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	What is post history and why is it important?
Answer	Post history tracks changes made to forum posts, including edits and deletions. This feature helps monitor for inappropriate edits or attempts to cover up spam or rule violations. Staff can review the history, restore deleted content, or even permanently erase it.

Question	Can I moderate content in Composr forums?
Answer	Yes, Composr provides various moderation tools for managing forum content. Moderators can edit or delete posts and topics, move topics between forums, close or open discussions, and validate content submitted by users who require approval. These are done in an actions dropdown on a topic, or through buttons on individual posts.

Question	What is the "black hole" technique and how does it work?
Answer	The "black hole" technique involves adding hidden fields to forms. While invisible to human users, bots often detect and fill these fields, revealing their nature. Composr uses this information to flag and block suspected spam submissions.

Question	How can I report spam in Composr?
Answer	You can report spam using the "report this" link or "report" (forum post button) feature. This alerts staff to the issue, allowing them to investigate and take appropriate action, such as deleting the spam, warning the user, or banning them. It also creates a Support Ticket between the reporter and staff in case the staff need further information.

Question	What are Remote Block Lists (RBLs)?
Answer	RBLs are third-party lists that track IP addresses associated with spamming activity. Composr can be configured to consult these lists and block or flag requests from suspicious IPs. However, relying solely on RBLs may lead to false positives, as some lists are overly broad.

Question	What are CAPTCHAs and how do they work?
Answer	CAPTCHAs are tests designed to differentiate between human users and bots. Composr's unique CAPTCHA method uses CSS and JavaScript to generate images or audio challenges that are difficult for bots to solve. While effective, some spammers use human workers to bypass CAPTCHAs, leading to the need for additional anti-spam measures.

Question	How does Composr prevent spam?
Answer	Composr offers several tools and techniques to combat spam, including: CAPTCHA: A visual or audio test that humans can easily pass but bots struggle with. This helps prevent automated spam submissions. Heuristics: If Composr thinks an action is spam based off of configurable criteria, it can either flag the content for validation, block the attempt, or ban the IP address outright. Public block lists: Composr can utilize the Stop Forum Spam system or other block list systems to identify and block known spammers based on IP addresses, usernames, and email addresses. Link posting restrictions: Disallowing links in member profiles for users with no posts and adding "nofollow" attributes to links discourages spammers seeking backlinks. Black hole fields: Hidden form fields that should remain empty. Bots often fill these in, allowing Composr to identify them. Project Honey Pot integration: A system that places hidden links on pages, attracting and identifying spam bots. Content/post reporting: Users can report spam, enabling staff to take action. Guest posting limitations: Restricting guest permissions raises the bar for spammers. Advanced techniques: Developer addons like "antispam_question" or probation systems provide additional layers of protection.

Question	What is the "Sitemap" in Composr, and how is it used?
Answer	The Sitemap is a hierarchical representation of your website's content, including zones, pages, categories, and entries. Composr generates the Sitemap dynamically and uses it for various purposes: Generating menus. Creating the user-facing sitemap page. Generating the XML Sitemap for search engines. Providing a visual representation of your website structure in the Sitemap editor and Permissions tree editor. You can edit the sitemap under Admin Zone > Structure > Sitemap editor.

Question	Can I change the URL scheme after my website is already live?
Answer	Yes, you can enable or change a URL scheme on an existing website. Old URLs will redirect to the new format, ensuring that your SEO isn't negatively impacted. The canonical URL will also be specified in your website's HTML, further protecting your search rankings.

Question	How do URL schemes work, and what are the benefits of using them?
Answer	URL schemes allow you to control the structure of your website's URLs. Composr offers several schemes that create shorter, more user-friendly URLs: /pg/ (e.g., /pg/home) .htm (e.g., /home.htm) Simple unadorned URLs (e.g., /home) Benefits of using URL schemes include: Improved user experience with more readable URLs. Potential SEO benefits, as some believe search engines favor cleaner URLs. Easier sharing on social media and other platforms.

Top 10 Entries

Question	How do I debug email integration issues?
Answer	Email Tracking: Composr marks emails as read when processing posts. Marking an email unread will trigger re-processing. Log File: Create an empty file named data_custom/mail_integration.log to capture detailed log data for troubleshooting.

Question	How can I control who can post in my forums?
Answer	You can manage posting permissions using Composr's usergroup system. Forum View Access: Determine which usergroups can view each forum. Privilege Overrides: Grant or deny specific privileges (e.g., posting) to usergroups within a forum. Bypass Validation: Allow trusted members to post without moderation (or vice versa, require validation for certain usergroups).

Question	What special features does Composr's Conversr offer compared to other forum software?
Answer	Advanced Polls: Blind polls, forcing or setting of default options, and point-weighting. Private Topics: More sophisticated than traditional private messages. Forum Introduction Questions: A flexible way to control access and encourage engagement (e.g. forum-specific rules or forum passwords). Cascading Topics: Pinned topics that appear in multiple forums. Integrated Moderation: Streamlined moderation tools within the forum interface.

Question	How do topic polls work?
Answer	Topic polls are a powerful tool for gauging opinion within discussions. You can: Control Result Visibility: Choose whether results are visible before voting. Require Topic Reply: Force users to reply to the topic before voting. Show Voter Identities: Optionally display which members voted for each option. Allow Vote Revocation: Let voters change their vote while the poll is open. Set Voting Close Time: Define a specific date or time for the poll to close. Restrict Selections: Limit the number of options voters can choose. Allow Guest Voting: Enable voting for unregistered users. Weight Votes by Points: Give more influential members greater voting power (requires the points addon).

Question	What are the different types of posts in Composr forums?
Answer	Regular Posts: Standard posts made by members within a topic. Quick Replies: Shorter replies made directly from the topic view. Anonymous Posts: Members can choose to post anonymously, appearing as a guest. Staff can track the actual user if needed. Emphasised posts: Posts made by staff (or marked by staff) which are highlighted to draw attention as they are important. Whispers: Private messages embedded within public topics, allowing for side conversations. Private Topic Posts: Private messages sent between specific members (e.g. an on-site "inbox").

Question	Can I integrate email with my forums (mailing list)?
Answer	Yes, you can enable email integration for each forum individually. This allows members to post and receive updates via email. Requirements: PHP IMAP extension installed System scheduler (Cron) running IMAP-compatible mail server Recommended: Mail server enforces SPF and DKIM for email validation Mail server limits email size to prevent abuse System scheduler runs frequently (e.g., every minute) so members get prompt updates

Question	How do I organize my forums effectively?
Answer	Structure: Composr's forums follow a hierarchical structure. You can create forum groupings, forums, and sub-forums (and sub-sub-forums etc) in that order of hierarchy. Strategies: Avoid creating too many forums, which can dilute activity. Start with a few well-defined forums and expand as needed. Permissions: Use Composr's permission system to control access to forums and features. For example, you can create private staff forums.

Question	How can I keep track of activity in busy forums?
Answer	Composr provides several tools to help you stay up-to-date with forum activity: Virtual Forums: Special forums like "Posts since last visit" and "Topics with unread posts" provide filtered views of recent activity. Read Status: Topics with unread posts are displayed in bold with a jump-to-first-unread link. You can manually mark topics or entire forums as read or unread. Notifications: You can enable email notifications for specific topics or forums, either manually or automatically based on your activity.

Question	What security measures should I consider for local payments?
Answer	While Composr supports local payments (Authorize.Net), it requires high PCI compliance. Ensure you adhere to the PCI Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) guidelines, including secure coding practices, firewalls, intrusion detection systems, regular security audits, and staff screening.

Question	How can I audit my eCommerce activity in Composr?
Answer	Composr provides tools for monitoring your eCommerce activities: Sales list management: Cancel purchases, view sales history, and manage refunds (Admin Zone > Audit > eCommerce > Sales list management). Charts: Generate profit/loss accounts and cash flow diagrams for specific periods (Admin Zone > Audit > eCommerce, and Admin Zone > Audit > Site statistics). Manual transactions: Record transactions outside of Composr for accurate accounting (Admin Zone > Audit > eCommerce > Manual transaction).

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