default settings for "Allow Smilies"

[john biggs]

We have a number of forums that use jforum as their basis. Into these forums users occasionally post XML code. The default settings for smilies alter this content when viewed, making reviewing the XML difficult.

I know I can change the default character sequence for the smilies through which I would gain control over this problem, but I started looking for how we can control the default values for user settings and I can not find it (I want to set allow smiiles in this message to off/no by default, and set the same option to off/no in the user profile) . Specifically I want to change the settings for 'Allow Smilies' to no in all user profiles that exist (I think that is a database change), and all new users (that I cannot locate). Is there a place where the default settings for the various options are set by the administrator?

For example at the bottom of this post I see
Disable HTML in this message
Disable BB Code in this message
Disable smilies in this message
etc.

Where are the values for these settings for new users -- How does the administrator control what settings a user has when they are created?  I think from that point forward the user's profile controls what happens in forum postings (or is there more control over them than that and the actual character sequence to image mappings settings)?

Thank you for your time!

[Paul Clapham]

I can tell you how it works on this forum -- each user has a default "Allow Smilies" value and each forum has a default "Allow Smilies" value. I don't know which one takes priority in what circumstances, but I do recall setting the XML forum to disallow smilies a long time ago and that seems to be working okay. But that's this forum and we are far away now from using the standard JForum code. I can't tell you how the latter works.

However here at the Ranch it's my impression that many more users post smilies than post XML code. It's true that XML code with namespaces come out wrong when smilies are in play, but perhaps that might be less annoying than having smilies not work?

[Paul Clapham]

And, welcome to the Ranch!

[Tim Moores]

In stock JForum, there is no setting for an admin to control that for all users. As Paul said, users can set it for themselves, and then it can be set for each post.

Maybe the way to go might be to educate users about the possibility of disallowing smilies for posts containing XML?

[Knute Snortum]

If you are posting XML, the best way is to use code tags with the language set to XML.  Either use the pulldown menu to the left of the Code button, or type in:

[code=xml]XML here[/code]

[Knute Snortum]

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<!DOCTYPE log4j:configuration SYSTEM "log4j.dtd">
<log4j:configuration xmlns:log4j='http://jakarta.apache.org/log4j/'>

versus

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?> <!DOCTYPE log4j:configuration SYSTEM "log4j.dtd"> <log4j:configuration xmlns:log4j='http://jakarta.apache.org/log4j/'>

[john biggs]

Thanks for the suggestions.  
Users of our forum tend to not follow instructions very well or use options when it would work in their favor (they tend to post pretty poor questions as well!), hence my desire to set the forum up to do what we use it for 'well'....

Where do I find the per forum control over Allow Smilies?  I haven't run into it yet.