Contributors: A-Z Index

A

Name Photograph Title / Role Contributions / Notes
Allen Ellis Image 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
Chris Graham Image 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
Haydn Maidment project manager for ocProducts

None available

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J

Name Photograph Title / Role Contributions / Notes
Jim Davidson contributor

written many tutorials via Arvixe

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P

Name Photograph Title / Role Contributions / Notes
Patrick Schmalstig Image 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 Image 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 What web technologies does Composr use beyond HTML, CSS, and JavaScript?
Answer Composr relies on a wide range of web technologies (depending on what features and settings you use), including:
  • Protocols: HTTP/HTTPS, FTP, SFTP, SMTP, IMAP, POP3, DNS, and others
  • Data formats: XML, JSON, CSV, PHP's serialized format, iCalendar, and various image and archive formats
  • Standards: Accessibility standards (WCAG, WAI-ARIA), metadata standards (Open Graph, schema.org, Dublin Core), and microformats
  • Server-side technologies: PHP, SQL (for database interaction)
  • Composr-specific technologies: Tempcode (template system), Comcode (content language), Page-links, Filtercode, Selectcode, and Language packs

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Question How does Composr ensure printed web pages look appropriate?
Answer Composr uses a combination of approaches to ensure printed web pages have a suitable layout:
  • Automatic browser behavior: Browsers typically disable background images when printing.
  • CSS print stylesheets: Composr utilizes CSS to define specific display rules for printed versions of pages, such as removing margins and hiding social media links.
  • wide_print parameter: This parameter, activated through specific links or specifying it in the URL, further influences page layout for printing.

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Question How can I test my website's compatibility across different browsers and devices?
Answer Testing your website on different browsers and devices can be challenging due to operating system limitations and device availability. Here are some solutions:
  • Virtual Machines: Use virtual machines to run different operating systems and test various Internet Explorer versions.
  • Device Emulation: Use built-in device emulation features in browsers like Chrome to simulate mobile devices.
  • Online Testing Services: Employ commercial online testing services like BrowserStack to access a wide range of browsers and devices hosted in the cloud.
  • Real Devices: Conduct testing on physical mobile devices for a more realistic user experience.

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Question What are the recommended desktop settings for viewing a Composr website?
Answer A minimum screen resolution of 1024x768 is strongly recommended for viewing a Composr website. This is the minimum resolution for which the default theme is designed. Using a lower resolution might lead to display issues or an unsatisfactory browsing experience. As of version 11, smaller resolutions will often trigger the mobile layout automatically (responsiveness) to ensure a better UI for smaller displays.

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Question How does Composr handle browser compatibility?
Answer Composr aims to support all modern browsers, including the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Internet Explorer 11. It is designed to work seamlessly with browsers that automatically update, like Chrome and Firefox. For browsers with manual updates, Composr generally supports the last two releases.

While not explicitly supported, Composr will often address bug reports for other popular browsers like Opera, Chromium, and Konqueror. Additionally, Composr strives to provide an accessible experience for text-mode browsers and those designed for users with disabilities.

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Question What is CSS and how does it impact website design?
Answer CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) is a language used to describe the visual presentation of a web page written in HTML or XHTML. It controls aspects like:
  • Fonts and typography: Defining font families, sizes, weights, and styles.
  • Colors and backgrounds: Setting colors for text, backgrounds, borders, and other elements.
  • Layout and positioning: Controlling the placement and arrangement of elements on a page.
  • Visual effects: Adding shadows, gradients, transitions, and other visual enhancements.

By separating content structure (XHTML) from visual presentation (CSS), websites become easier to maintain and update. Changes to the design can be made without altering the underlying HTML structure.

Composr utilizes CSS extensively for theming, allowing users to manipulate the website's visual appearance.

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Question Why is understanding XHTML important for website customization?
Answer XHTML (Extensible HyperText Markup Language) is the language used to structure web page content. It defines the various elements of a webpage, such as headings, paragraphs, images, and links.

Understanding XHTML is crucial for website customization because it allows you to:
  • Modify page layout: Change the arrangement and positioning of elements on a page.
  • Add new content: Insert additional text, images, or other multimedia elements.
  • Customize the appearance of existing elements: Change fonts, colors, sizes, and other visual styles.
  • Integrate interactive features: Embed JavaScript code for dynamic functionality.

Composr uses XHTML for its templates, allowing users to extensively customize the website's design and layout.

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Question How does JavaScript enhance website interactivity?
Answer JavaScript is a programming language that runs in web browsers, allowing for dynamic and interactive elements on web pages. It enables features like:
  • Dynamic content updates: Modifying page content without requiring a full page reload.
  • User interface enhancements: Creating interactive elements like dropdown menus, image sliders, and form validation.
  • Animations and visual effects: Adding visual appeal and engaging user experiences.
  • Asynchronous communication: Fetching data from, or sending data to, servers in the background without disrupting user interaction.

Composr relies on JavaScript for its default theme and administrative features.

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Question What is the difference between cookies and sessions?
Answer While both cookies and sessions are used for user identification and maintaining state, there are key differences:
  • Storage: Cookies are stored on the user's computer, while sessions are stored on the server.
  • Expiration: Session cookies expire when the browser is closed, while persistent cookies have a set expiration date. Sessions typically expire after a period of inactivity.
  • Data sensitivity: Sessions are generally used for more sensitive data, as the information is not stored on the user's computer and therefore less likely to be stolen by a hacker.

Composr uses both cookies and sessions. Session cookies are primarily used for user identification (such as anonymously matching a user to a session in the server database), while persistent cookies can be used for remembering login details if the user chooses.

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Question What are cookies and how do they work?
Answer A cookie is a small piece of data that a website stores on a user's computer. It is sent from the user's web browser to the web server each time a page is viewed. Cookies are used for various purposes, including:
  • User identification: Cookies can be used to identify a specific user, even if they are not logged in. This allows websites to remember user preferences, shopping cart contents, and other information.
  • Tracking user behavior: Cookies can be used to track user behavior on a website, such as the pages they visit and the links they click. This information can be used to improve the website's design and content.
  • Advertising: Cookies can be used to deliver targeted advertising to users based on their browsing history.

There are two main types of cookies:
  • Session cookies: These cookies are temporary and are deleted when the user closes their web browser. They are often used to store information about the user's current session, such as the items in their shopping cart.
  • Persistent cookies: These cookies are stored on the user's computer for a longer period. They can be used to remember user preferences, such as their login details or language settings.

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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.

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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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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.

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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.

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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.

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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}.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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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