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	How do I restore my Composr website from a backup?
Answer	Composr backups come as .tar or .tar.gz files. Extract the archive using an extraction program like 7-zip or your web hosting control panel. To restore a full backup: Upload the extracted files to your webserver, overwriting the existing files. Run the included restore.php script in your browser. This script will restore the database from the restore_data.php file. To restore incremental backups: Restore the initial full backup. Sequentially extract and overwrite files from each incremental backup over the restored full backup. The last extracted restore_data.php will contain the latest database state. Run restore.php to restore the final database version.

Question	What alternative backup strategies are available?
Answer	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.

Question	How do I create a backup of my Composr website?
Answer	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.

Question	Why are backups necessary for my Composr website?
Answer	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.

Question	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.

Question	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.

Question	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.

Question	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).

Question	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.

Question	How does Composr track user activity?
Answer	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.

Top 10 Entries

Question	How does scoring work for quizzes with different question types?
Answer	Multiple-choice and short answer questions: These are automatically marked based on your defined correct answers. Long answer questions: These require manual marking, resulting in a percentage range being displayed to the user until you assess their response. Unmarked questions: These questions are collected but don't contribute to the overall score, allowing you to include optional or non-scored elements.

Question	Can I reward users for completing quizzes?
Answer	Yes, you can reward users with points for successfully passing a test. This incentivizes participation and encourages users to engage with your content.

Question	How can I implement security measures for my quizzes?
Answer	Composr provides several features to enhance quiz security and prevent cheating: Restrict access: Limit quiz participation to specific usergroups or newsletter subscribers. Shuffle content: Randomize question and answer order to make it harder to copy answers. Set time limits: Enforce quiz completion within a specified timeframe. Define open time ranges: Control when the quiz is accessible to participants.

Question	How do I create and manage quizzes in Composr?
Answer	You can create, edit, and delete quizzes from the Composr Admin Zone: Navigate to Admin Zone (or CMS Zone) > Content > Quizzes. Use the provided interface to define your quiz questions, answer options, and settings. You can manage quiz results and view participant responses under Admin Zone > Audit > Quizzes.

Question	What types of quizzes can I create in Composr?
Answer	Composr supports three main types of quizzes: Surveys: These quizzes gather information from participants without right or wrong answers, making them ideal for collecting opinions and feedback. Tests: Tests assess knowledge with right and wrong answers and provide immediate feedback to participants, including pass/fail results. They're suitable for evaluating understanding of a topic. Competitions: These quizzes rank participants based on their scores, allowing you to select winners. Competitions are great for engaging users and promoting specific content or events.

Question	How does rank work in Conversr?
Answer	Conversr utilizes a rank system based on your accumulated rank points. As you earn points, you progress through different usergroups, unlocking new privileges and benefits. Your rank is a status symbol within the community and often grants access to exclusive features or content. This is subject to your configuration. To make a rank ladder based on points, go to Admin Zone > Security > Usergroups. You are given options regarding ranks when adding or editing a usergroup. Members can see their rank and progress on their member profile rank tab. They can also see all the rank-based benefits they unlocked and ones yet to unlock in future ranks.

Question	What is points escrow and when would I use it?
Answer	Points escrow is a system that holds points securely during transactions involving a written agreement, often for a product or service. This ensures trust and provides a resolution mechanism in case of disputes. Creating an Escrow: You initiate an escrow on the member's profile points tab, specifying the amount, reason, and any agreement details. Points Held: The points are deducted from your balance and held by the system. Agreement Fulfillment: Both parties must mark the escrow as satisfied upon fulfilling the agreement. Points Release: Once both parties are satisfied, the recipient receives the points. Disputes: If either party has a dispute, they can dispute the escrow, which then locks it down and notifies a staff member to review and take a resolution action.

Question	Can I create a leaderboard to showcase top point earners?
Answer	Yes, Composr offers a leaderboard block and module to display top point holders. You can customize the leaderboard to show weekly, monthly, or yearly rankings, filter by usergroups, and exclude staff members if desired. This can encourage healthy competition and motivate members to earn points. Go to Admin Zone > Setup > Leader-boards to create a leader-board.

Question	How can I modify points for members?
Answer	Staff members with the "Moderate members' points" privilege can directly credit or debit points from members' accounts. This can be used to reward exceptional contributions, refund purchases, or penalize rule violations.

Question	What is the purpose of the points ledger?
Answer	The ledger provides a transparent and immutable record of every point transaction on the website. It ensures accountability and allows members to track their point activity. Members can view their own ledger, and with the appropriate privilege, they can also see the ledgers of others.

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