How can I communicate privately with other members?
Answer
Conversr offers two ways to have private conversations:
Private Topics:
Start a private topic from a member's profile, by clicking "Whisper" on their post and selecting "Quote post to a new Private Topic with this member," or from your account by selecting "Start a Private Topic" and entering the desired username.
Participate in the topic just like a regular forum topic.
You will receive notifications for new posts in your private topics.
Topics can be moved to the "Trash" category or other categories of your choosing for organization.
Inline Personal Posts (Whispers):
Send a private message within a public topic by clicking "Whisper" on a post and selecting "In-topic personal post to this member."
Whispers are visible only to the sender and recipient, and the whispered post is highlighted.
How can I ensure the privacy of personal information stored in my catalogues?
Answer
Composr's privacy system can help manage personal data within catalogues. To leverage it:
Use specific field types: Utilize dedicated field types for sensitive data like member IDs, usernames, emails, IP addresses, and passwords for efficient handling by the privacy system.
Enable "May contain personal information": Mark fields that may contain personal information, enabling the privacy system to identify and handle such data during purging or downloading.
Catalogue breadcrumbs can be customized using XML code (Admin Zone > Structure > Configure breadcrumb overrides). By default, they include the list of catalogues. However, Composr provides default breadcrumb XML that removes this, focusing on the current category hierarchy. Tree catalogues omit the index link, while non-tree catalogues include it.
What is a tree catalogue and how do I create one quickly?
Answer
A tree catalogue has a hierarchical category structure (which can contain sub-categories), similar to the download system. Composr offers a special feature for creating tree catalogues by simply typing the desired categories in a specific format (which is explained and available when adding a new catalogue), which automatically generates the tree structure.
Alternatively, a non-tree catalogue is simpler and only has top-level categories.
Can I customize the look and feel of my catalogue?
Answer
Yes, Composr allows advanced users to customize catalogue appearance through Tempcode programming. This involves using template IF directives to apply specific styles based on the catalogue's name and manipulating template parameters for complex layouts. Alternatively, you can create new template files using the catalogue name in the file to specify complete templates for specific catalogues. Check out the tutorials for more information.
While Composr catalogues offer great flexibility, they can become complex if you need sophisticated data relationships, efficient searching, high data reliability, or advanced customization. In these cases, a programmer's expertise in database design, normalization, and templating can be invaluable.
Catalogues are custom databases you can create within your Composr website. They allow you to define your own records with custom fields and organize them into categories. Think of them as powerful tools for managing various types of content, like a database of books, a directory of businesses, or even a classified ads system.
Many web hosting control panels include built-in backup features that operate at the system level, often offering higher reliability than web-based scripts. Ensure you back up both files and the database.
For database backups, you can use tools like phpMyAdmin, which allows you to export your database as a .sql file.
Composr offers a built-in backup addon accessible from Admin Zone > Tools > Backups. You can choose between full, incremental, and database-only backups.
Full backup: Backs up all files and folders within the Composr installation directory, including the database.
Incremental backup: Backs up only new or changed files since the last backup, resulting in smaller backup files.
Database backup only: Backs up only the database.
The addon allows scheduled backups or manual backup generation. It is recommended to download backups to a location outside your web server for better security.
Note: The Composr backup addon is limited by server-side PHP capabilities and might not always be reliable. Consider using alternative backup strategies offered by your web hosting control panel for increased reliability.
Disasters like hard disk failures, data corruption, and unexpected errors can happen at any time. A good backup strategy helps you recover your website and its data in case of such events. Backups can also help you roll back to a previous state if needed, such as after a failed upgrade or accidental changes.
How can I control the privacy of member profile fields?
Answer
You can control the privacy of member profile fields through the "Member privacy controls" configuration option.
If you enable the "Extended privacy option control", you can fine-tune visibility settings for each field. Otherwise, you can set simple access levels (e.g., not at all, to members, to friends, to everyone) for each field.
What is the difference between a Composr member and an author?
Answer
A member is someone who has created an account on your Composr website and can log in. They have a unique member ID and username, and can interact with the site's features.
An author is someone who creates content for the site. They may or may not be a member. For example, you might have an author who submits articles via email but never actually visits or joins the website.
What advanced techniques are available for dealing with persistent spammers who repeatedly create new accounts?
Answer
Composr's advanced banning features target sophisticated human spammers. Automatic bans can be configured to block users based on specific strings in their posts, while reasoned bans display customized messages to banned users, potentially deterring them. These measures, coupled with the ability to investigate users via IP address analysis, offer robust tools for managing persistent threats.
You can configure advanced banning under Admin Zone > Security > Configure advanced banning.
How does Composr handle user banning and what options are available?
Answer
Composr offers various banning mechanisms. You can ban members by editing their accounts (ban member tick box), preventing logins while still allowing guest access. IP address banning blocks access from specific IP addresses or ranges (Admin Zone > Security > Members > Investigate user to see their IP addresses and flag certain ones for banning). You can also restrict member submissions, or you can effectively "suspend" users by assigning them to a usergroup with minimal privileges (e.g. probation).
What is the "Warn Member" form and how can I use it to handle rule violations?
Answer
The "Warn Member" form provides a centralized interface for addressing user misconduct. You can issue formal or off-the-book warnings, apply punitive actions like IP bans, usergroup changes, or probation, and even delete content or charge points. This form allows you to document reasons for actions, improving transparency and consistency in moderation.
This tool can be accessed on a member's profile as staff, under Audit > Warn member. You can also review their warnings history on their "Standing" tab.
Composr logs IP addresses for various actions like guest posting, page views, and content submissions. This data helps identify potential spammers and track user behavior. The "Investigate user" module provides tools to analyze IP addresses and gather additional information about suspicious activity.
