Change "Howdy, Stranger!" to something more professional (i.e. more boring).

apbarratt · June 2011

Oh how I feel like such a square posting this.

Vanilla is designed to be fun and enjoyable, unfortunately for the company I'm working for, what is seen by Vanilla to be fun and enjoyable is seen as unprofessional. So I'm looking for a general pointer to where I can go be a kill joy by changing phrases like "Howdy Stranger!" to something more professional sounding. Perhaps a folder/file name?

ojjuan · June 2011

Agreed, and I modified it by changing the default message in the class.guestmodule.php file located in /applications/dashboard/modules.

In my version of Vanilla, I changed line 17 ($MessageDefault value). Not sure if this is the best way to customize as it'll probably get overwritten if/when I upgrade.

yu_tang · June 2011

Vanilla Forums Blog » Howdy, Stranger!

btw, what's the tag for this discussion?

apbarratt · June 2011

Thanks Ojjuan,
In mine, I've ended up changing the greeting as well as the paragraph underneath at /applications/dashboard/modules as well as /applications/dashboard/views/modules.

Now to look into this "Bonk - Something funky happened" error message, don't want that turning up :S

smoothape · June 2011

I have the lines

public $MessageCode = 'GuestModule.Message';
public $MessageDefault = "It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!";

deleted

public $MessageCode = 'GuestModule.Message';

and changed

public $MessageDefault = "It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!";

but the "Howdy Stranger" message is still there. Must be pulling from another place

apbarratt · June 2011

yeah, I found the Howdy Stranger in applications\dashboard\views\modules\guest.php :)

hyphy · June 2011

Bunch of squares in this thread! ;)

apbarratt · June 2011

lmao, sorry, I wansn't taking tags seriously when I created it. Have now added the tag howdystranger

I had thought of using locales to translate it like @Mark suggests, but felt it too hacky. I think editing the actual modules like we have above feels more like a fix to our problem.

However, it does mean you have to keep a backup and if there should be any upgrades to the modules you change, you'd likely loose your changes along with them.

Perhaps we should work to add to the next version, an option to have two types of vanilla, Classic Vanilla and Vanilla Professional. Which simply comes up as an option during setup and on the dashboard and just chooses the messages that apear accross the site.

p.s. it's amazing how much I'm craving ice cream right now.
p.p.s. @Mark, if you're hiring ;]
p.p.p.s. ...and paying for flights.

apbarratt · June 2011

After more investigation, it seems that editing the conf/locale.php file will also be a problem as it too will be replaced during an upgrade if you're not careful.

luc · June 2011

Using locale is the way to go, editing core files, that's the hacky way.

sudokue · October 2011

When using colloquial language such as Howdy Stranger, we need to be aware that it is the WORLD WIDE Web. We never know how such words will translate. "Stranger" may translate in some languages to a word equivalent to "enemy" or someone from another tribe. More neutral words will probably translate better. Thanks to the posters above, I was able to change Howdy Stranger to Welcome Visitor.

camo · October 2011

config/local.php

example


<?php if (!defined('APPLICATION')) exit();<br />$NewDefinitions = array (
  'Unannounce' => 'unstick',
  'Announcement' => 'Sticky Topic',
  'Announce' => 'Sticky',
  'Insert Image' => 'Insert Image full size *Large images auto resized',
  'Howdy, Stranger!' => 'Gday Guests!',
  'Apply for Membership' => 'Register',
  'GuestModule.Message' => 'If you would like to take part in discussions, please sign in or Register below! Registration is instant!',

Can be done in this format

$Definition['Some text'] = 'Translation goes here.';

KyleIrving · November 2011

config/local.php

example


<?php if (!defined('APPLICATION')) exit();<br />$NewDefinitions = array (
  'Unannounce' => 'unstick',
  'Announcement' => 'Sticky Topic',
  'Announce' => 'Sticky',
  'Insert Image' => 'Insert Image full size *Large images auto resized',
  'Howdy, Stranger!' => 'Gday Guests!',
  'Apply for Membership' => 'Register',
  'GuestModule.Message' => 'If you would like to take part in discussions, please sign in or Register below! Registration is instant!',

Can be done in this format

$Definition['Some text'] = 'Translation goes here.';

Total Newbie question

How would I use this code?

cheers

sahotataran · November 2011

go to your installation/conf/locale.php
add the line $Definition['Some text'] = 'Translation goes here.';
e.g you want to change text "Apply for Membership" to something else then you can do something like :
$Definition['Apply for Membership'] = 'Get Involved.';

Lincoln · November 2011

The blog post @yu_tang linked to is the best way to do this. Modifying the module to do it is a bad, bad idea because it will be erased every upgrade.

Zhanat · December 2011

hi sahotataran

Tried to translate "Accepted Answer" in post to something else using /conf/locale.php and it doesn't work... Is this changed by this method or another way?

clethrill · December 2011

Same method, should work. Instead of /conf/local.php go to /locale/skeleton/ duplicate it change the folder name to whatever you want to call your locale, and then add $Definition['Accepted Answer'] = 'Agreed Upon Solution.'; or whatever tickles your fancy.

Then in dashboard go to locale and change it to to locale you just made.

422 · December 2011

I use @clethrill 's. method.

Anonymoose · November 2012

@apbarratt said: Vanilla is designed to be fun and enjoyable, unfortunately for the company I'm working for, what is seen by Vanilla to be fun and enjoyable is seen as unprofessional. So I'm looking for a general pointer to where I can go be a kill joy by changing phrases like "Howdy Stranger!" to something more professional sounding. Perhaps a folder/file name?

I've never heard anyone say "Howdy Stranger" outside of the movies. It might be a regional expression common to the area where the original developers live.

Mark O'Sullivan Aug 17, 2010 Developers 7 Comments One of the most common questions we get on the community forums is how can I change the “Howdy Stranger” text on my forum?

Given that even the developers admit that this is one of the most common questions asked, wouldn't it be reasonable to make a change to using more neutral language in the default locale?

http://vanillaforums.com/blog/developers/howdy-stranger/

http://vanillaforums.org/discussion/18841/how-to-change-words-howdy-stranger-in-invite-form

http://vanillaforums.org/discussion/10614/where-is-the-language-file-for-howdy-stranger

http://vanillaforums.org/discussion/18882/i-cant-change-howdy-stranger-to-gday

vrijvlinder · November 2012

Oh how funny, I also changed that part !! The Howdy is kind of from the south lol I just Put Welcome, Please Register to Post and the apply for membership to Register.

pretty cool to be able to customize everything !! That's why I love Vanilla :)

Anonymoose · November 2012

@vrijvlinder said: Oh how funny, I also changed that part !! The Howdy is kind of from the south lol

I thought the developers are from Canada? Maybe it is used there too.

vrijvlinder · November 2012

To me it inspires mental images of cowpokes and farmers. It really is short for How do you do. Or How ye do. howdy 1837, earlier how de (1828), first recorded in Southern U.S. dialect, contraction of how do you do (1630s), phrase inquiring after someone's health; earlier how do ye (1560s).

Anonymoose · November 2012

@apbarratt said: Perhaps we should work to add to the next version, an option to have two types of vanilla, Classic Vanilla and Vanilla Professional. Which simply comes up as an option during setup and on the dashboard and just chooses the messages that apear accross the site.

For some localizations, this is the norm. For example, German (Formal) and German (Informal) for different ways of communicating with the user.

Resolving these sorts of differences within one single locale is not possible, as proponents and opponents of causal and formal style will never agree.

So I guess it is time to move forward by releasing an English (Professional) locale.

mhk1058 · November 2012

@Anonymoose said:I thought the developers are from Canada? Maybe it is used there too.

It's certainly not used in Swansea, South Wales. Changed mine straight away... the option to customise it from the dashboard would be great.

vrijvlinder · November 2012

Or maybe for some people, they might want it to say "Yo mofo, register yo ass!" or "God wants your registration for salvation" It would be nice to have that as a dashboard option, but once you figure how to change it manually it would become redundant .

some of this can be affected by theme, I guess everyone has a different setup. I know one thing ,I would be lost without this support community...

PolishKaragiozis · November 2012

There is a CustomizeText plugin in GitHub repository. Install it and change any system message you want.

DirtyDog · November 2012

It's professional in Texas.

Anonymoose · November 2012

@PolishKaragiozis said: There is a CustomizeText plugin in GitHub repository. Install it and change any system message you want.

I thought that was what locales were for?

kasperisager · November 2012

I guess a lot of people just prefer a GUI :-)

Lincoln · November 2012

@Anonymoose said:

Given that even the developers admit that this is one of the most common questions asked, wouldn't it be reasonable to make a change to using more neutral language in the default locale?

It would be reasonable, but then it wouldn't be Vanilla. If you don't like the tone of "Howdy, Stranger!" and "Bonk!" you're just gonna get driven nuts by the default first discussion I added for 2.1. Vanilla has a voice and I practice it in my head before writing content for it. :) I will, however, be adding some tools to change a few phrases easier.

Lincoln · November 2012

We actually did make a concession by removing the old error text that read "Something funky happened ..." on the bonk page because that page is more difficult to change. For my sites, I actually extended that error message to say "un-freakin' believable!" and more. :D

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Change "Howdy, Stranger!" to something more professional (i.e. more boring).

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