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	How are time zones handled in Composr statistics?
Answer	All times in Composr statistics are displayed according to the configured website time zone, regardless of visitor or user account time zones. While this is a limitation due to pre-computation, some graphs displaying hourly stats and country filtering offer insights into local times for manual analysis.

Question	What are the limitations of pre-computed statistics in Composr?
Answer	Pre-computed statistics introduce certain limitations: Filtering constraints: Limits filtering options to those incorporated in the data structure. Historical data limitation: To maintain site stability, statistics older than 31 days aren't pre-processed. This may lead to data gaps if the system scheduler malfunctions or statistical data is manually deleted.

Question	Why does Composr use pre-computed statistics?
Answer	Composr generates statistics from pre-computed data for several reasons: GDPR compliance: Prevents indefinite storage of raw (potentially personal) data while preserving historical statistics. Computational efficiency: Avoids real-time execution of complex calculations, ensuring optimal performance. Scalability: Handles vast amounts of data without performance degradation. Responsiveness: Enables quick and seamless statistics browsing and filtering. Data accessibility: Makes generated data readily available for other Composr components.

Question	What are KPIs and how are they used in Composr?
Answer	KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) are specific measurements selected for marketing analysis. In Composr, time-series graphs can be added as KPIs. They offer several benefits: Quick reference: Available on the Admin Zone dashboard staff checklist. Target setting: Allows setting targets against KPIs, visualized on graphs and in overview summaries. Notifications: Staff members receive regular notifications regarding target achievement status.

Question	How can I perform split testing in Composr?
Answer	Split testing in Composr involves combining tracking codes with events. The simplest approach utilizes Tempcode: Random tracking code: Choose a random tracking code from a set and activate it for the user session. Conditional output: Generate different content variations based on the active tracking code. Subsequently, you can analyze event success rates based on the assigned tracking codes, utilizing both inbuilt events and custom-created events.

Question	What is the purpose of tracking codes in Composr?
Answer	Tracking codes help you identify the sources driving user sessions to your website or associate specific split testing variations with users. Composr offers integrated referral tracking through various means: URL parameter: The _t URL parameter can contain any custom tracking code, automatically registered by the stats addon. Recommend addon: This addon automatically includes tracking codes for the referral source, referring member, and the referred page. Member joining: When a referred member joins, the referring member receives points and a friend request. Referrals addon: Allows manual tracking code input upon joining and facilitates a referrer reward system. Stats addon: Generates graphs of tracking codes, including conversion rate measurements. User lookup tool: Allows checking if a user accessed the site via a tracking code. Tempcode integration: Inject tracking codes into Tempcode using symbols like `{$SET_TRACKING_CODE,some code}` or `{$SPLIT_TEST,some code,some other code}`.

Question	What are the different ways to track events in Composr?
Answer	Composr offers various methods for tracking events: Inbuilt events: Automatically recorded for actions like form submissions, purchases, newsletter signups, etc. Tempcode symbol: Use the `{$LOG_STATS_EVENT,event}` symbol within your templates to track events when the template is displayed. JavaScript function: Employ the `$cms.statsEventTrack` JavaScript function to track events from within your JavaScript code. HTML data attribute: Add `data-click-stats-event-track="{ category: 'some event', nativeTracking: true }"` to HTML elements. This method acts as a wrapper for the JavaScript function. URL wrapping: Wrap URLs in links using the `{$STATS_TRACK_URL,URL,event}` symbol. This approach records events via a redirection script and doesn't rely on JavaScript. The JavaScript and HTML data attribute methods can also be integrated with Google Analytics events.

Question	How do I install geo-location data for Composr statistics?
Answer	Geo-location data installation is usually automatic during the Composr installation process. If not, you can manually install it by navigating to Admin Zone > Audit > Site statistics > Install geolocation data. This action will reschedule the installation task. If you don't see this option, the geo-location data is already installed.

Question	What are the key differences between Google Analytics and Composr statistics?
Answer	While there is some overlap, Composr statistics and Google Analytics are complementary tools. Google Analytics Pros: Offers sophisticated functionality for professional marketers. Integrates with other Google products like AdSense and Search Console. Provides insights based on Google's marketing data, such as visitor demographics. Google Analytics Cons: Limited to web visit data unless custom programming or complex configuration is implemented. Relies on JavaScript for tracking, which can be blocked by users. Uses tracking cookies, raising privacy concerns and potential GDPR compliance issues. Data is potentially sold to third-party data brokers or used for targeted advertising by Google. Closed-source platform. Composr Statistics Pros: Server-side tracking, independent of JavaScript and browser configurations. Contextual information and graphs for data beyond web visits (e.g., sales). Enhanced privacy as it only uses IP addresses, session IDs, and member IDs. Complete data control as it is hosted on your website. Open-source addon, fully customizable. Basic users may find Composr statistics sufficient, while expert marketers might prefer the power of Google Analytics.

Question	What tools and strategies can be used for staff training and development?
Answer	While Composr itself doesn't provide built-in training features, several approaches can be used for staff development: Documentation & Tutorials: Utilize the extensive Composr documentation and tutorials available online to familiarize staff with the platform's functionalities. Mentorship: Pair experienced staff with newcomers to provide guidance and support during the initial learning phase. Private Forums & Chat: Create dedicated communication channels where staff can exchange knowledge, ask questions, and share best practices. Regular Meetings: Conduct regular staff meetings to discuss updates, share information, and address any arising challenges. External Resources: Leverage external resources like online courses or workshops focused on relevant skills, such as content management or community moderation. By investing in ongoing staff training and development, communities can ensure their teams possess the necessary knowledge and skills to perform their roles effectively and contribute to the platform's overall success.

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