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.

@gamerevolt

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

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.

Absolutely! Frequent changes may be made to both bundled and non-bundled addons. Bundled addons will be updated via the upgrader. For non-bundled addons, you will have to update them through the addons management screen (Admin Zone > Structure > Addons). You will be informed which ones need updated.

Once version 11 reaches release candidate, we do not expect frequent updates to non-bundled addons anymore. But it is still good practice to check after every update.

Yes, for basic non-custom v10 sites. However, expect some issues to arise in the process. And please report those issues to the tracker.

For v10 sites with non-bundled addons or customisations, upgrading to v11 will likely break the site until you update the non-bundled addons or temporarily remove the customisations.

We aim to have the upgrader fully functional for a large majority of types of sites and for sites using non-bundled addons by the time version 11 reaches release candidate stage.

We do not recommend upgrading production v10 sites at this time until v11 reaches stable.

Yes (probably). Always remember especially during alpha and beta phases that things can break. Please make backups first. And let us know on the issue tracker if an issue occurs.
 

Note: You cannot upgrade from 11 alpha to 11 beta without first upgrading to 11.alpha4 (if you are not already on 11.alpha4).

• Offers sophisticated functionality for professional marketers.
• Integrates with other Google products like AdSense and Search Console.
• Provides insights based on Google's marketing data, such as visitor demographics.

• Limited to web visit data unless custom programming or complex configuration is implemented.
• Relies on JavaScript for tracking, which can be blocked by users.
• Uses tracking cookies, raising privacy concerns and potential GDPR compliance issues.
• Data is potentially sold to third-party data brokers or used for targeted advertising by Google.
• Closed-source platform.

• Server-side tracking, independent of JavaScript and browser configurations.
• Contextual information and graphs for data beyond web visits (e.g., sales).
• Enhanced privacy as it only uses IP addresses, session IDs, and member IDs.
• Complete data control as it is hosted on your website.
• Open-source addon, fully customizable.

• Documentation & Tutorials: Utilize the extensive Composr documentation and tutorials available online to familiarize staff with the platform's functionalities.
• Mentorship: Pair experienced staff with newcomers to provide guidance and support during the initial learning phase.
• Private Forums & Chat: Create dedicated communication channels where staff can exchange knowledge, ask questions, and share best practices.
• Regular Meetings: Conduct regular staff meetings to discuss updates, share information, and address any arising challenges.
• External Resources: Leverage external resources like online courses or workshops focused on relevant skills, such as content management or community moderation.

• Respect staff limitations: Avoid overwhelming staff with excessive workload or overly ambitious site expansions.
• Active involvement: Maintain active involvement in overseeing staff activities and ensuring their effective functioning.
• Open communication: Engage in regular communication, providing feedback, addressing concerns, and recognizing achievements.
• Foster teamwork: Encourage collaboration and information sharing among staff members.
• Lead by example: Ensure staff adhere to community rules and demonstrate expected behavior.
• Empowerment and trust: Grant sufficient freedom and control to enable staff to excel in their roles.

• Genuine interest: Look for members passionate about the community and its goals.
• Available time: Ensure potential staff can dedicate sufficient time to fulfill their responsibilities.
• Relevant skills: Prioritize skills and experience aligned with the specific role requirements.
• Maturity and discipline: Seek individuals who demonstrate responsible behavior and commitment.
• Recruitment methods like directly approaching active community members or allowing the Composr points system (or the karma non-bundled addon) to identify dedicated contributors can be more effective than traditional advertising.

• Report links: "Report this" links embedded throughout the site enable users to flag content for review.
• Custom reporting interface: Forums offer a dedicated interface for reporting individual posts.
• Anonymous reporting: Logged-in users can choose to report content anonymously.
• Ticket-based management: Reports are automatically created as support tickets, facilitating staff collaboration and record-keeping.
• Comprehensive report details: Tickets include content title, type, ID, submitter information, an embedded rendering of the reported content, and the reporter's explanation.

• Private forums: Dedicated forums with restricted access enable staff to discuss site operations and coordinate activities. Composr installs a staff forum by default in Conversr.
• Conflict detection: When multiple staff members attempt to edit the same resource simultaneously, Composr displays warnings at the top to prevent accidental overwrites.
• Staff checklist & dashboard: The Admin Zone dashboard provides a shared checklist for task management, along with space for notes and links.
• Staff notifications and tickets system: Staff receive notifications about various site events, including support tickets from the "Contact Us" page, allowing for efficient issue handling.
• Content notes: Staff can embed notes within Comcode or use dedicated "staff notes" fields for various content types to share information and context.
• Validation and workflows: Content can be intentionally left unvalidated even by staff, enabling secondary checks before publishing. A dedicated workflows addon allows for complex approval processes with multiple stages involving different staff groups.

• System-defined staff: This includes administrators and super moderators who have specific privileges within the forum/member system (Conversr).
• Privilege-based staff: Anyone granted the necessary permissions for a particular situation is considered staff for that context.