Official SMF Add-On

[comm_id]

Marcnyc.
I'm not sure I understand you. I'll try to be clear

Yes Kevin's portal is operational right now. It's actually running on at least 4 sites that I know, mine included. But we are still testing it. We are the only 4 testing it and we all do have a life :\ So it takes a tiny little bit time to fully test. Kevin made sure to pass the ALPHA(not even beta) test copy to us as we already have the same portal system installed on our Invision Board software for years now. So we are seeking for the perfect balance so members and future users will be able to fully use the power of that new incredible add on.

The reason why it's very "secret" is because it's in early alpha yet. We don't want to hand it out and receive half a million question about it. The "software" crashed 4 times so far on me after toroughly testing it (but once released, you have my word it won't crash!). We don't want you or any other user to get the same hassle to delete, and re install.

Unfortunatly, I cannot compare Nebula, Mambo or the others to this one in details as I never used them and would be unfair to say the new add on is better. BUT, I've see sites using these other CMS and rest assured, the new SMF add on will be, without ANY doubt, MUCH more flexible and MUCH more unique. You WON'T have(unless you want to) to use the same "look" (we are not talking skin) for the columns - the usual 3 columns with "squares" all over it is dull and have been kicked out of the new add on. YOU and only YOU have the power to decide what goes where and how. Fully, and I mean FULLY, customizable.

The add on is 100% integrated with the Board, Forum - call it what ever you want - using EVERYTHING. SSI, all tables, etc. If something is not used, you can easely, with SQL knowledge, add a portal integrated module using it. If you don't have SQL knowledge, someone from the great community will make you a module

I know it sucks to wait. I personally waited over a year to find a good portal for my Invision. But I found one. Now that I'm migrating everything from Invision(by the way, if someone here is THINKING of trying invision, don't. SMF is and will totally blow out Invision) to SMF, I had the luck to already be part of the group. So don't worry. Kevin is an incredible coder. He ported the Invision code to the SMF code VERY VERY fast. I won't give time as he'll kill me but don't doubt in his capacities. All he's waiting for now is us testers to fully try it out! We are!

Soon my friend. Soon

[Oldiesmann]

Marc, please be patient. We're being "so secretive" for a reason. If we let everyone know the name and url for this project, Kevin would be flooded with "when will this be available" messages and possibly also threats from angry IPB users. You will find out more info when the time is right. In the mean time, just sit back and drool over what you've been told so far

[marcnyc]

I am sorry guys, I didn't mean to sound THAT impatient. I am a patient dude and have full confidence in your abilities. I know your work will rock, as it always did... I was just confused and tried to understand... I didn't know who Kevin was, what Invision is etc... I have stuck with YaBB (Gold and then SE) from the early days and about a year ago I started looking for an integration capable CMS system and only learned about PfaBB which then became Enigma and now is becoming Nebula and which I never installed because I was always waiting for it to be up to specs with YaBB and it was always a step behind... Now that YaBB is SMF and I have SMF I can't wait to finally have a CMS system for it that integrates... I thought I was gonna have to wait for Nebula but since you guys are doing this X-File thing I will wait for you guys cause you guys rock! I'll be patient anyway, crossing my fingers...
Thanks for your great work!
Marc

[[Unknown]]

My name is Unknown W. Brackets.  I am always a little secretive .

Kevin, here are my definitions:
  - forum n. 1. A specific installation of SMF.  The site's f.
  - board n. 1. A specific area of discussion on a forum.  The News and Updates b.
  - category n. 1. A grouping of boards for presentational reasons.  You can collapse a c. in most cases.
  - topic n. 1. A line of discussion inside a certain board about a very specific issue.  The "Official SMF Add-On" t.

Now, looking at the screenshot, there is "forums".  That is almost always incorrect usage - refering to a "forum" as what a board is.  Meaning, portal_get_viewable_forums(), if it does what the name says, should only logistically return URLs such as:

http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php
http://coppermine.sourceforge.net/board/index.php

While I can only assume from context is does something different - something I would guess means it should be named "portal_get_viewable_boards()".

I know it's a nitpick thing, but I find word usage consistency to be one of the most crucial things to understandable UI.

-[Unknown]

[Thunderace]

I really don't need to read posts like the last after a couple of glasses of wine 

[David]

I really don't need to read posts like the last after a couple of glasses of wine 

Sometimes is just makes it all that more fun.

[Thunderace]

Hmmm .. ok

Well .. I may have had a few (more) glasses of wine .. but I'm absolutely certain that you won't see through my elaborate deception.

Ahem

IF .. I were thinking of integrating a CMS with SMF and I had assessed that it would not be worth my time doing this if the "official SMF" might be available in the next 4 to 8 weeks.

What would your advice be?

<HIC>

[comm_id]

I promess you to double my alpha testing in the next week to allow Kev to release the "Thing" faster.

[marcnyc]

I love these promises... keep 'em coming ;-)

[Meriadoc]

My name is Unknown W. Brackets.  I am always a little secretive .

Kevin, here are my definitions:
  - forum n. 1. A specific installation of SMF.  The site's f.
  - board n. 1. A specific area of discussion on a forum.  The News and Updates b.
  - category n. 1. A grouping of boards for presentational reasons.  You can collapse a c. in most cases.
  - topic n. 1. A line of discussion inside a certain board about a very specific issue.  The "Official SMF Add-On" t.

Now, looking at the screenshot, there is "forums".  That is almost always incorrect usage - refering to a "forum" as what a board is.  Meaning, portal_get_viewable_forums(), if it does what the name says, should only logistically return URLs such as:

http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php
http://coppermine.sourceforge.net/board/index.php

While I can only assume from context is does something different - something I would guess means it should be named "portal_get_viewable_boards()".

I know it's a nitpick thing, but I find word usage consistency to be one of the most crucial things to understandable UI.

-[Unknown]

hear hear!



hey, someone be kind and link me to a site with a well done portal of any model and make so I can take a look see? please?
cheers
Merry

[comm_id]

Give me a week. One week and I will (if permitted of course:p )

[marcnyc]

wow that's starting to sound VERY promising... or did I misunderstand?

[sdmr]

Confused...

What I really want for my site is a portal front page in front of a CMS based site with a fully integrated SMF in the site... now... how realistic am I being?

[comm_id]

Ok.
I'll be clear to try to make everyone understand. Bare with my english, it's not my language.

The "thing" - let's call it like that - will be fully integrated with SMF database. This means you already have member security, groups, posts, etc. All SMF tables can be used using the usual SMF tags found in the source code. Along with this, the "thing" have it's own coding to "call" external or internal functions.

Is it a CMS or a Portal? I have no clue. The reason is simple. At the "thing" website, we don't lose time trying to figure out what's a portal and what's a CMS. The "thing" was created because we needed an ENTIRE website. Not only a forum/board. It was ugly to have a website of a "style" and a forum of another "style". Unless you were very good at designing to make your site exactly like your forum.

This brings you to the point that the "thing" also uses - IF YOU WANT - the skin system of SMF. So yes, it's fully integrated.

What's the difference with other CMS/Portal/Bla ? So many things you'll learn to learn (eh!). But the biggest one in my opinion is that when you surf on a site that has the "thing" install, it's almost impossible to know it's a CMS/Portal/Thing (unless you read the copyright of course :p ). Kevin worked VERY hard on the SMF version to make it fully custimzable. And I mean fully. You won't have the typical "php nuke" style that makes you say: "yuck. The site webmaster is such a noob. He needs php nuke cuz he doesnt know how to design". No way jose

[jcshowcase]

I'm all for testing!

[Travis]

So as a portal, I take it this can be used as the home page like IPB's Dynamic Lite? Seems cool. Looking for a good upgrade from PHP-Nuke!

[comm_id]

So as a portal, I take it this can be used as the home page like IPB's Dynamic Lite? Seems cool. Looking for a good upgrade from PHP-Nuke!

Those are blasphamatory (sp?) comments!! Don't you dare comparing the Wonderfull Thing to the other cheap not good crappy thing called IPB Dynamic Lite. 

[Oldiesmann]

Believe it or not comm_id, not everyone likes PHP-Nuke. It's a huge complex system that can be overwhelming for some folks.

By the way - it's blasphematory

[David]

I hate PHP-Nuke and Post-Nuke with a passion.

[Oldiesmann]

I haven't played with Post-Nuke... I did play around with PHP-Nuke once, and didn't like it... I thought it was too complex and was not impressed with the file structure.