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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	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.

Question	How can potential conflicts between staff members be avoided (regarding content moderation)?
Answer	Composr incorporates "conflict detection" features to prevent staff from accidentally overwriting each other's work. When multiple staff members attempt to edit the same resource simultaneously, a warning message appears, prompting communication and coordination. Open communication and transparency are crucial. Encourage staff to share their ongoing tasks and plans with each other to prevent overlaps and potential conflicts. Utilizing shared tools like the staff checklist and private forums can further facilitate coordination.

Question	What should be considered when assigning roles and responsibilities to staff?
Answer	When assigning roles, it's recommended to start new staff with limited responsibilities and gradually increase their authority based on performance and dedication. This fosters a sense of progression and prevents discouragement among existing staff. Always consider the individual's skills and interests when assigning tasks. For example, someone with strong writing skills might be well-suited for managing content creation, while a technically-minded person could excel at site maintenance.

Top 10 Entries

Question	Can I integrate a dedicated issue management system with Composr?
Answer	While Composr doesn't have a built-in issue tracker, a non-bundled addon (cms_homesite_tracker) provides an integrated, modified version of Mantis. Additionally, the Support Ticket system can function as a basic private issue tracker using features like Post Templates.

Question	How can I restrict access to the support system to specific users?
Answer	Utilize Composr's page access permissions to control who can access the Support Ticket page. This ensures only authorized users can submit support requests. You can also control permissions based on ticket type when adding or editing a ticket type. Make sure if you go this route that the Support Ticket page permissions are very liberal (e.g. allow anyone to access, or just restrict to guests if you will never allow guests to make tickets). Otherwise, some people cannot make tickets even if they have permission on the type.

Question	What are Post Templates and how are they beneficial for support?
Answer	Post Templates are predefined text blocks that can be used as templates for new forum posts. They are particularly useful in support scenarios by: Providing quick responses to common questions. Ensuring consistency in staff responses. Saving time and effort for staff. Post Templates can be configured to be the default post in specific forums or restricted to certain user groups. Go to Admin Zone > Structure > Forums > Post Templates.

Question	How does Composr handle email integration for support?
Answer	Composr can integrate with email for ticket management, assuming certain requirements are met: PHP IMAP extension installed. Functional PHP mail command (local SMTP server or configured Windows SMTP settings). Active system scheduler (Cron). With email integration, users can submit tickets via email, and staff can reply through the system. Composr cleans up email text for ticket clarity and allows forwarding emails to the integrated address for efficient handling.

Question	How can I categorize and prioritize support requests?
Answer	Support Ticket System: Utilize support ticket types, managed in the Admin Zone > Setup > Support tickets. Staff can set individual notifications for different types. Discussion Forums: Create dedicated subforums for different support categories or priority levels. Feedback System: The content to which the feedback is attached implicitly categorizes it. For prioritization, subforums can be used.

Question	What are the advantages of using the Support Ticket system over the Discussion Forums?
Answer	While both systems can be used for support, the Support Ticket system provides advantages like: Separating replies into individual tickets. Ticket assignment to specific staff members. Tracking who has read a ticket. Private replies between staff members. Filtering tickets by type. Automatic ticket creation, unlike manually creating forum topics. Conflict detection when multiple staff are working on the same ticket. Real-time alerts and display updates upon ticket replies.

Question	How can Composr be used as a support desk tool?
Answer	Composr offers three main systems for providing online support: 1. Support Ticket System: This system allows users to submit tickets and staff to respond, track, and resolve them. It features email notifications, ticket categorization and prioritization, staff assignment, and attachment support. 2. Discussion Forums: Conversr, Composr's built-in forum software, can be utilized for support by creating dedicated forums or subforums. Features like post templates and multi-moderations enhance support capabilities. 3. Feedback System: This system allows for comments on various content types, facilitating support directly related to that content.

Question	How can I access the raw data behind the statistics graphs?
Answer	Every graph in Composr offers a spreadsheet export option. This allows you to download the data in a spreadsheet format, enabling detailed manual review or further analysis using third-party tools.

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.

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