Contributors: A-Z Index
A
Name | Photograph | Title / Role | Contributions / Notes | |
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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 |
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C
Name | Photograph | Title / Role | Contributions / Notes | |
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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. |
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Chris Warburton | developer for ocProducts |
Made some key contributions to ocPortal |
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H
Name | Photograph | Title / Role | Contributions / Notes | |
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Haydn Maidment | project manager for ocProducts |
None available |
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J
Name | Photograph | Title / Role | Contributions / Notes | |
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Jim Davidson | contributor |
written many tutorials via Arvixe |
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P
Name | Photograph | Title / Role | Contributions / Notes | |
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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. |
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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 |
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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 |
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S
Name | Photograph | Title / Role | Contributions / Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Steve Jarvis | project manager for ocProducts |
Wrote many tutorials via Arvixe |
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Newest 10 Entries
Question | Can I use the calendar as a personal diary and keep my entries private? |
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Answer | Yes. When adding an event to the calendar, you can choose to make it public or private. Private events are generally used when someone wants to use the calendar system as a diary. |
Question | How can I set up reminders for events? |
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Answer | When adding or editing an event, you can enable reminders for yourself and specific user groups. You can also choose how much notice you want for each reminder. Members can subscribe for reminders on an individual event screen. They can also personalize their reminder settings, including removing reminders or having multiple reminders at different times. Members can also subscribe for notifications to specific event types to be notified whenever events under those types are scheduled. |
Question | How can I schedule Commandr commands to run automatically? |
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Answer | To schedule commands, create an event with the "System command" event type. This option needs to be enabled in the configuration first. In the event details, you can specify either a URL for Composr to call or a snippet of Commandr code to execute. Be sure to disable the WYSIWYG editor for this type of event. You'll also need to have the system scheduler configured for the commands to run automatically. |
Question | Can I add external feeds to the calendar? |
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Answer | Yes, you can add RSS or Atom feeds to your calendar. This lets you view time-based information from external sources alongside your calendar events. |
Question | What do I do if a recurring event needs to be changed or skipped? |
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Answer | Composr has a "fixing an event" feature to handle changes to recurring events. This is useful if an event needs to be cancelled or rescheduled. You edit the event as if it were a new, standalone event and choose the "Edit with fixing past recurrences" option. This separates the past occurrences from the modified event, ensuring future recurrences reflect the changes. |
Question | What is the "recurrence pattern" and how does it work? |
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Answer | The recurrence pattern is a powerful tool that defines how often an event repeats. While it might seem complex at first, it provides a lot of flexibility. Think of it as a binary code where each digit represents a time period (like a day or week). A "1" indicates the event occurs, and a "0" means it doesn't. This lets you create complex schedules like "every weekday" (daily with pattern 1111100 if it starts on a Monday) or "every other Tuesday" (weekly on Tuesday with the pattern 10). |
Question | What are the different views available in the calendar? |
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Answer | The calendar has five views:
You can easily navigate between these views to get different levels of detail and focus on specific periods or events. |
Question | How do I add events to the calendar? |
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Answer | You can add events in several ways:
Deleting events can be done at the bottom of the event's edit form. You have options for recurring events, such as editing/deleting the specific occurrence, editing/deleting future ones, or all of them. |
Question | How do I categorize events? |
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Answer | You categorize events using "Event types". Composr provides default types like "Anniversary", "Appointment", "Birthday", "General", "Public Holiday", "Task", "Vacation", and the special "System command" for executing Commandr commands. You can also add your own custom event types to suit your specific needs, such as "Appraisal Session" for a business website. |
Question | What is an "event" in the Composr calendar system? |
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Answer | An event is any entry in the calendar. Importantly, an event isn't limited to a single point or range in time. Events can recur based on a schedule you define. This makes them very flexible – they can represent anything from one-time appointments to recurring birthdays or even weekly team practices. |
Top 10 Entries
Question | What is the Composr Repository? |
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Answer | The Composr repository is a user-friendly representation of Composr's data, which is typically stored in a database and on the filesystem. It presents the data in an easily accessible format using the JSON standard and can be accessed as a folder on your computer via WebDAV. |
Question | What is Commandr? |
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Answer | Commandr is a command-line interface designed for experienced system administrators who prefer using a command line over a GUI. It supplements the Composr Admin Zone, allowing you to execute commands in the form of:
You can access Commandr via the Admin Zone > Tools > Commandr or using the Commandr button in the footer. |
Question | Are there alternative chat solutions that integrate with Composr? |
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Answer | Yes, you can integrate third-party chat solutions with Composr. For example, CometChat is a commercial chat system that provides a Composr integration. You can also leverage video chat services like Talky, Jitsi, or appear.in by embedding links within your chat templates. For sales-chat needs, consider integrating a dedicated live chat platform like Comm100. |
Question | Are there any limitations to the Composr Chat system? |
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Answer | While the Composr Chat system provides robust chat and IM features, it does have some limitations. Currently, it does not support video chat, sales-focused chat features, desktop app integration, or optimal performance for very high volumes of concurrent users. Additionally, it is only near real-time as Composr queries for new messages using AJAX at a set interval. |
Question | Are there any safety guidelines for younger users? |
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Answer | It's crucial to emphasize safety, especially for younger users. Encourage them to follow these guidelines: never arrange to meet anyone from a chatroom in person, be cautious about sharing personal information, and report any suspicious behavior to moderators. |
Question | Can I download chat logs? |
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Answer | Yes, you can download logs of any chat conversation. Simply navigate to the chatroom, click on the "Download chat logs" link, specify the desired date/time range, and the system will generate a downloadable log file for you. |
Question | How can I moderate the chatrooms? |
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Answer | Composr offers a range of moderation features. Moderators can edit or delete messages, ban disruptive users, and delete entire chatrooms if necessary. Inline moderation links are available within chatrooms for quick actions, while the Admin Zone provides comprehensive moderation tools for managing chat content and user behavior. |
Question | What is Chatcode and how can I use it? |
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Answer | Chatcode is a system of simple commands that you can embed within your chat messages to perform advanced actions. These actions include sending private messages to specific users within a chatroom, interacting with automated bots, sending chatroom invitations, and even creating new chatrooms. |
Question | How does the chat system work? |
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Answer | The chat system utilizes AJAX technology, enabling dynamic updates without requiring page reloads. It includes a "Chat Lobby" where users can view available chatrooms and manage their friend lists for instant messaging. Users can join chatrooms to participate in group conversations or engage in private conversations with friends. |
Question | What is the Composr Chat system? |
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Answer | Composr Chat is a feature built into the Composr CMS that provides both chatrooms and instant messaging capabilities. It offers real-time, text-based communication for users on your website. |