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

Name	Philip Withnall
Title / Role	Early Developer
Contributions / Notes	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

Name	Allen Ellis
Photograph
Title / Role	Founder
Contributions / Notes	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

Name	Robert Goacher
Photograph
Title / Role	Founder
Contributions / Notes	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

Name	Chris Graham
Photograph
Title / Role	Founder
Contributions / Notes	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.
Links	gameRevolt (@[email protected]) - LinuxRocks.Online

Website	Earth & Sky
Screenshot
Short Description	Earth & Sky is a Composr v11 gallery website showcasing natural photography by Mark Brunner.

Website	Saving Wallden
Screenshot
Short Description	This is an informational website for a Visual Pinball X game in development called "Saving Wallden". The site features the planned game rules, development news, and a download of the game as it is so far.

Website	PDStig, LLC
Screenshot
Short Description	This is an informational site / portfolio for PDStig, LLC, the company run by one of Composr's lead developers, Patrick Schmalstig.

Website	Composr CMS: Content management meets social media
Screenshot
Short Description	This is the main website for Composr CMS version 11. It runs the latest build of v11. Currently it is just a placeholder but will soon replace compo.sr when v11 becomes stable.

Question

Should I use the bleeding edge releases or the git repository?

Answer

That depends on several factors. Here are some pros and cons of each:

Bleeding edge releases	Git repository (v11 branch)
Easier to set up and use, and does not require knowledge of git	Harder to set up and use unless you are familiar with git; must routinely run the file integrity check, database upgrade tool, and check database schema tools in the upgrader after pulling
More stable, but less frequent updates	Less stable, but more frequent updates (almost daily!)
Only contains core code and addons unless you manually install non-bundled addons; non-bundled addons must be manually updated	Contains all core code and non-bundled addons; non-bundled addons are updated with pulls (though you will need to check file/database integrity often and check blocks/modules for available upgrades)
Ability to test the upgrader / upgrading between new v11 versions	Not able to effectively test the upgrader because git pull might load in and update new code early before the release is available
Always contains the latest files.bin and db_meta.bin because these are compiled with every release	Does not always contain the latest files.bin and db_meta.bin. Therefore, file and database integrity may report false-positives.
Intended for general user testing	Intended for developers / developer testing: * special run-time checks are enabled for extra debugging (if the .git directory exists in the install) * contains the automated test suite for running tests

Click here to access the git repository.

Question	Can I switch a v11 install from git over to using the releases from composr.app?
Answer	It is not recommended you do this because you may run into issues. For example, some changes were made in crypto_master.php and data/upgrader2.php prior to the first v11 alpha. These changes will result in a broken upgrade unless you already pulled these changes from git. Similar situations could happen in the future as well. It is recommended you either discard the git install and use a fresh install from the Downloads, or to maintain a git install and a bleeding-edge release install separately. Do not combine the two.

Top 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.

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