Global sidebar - when can we expect it?

[cmiller]

Is there a global sidebar in the current release? If not, when is one expected? I will probably stick with vbulletin on several sites, and launch future sites with vbulletin until this feature is available in IP.

Those of us who pay this kind of money for software, need ways to monetize our sites! A sidebar is a MUST.

Thank you

[.Ian]

I believe it is planned, but no date - maybe 3.3/5 - no idea though - hopefully not too long.

[Lux Aeterna]

You can easily make a global sidebar in IP.Content feed blocks. I have global sidebars on my IPB 3.2 site and it works just fine.

For example:

- Make some feed blocks you want via IP.Content (ie: Recent Topics, Recent Blog Entries, Recent Images, New Members, Recent Status Updates).
- Add a div with the right sidebar CSS class onto the page templates you want the sidebar to appear on (Gallery, Members, Topics, Board Index, Blogs, Content, etc.)
- Paste 1 line of code that each feed block gives you

Want to add other custom widgets, advertisements, etc. to your global sidebar?

- Make custom blocks via IP.Content and put your html, php, java, etc. in your custom block and then just paste the 1 line of code that each custom block gives you

Global Sidebar code example:

<div class='ipsLayout_right'>

{parse block="my_custom_advertisement"}
{parse block="my_custom_widget"}
{parse block="recent_forum_topics"}
{parse block="recent_blog_entries"}
{parse block="my_custom_html_php_java_thing"}
{parse block="recent_gallery_images"}
{parse block="new_members"}
{parse block="recent_status_updates"}
{parse block="my_custom_advertisement_2"}

</div>

Now, my sidebar has 5 feed blocks, 2 custom advertisements, 1 custom widget, etc. on it and it will work globally on all your IP applications and pages. Just paste that code into the desired page template and update the CSS class of the main wrapper so that it accounts for the sidebar being there.

[altenerg]

He means Sidebar for forum view, topic view etc. Not just ipcontent but the forums

[Marcher Technologies]

He means Sidebar for forum view, topic view etc. Not just ipcontent but the forums

The issue isnt a global sidebar.
That is and always will be laughably easy.
the issue is controlling it at each level.
Ive made detailed posts similar to above on how to achieve a site-wide(all apps) global sidebar.... sans ipc blocks.
the issue is controlling it... limiting it to not show on certain places in the wrapper.... eg the topic posting screen, chat, places where it doesnt fit or belong.

[altenerg]

We all have start somewhere at the beginning when it comes to IPB knowledge. Had fun looking up your first 100 posts though haha. How easy it is to forget where one started.

Can you point me to the link for the "laughably easy" noob-instructions for global sidebar?

[Marcher Technologies]

We all have start somewhere at the beginning when it comes to IPB knowledge. Had fun looking up your first 100 posts though haha. How easy it is to forget where one started.

Can you point me to the link for the "laughably easy" noob-instructions for global sidebar?

had to dig it up myself LOL

[altenerg]

Beautiful! Thanks for sharing your experience. :thumbsup:

[altenerg]

Using that adds a second sidebar on my forum index and blank sidebars on other pages. So now I end up with 2 side bars on forum index.

All I want is to clone the current sidebar on my forum index throughout other areas of the forums. Any easy way to have the current forumindex sidebar enabled throughout the site?

thx

[Royzee]

Just my 2 cents, but I loath sidebars of any kind, and anywhere on a forum.

[LeeGrant]

Just because you dislike something, it does not mean others cannot enjoy it.

Oh and why do you have a sidebar on your forum???

crazy......

[Royzee]

Oh and why do you have a sidebar on your forum???

It may be on for you, my cookie has it turned off. :smile: :rofl:

An ACP setting to turn them on/off period would be nice.

[Aisha]

Oh and why do you have a sidebar on your forum???

It may be on for you, my cookie has it turned off. :smile: :rofl:

An ACP setting to turn them on/off period would be nice.

That will never happen lol

When 3.2 first came out they had actually removed the user option to collapse the sidebar.

[jackflash]

Just my 2 cents, but I loath sidebars of any kind, and anywhere on a forum.

From a publisher's standpoint, they are absolutely essential.

[Brian Garcia]

I would check out,

[altenerg]

90% of visitors online are usually guest! Unless your forum topic is web development/monetizing then 99% of your visitors don't give a ___ about side bars. I make an extra $8k per month on my sites with side bars from the 300x250 spots alone. So dump on it all you like, its a good option for most sites since only users like "us" care. But we are not our own customers! We represent a small spec of the "average" website users.

[Aisha]

90% of visitors online are usually guest! Unless your forum topic is web development/monetizing then 99% of your visitors don't give a ___ about side bars. I make an extra $8k per month on my sites with side bars from the 300x250 spots alone. So dump on it all you like, its a good option for most sites since only users like "us" care. But we are not our own customers! We represent a small spec of the "average" website users.

Fantastic. Now earn your money and learn how to add your sidebar in.

[Taylor J]

Fantastic. Now earn your money and learn how to add your sidebar in.

To be honest it shouldn't be his job to figure out how to do it or spend an extra $20 on an application/hook to do it for him. If people need this for their websites then it should be up to IPS to add it in, plus it would be the first forum software other then vBulletin to have one and would bring in more customers that use a global sidebar.

[Jinkler]

Bump for this, will it be in 3.4 by7 any chance?

[Rikki]

I'm afraid not - adding a global sidebar requires extensive changes to many pages within the software, so it's not something that's appropriate for a point release.

[mortenz]

Have to add my support for this. A global sidebar is absolutely essential for making money on a large free community. I am currently using a paid mod for this, and I really do not understand the logic about having a sidebar that is restricted to the forum index.

Also - consider that forum pages are landing pages from search engines. When a new user comes to a topic, it is of much value to be able to attract this user to other pages (like recent topics) or attract the user to click a content relevant banner.

[THL]

Yes global sidebars would be handy.

[joelle]

It sure is possible with xenforo and will be with vbulletin 5. Hopefully IP.Board is going to catch up.

[rswfire]

This is very frustrating. I have used plugins for this, but they invariably have quirks when it comes to some custom blocks. I cannot believe how challenging it is to have something that 99% of web developers would consider essential to any website.

[Neil2]

I have no idea why any forum owner would want to force their users to look at a sidebar of anykind thus shrinking the actual forums page to accommodate a sidebar. My opinion they are tacky, unneeded clutter, and will tick off membership looking at those things all the time.

I hope like heck this is not considered with IPB, but if IPB does come out with a global sidebar on their software they better code in a on/off switch in the admincp and notifications area for each member personal preference for it since the complaints will roll in.