What software to use

[Pietro]

As I said before I am trying to make a bit of order among those threads.

 

I suggest that we should use this thread to discuss the what exactly do we expect from the software and what software should we use. This also will imply who (or how many people) will be administrators, moderators and bla bla bla.

 

This should be an unimportant topic as the best ruler is the ruler who rules less, but ... better be clear than sorry.

 

 

Regarding the software, this seem really nice, but it missing the possibility not to open already read posts, that is before on the HTDB I had all the posts in one page and the posts I have read where signed in one color, while the other had another color. This made it very simple to found when new things had been posted, and what have I not read.

 

The idea of tags vs categories seem to me important, but still an utopia. I have not seen one single DB with the tag system. Eventually they will come... eventually. For this reason I think we should be committed to have an open source software (like this) with the understanding that we will try always to install the latest version (as soon as it is secure enough)

 

Another thing that I find REALLY important is the XML output. I think most of us don't want to explore the whole site every day just to see if someone have posted. So getting an rss feed seem vital.

 

The perfect site would have rss feed of:

new topics (one feed per category)

new posts in a category (ditto)

new posts in a topic (one feed per topic)

new posts from a certain user (one feed per user)

new users (one feed)

 

Also both me and Max found useful the fact that in the previous Discussion Board the discussion was threaded with answers on the right, and a tree like structure. Please please please, we need a tree structure. A linear structure is just not the right medium for this discussion type.

 

Ex:

what is the dantiend

 

answer 1: in the HT this

answer 1.1 but what excercise should I do

answer 2: in the dragon gate...

answer 3: In energy arts...

And then the various discussion can proceed along parallel lines without interfering into each other. It makes it also easier to ignore people, when you have no time. (Oh Gosh, a post from Ron, I need to skip it right now. ... and all its answers!)

 

 

I think we should not settle for any software that does not present at least those caratteristics. I am sure some software like that is present over there. Let's find it, get it and install it.

 

 

Pietro

Pietro

[Max]

I like the software from 01forums.com

Check outthis link... it's as close to HT forum but better

http://www.01forums.com/demoforums/forums/...iscuss.asp?f=15

[Pietro]

o1 forums seem really elegant. But I bet many people will not like the spartane feeling it gives.

 

Also it is not free (nor open) and it misses all the other little bits and pieces. xml, avatars, IM (btw I sent you one, did you received it?).

 

It would have been a nice idea if we were programming a DB. Maybe is possible to set up the css, once we find the program, so that there is a view that looks like that.

[RON JEREMY]

http://awsd.com/scripts/webbbs/

 

IT HAS A TREE STRUCTURE N YA CAN SEE ALL DA MESSAGES RIGHT AWAY.

 

HOW-EVER IT's NOT AS EASY TO SET UP

[RON JEREMY]

PIETRO, ALL WE NEED REALLY IS A FORUM PLUS A WIKKI,

DA WIKKI AINT REALLY GOOD FOR MESSAGES, BUT IS GOOD FOR EVERYTHIN ELSE.

 

BUT ALSO WE NEED TO HELP SEAN, HE CANT DO EVERYTHIN HIMSELF OTHERWISE HE'LL BE FORCED TO CUT DOWN ON HIS SOLO CULTIVVATION PRACTICE.

 

RJ

[Pietro]

HOW-EVER IT's NOT AS EASY TO SET UP

That's not a problem :idea:,

we got Plato! :bounce:

[Max]

o1 forums seem really elegant. But I bet many people will not like the spartane feeling it gives.

 

Also it is not free (nor open) and it misses all the other little bits and pieces. xml, avatars, IM (btw I sent you one, did you received it?).

 

It would have been a nice idea if we were programming a DB. Maybe is possible to set up the css, once we find the program, so that there is a view that looks like that.

The IM here is not a pop-up window so unless I look at the top to see if i have messages i won't even notice it. A chat windo would b enice though like the one you have in chat rooms

[Pietro]

The IM here is not a pop-up window so unless I look at the top to see if i have messages i won't even notice it.

Actually among the preferences you can set it up to pop up. But I don't know if it would work.

[Pietro]

PIETRO, ALL WE NEED REALLY IS A FORUM PLUS A WIKKI,

DA WIKKI AINT REALLY GOOD FOR MESSAGES, BUT IS GOOD FOR EVERYTHIN ELSE.

 

BUT ALSO WE NEED TO HELP SEAN, HE CANT DO EVERYTHIN HIMSELF OTHERWISE HE'LL BE FORCED TO CUT DOWN ON HIS SOLO CULTIVVATION PRACTICE.

 

RJ

Let's not mindread, if Sean needs help he will ask for it.

 

To see a good example on how a wiki and a discussion group can work together look at

http://www.dailykos.com/

with the wiki (wikki for RJ)

http://www.dkosopedia.com/index.php/Main_Page

 

There might be a bit of work in setting up the whole thing at the beginning, but I am sure that among many professional programmer who happen to be Taois we surely will find enough valid help. But one thing is setting up the thing, and one is managing it . It would be really icky if we need to always ask Sean to move a topic, start a new category, etc...

 

The wiki experience tought me that among adults who are willing to support each other we generally tend to all do the same thing. So I think we should get as many administrators as possible.

 

DA WIKKI AINT REALLY GOOD FOR MESSAGES, BUT IS GOOD FOR EVERYTHIN ELSE.

 

Gosh, you are so easy to quote!

You know, I am really not that sure about it. I mean, look at the fast discussion we had over there. And look how easy it was for me to organise the first part of the post so that it reflected the state of the discussion. That is why more and more wiki are now introducing the possibility to have a small discussion board per page to discuss the content of the page. That discussion is then used to build the page.

[sean]

Personally, I've always been partial to this type of forum software, maybe just because it's what I'm used to. I'm not completely sold on the tree structure especially if it's not collapsable.. If we decide on tree structure let's please make sure it's expandable/collapsable.

 

So you feel that the main "cons" to this type of forum format is that you can't quickly see the subject title of the replies, and that it makes it hard to quickly respond to/ignore. Is this a correct summary?

 

I just did some brief searching, and it looks like phpBB can be modded to have a tree view, check it out:

http://www.jayjaymedia.com/mobythreads/for...orums/index.php

and you can switch back to flat view. It's not collapsable but maybe worth a look?

 

Sean.

[Max]

yes, Sean, if we can mode this forum to display a tree view, it could be good enough.

[sean]

Well I installed a test of the threaded mod. It will be a real headache to install it into this theme though, so I just created another phpBB install and modded the default theme for now. It's up, for testing purposes, here:

http://www.seanomlor.com/taothread/

 

I think it's a really nice best-of-both worlds solution because it let's you switch between threaded and flat views. And I think now this phpBB software meets most of the suggested software criteria, no?

 

Sean.

[Max]

looks good to me Sean.

[Pietro]

Yes the site like this is much better. And it seem to be able to handle the best of both worlds.

 

Sean, I can't find the the post where I invited everybody to join me in writing over the wiki a jointed answer to Michael. Could you please help me on that?

 

Pietro