Demo Site

Ever since the rumours started that MSN Groups was closing, I've been thinking about those features I want to have in a future Group, not just those features of MSN Groups that we may like. In fact, as I've spent more thinking about those things, I've come to the realisation that there's actually a great deal about MSN Groups that I dislike and why it makes reasonable sense for Microsoft to dispose of the product!

However, closing MSN Groups comes as a blow to a lot of people and there are incalculable, non compensable costs associated with it. But I'd like to focums on what features I'd like to see in a future "ideal" solution (rather than lament the passing of the ancien régime) ... but not to proliferate that list with solutions that may or may not deliver those features. I've already decided on how I intend to deliver the solution. Although it's virtually impossible to list every single "must-have" or "would-like" (because we take a lot for granted), I'll try to list the main features that I'm looking for in a future Group solution.

• User Management:
• Registration requires CAPTCHA code (to eliminate autobot/scripted registrations by spammers) and confirm-to-activate e-mails.
• Users have ability to "unjoin"
• Group invite new members
• users can manage their own profile

• Communications
• Group mass mail-out/announcements
• Members can email one another (using "double-blind" emails)
• "contact us" feature that's available to any user, not just registered users
• Who's online

• User Feedback:
• online polls
• report abuse to moderators

• User Tools:
• browse list of users
• suggest/add weblinks

• Site search
:
• search all site
• search all messages in forums

• Site navigation:
• menus on all pages
• optional top/drop-down or sidebar menus
• breadcrumbs

• Message forums:
• multiple boards
• boards can be locked
• board moderation - individually by board
• show message threading
• message statistics
• public/private boards
• posts can include embedded pictures, embedded videos, links
• contributor ranking
• moderators can easily move posts from one board to another

• News feeds:
• users can obtain updates from the site using RSS
• the site can show RSS feeds from other sources

• Site content:
• Site uses CSS
• XHTML 1.0 and cross-browser compatible
• content that doesn't fall in the message forum category can be added by managers or, in some cases, by users (perhaps subject to "approval")

• Latest news, site updates, forum messages, on the front page

• Picture gallery

• Members chat room

• Site statistics:
• how many visitors each day?
• where are the visitors from?
• how long are visitors staying?
• what are the most-visited pages?

• Site management:
• simple-to-use but powerful management tools
• ability to add new content/features, remove content/features, archive content
• ability to change the site template, reorganise the content (change the order) or menu items


• Reliable and efficient delivery of content

This is just scratching the surface ... but have you ever really thought about what you'd like to be able to do if you could?

We take a lot for granted about MSN Groups and, for what it provides. its list of features is "adequate" but, these days, people demand more. It surprises me that what I've seen as recommended solutions offer a mere fraction of those features that even Microsoft considers are "outdated". However, that is a different discussion altogether.

In fact, when I look at the above list again, there are things there I wouldn't implement. For example, I'm not sure I'm terribly fussed with having a picture gallery - why should I want my members to dump their pictures on my webhost? - or a chat room. But I'd like to be able to choose to use them or not.

Perhaps we should also list some of those "features" that we don't really care about having?

Cheers

sozz

pandora wrote:
Is there a chat link in this progarm or do u just have to post.
I am confused re what this site does or doent do??/
At the moment I haven't included a chat facility however I spent most of the day looking at several that do integrate neatly into Joomla (you'll see the term "Joomla" mentioned here occasionally). So, the short answer to your question is "no, there isn't chat" ... yet.

The site's purpose is described in one of the FAQs (look at the menu on the left). Most of what we're trying to achieve has been written around here somewhere. If you're still "in the dark" then ask.

I dont think I would like it if there wasnt a chat facility.
Thats the whole purpose of having chat rooms so that people can be spontaneous and chat.

What we can do is create a thing called a "shoutbox". It's too late in the day for me to explain what that is, but if you Google the term you'll get an idea of what I'm talking about. A shoutbox isn't a fully-fledged, moderated chat facility, in the sense that we probably remember it, but it might serve the purpose you're enquiring about.

After Pandora asked, I've built the chat feature - a couple of weeks ago, actually. Comments?

It may be handy to have or it might be a pain. I don't know the answer to the question, should there be a login "form" on every page (as there is at the moment), or just the home page?

Currently, the forum "rankings" (based on the number of messages that a person posts) are as follows:

Fresh Boarder
Junior Boarder
Senior Boarder
Expert Boarder
Gold Boarder
Platinum Boarder

Two other "ranks", not based on the number of messages posted, also exist: Moderator and Administrator

We can define as many (or as few) rankings as we like. We can also label them differently. For this demonstration site, I'm not going to change the current system but I would like to know what people think would be good to have in the future.

Yep log in on every page as you go looking for it... its not like MSN where you are automatically logged in..

I was just gonna ask you about those boarder things and what happens when you fill those boxes lol - you have answered it now

As for chat rooms...havent used em in yonks but I am sure lots still do and will

can you put one up the top where the Joomala Groups header is? does that stay on every page?

Tushy wrote:
can you put one up the top where the Joomala Groups header is? does that stay on every page?

I was proposing to replace the "Joomla Groups" banner on the real site with the real site's logo. While it's possible to put a login form almost anywhere on a page, I'm not sure that replacing the site logo is the way to go. (And, yes, the site logo appears on every page ... but it's possible to change that.)

Another alternative is to use the location currently occuped by the site search feature. Again, this doesn't really appeal to me.

Keep the suggestions rolling in. The main question I need to answer is whether to have the login form on every page, or keep it to just one page. I think you've more or less answered it, Tushy. Retain the ability to login on every page. (This does result in an odd behaviour with Internet Explorer which, as you know, offers you the means to remember your username/password; the "remembering" is done on a page-by-page basis. Consequently, if you login on a page other than the home page, say, you'll be asked if you want to "remember the username/password" again ... and again for every page that you might happen to login with. This might get a bit confusing for some people)

Another alternative is to use the location currently occuped by the site search feature. Again, this doesn't really appeal to me.

yep was thinking that thing there --- we were on the same page of thinking lol

sounds good about the header and room logo..

the blue search on the header -- not the search forum button abit lower..

anyways was just a thought...
how do you fix your post on this thing -- edit?

I will go look it up........in your instructions lol

Tushy wrote:
how do you fix your post on this thing -- edit?


Yes, use the edit button.

Tushy wrote:
the blue search on the header -- not the search forum button abit lower..

I'm not sure what message you are replying to. If you're asking about where I might relocate the login form, there is the possibility of placing the form between the logo and the rest of the page. (I have an idea in mind. I'll experiment with it over the next couple of weeks).

Otherwise, I don't know what "the blue search on the header -- not the search forum button a bit lower" means. Sorry.