Developing a Links page or area...

[Sonnie]

I'm trying to figure out how to develop some type of Links page or Links area on my forum.

I have a few text links at the bottom of my footer (extreme bottom), but some reciprocal links want a title/url/description or banner.

Would it be better to have a "Links" page... maybe just an html page with a "Links" link in the Navbar or maybe create table sections at the botom of the footer and place them there?

Looking for ideas.

Thanks!

[Chris]

Sonnie I use the left column hack. It only displays the left column on the home page, not all pages of your forum. You can just setup links in it.

[Peggy]

I followed mac's lead and did the same thing on my forumhome page.
But I also have a website connected with my forum where I put links as well.

[Noppid]

Home page links are worth too much to just do free recips. You guys need to think about this a bit more.

To answer the original question, you should do something like this...

http://www.riderinfo.com/forums/links.php
and
http://www.cpurigs.com/forums/links.php

Link to that page and you only have one home page link to YOUR links page, not a bunch of out bound home page links that you gave for free that generate no revenue.

[Sonnie]

I really don't want to change the forumhome layout width... nor do I want to eliminate my left column on my home page... although both Chris and Peggy's do look good. I've pretty much committed to keeping the layouts we have now.

I think what noppid is suggesting is more like what I'm looking for... thanks for those links noppid.

I like the motorcycle forum links... the way they do the Adsense ads and then list the links. Everything flows really well there.

Now how did he do the links.php page and pull in his header, navbar, footer, etc.?

[Peggy]

pssssttt... that's noppid's site ;)

[Sonnie]

Say it ain't so... I'll be john brown. I was wondering about that and was about to look and see if I could figure it out. lol I bet I can get the inside scoop on that links.php page then huh? heehee

[Sonnie]

Btw noppid... I don't know squat about motorcycles but I did register. When I activated it carried to the box about the membership upgrade and it shows the following on the first line...

Thank you, $username. Your registration is now complete.

$username is not parsing... just thought I'd let you know.

[Noppid]

Btw noppid... I don't know squat about motorcycles but I did register. When I activated it carried to the box about the membership upgrade and it shows the following on the first line...

Thank you, $username. Your registration is now complete.

$username is not parsing... just thought I'd let you know.

Thanks for the heads up on that. Appreciate it. Yet another thing on the to do list. :p

The cool thing about the motorcycle forum is that it's not just for bikers, it's for anyone. We ahve lot's of friends in the community that just hang with us bikers. We're just people, not like whatcha see in the movies. :p

Anyway. That mod is nothing special. I'll post it for ya. The instructions will be sparse if they exist at all though. But it's a php page and a template ya add, not rocket science.

[Noppid]

Here is the vBulletin Links Page Hack (http://www.cpurigs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3053) I whipped up for ya.

Cheers :)

[Peggy]

That is very neat!

[Noppid]

That is very neat!


Hardly original though. There are probably a few versions of this available. Plus, I'm sure the HTML could be a little cleaner. But it works and I had no need to modify it since like when I created it "back in the day".

Either way, it's certainly a helpful and useful page to add to a forum.

[Peggy]

I guess my question then, would be, is something like this necessary, when I have a website connected to the forum, that I can easily add a links page to? And, what do you do about those people who insist on their links being on the first page of the site, or none at all?

[Noppid]

I guess my question then, would be

1) is something like this necessary, when I have a website connected to the forum, that I can easily add a links page to?

2) And, what do you do about those people who insist on their links being on the first page of the site, or none at all?

1) That is purely personal. Links in a thread will not usually get an exchange if that's what you are looking for. Plus, if you are judicious, this can be a service to your members as well as the folks you exchange links with. How you link and if it's of vaule to you or who you link to is subjective, no single answer to that question can be made.

2) You ignore them or charge them. Again it's subjective, the answer will not be the same for any two webmasters.

This is another tool. How you use it is up to you if you use it at all. Personally, I'm not giving out home page links and that's that.

[Peggy]

1) That is purely personal. Links in a thread will not usually get an exchange if that's what you are looking for. Plus, if you are judicious, this can be a service to your members as well as the folks you exchange links with. How you link and if it's of vaule to you or who you link to is subjective, no single answer to that question can be made.



You didn't answer my question hun. I asked if something like this is necessary if you have a webpage connected to your forum that you can add a links page to. I didn't say anything about links in threads.

Obviously not everyone has a website connected to their forum like I do. But some do. So, which is better, in your opinion? To click a link that will take you to a links page on the forum? Or click a link that will take you to a links page on the connected website?
Either way they have to click a link. So which would be better.... in your opinion?

[Noppid]

If you want a links page, make one. It's really of no consequence if it's a vB driven page or an html page you edit by hand. One you have to edit by hand and use FTP. The other you open the ACP and add a link via the template manager.

I think it's a six of one, half a dozen of another situation.

[Hell³]

Dude!, I was thinking of doing a links page myself, this hack will do great!, thanks.

[Noppid]

Dude!, I was thinking of doing a links page myself, this hack will do great!, thanks.

Always glad to help where we can. Glad to hear this will help you out. :)

[Peggy]

Okies, I think I'll stick with my website then. The less hacks the better, since I have alot of styles on my forum already.

thanks!

[Noppid]

Okies, I think I'll stick with my website then. The less hacks the better, since I have alot of styles on my forum already.

thanks!

I have to point out that I really never understood nor understand now what you mean by website. A links page is something that can be a tool for all/each of your websites for exchanges.

Most won't exchange links unless the links exchanged are on the reciprocating websites the links are crossed referenced too. So in that case, each site you want to do an exchange deal on would need a links page.

Am I getting closer to your point here? I'm just trying to clarify. As I said, in the end, what you do is your business, these are suggestions based on common practices.

[Sonnie]

I have something similar to what Peggy is talking about... actually we have several .html websites attached to our forum.

For instance... http://www.hometheatershack.com/bfdguide is one such website. It links to the index.html file in the bfdguide folder. This was my original BFD Guide website at another URL that I merely placed under our home URL for the forum.

I can create a links page similar to this but I haven't figure out a way to incorporate the navbar. The skin colors and header are not a problem. It just doesn't quite simulate one of our forum pages.

I did find the Web Templates hack at vb.org which will work as well, but noppids looks like it will be easier. Web Templates looks like it might have some other usefullness though.

[Peggy]

I agree noppid's hack may very well be easier.
With the webtemplates hack at .org, any page you make takes on the characteristics (meaning style or graphics, colors, etc) of the forum. I don't know if it assumes the navbar as well or not.

[Sonnie]

Actually I've been playing around with the Web Templates hack and it's very simple and easy to implement.

[dcristo]

I'm trying to figure out how to develop some type of Links page or Links area on my forum.

I have a few text links at the bottom of my footer (extreme bottom), but some reciprocal links want a title/url/description or banner.

Would it be better to have a "Links" page... maybe just an html page with a "Links" link in the Navbar or maybe create table sections at the botom of the footer and place them there?

Looking for ideas.

Thanks!

If you also use the vBadvanced CMPS for the homepage, you can just create a dedicated links page with the CMS.

[b2w]

If you also use the vBadvanced CMPS for the homepage, you can just create a dedicated links page with the CMS.

How do you do this? Step by step instructions.

[dcristo]

How do you do this? Step by step instructions.

First, create a new vBa template under the Styles & Templates tab in your AdminCP titled something like adv_portal_links which will include the HTML for all the links. Make sure you create the template in the Style you want to use!

Then, create a new CMPS page under the vBa CMPS tab in your AdminCP. The page type for the new page is Template as you will want to include the adv_portal_links template you just created, which will be inserted as the Custom Page Content for the new links page.

Make sure to specify the template file when creating the new page.

[b2w]

First, create a new vBa template under the Styles & Templates tab in your AdminCP titled something like adv_portal_links which will include the HTML for all the links. Make sure you create the template in the Style you want to use!

Then, create a new CMPS page under the vBa CMPS tab in your AdminCP. The page type for the new page is Template as you will want to include the adv_portal_links template you just created, which will be inserted as the Custom Page Content for the new links page.

Make sure to specify the template file when creating the new page.

OK ty...I will try this. :)