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.
The Composr Member System is the system used by the Conversr forum software to manage user accounts and information. This includes usernames, passwords, profile information, and usergroups. It also handles user registration, login, and account management. For websites not using Conversr, the member system of the third-party forum software would be used.
Yes, Composr supports creating podcasts from galleries. The podcast URL follows this format: http://yourbaseurl/backend.php?mode=galleries&select=galleryname&type=rss&itunes=1. Replace yourbaseurl and galleryname accordingly. This URL can be used to subscribe to the podcast in iTunes or other podcast applications.
When viewing an image or video in a gallery, visitors can initiate a slide-show that automatically cycles through subsequent entries. The slide-show can be paused with a click or keypress. The default slide-show speed can be adjusted by modifying the GALLERY_ENTRY_SCREEN.tpl template.
Watermarks are semi-transparent images overlaid on gallery images to mark their origin or deter unauthorized use. When you add or edit a gallery, you can choose to apply watermarks to the corners of images. Watermarking applies permanently to the uploaded image. Composr uses a reverse tree structure for watermarks: if a sub-gallery doesn't have a watermark defined, it inherits the watermark from its parent gallery.
Yes, members with the "have personal galleries" permission can create their own galleries. These personal galleries are displayed under designated "Personal category container" galleries. They also show up in a tab on the member's profile. Members can only add content to their own galleries unless they have the "Submit to categories belonging to other members" permission.
Rep-images, short for "representative images," are thumbnails that represent a gallery when it's displayed within a list of galleries. They offer a visual preview of the gallery's contents. You can set a rep-image when adding or editing a gallery, or when adding an image to a gallery.
You can import images in bulk using a CSV file. The file should be named descriptions.csv and placed in the uploads/galleries directory. The first column should contain filenames (without the path), and the second column should contain descriptions. The filenames should correspond to images also located in the uploads/galleries directory. Composr will automatically match the descriptions to the images during import.
Composr Galleries are a system for storing, organizing, and displaying images and videos. They function like categories, allowing you to group related media together. Galleries can be structured hierarchically, with sub-galleries nested under parent galleries, similar to a folder system. Each gallery has settings that control its appearance and behavior.
What other methods exist for featuring content in Composr?
Answer
Random Quotes: The quotes feature allows you to display a rotating selection of quotes on your site.
Community Billboard (Requires Addon): The Community Billboard addon provides a dedicated space for displaying important announcements or community messages.
Can I display forum content in a prominent way on my Composr site?
Answer
Absolutely! Composr provides several blocks designed for featuring forum content:
News-Style Blocks: side_forum_news, main_forum_news, and bottom_forum_news display forum topics in a news format, ideal for forums used for news posting.
Topic-Focused Block: main_forum_topics showcases recent topics from specific forums, allowing you to highlight active discussions or important announcements.
What is the difference between using the main_awards block and directly selecting content with the main_content block?
Answer
Both blocks can feature content, but they offer different approaches:
main_awards: Provides a structured system for managing featured content through award assignment, archives, and optional point rewards. Requires active management to update award holders.
main_content: Offers direct control over specific content or allows random selection from chosen categories. May require manual updates or adjustments.
How do I feature specific content items on my Composr site?
Answer
You can feature content using various methods:
Blocks: The main_content block allows you to display specific items by content type and ID or randomize content from selected categories.
Awards: Create awards for different content types and assign them to specific items. You can then use the main_awards block to display current award holders. Awards also integrate with points to credit points to award holders. And you can be reminded on the staff checklist to assign a new award every configurable amount of time.
Advanced Embedding: For greater control, use the main_include_module block to embed entire module screens within other content.
Composr includes a bounce filter tool that helps you remove bounced email addresses from your subscriber list. To use this tool, you'll need:
The PHP IMAP extension enabled on your server.
A dedicated folder on your email server to collect bounced emails.
The bounce filter tool scans the specified folder for bounce messages and lets you remove the corresponding addresses from your newsletter list. Composr will also halt attempts sending e-mails to those addresses to help prevent you from getting listed on spam blocklists.
How can I ensure my newsletters comply with data privacy regulations?
Answer
Composr provides built-in mechanisms for compliance:
Unsubscribe links: Newsletters include an unsubscribe link, allowing recipients to opt out of the newsletters.
Global unsubscribe: All Composr emails include a link to a global unsubscribe page (data/unsubscribe.php), letting users unsubscribe from all site emails.
