Scheduling Threads in Xenforo and How it Can Help You
Recently I was browsing the new addons on XenForo, and I came across "Scheduled Post" by Nobita.Kun. While I don't own a XenForo forum, if I did, then I would have this addon. There are a few benefits that come with the ability to schedule posts, which is why I'm making this post. Sadly, I wasn't able to get a review copy so that I can take an in-depth look, but the developer was nice enough to let me play with it a little on their board.
How to Schedule Threads in XenForo
Install "Scheduled Post" addon.
Set permissions for each group.
After you've installed the addon and set permissions for each group, you should see a new option to set a schedule when you're creating threads.
Check the box, select a time, and date then create the thread. There you've scheduled a thread!
If you mis-scheduled your thread, then you can easily change the schedule by editing it under the "thread tools".
Benefits of Scheduling Threads
Focus on Specific Times
Almost every forum has a period of the day where activity drops. By making observation, or by tracking traffic, an admin can pretty easily see when the forum has the least amount of activity. With the ability to schedule posts, admins or moderators can schedule threads to be posted during this time to help increase the activity a bit.
Drip Feed Threads
The main problem an admin has is that when they decide to create some threads, they have to create them all at once. This is nice for one big spurt of activity, but usually it ends up with some of the threads going unnoticed. Well, now that an admin can schedule threads he can schedule them to be posted apart, throughout the day, which helps each thread get noticed a little more.
Threads When You're Away From The Computer
There are times where we can't make it to the computer for a day or so. Whether you're going on a vacation or work is consuming a lot of time, you can schedule new threads for a few days ahead to still participate, and keep the forum active. We all know how fast activity can drop if an admin hasn't posted in a few days, but you don't have to worry about that when you scheduled some threads.
Conclusion
I think this addon is pretty cool, and I think it can help a lot of people increase the activity on their forums. Really, the only downside of this plugin is that it does add a copyright to your footer, and it costs $20 to remove it. Besides that, the plugin is pretty handy.
So, are you going to get this plugin? Should a feature like this be default in XenForo?
Check the box, select a time, and date then create the thread. There you've scheduled a thread!
If you mis-scheduled your thread, then you can easily change the schedule by editing it under the "thread tools".
