Gift points are a separate points balance that can only be sent to other members as gifts. They cannot be spent directly or used in escrow transactions.
Gift points are earned daily based on usergroup membership and replenish independently of the regular points balance. When a member sends gift points, they become regular points for the recipient.
Yes, members can send points to each other as a token of appreciation, reward for a service, or as part of an agreement using the Points Escrow system.
Points are typically awarded immediately upon content submission to encourage participation. However, forum posts requiring validation only earn points after approval to deter spam. To further encourage high-quality content, consider using the "awards" addon to reward exceptional contributions.
Can I reward members who use specific browsers or operating systems?
Answer
Yes, Composr allows you to configure bonus points based on browser/platform criteria. You can set bonus points for members using Open Source browsers, specific operating systems, or even those who have enabled privacy features like "Do Not Track" (DNT) or "Global Privacy Control" (GPC).
What's the difference between points balance and rank points?
Answer
Points balance refers to the number of points a member currently has available to spend. This is the 'liquid' currency they can use for various actions.
Rank points represent the total points a member has accumulated throughout their time on the website. These points determine the member's rank, which can grant access to additional privileges and act as a status symbol.
What are cleanup tools in Composr and how do I use them?
Answer
Cleanup tools assist with website maintenance by deleting unnecessary data and optimizing database tables. They are divided into "De-cachers" and "Optimizers". You can access them through:
PHP-Info provides a comprehensive overview of your PHP configuration. You can access it within Composr by navigating to Admin Zone > Tools > PHP-Info / Server Checks.
This page also provides additional useful server information.
What is the purpose of the Health Check feature in Composr?
Answer
The Health Check feature in Composr proactively identifies potential issues that may affect your website's performance, security, and overall health. It performs various checks and alerts you to problems like:
Broken links and forms
Security vulnerabilities
Outdated software versions
Server performance issues
Email configuration problems
The Health Check can be run manually or scheduled to run automatically and send e-mail notifications of results.
How can I use Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) to enhance my website?
Answer
CDNs improve website performance by serving content from geographically distributed servers, reducing latency and server load. You can leverage CDNs for your Composr website by:
Configuring the CDN option in Composr with a comma-separated list of CDN domain names.
Ensuring your files are mirrored on the CDN servers.
Utilizing the CDN_FILTER directive and symbol to control what content is served via CDN.
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.
