Integrating mods into 2.2 core

Started by Sir Osis of Liver, June 10, 2022, 01:46:45 PM

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Sir Osis of Liver

Just a thought, since it's probably a long way out, but it might not be a bad idea to take some of the more useful/popular mods and build them into 2.2 core.  Would add functionality and address some common problems.  Been hacking away at 2.1 attachments, and removed some stuff that would be better handled by attachment resize/rotation mod, which I've installed on several forums that were having problems with members posting enormous and/or sideways images from phones.  GL700Wing's Image for Anti-Spam Verification Questions is another one.  Maybe solicit suggestions from members here, or set up a poll.  The better mods are finished products, so should be fairly simple to integrate them into core code.
Ashes and diamonds, foe and friend,
 we were all equal in the end.

                                     - R. Waters

Arantor

Every single mod needs rewriting to do that, though, which is why I've been so vocal against it. ESPECIALLY hooks only mods need changes because they often get bashed around to MAKE them hooks only. So many mods would be differently written if they were core.

The overall concept? Integrating functionality into the core? Sure. Let's do it.

I'm not sure I agree with the specific suggestions you have, that's a different story entirely (making that image standard for anti spam guarantees it becomes less useful because then all the bots will be programmed to look for it)

Sir Osis of Liver

Quote from: Arantor on June 10, 2022, 01:50:24 PMI'm not sure I agree with the specific suggestions you have
Well, the idea is to get user feedback early on, then devs would decide which are doable and which aren't.

Quotemaking that image standard for anti spam guarantees it becomes less useful because then all the bots will be programmed to look for it
I installed this on several forums (before it was a mod) and each has a different image.  Don't believe the mod includes an image (it might), but it's easy enough to provide your own, and it can be changed at any time, along with the questions, if it's breached.  The original idea was to add a visual element to core verification questions to make it easier to come up with 20-30 questions.  It's not easy to do, some forums had too few questions that were too simple, others had questions that were so obscure you'd have trouble googling the answers.  But that's just one example, you'd want to get some consensus before deciding which to add to core.  And if they need to be rewritten, well, that's what coders do.
Ashes and diamonds, foe and friend,
 we were all equal in the end.

                                     - R. Waters

Arantor

Quote from: Sir Osis of Liver on June 10, 2022, 02:06:02 PMWell, the idea is to get user feedback early on, then devs would decide which are doable and which aren't.

It's a good idea in theory. The practice is a lot more complicated and inevitably it will go wrong.

Don't worry, I'm sure the devs will publish their roadmap one day. It's only been 4 months while they plan what the next version might be.

Sir Osis of Liver

2.2 should be a fixed version of 2.1, shouldn't be that difficult to get it going.  Major problems (ACP, attachments) have been discussed at length here, and various options have been posted.  Got to keep things moving in a positive direction.
Ashes and diamonds, foe and friend,
 we were all equal in the end.

                                     - R. Waters

Kindred

There are also legal considerations

In short. It's complicated,  and probably no.
Слaва
Украинi

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Sir Osis of Liver

Life is complicated, but things get done nonetheless (unless the government's involved).  Don't think mod authors would object to having they're work integrated into core, except for paid mods.  Or devs could just code the feature from scratch. 
Ashes and diamonds, foe and friend,
 we were all equal in the end.

                                     - R. Waters

Aleksi "Lex" Kilpinen

SMF has done this, and will probably do this in the future as well. Mods and other customizations provide ideas and give us signals of what people might need or want, and some of these ideas have later been built in to SMF.
But it really isn't as simple as just lumping one in the core code. We usually can't really do that, for many reasons.
Also, it is still Simple Machines. The core idea is to keep things simple, not to provide everything anyone might want.
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GL700Wing

Quote from: Sir Osis of Liver on June 10, 2022, 02:06:02 PM
Quote from: Arantor on June 10, 2022, 01:50:24 PM... making that image standard for anti spam guarantees it becomes less useful because then all the bots will be programmed to look for it ...
... Don't believe the mod includes an image (it might) ...
I deliberately didn't include any images with the Image for Anti-Spam Verification Questions mod when I originally released it1 because it was always my expectation that admins would find/design/use an image that was relevant to their forum community rather than using a generic image.


1.  I have included some sample images with the most recent release.
Life doesn't have to be perfect to be wonderful ...

Arantor

I thought it came with an image as standard - I'd only ever seen in passing talk about one set image. And reusing that one set image dilutes the value because bits *will* be programmed for it.

My experience is also that admins tend to want to get the setup of such things over and done as early as possible and move on with their lives, so if an image is available, assume the majority will use it.

GL700Wing

Quote from: Arantor on June 11, 2022, 06:31:36 AMI thought it came with an image as standard - I'd only ever seen in passing talk about one set image. And reusing that one set image dilutes the value because bits *will* be programmed for it.
Nope - and I only added some sample images to the version I released on 22 April to provide admins with some ideas about the sorts of images they can use ...

QuoteMy experience is also that admins tend to want to get the setup of such things over and done as early as possible and move on with their lives, so if an image is available, assume the majority will use it.
Well hopefully making it easy for them to use their own image will encourage them to do so.

At the end of the day every admin is responsible for their forum(s) and unless they take an active role in preventing spam their members will leave and/or stop contributing ...
Life doesn't have to be perfect to be wonderful ...

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