Clubs & extra fields

[Steph Jensen]

I'm trying to learn how clubs work, before i launch them, but i can't find a place where i can read about functions and settings. Can you help me out by pointing to the right direction (preferrably with a link?)

 

Currently i am in doubt about the extra fields option when setting clubs up. How does this work, how can i use it, and can i see some examples of people using this in creative and practical ways?

[Marc Stridgen]

There is information on clubs in the following location of our guides. I am however working on a updated version for this which will include custom fields and also our new areas within 4.4. 

The extra fields part is simply if there are additional things you wish to include. For example, in my test club here, I need to include a contact telephone number. So I have set this up in the admin CP as follows

When someone creates a new club, they are then required (see the flag above) to add a Contact number in the new field I set up

This then shows on the front end of the club when saved, along with the rest of the club information

[Steph Jensen]

Thanks @Marc Stridgen

I see many types of fields to use, so would love a description of some of the more obscure ones, like Editor, Select box, Upload etc.

 

Also, i am trying to group/categorize clubs. Can i use the custom fields to organize them, like tags, or is there a better way to do this? I have seen an app for club categories, but i need a solution where each club can be assigned several categories and attributes to sort/filter by

[Marc Stridgen]

As a brief, an editor is what you are typing into here when you send a new message. A select box is a dropdown, similar to the font box above. And upload is a simple button to browse and upload a file to attach.

With regards grouping, there are no groups for these at present unfortunately. 

[Steph Jensen]

@Marc Stridgen very cool thanks! So Text Area is the same as Editor, just without the formating options.

Do you have any tips/ideas to sort clubs based on different attributes?

[Joel R]

5 hours ago, Steph Jensen said:

Thanks @Marc Stridgen

I see many types of fields to use, so would love a description of some of the more obscure ones, like Editor, Select box, Upload etc.

 

Also, i am trying to group/categorize clubs. Can i use the custom fields to organize them, like tags, or is there a better way to do this? I have seen an app for club categories, but i need a solution where each club can be assigned several categories and attributes to sort/filter by

Custom fields will be perfect for you to group clubs if you need to filter by multiple attributes.  It's the only method of filtering without using the third party category.  

I'm not a fan of excessive custom fields because it looks bad on mobile, so be aware of that.  

In general, youre welcome to turn on clubs to check out how they work.  How you group them is completely up to you.  I only have four active clubs so I don't use any filters.  If you have a lot of clubs, then you'll probably need to create some filters.  

[Steph Jensen]

Thanks @Joel R

I'll test it out and see how it works. 

How do you actually filter clubs based on extra fields?

[Joel R]

You'll see a filter option show up on the counter index.  It's a small button, but it will open a modal popup with all the custom filters.  

[Steph Jensen]

1 hour ago, Joel R said:

You'll see a filter option show up on the counter index.  It's a small button, but it will open a modal popup with all the custom filters.  

Is this a built in feature or would it need to be coded somehow? Can you point me to the right direction where i could learn how to do this?

[Steph Jensen]

@Joel R I see now what you mean. Extra fields are perfect for filtering clubs, but even the simplest options, end up cluttering the design way more than i'd like.. I understand that you only have 4 clubs, but i was planning to let users more or less create any clubs they feel like, and run them independently. This can very quickly become very messe it there is no system and categorisation of the clubs.

Do you think it is a simple graphics fix in the theme, or would there be an other solution to make this look prettier? (i use the default theme to avoid any complications)

[Joel R]

Well, my real answer to you is not to worry about making the filtering look prettier, but to think about how you want to strategically use clubs.  

I'm not a fan of allowing members to free create clubs.  Running a club is not like writing a post.  A club is a full micro-community where you need unique content, effective moderation, and good community management.  How many of your members do you think actually have that capability? That's why I think you're going to have far fewer clubs than what you think.  Or rather, you will have far fewer successful clubs than what you might think.  

You've probably seen sites where they have tons and tons of social groups and clubs, but they're all empty! It's because those admins allow anyone and their mother to open a club, without any effective management.  

I only have four clubs because I want my clubs to be successful, and I look for specific success factors prior to allowing anyone to open a club.  They must have an existing memberbase of 2000+ users, they must have prior community management experience running a club or group, and their manager must have a culture and style that fits with my site.