[wp-hackers] forum integration

[Roy Schestowitz]

_____/ On Sat 28 Jan 2006 10:00:39 GMT, [John Mulholland] wrote : \_____

> Hello,


Hi John,


> My wp is becoming increasingly important to me, but I still find 
> myself posting on a lot of forums.


Consider using MHonArc < http://www.mhonarc.org/ >, which I have happily
been using for a couple of years.


> So I have been thinking a lot lately about how wp could be used to 
> integrate with various message boards.


It initially sounds as though bbPress < http://bbpress.org/ > would be a
suitable vocation. However, you are clearly referring to third-party forums
(?). You must adopt some new posting habits and combine them with scripts to
automate the process. This also depends on the bulletin board S/W in
question.


> Would it be possible to hack a plugin together that would do the following;
>
> 1. when posting to a forum, also post to wp


No context? Purely SEO purposes?


> 2. when a reply to post on forum is made, wp updates comments into 
> threads accordingly.
> 3. wp notification of posts of interest


Sounds like bbPress, which is actually worth considering.


> This would of course need some hacking of forum software, but in 
> theory it should be possible.


What would be the purpose and what about content duplicability (mirroring)?
What about consent from participants?


> I am thinking of a -also post to blog- checkbox type function, so 
> people can opt in. Although I am not sure what the situation is with 
> smf, phpbb, and vbulletin hooks.


phpBB has a syndication mod, which I recommend you take advantage of to
cater for requirement (3).


> If blogs really are the simplest way to realise cultural capital into 
> filthy money, then it would be great to have a central place for 
> forum posts - regardless of which forum they are posted in.


I'd take Kaf's opinion on this. I consider blogs to be filthier than forums,
but /hey/! That's just me...


> Is this a complete non starter? If not, is anyone interested?


Blogs are improperly built to accommodate multi-user forum posts. As an
analogy, rarely should you use forum software to build an image gallery.
Open Source CMS software is often generalised enough to fit other functions
(I happen to use Wikis to talk to friends and family), yet 'doability' never
implies optimality. Use the right tool for the job at hand. Stick with
forums or explore to find SEO-friendly BB packages that understand feeds.


> Regards,
> John