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	Where are download galleries located, and can I move them?
Answer	By default, download galleries (to contain screenshots of a download) are placed under the root gallery. You can move them to a different gallery for better organization. Here's how: Create a new container gallery (e.g., with codename "downloads"). Change the "Create download galleries under" configuration option to your new gallery's codename. Use Commandr to move existing galleries to the new location.

Question	Can I sell downloads on my Composr site?
Answer	Yes, the download system integrates with the points system, allowing you to charge for downloads. This is particularly useful for communities where members create and share content, like game modifications. You can set prices for downloads and creators earn points when users purchase them. Additionally, you can create a subscription-based system by requiring points for downloads, which users can purchase via methods like PayPal.

Question	What does it mean to "outmode" a download?
Answer	Outmoding means marking a download as superseded or replaced by a newer version. When editing the older download, you link it to the new one in the "outmode" field. This makes it clear to users that there is a newer version available. This is handy especially if you provide software.

Question	What are the different ways to add downloads to my Composr site?
Answer	Composr offers several methods for adding files to the download system: Uploading via web form (when adding a download in the Content Management Zone): This is the simplest method, where you attach the file directly when defining the download details. However, it's not suitable for large files and can be affected by unreliable internet connections. Uploading and referencing the URL: You can manually upload the file using FTP/SFTP/SCP and then provide the URL to the file in the 'Add download' form. While this is better for large files, it requires additional access, and the file isn't managed directly by Composr. Batch adding from an FTP server: This allows staff to add multiple downloads from an FTP server in one go using FTP URLs. It's efficient for bulk uploads but requires separate addition of descriptions. Batch adding from a directory: Similar to the FTP method, staff can add downloads from a web server directory accessible by URL. File/media library (filedump): Webmasters can use any of the above methods to upload a file to `uploads/filedump` and then reference it in a download. This is especially handy if you are going to reference the file more than once on your site.

Question	What is the Composr Setup Wizard and what does it do?
Answer	The Setup Wizard is a guided process to help you configure essential settings for your Composr website after installation. It can: Generate a default theme and logo Set initial site options Remove predefined content and unnecessary addons Place initial blocks on your pages While convenient, be aware that re-running the Setup Wizard may overwrite existing settings and customizations if you already configured your site.

Question	How can I change the structure of my Composr website's pages?
Answer	You can delete and move pages using the Admin Zone > Structure > Sitemap editor. However, moving pages between zones might invalidate existing page-links unless specified using the _SEARCH zone in the link. To avoid issues with existing links and search engine indexing, consider setting up redirects when moving pages. This can be done through Admin Zone > Structure > Redirects. It is recommended not to move default Composr pages as it can complicate future upgrades.

Question	What are Installation Options and how can I change them?
Answer	Installation Options are low-level settings for Composr, such as database details and default language. You can access the Installation Options editor through: The script: `http://yourbaseurl/config_editor.php` The Admin Zone: Admin Zone > Setup > Configuration > Installation Options Remember that you'll need your maintenance password, specified during installation, to access and modify these options.

Question	How do I open or close my Composr website to the public?
Answer	By default, your Composr site is closed after installation. To open it to the public (or to close an opened site), go to Admin Zone > Setup > Configuration > Site options > Closed site and adjust the setting accordingly. You can also configure a closed site message. While a closed site prevents public access, it's worth noting that users can still join a closed Conversr-powered site if they have access to the join module URL. However, they won't be able to log in unless they're assigned to a usergroup with "Access closed site" permissions. You can modify the join module's permissions to restrict access further.

Question	What is the .htaccess file and how does it relate to Composr?
Answer	The .htaccess file is a configuration file for the Apache web server. It allows you to define settings that apply to the directory where it's located and its subdirectories. Composr can leverage .htaccess to enhance security and enable features like "URL Schemes." You can try renaming the provided recommended.htaccess file to .htaccess. This file includes recommended options that tighten security and ensure Composr has necessary PHP and Apache features activated. Note that some web hosts might restrict the use of .htaccess files. You should regularly review recommended.htaccess for changes between Composr updates.

Question	How do Composr permissions work?
Answer	Composr employs a multi-layered permission system with two main types: privileges and access permissions. The system grants users the best possible access based on the combination of their usergroups. Privileges define broad permissions, such as accessing a closed site or content manipulation abilities based on impact level (low, medium, high). You can set privileges for usergroups via checkboxes, with the option to override them for specific pages or categories. Go to Admin Zone > Security > Global privileges. Access permissions control what content users can view. These permissions are layered: Zone access permissions Page (or content entry) access permissions Catalogue access permissions Category access permissions To configure access permissions, you can edit the specific resource or utilize the Permissions Tree Editor under Admin Zone > Security > Permissions Tree Editor.

Top 10 Entries

Question	How do I report an emergency problem with my Composr site?
Answer	Emergency problems are events that have significantly and suddenly affected your website's functionality due to legitimate bugs or undocumented usability issues. To report these: Open a tracker issue explaining the problem and providing as much detail as possible (mark it as a major bug). Help the developers help you. Provide access to your site (see the software feedback tutorial for more information), describe the exact situation, and avoid protracted back-and-forth communication. Take backups before upgrading. This allows for easier recovery in case of problems. Remember that bug fixing is not a free service. While developers are committed to Composr's stability, maintaining backups and practicing restoration procedures is your responsibility.

Question	How can I get support for Composr?
Answer	The community forum is an excellent resource for support. Users can help each other out with various problems. However, please remember that there's no guarantee of free professional support. If you need immediate or guaranteed assistance, consider hiring a professional developer.

Question	I'm getting a lot of spam on my site. What can I do?
Answer	Composr offers various anti-spam measures. Refer to the Anti-spam settings tutorial for advice on configuring these settings. If you believe there's an issue with the anti-spam system itself, report it to the issue tracker. Do not report general spam incidents.

Question	My website is experiencing performance issues. What should I do?
Answer	If you are experiencing performance issues, first identify the specific problem with your web host's help. Composr provides tools to manage database size, bandwidth, and disk I/O. However, high request volume or CPU usage may require server upgrades like a VPS or dedicated server. If your web host complains about resource usage, gather detailed information from them, including specific URLs causing problems and resource usage metrics. If their limits are unreasonable, consider switching web hosts.

Question	How do I report a security problem?
Answer	Security problems must be reported privately. You can do this by marking the issue as 'Private' on the issue tracker (if you use the Report Issue Wizard, it will do that automatically when you select security-hole). Publicly disclosing security holes is irresponsible and may result in penalties. The core developer team will disclose the issue after a patch is released.

Question	How do I report a bug in Composr?
Answer	Every bug, no matter how small, should be reported. You can report bugs using the Report Issue Wizard or directly through the issue tracker. There is also a link to report bugs on your Admin Zone Dashboard where the version information is located. And when clicking that link, you can view open issues specific to your version of Composr. When reporting a bug, be sure to: Check for duplicates: Make sure the bug hasn't already been reported. Report bugs individually: Each issue should be reported separately for better tracking and resolution. Verify it's a Composr bug: Issues with third-party addons and code should be reported to their respective developers. Consult the FAQ and tutorials: Check for common problems and solutions, particularly server configuration issues. Provide comprehensive information: Include a clear and specific title, detailed steps to reproduce the problem, your browser version, Composr version, error messages, stack traces (if available), and any other relevant details. Use clear and concise language: Write in proper English, use correct terminology, and avoid vagueness. Be respectful and patient: Remember that developers are volunteers and may not respond immediately.

Question	What is the role of robots.txt in SEO?
Answer	The robots.txt file provides instructions to search engine crawlers about which parts of your website they should and should not access. You can customize the robots.txt file to prevent sensitive content from being indexed or to guide crawlers toward the most important areas of your site.

Question	What is SEO and why is it important for my Composr website?
Answer	SEO is the practice of optimizing your website to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). By improving your SEO, you increase the visibility of your website, driving more organic (non-paid) traffic to your content.

Question	How can I edit the metadata in Composr?
Answer	Composr provides several ways to customize your metadata: Site-wide Settings: You can configure default metadata for your entire site in the Admin Zone under Setup > Configuration > Site options. Content-Specific Settings: When adding or editing content like Comcode pages or news posts, Composr provides fields for customizing titles, descriptions, and keywords specific to that content under the "Metadata" section. Automatic Detection: Composr can automatically generate metadata by analyzing your content, but it's generally recommended to refine these suggestions manually for best results.

Question	Should I trust agencies that promise top search engine results?
Answer	No; be wary of agencies guaranteeing top rankings for any desired keyword. Achieving top results for competitive terms requires significant effort, expertise, and often, an ongoing strategy. Focus on agencies that prioritize ethical "white-hat" SEO techniques like creating valuable content, optimizing website structure, and building natural backlinks. Avoid those employing "black-hat" methods that can lead to penalties from search engines.

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