BuddyPress.org

I was looking into creating site wide forums and it is doable with a new plugin/component using the existing bbpress.

Here is the idea:

1. Create a new Component for the Forum that contains:

a. On Component Setup

i. create a table containing (forum_id)

ii. call bp_forums_new_forum in bb-forum.php to create a holding parent forum and store its id in the table’s forum_id

b. Admin Settings to create the various forum areas

i. Admin enters name and desc for forum area

ii. call bp_forums_new_forum and pass it the forum_id from the table thus creating subforums

c. Add Root Nav item called “Site Forum” or “Forum” and frankly I would replace the one used now

i. When users click on the “Site Forum”, custom function queries bbpress and gets sub forums and their description using the forum_id in the table and displays them. You can get creative here and also show last topics under forum_id (parent) to mimic how the forum on this site works

ii. When the user clicks on an area (subforum), use that sub forum_id to display the topic threads. This is the same exact functionality used under Groups, get topic threads, allow posting to them etc.

If you want to allow users just adjust the above logic.

If no one else implements this, i will but I won’t get to it for months since I am swamped with other more important work for myself. i would also make it highly customized for my website though.

Before someone come up with the standard “you don’t need site wide forum, use group forums”, with all respect this is a framework and what works for one doesn’t for someone else. Thats not the point here.

I hope some of the plug-in developers can pick up on this and come up with something great.

Fadi