_starttime	0
userlist_allowed	1
userlist_count_users	1
enable_threaded_layouts	0
category_subscriptions	post
topic_subscriptions	every
pubprofile	0
thankyou_max	10
email_recipient_count	0
email_recipient_privacy	bcc
captcha_post_limit	0
keywords	0
userkeywords	0
image_upload	registered
file_upload	registered
topic_layout	flat
time_to_create_page	1
show_imgfiles_manage_profile	1
hold_newusers_posts	1
hold_guest_posts	0
attachment_limit	8
pickup_category	0
article_display	intro
send_emails	1
fallback_english	1
cache	1
cache_time	180
iptracking	1
rss_feedburner_url
autolink	1
access_component	1
userlist_usertype	0
sefutf8	0
changename	0
enablepdf	1
jmambot	0
annmodid	42
userlist_username	1
rules_infb	1
help_infb	1
onlineusers	1

| Kunena integration settings:

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Kunena - AlphaUserPoints Enabled: activity=1 avatar=1 profile=1 activity_points_limit=0
Kunena - Community Builder Enabled: access=1 login=1 activity=1 avatar=1 profile=1 private=1
Kunena - Gravatar Disabled
Kunena - JomSocial Enabled: access=1 login=1 activity=1 avatar=1 profile=1 private=1 activity_points_limit=0 activity_stream_limit=0
Kunena - Joomla Enabled: access=1 login=1
Kunena - Kunena Enabled: avatar=1 profile=1
Kunena - UddeIM Enabled: private=1

| Joomla! detailed language files installed:

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Joomla! languages installed:
en-GB	English (United Kingdom)

Third-party components: UddeIM 2.8

Third-party SEF components: None

Plugins: Search - Kunena Search 3.0.1 | Content - Kunena Discuss 3.0.1

Modules: Kunena Latest 3.0.1 | Kunena Stats 3.0.1 | Kunena Login 3.0.1 | Kunena Search 3.0.1

Questions:

1. How to require that new users fill in specific fields in their user profile?
How do we handle this with existing users?

2. How can we do some sort of tickertape or scrolling banner message? We need to do a better job grabbing the attention of our users for documentation updates.

3. How can we just ditch the spambots javascript in the subscription notifications. It is causing issues for some of our users... getting caught in spam filters.

4. Is there a way to pin a topic to the top of Recent Topics?

Steve

G'day, Steve, and welcome to Kunena.

We prefer one subject per topic - easier for us to help you and easier for others to find information on the same subject if that's what they're looking for.

Quick answers to your questions:

1. How to require that new users fill in specific fields in their user profile?
How do we handle this with existing users?

Good question and a tough one to answer. This is kind of "off-topic" (we normally do "off-topic", general site/forum management tips and ideas in our Miscellaneous, off-topic and general Joomla category - there may be something in there) but I don't know how you force people to complete certain parts of the Kunena user profile.

You can ensure that certain things have to be completed during user registration but, because the Kunena user profile is created automatically afer the Joomla user process has completed (and the user carries out the registration authentication prcess) making sure that certan data is updated is a tough ask. Best suggestion that I have is to write an article or two, outlining your expectations of what you want your community members to do, that instructs them about what they might like to update after they've joined.

2. How can we do some sort of tickertape or scrolling banner message? We need to do a better job grabbing the attention of our users for documentation updates.

This is more of a site design issue than something that is reliant upon Kunena. My own personal opinion is that scrolling/flashing/animated things tend to confuse people and most human beings dislike distractions. It's tough enough, normally, without distractions like scrolling banners getting into the act, to keep people focused on the core business ... which is all about the discussiont the people have on the forum. I'm not really sure how to address this question except to say, if you really want it, there are probably a dozen or more modules on the JED that will do this for you. Personally, I wouldn't do it, but we're talking about your site not the ones I design and build.

3. How can we just ditch the spambots javascript in the subscription notifications. It is causing issues for some of our users... getting caught in spam filters.

That's a really curly question. I don't know. I think it's a Joomla thing. You might like to enquire at forum.joomla.org . I'm just a user, I'm not a developer. Perhaps someone else in the community can answer you better than me.

4. Is there a way to pin a topic to the top of Recent Topics?

I'm not too sure I understand what you mean. "Pin" how? You can make a forum announcement (like we do here at www.kunena.org ) which is always "pinned" on the Recent Topics and main Index pages. Search for "announcement" in the subject field on this forum to learn more about how to make one.

I hope this helps

One other thing about your configuration report: I suggest you read about the forum integration plugins and make the following changes (indicated in red font below):

Kunena - AlphaUserPoints Disabled
Kunena - Community Builder Disabled
Kunena - Gravatar Disabled
Kunena - JomSocial Disabled
Kunena - Joomla Enabled: access=1 login=1
Kunena - Kunena Enabled: avatar=1 profile=1
Kunena - UddeIM Enabled: private=1

uddeIM 2.8 (that you're using) is an old version. I belive they're up to v 3.x now.

Thank you for your help! Unfortunately, I do not control the Kunena version and I am not sure what is involved in updating it. I was only recently made an administrator and I am simply trying to determine how we can make the forum work better for our users so that I can make recommendations and implement them if desired.

So, in that regard, I am a bit of a "newbie". Also, I am not familiar with where to post stuff in this forum, so I am sorry if I put it in the wrong place.

I have come across some Joomla/Kunena plug-ins in searches related to my questions(like the first one), but frankly, my inexperience with this just leaves me a bit uncertain as to the best approach sometimes.

Regarding the second question, our forum is a user/website admin support forum for a non-profit/volunteer-supported website framework that I recently became the principle developer for. (The irony is that our website framework does not use Joomla, but our support forum does since it is Kunena.) We store our user documentation on the support website via Joomla Zoo and we need a way to be very conspicuous when updates to the documentation have been published... hence the second question.

On the pinning question, I kind of came to the same conclusion. What I did not realize is that I could put URL links in the announcements. Therefore, if I want to I could basically put a URL link to a forum thread in an announcement to draw attention to that forum thread or post. That will work fine.

SteveTheTechie wrote: Unfortunately, I do not control the Kunena version and I am not sure what is involved in updating it.

Actually, you do. If you could post your Kunena configuration report (in msg #1 of this topic) you control the way that it works and I did not say you needed to update the software. In msg #3 of this topic I suggested that you change the forum integration plugins by disabling the plugins that control the integration of AlphaUserPoints, Community Builder and JomSocial (three Joomla extensions that you have not installed on your website). If you do not have AlphaUserPoints, Community Builder or JomSocial then there is no need to enable the Kunena forum integration plugins. Details about these plugins is given on the Wiki in Forum integration with other Joomla extensions .

It looks like we've answered questions (3) and (4) in your original post.

As far as Q2 is concerned, of course you can put links between your documentation site and your forum site. That's easy. As far as how these links appear on your documentation or forum sites, that's outside the scope of what we deal with in this forum (at least, as far as what the K 3.0 General Questions category was intended for. This is another reason why it's not preferable to use one topic to deal with several matters because things eventually become so confused that no-one can follow what the discussion is about.

We're not back to the main issue which is how you might "force" users to make their user profiles more "complete". I am not a strong advocate of imposing rigid rules to enforce a policy of requiring users to disclose certain information (especially if the website lacks a comprehensive privacy policy that informs the community how this information might be used). The Kunena user profile system is pretty simple. There are other user profiling systems that may be more customisable or more useful to you (e.g. JomSocial or Community Builder to name two). How you might use those things to enforce a policy that users cannot participate in the features at your site (including access to the forum) is a whole other question.

I'm sorry if I can't help you better than that.

Is this enough for you to work with?

After three weeks of no discussion on this topic, I assume the questions have been resolved and we can close this topic.