Fork-thread function

Lanefan · Jul 19, 2018

Quite some time ago there was a function in here that let you "fork" a thread - in effect start a new thread as a split-off from an existing one, with links etc. built in.

Does that function still exist, and if it does how does one access it?

Lan-"thanks in advance"-efan

Umbran · Jul 20, 2018

I am not in charge of the technical side of things, but I believe that (and several other very nice functions) were provided by third-party plugins that eventually didn't keep up with the messageboard codebase, and so ceased functioning after various upgrades.

I think there's a manual way to do much the same thing. One second while I try it...

Umbran · Jul 20, 2018

Yes, what I thought works just fine...

Go the the post you want to use as the basis of the fork. Click Reply With Quote.

Copy the BBcode for the post-quote from the reply edit box.

Now, go start a new thread. Paste that BB code, including the "quote=username;postnumber" in the brackets into the post edit box for the first post.

The link back to the original post in its original thread will still work. If you are feeling industrous, you can manually reconstruct the old "Forked from..." link that originally appeared, as the forking module just put together BBcode for you.

CapnZapp · Jul 20, 2018

That quote links work across the entire forum is known. Hardly a true fork (since it's 99% "start a new thread") but thanks anyway.

CapnZapp · Jul 20, 2018

Lanefan said:
Quite some time ago there was a function in here that let you "fork" a thread - in effect start a new thread as a split-off from an existing one, with links etc. built in.

Do you remember how it looked like?

How did it work, as it were. (Not on the server side, obviously, but how did users interact with the fork and what was different from merely starting a new thread?)

Lanefan · Jul 20, 2018

CapnZapp said:
Do you remember how it looked like?

How did it work, as it were. (Not on the server side, obviously, but how did users interact with the fork and what was different from merely starting a new thread?)

I seem to recall there was a "Fork Thread" button somewhere - maybe next to the "Reply to Thread" button below the last post? Clicking on this launched you into starting a new thread and put the links in for you, and (if memory serves) put a note in the original thread showing it had been forked, along with a link to the new thread.

Morrus · Jul 20, 2018

Yes, it was a third party hack for vbulletin 3.3. We are on 3.4 these days, and have been for many years. The modification is not compatible with this version of the software.