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 |
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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. |
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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 |
|
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 |
|
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 | How does Composr handle color contrast for accessibility? |
|---|---|
| Answer | Composr is designed with high graphic standards that aim to avoid poor color contrast in the default theme and Theme Wizard. But it is not perfect, especially for dark mode themes. Webmasters are still responsible for ensuring sufficient contrast in their own content and in custom themes. |
| Question | How do I provide text equivalents for images and multimedia in Composr? |
|---|---|
| Answer | Composr's web standards checker ensures that alternative text (using the "alt" attribute) is provided for images. It will warn if any images do not contain alt text. For multimedia, webmasters are responsible for providing captions and auditory descriptions either in the multimedia itself, on the description of the media, or uploaded as a caption file. |
| Question | How can I make sure my Composr website is accessible? |
|---|---|
| Answer | Enable the web standards checker in Composr while editing templates. Also do the same when previewing edited or new Comcode pages. Use the provided accessibility options in the Admin Zone to customize the webmaster experience according to your accessibility needs. Follow the webmaster concerns outlined in the "Helping improve site accessibility for disabled users" tutorial. Regularly test your website using third-party accessibility validation tools such as the WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool or the AChecker. |
| Question | What accessibility features are built into Composr? |
|---|---|
| Answer | Composr has an inbuilt web standards checker that helps ensure compliance with accessibility guidelines. Composr provides automatic sitemap generation functionality, a default sitemap page, and an advanced menu editor to manage navigation. Composr supports ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications), which helps make dynamic content accessible. Composr includes options in the Admin Zone to fine-tune the webmaster experience for specific accessibility requirements. |
| Question | Does Composr comply with accessibility standards? |
|---|---|
| Answer | - Yes, Composr complies with the highest level of the WCAG (version 1.0 at the time of writing), level 3. - Composr also meets Section 508 guidelines, XHTML and CSS specifications, and the highest level of ATAG. - Composr conforms to these standards throughout, from user-facing screens to administrator interfaces. |
| Name | Patrick Schmalstig |
|---|---|
| Photograph | |
| Title / Role | Lead Developer |
| Contributions / Notes | 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. |
| Links |
| Name | Jim Davidson |
|---|---|
| Title / Role | contributor |
| Contributions / Notes | written many tutorials via Arvixe |
| Name | Chris Warburton |
|---|---|
| Title / Role | developer for ocProducts |
| Contributions / Notes | Made some key contributions to ocPortal |
| Name | Haydn Maidment |
|---|---|
| Title / Role | project manager for ocProducts |
| Contributions / Notes | None available |
| Name | Steve Jarvis |
|---|---|
| Title / Role | project manager for ocProducts |
| Contributions / Notes | Wrote many tutorials via Arvixe |
Top 10 Entries
| Question | What is the Composr Repository? |
|---|---|
| Answer | The Composr repository is a user-friendly representation of Composr's data, which is typically stored in a database and on the filesystem. It presents the data in an easily accessible format using the JSON standard and can be accessed as a folder on your computer via WebDAV. |
| Question | What is Commandr? |
|---|---|
| Answer | Commandr is a command-line interface designed for experienced system administrators who prefer using a command line over a GUI. It supplements the Composr Admin Zone, allowing you to execute commands in the form of:
You can access Commandr via the Admin Zone > Tools > Commandr or using the Commandr button in the footer. |
| Question | Are there alternative chat solutions that integrate with Composr? |
|---|---|
| Answer | Yes, you can integrate third-party chat solutions with Composr. For example, CometChat is a commercial chat system that provides a Composr integration. You can also leverage video chat services like Talky, Jitsi, or appear.in by embedding links within your chat templates. For sales-chat needs, consider integrating a dedicated live chat platform like Comm100. |
| Question | Are there any limitations to the Composr Chat system? |
|---|---|
| Answer | While the Composr Chat system provides robust chat and IM features, it does have some limitations. Currently, it does not support video chat, sales-focused chat features, desktop app integration, or optimal performance for very high volumes of concurrent users. Additionally, it is only near real-time as Composr queries for new messages using AJAX at a set interval. |
| Question | Are there any safety guidelines for younger users? |
|---|---|
| Answer | It's crucial to emphasize safety, especially for younger users. Encourage them to follow these guidelines: never arrange to meet anyone from a chatroom in person, be cautious about sharing personal information, and report any suspicious behavior to moderators. |
| Question | Can I download chat logs? |
|---|---|
| Answer | Yes, you can download logs of any chat conversation. Simply navigate to the chatroom, click on the "Download chat logs" link, specify the desired date/time range, and the system will generate a downloadable log file for you. |
| Question | How can I moderate the chatrooms? |
|---|---|
| Answer | Composr offers a range of moderation features. Moderators can edit or delete messages, ban disruptive users, and delete entire chatrooms if necessary. Inline moderation links are available within chatrooms for quick actions, while the Admin Zone provides comprehensive moderation tools for managing chat content and user behavior. |
| Question | What is Chatcode and how can I use it? |
|---|---|
| Answer | Chatcode is a system of simple commands that you can embed within your chat messages to perform advanced actions. These actions include sending private messages to specific users within a chatroom, interacting with automated bots, sending chatroom invitations, and even creating new chatrooms. |
| Question | How does the chat system work? |
|---|---|
| Answer | The chat system utilizes AJAX technology, enabling dynamic updates without requiring page reloads. It includes a "Chat Lobby" where users can view available chatrooms and manage their friend lists for instant messaging. Users can join chatrooms to participate in group conversations or engage in private conversations with friends. |
| Question | What is the Composr Chat system? |
|---|---|
| Answer | Composr Chat is a feature built into the Composr CMS that provides both chatrooms and instant messaging capabilities. It offers real-time, text-based communication for users on your website. |