TinyPortal v1.0 beta 4 - Tags

[Whisper]

Ok I did do a search and I did read quite a few topics on this but I am still in the dark as far as the Tag this topic [Show] [Hide] option above the threads. What does this actually do?  I know it needs to be setup in the Admin CP but not really knowing what I am looking at here I am a bit unsure what to do 

[G6Cad]

Your not alone thinking the same thing regarding the tag options.
More or less they should be called "linking topics and articles" as thats what the tags do.
You add the tags in the tag manager and then when you browse the forum or articles, you can "tag" what you think should link together for easier find.
Sort of a chain where you collect info that suits to be tied up together

[Whisper]

Ok thanks looking at it this way I don't think that I need to use it on my forum then

[ZarPrime]

Whisper,

Tags are a new feature for those of us here in Support as well, so we are all learning how to use them.

Let me see if I can explain them to you a little bit.  Have a look at "Test Board #1" on my test site here ...
http://talesofthehavenexpanse.com/smf1test/index.php?board=2.0

In Admin --> TinyPortal --> Modules and Tags --> Tags, I have setup 2 tags, "Colors" and "Dogs".  On that board you will see 5 topics.  I can relate any of these 5 topics to either of the 2 tags or to none of them.

1.  Click the topic "Have a Dog?".  This topic has been tagged with only the tag "Dogs".  You'll see 2 related links that have been tagged with the same tag.

2.  Go back and click the topic "Green or Blue?"  This topic has been tagged with the tag "Colors" and has 3 related links.

3.  Go back and click on "My Lavender Dog".  This topic has been tagged with both "Colors" and "Dogs" and has 4 related links.

4.  Finally, go back and click on "My Pinky Finger".  This topic has not been tagged with any of the tags and so it shows no related links.

Edit to #4:  (11/12/09) I have gone back in and tagged the topic "My Pinky Finger" with the tag "appendages".  I have also tagged a board and 2 articles with that same tag.  After doing this, when looking at the topic "My Pinky Finger", you will see that the board (Test Board #2) and the 2 articles that I tagged are now shown as related links in that topic.

Just as with any other feature of TinyPortal that you don't know how to use, the best way to learn how it works is to experiment with it.

I hope this helped to explain it a little bit.  Try it out, you might like the feature.

ZarPrime

[Ken.]

Very good explanation ZP. :up:
And having a test/demo site helps by giving a visual to go with the explanation.

[ZarPrime]

Thanks Ken.

ZP

[Zetan]

Tags have become quite popular with a lot of forum software and blogs. vBulletin has been using them for years now. Good guide ZP

[edit] Not sure if it's just a quirk of IE6, but the bottom row of tag links are outside the boundery of the box they are in.

http://talesofthehavenexpanse.com/smf1test/index.php?topic=7.0

[Ken.]

Must be just in IE6, tried it in IE8, Safari, Opera and Chrome and it looks OK.

[bloc]

It might be that the name "tags" throw people off in that they are used for search elsewhere - or sort of quick-categories in blogs. In TP they are more "global categories" that will tie together various items, even brand new types without rewriting TP for those again.

I think perhaps a name change is in order, to better describe them.Not to mention expand its functions as have been discussed earlier.

[Zetan]

Must be just in IE6, tried it in IE8, Safari, Opera and Chrome and it looks OK.

Oky :]