Contributors: A-Z Index

A

Name	Photograph	Title / Role	Contributions / Notes
Allen Ellis		Founder	Original designer for ocPortal Also conceived and coded the Theme Wizard and Point Store Son of one of the early inventors of Internet protocols (Usenet, aka Internet newsgroups) Token non-brit	View

C

Name	Photograph	Title / Role	Contributions / Notes
Chris Graham		Founder	Original developer of ocPortal, former lead developer of Composr CMS Masters degree in Computer Science from The University Of Sheffield Undertaken work for over 15 FTSE-100 companies, as well as many small and mid-sized organisations. Includes a number of banks and major brands.	View
Chris Warburton		developer for ocProducts	Made some key contributions to ocPortal	View

H

Name	Photograph	Title / Role	Contributions / Notes
Haydn Maidment		project manager for ocProducts	None available	View

J

Name	Photograph	Title / Role	Contributions / Notes
Jim Davidson		contributor	written many tutorials via Arvixe	View

P

Name	Photograph	Title / Role	Contributions / Notes
Patrick Schmalstig		Lead Developer	Joined Chris Graham behind the scenes in the development of Composr CMS in 2016. Took on the lead developer role in 2023 when Chris Graham stepped back to attend to his new lifestyle changes. Spearheaded the development of Composr CMS v11 and the new website, Composr.app. Formed the company PDStig, LLC to take on professional support and development for Composr CMS users especially after the discontinuation of ocProducts, Ltd.	View
Philip Withnall		Early Developer	Coded the chatroom, blogging support, the analytics system, and OcCLE (now Commandr) Masters Degree in Computer Science degree from The University Of Cambridge Other work has included helping out with Firefox, and ongoing work on GNOME	View

R

Name	Photograph	Title / Role	Contributions / Notes
Robert Goacher		Founder	Ran some of the early websites where ocPortal came from Technically the original developer of ocPortal, in that he wrote the first few lines of code Heavily involved in the feature design process Hosted some of our early meet-ups	View

S

Name	Photograph	Title / Role	Contributions / Notes
Steve Jarvis		project manager for ocProducts	Wrote many tutorials via Arvixe	View

Newest 10 Entries

Question	Are there any limitations to importing forum data?
Answer	Yes, some limitations exist, particularly with specific forum platforms. General: Private messages are often combined into private topics. phpBB: Usergroup configuration and HTML entities may require manual adjustments after import. vBulletin: Calendar recurrences, ratings (karma), and 'goes to coventry' are not imported perfectly. Attachments may need to be extracted directly from the live database due to potential corruption in SQL dumps. Simple Machine Forum: Banning features may not import perfectly due to differences in how Composr handles bans.

Question	Where can I find the import functionality in Composr?
Answer	Navigate to Admin Zone > Tools > Import.

Question	What data formats can Composr import?
Answer	Composr primarily uses database connections for importing. However, it also supports neutral data formats like CSV spreadsheet files and importing downloads from a directory.

Question	Can I import data from other platforms into Composr?
Answer	Yes, Composr offers importers for several popular platforms: Forum Software: Invision Board, MyBB, phpBB, Simple Machine Forum, vBulletin Content Management Systems: WordPress Special Importers: HTML website importer, Composr merge (for merging another Composr site)

Question	How do I move my Composr website to a new server?
Answer	Moving a Composr site involves transferring both the files and the database. Files: On the old server, ZIP the entire Composr directory. Download the ZIP file to your computer. Upload the ZIP file to the new server using SFTP/FTP. On the new server, unzip the file. Database: On the old server, create an SQL dump of your database using the mysqldump command or phpMyAdmin. Download the SQL dump file. If your URL is changing, search and replace the old URL with the new one in the SQL dump file. Upload the SQL dump file to the new server. Restore the database on the new server using the mysql command or phpMyAdmin. Important Steps: File Permissions: After transferring files, ensure correct file permissions are set on the new server. You can use the fixperms.php script, the upgrader script, or manually adjust them. Configuration: If database settings are different on the new server, update the _config.php file or use the config_editor.php script to change the settings for both the site and forum databases. Base URL: If your URL has changed, update the base URL setting in the Installation Options editor (config_editor.php). Caches: Clear the block cache using the upgrader.php script.

Question	Can I integrate third-party JavaScript libraries into Composr?
Answer	Yes, you can integrate third-party JavaScript libraries using various methods: Direct reference by URL: Include the library's URL in your theme's HTML. Composr's JavaScript API: Use Composr's API for organized inclusion and potential future compatibility benefits. Manual integration: Directly include the library's code in appropriate template files. Choose the method best suited for your needs and technical proficiency.

Question	How does Composr handle user authentication with external systems like LDAP or HTTP authentication?
Answer	Composr can integrate with LDAP and HTTP authentication, but these features are considered complex and may require programming experience to set up correctly. Both methods allow users to log in to Composr using their existing credentials from the external system, streamlining access and management.

Question	What are the limitations of using a third-party forum driver?
Answer	Using a third-party forum driver can lead to limitations. Custom profile fields of type LONG_TEXT are limited to TEXT length, cookie integration is not officially supported and can be complex, and some forum drivers have specific quirks detailed in the nuances tutorial.

Question	What are the implications of using the "none-forum" driver?
Answer	Using the "none-forum" driver disables or limits many Composr features, including commenting, points, and user interactions. Consider using Conversr instead and restricting access to the forum zone, join module, and personal zone.

Question	How can I integrate my forum visually into my website?
Answer	Composr allows you to integrate your forum visually into your website. Enable "Show forum within website" in the Admin Zone configuration module and update the forum link in your menu to pass through the "forums" embedding module. You may need to adjust CSS to achieve a seamless look.

Top 10 Entries

Question	What are URL Monikers and how do they benefit SEO?
Answer	URL Monikers replace generic numerical IDs in your URLs with descriptive keywords derived from your content titles. For example, instead of yoursite.com/page.php?id=123, you can have yoursite.com/about-us. This makes your URLs more user-friendly and helps search engines understand the topic of each page, improving your search ranking. You can set monikers in the "Metadata" section when adding / editing content.

Question	What is an XML Sitemap and why is it important?
Answer	An XML Sitemap is a file that lists all the pages on your website, helping search engines understand your site's structure and content. Composr automatically generates a comprehensive sitemap, including forum topics if you are using Conversr. Ensure your system scheduler is enabled for automatic sitemap submission to search engines. You can also manually generate and submit the sitemap if necessary.

Question	How can I improve my website's ranking in search engines?
Answer	Composr offers various features and best practices to enhance your SEO: Content Optimization: Write high-quality, keyword-rich content using clear headings, relevant links, and descriptive image alt text. URL Monikers: Enable this feature to create human-readable URLs that incorporate keywords instead of numerical IDs. XML Sitemaps: Composr automatically generates and submits XML Sitemaps to major search engines, aiding them in discovering and indexing your content. robots.txt: This file allows you to control which parts of your site search engines can access and index. Composr provides a default robots.txt that can be customized as needed.

Question	What are the primary metadata elements I should focus on?
Answer	While Composr provides extensive metadata options, the key elements to prioritize are: Title: The title tag appears in browser tabs, search results, and when your page is shared. It should be concise, descriptive, and include relevant keywords. Meta Description: This short summary entices users to click on your search result. It should be engaging, informative, and accurately reflect the page's content. Open Graph data: These protocols control how your content appears when shared on social media and other websites. They utilize elements like title, description, and images to create visually appealing previews. Favicon and Apple Web Clip image: These small icons represent your website in bookmarks, browser tabs, and on mobile home screens. They contribute to branding and visual recognition.

Question	What is metadata and why is it important for my website?
Answer	Metadata is information about your web pages that isn't directly visible to visitors, but is used by search engines and social media platforms to understand and categorize your content. Well-crafted metadata helps search engines properly index your site, making it more likely to appear in relevant search results. It also improves how your website appears when shared on social media, encouraging clicks and engagement.

Question	What should I do about offensive or off-topic discussions?
Answer	Decide on your moderation approach: balancing viewpoints, adhering to community standards, or focusing on topic relevance. Be prepared to face criticism regardless of your decisions. Establish clear rules and policies to guide user behavior.

Question	What resources are available to help me navigate these legal and social challenges?
Answer	Composr offers various resources, including tutorials on accessibility, staff management, and general website dos and don'ts. You can also consult external resources like the COPPA website and Wikipedia for more in-depth information on specific laws and regulations. Remember that seeking legal counsel may be necessary for complex situations.

Question	What are some social considerations for running a website with community features?
Answer	Managing a community involves addressing social issues like child protection, free speech, discrimination, and abuse. Establish clear policies on these matters, including content moderation guidelines and procedures for handling feedback. Consider the diverse personalities and potential vulnerabilities of your users.

Question	What are my legal responsibilities regarding illegal content posted by users?
Answer	While "safe harbor" laws offer some protection, you are still obligated to take down illegal content upon becoming aware of it. Implement measures like content checks, clear rules prohibiting illegal uploads, and liability disclaimers. The level of responsibility varies depending on the severity of the content, from copyright infringement to more serious criminal content.

Question	What steps should I take to make my website accessible?
Answer	Website accessibility is essential for inclusivity and may be legally required under anti-discrimination laws. Composr is designed to meet high accessibility standards, but you need to maintain this when creating content or modifying templates. Following WCAG guidelines is crucial, and you can find more information in the accessibility tutorial.

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