Tip: Add 'Follow' Social Icons to Member Account Modules

[SweetPotato]

Hi All

Here is a little tip that will allow members to display Follow buttons for their other social profiles on their Ning profile page.

It works based on Profile Questions and the answers that members give, so, if you set a profile question to be "Twitter Page" and the answer contains the phrase Twitter.com (which it will have to) then the question and url link are removed and replaced with an icon that links to the member's Twitter page. 

The result looks something like this:

I have written solutions for Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Google+ but you can probably work out how to add others should you so choose.

So, here is what you need to do.

1) Set up your profile questions to ask for members' social accounts. Ensure that each question contains the sitename of each account, eg. For Twitter you might ask "What is your Twitter account?" or simply "Twitter page", but it must contain the word Twitter. Set your answers to Website Address.

Here's how I've set mine up on my test site:

2. Once that is done, then place the relevant code (depending on what questions you've asked) as below in your Custom Code. I've also attached a txt file with this snippets included (image urls often get mangled if too long on Ning forums):

Twitter

<script type="text/javascript">
x$(document).ready(function() {  
    if (x$('.module_about_user dl dd:contains("twitter.com")').length > 0) {
        x$('.module_about_user dt:contains("Twitter")').css('display', 'none');
        x$('.module_about_user dl dd a:contains("twitter.com")').css({'background':'url(http://api.ning.com:80/files/GemyPf3dH93k**eR8dJanK5Y80EZR5yFfumXlE1XO1gLnYy-0sDyngXZ09PIZT2Xd5Ju1vfAzehAA9KgFor7hIXCJX0WxL-Y/Twitter.png) no-repeat','color':'transparent','padding-bottom':'6px','margin-left':'-3px'});
    }
});
</script>

Facebook

<script type="text/javascript">
x$(document).ready(function() {  
    if (x$('.module_about_user dl dd:contains("facebook.com")').length > 0) {
        x$('.module_about_user dt:contains("Facebook")').css('display', 'none');
        x$('.module_about_user dl dd a:contains("facebook.com")').css({'background':'url(http://api.ning.com:80/files/wZwY6fPAXFsKEJHO1jxBpceQs17P1WvHPZFHmI...) no-repeat','color':'transparent','padding-bottom':'6px','margin-left':'-3px'});
    }
});
</script>

LinkedIn

<script type="text/javascript">
x$(document).ready(function() {  
    if (x$('.module_about_user dl dd:contains("Linkedin.com")').length > 0) {
        x$('.module_about_user dt:contains("LinkedIn")').css('display', 'none');
        x$('.module_about_user dl dd a:contains("LinkedIn.com")').css({'background':'url(http://api.ning.com:80/files/berK5G2qOY3mjCQBu9EvZP7*x1qfQhamrLTulpxhXUSubdsSiuPwNuMmVk2xTSskrEoO1ibvFOx8pxS8bBo9MHq7Y*fk3Ohr/LinkedIn.png) no-repeat','color':'transparent','padding-bottom':'6px','margin-left':'-3px'});
    }
});
</script>

Google Plus

<script type="text/javascript">
x$(document).ready(function() {  
    if (x$('.module_about_user dl dd:contains("plus.google.com")').length > 0) {
        x$('.module_about_user dt:contains("Google")').css('display', 'none');
        x$('.module_about_user dl dd a:contains("plus.google.com")').css({'background':'url(http://api.ning.com:80/files/iYhZXwnd4BSnrrfTLorJUL-48Xq3Os-RchyHHC...) no-repeat','color':'transparent','padding-bottom':'6px','margin-left':'-3px'});
    }
});
</script>

Pinterest

<script type="text/javascript">
x$(document).ready(function() {  
    if (x$('.module_about_user dl dd:contains("pinterest.com")').length > 0) {
        x$('.module_about_user dt:contains("Pinterest")').css('display', 'none');
        x$('.module_about_user dl dd a:contains("Pinterest.com")').css({'background':'url(http://api.ning.com:80/files/O2zGJrlzJ5b9MF3BIEvVLM*wXOehSZ-doUM*U0chyzJFSfT0MawqEUxkX00z5GBbIsmsOxYdZbe8rWDZHmQIswAV0Ogs7yZS/pinterest.png) no-repeat','color':'transparent','padding-bottom':'6px','margin-left':'-3px'});
    }
});
</script>

If you think you'll be using all of them and want to refer to an external .js file then upload the attached script to your server and place in your Custom Code, eg.

<script type="text/javascript" src="http://yoururl.com/accounticons.js"></script>

3) One final thing. The spacing on the Profile questions needs to be a bit better - we need to close those line spaces as in my previous tip, so you might want to add this to your advanced css section:

/* MEMBER PROFILE INFO*/
#xg_layout_column_2.xg_2col .module_about_user dl {
    background: #F9F8F8;
    border:solid 1px #F2F1F1;
    clear: both;
    display: block;
    padding: 3px 0px 3px 5px;
margin-bottom:1px;
}

#xg_layout_column_2.xg_2col .module_about_user dt {
    display: inline;
    font-weight: bold;
}

#xg_layout_column_2.xg_2col .module_about_user dl dd {
    display: inline;
    margin-left: 2px;
}

Please note that i have designed these Follow buttons myself but you could easily play around with the code and insert different images if you wanted.

Enjoy

SP

more tips

[SweetPotato]

connor, can you send me a link to a public profile page that is not working. the logged in/logged out issue is probably just a cache issue (try a shift f5 refresh) and my guess on the facebook issue is that the question or answer is not configured quite right

[conner]

SWEET....Thanks Sweet Potato!  I'll give this a try.... I didn't think about the : behind them.   I'll let you know if this don't work.

conner  :)

[conner]

:(  sad report back Sweet Potato.... I've tried numerous things and it's still not working.  I removed the  :  (colon)  and still does the same thing, the twitter button is there, shows up when you are logged in but not when logged out.  The Facebook when logged in is just a blank space, but when logged out it shows the link.  So I had another thought.... I noticed in your profile questions you have them as Twitter Page and Facebook Page and I had the questions typed in at My Twitter and My Facebook, so I changed them also and no luck.   I've also done the shift F5 suggestion and also cleaned out my temp internet files, cache and cookies.  So I'm now at a loss.   Any more suggestions would be appreciated.   Thanks.  :)

[SweetPotato]

hard to say really as it appears to be working elsewhere. would need to see an example on your site.

[conner]

I don't know if this helps Sweet Potato, but thought I'd let you see what I'm seeing...now this is when I am logged into the site.  The Facebook is on top of the Twitter and its just a blank.  The Twitter is there and working.   Now when I'm logged off the site.... all you see is the Facebook Page and Twitter links.   :/   i'm at a loss.  

Guess I'll just leave the Twitter up at least when members are logged in they'll see the Twitter button.  I may play around with it in the test network area...maybe there is some of these custom codes conflicting. 

[SweetPotato]

are you using the code from the txt file attached? SP

[conner]

you mean the one up top here in this message?

[SweetPotato]

no, the accounticons.txt attachment. the links in the discussion are broken, hence attachment

[conner]

oh..... well this may be why it's not working than Sweet Potato.  I used the codes up top!  Pardon my stupidity!  LOL  okay i'll switch them out and things should work.   Thanks SP!  xo

[Jen]

Very nice, SP!

[SweetPotato]

thanks jen

[HELP SEEKER]

nice nice