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GCommunity upgrade?

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GCommunity upgrade?
Will GCommunity be upgraded to use XHTML templates to match LSQL 2.99 / 3.x ?
If so, do we have a timescale?

.. or should I ask my associates to do this for me?

Thanks
Alba
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Re: [Alba] GCommunity upgrade? In reply to
Community needs more than a .css upgrade.

While GT took on an admirable effort to create community, they got distracted from the goal of it.

While I'm a real GT supporter, and really admire Alex and his team, the one thing I have to criticize, and I've been in private contact for years with Alex over this, is the Community development.

The goal was admirable, but rather than continuing to completion, they seem to have given up. I feel, that this is the most important of the GT projects, more so than updating any of their OEM products, and I know I'm not alone. If you feel the same way, *please* let them know. I feel it's key for them to complete this, and not just for me -- it would be the major selling point of all their modular programs.

Perhaps, if the value of community was made clear to GT by the user base, they'd understand how important it was to:

1) allow remote logons eg: having Links SQL and Gforum on different domains.

2) Fix up some of the user interface issues, such as mailing list management and user management.

3) realize that I present this criticism in the most constructive way possible. If they could just finish up those two main features -- remote log on and user/newsletter management they would have the "key" features for competing in the current environment.

I have no doubt their products are superior, and being PERL based, have significant advantage for *real* sites over PHP. It's just that certain "key" features that are being offered by PHP based programs are missing.

I don't have any problems with them dropping PHP support. If you look at what they offer, it makes sense. If you really, really need to, you can integrate those quick and dirty PHP programs via the database if you need to. But, I don't feel PHP is secure. I've had PHP dump code to the screen, and the only time I've evver seen perl do that is if the cgi-bin directory is configured wrong. Once it's configured as execute, no code ever gets displayed. Perl can also integrate with Unix, to give the most flexibility of any scripting language. And, the fundamental design ideology of perl, is *perfect* for the web.

But, to grow a real business, we need remote log ons, and better user management, and If GT understood that, I think we'd all benefit.

Well, I'm "impaired" at the moment, so I'll quit.... But *please* make GT know how you feel about community. Donj't assume they know. The real value of this program/module is underestimated by them.


PUGDOG� Enterprises, Inc.

The best way to contact me is to NOT use Email.
Please leave a PM here.
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Re: [pugdog] GCommunity upgrade? In reply to
I agree with you that Community is a major part of what GT has to offer. It is absolutely essential to the functionality of my websites. I confess I only use the login function and have just installed Andy's contact plugin to run alongside it.

Having previously had remote applications working through it (different domains on the same server) this ceased to work when CPanel did a security upgrade.

I am taking the opportunity to move all my installations under the one domain name- and write the other sites from there using the multilingual plugin. However, I will be unable to follow this through unless GT updates Community immediately after the stable release of GLinks 3.0

I posted a private message to them earlier this evening to see if we had a timescale for it and the multilingual plugin. Watch this space!
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Re: [Alba] GCommunity upgrade? In reply to
I agree that any site that really goes into using GT products can't ignore GT Community and there are some real cool functions that could be added to it. I also think that along this line of thought any site that is serious about providing a unique point of access will be expecting a new version with improvements to compliment the new Links V3...

The main issue I have (a part from the templates using different code and using a different structure) is that there is quickly a limit to the amount of information that can be managed and that is shared and updated in the other applications.
One example is I would like people to be able to update the image they use in the Forum and I'd like to be able to pull it into Links but GT Comm doesn't handle images...

If there is an update it would be nice if there was a distinct separation between header, page content, sidebar and footer like in Links. I fond it pretty difficult figuring out where messages and errors where populated and from memory it seemed to be partly in the header area when it would be expected in the page content area...

But I do feel that the whole concept of GT Comm is excellent and wouldn't have expected less from GT. The present version does provide the main functions you'd expect but as you both have said it would be nice to see some new functions and a bit more integration and updating of data options between GT products...

John
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Re: [Jag] GCommunity upgrade? In reply to
Community must continue to get support.
It is very rare that a site can exist using just one type of offering for a user.
Running just LinksSQL or just a forum program isn't usually enough.
I've added Community to my site, and tied a photo gallery into it.
It works and is now the linch pin for my users being able to logon using one set of details.
I'd be very upset if Community got left behind, as it is so key to my site now, and where I hope my site will be headed in the future years.
Cheers,

Piers
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Re: [Piers1] GCommunity upgrade? In reply to
GT have told me that it is likely to be the middle of the year before this upgrade is ready.
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Re: [Alba] GCommunity upgrade? In reply to
GCommunity and Beta3.x works fine for user signup and login. Obviously the template system is not compatible but its good enough to provide a working system until an upgrade is available.
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Re: [pugdog] GCommunity upgrade? In reply to
Hi Pugdog, Alex et all,

I think community is the focus point with respect to all the applications. It ties the applications together. It very important; I need it and so do others.

GT should put a price tag on it so it development can continue. Should not be free.

Thank you, peter
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Re: [pyc] GCommunity upgrade? In reply to
In Reply To:
GT should put a price tag on it so it development can continue. Should not be free.

I think this is an interesting point. I feel that GT has done a great job with GT Comm for a first version and I think that a lot of users like myself have been able to see how interesting a system it is and foresee how interesting it could and hopefully will get.

I would personally see a 200 dollar tag as an acceptable price I don't know what others think Shocked ?

I say this in view of the work I think that is required to create an acceptable level of data updating in other GT apps and including some of the basic code required to add functions like images of users.

I also think it would be interesting to enable GTComm to manage preferences for scripts so that you could say have a secondary menu of tabs for example in GT Comm that correspond to each application. I'm thinking on a more user friendly approach here rather than thinking of the pure technical implications. For a user having to update information in three or more different places it is not very user friendly...

This is all IMHO of course...

Cheers

John
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Re: [Jag] GCommunity upgrade? In reply to
I agree, GCommunity is a worthwhile add-on programme and should be paid for. I think the plugins for LSQL, DBSQL etc should remain free (included in licence).
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Re: [Jag] GCommunity upgrade? In reply to
Hi

You could have two categories of clients:

(1) Those who already have multiple GT products. Here GCommunity Paid Or Unpaid would really not matter much... Community becomes more of a compulsion (entirely my opinion) sooner or later.

(2) Those who just have bought one of the products. For these type of clients, Free Community is an added attraction for them to be hooked to buying second/third/fourth GT product, offering Free Community (as it is now) as an added/additional advantage. This could definitely influence purchasing decision of the buyer, but if second product with an additional 200$ for Community could (just could) distract the decision making process ... and in marketing if you give client time to *Think* then converting it into sales becomes all the more harder.

Which of the above outweighs the other would really dictate the direction in which Gcommunity should move ... Free Or Paid ... Smile

Thanks
HyTC
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Last edited by:

HyperTherm: Apr 2, 2005, 9:37 AM
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Re: [HyperTherm] GCommunity upgrade? In reply to
Hi Hypertherm,

They are interesting points. IMHO even though there are free products that are successful they are usually of the open source type with a massive community adding to them. In this case we’re talking about a commercial product even though it’s free. From a product marketing point of view the combination paid product with added free product can be interesting but I don’t feel that this is some modest option here.

I believe that GT Comm is very important and should become marketed as a separate product in order to put the spotlight on the crucial function it plays within a multi-GT-product web-sit situation your case 1) above.
Using it in a mono GT product situation, your case 2) is indeed very interesting for those type of users, and I see it, as a bit of a luxury that is potentially hindering the users that are actually using it the way it’s intended. I think it would also be fairly easy to envisage a “lite” version of it to cover this type of user. (But GT may think I’m being over confident in their time to spare here).

GT Comm is also playing a part in a crucial area that needs to be spot on in view the security issues involved, this also seems to me to be a good reason to have a sound product. In view of the requests that clients like myself and others have voiced so far I feel that treating this important piece of GT software as a separate crucial piece of software is the way forward

John
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Re: [Jag] GCommunity upgrade? In reply to
case 1: No diff of opinion.
case 2: slightly misinterpretted. I elaborate on this further:

say there is a client with single product from GT.
This clinet makes up his mind to go for a second product/second license of the same product etc etc ...

Now with GC as a free thing, he gets an additional point "In Favour Of GT" while purchasing decisions are not dependant one one man army type of companies.

To strike a LCM i would propose a pricing model for Gcomm (again entirely my opinion):

Single License Holders : 200 $ (In way saying Don't go for this ;=) )
Two License Holders : 150 $ (Better than the published price ;=) )
Three Licenses : 100 $ (50% straight discount on proposed published price)
>Three Licenses : FREEEEEEE :=)

By licenses is meant either in terms of single product multiple copies or multiple products single copies.

Now i know this could be confusing ... so to be fair across the board i would base it on the volume of transaction done with GT:

<499.00 $ : 200$
500 - 750$ : 150$
751 - 1000$ : 100$
>1001$ : FREEEEE :=)

The volume being computed from the "Actual" transactions.
I'll have to check where we fit in the above model :=)

Thanks
HyTC
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Mail Me If Contacting Privately Is That Necessary.
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Last edited by:

HyperTherm: Apr 2, 2005, 1:12 PM
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Re: [HyperTherm] GCommunity upgrade? In reply to
Hi,
Pricing?

Everybody would like for Community to be valued like GMail, LSQL, GForum etc.

If so, then the pricing may also be up there like the other products. Pricing may depend on the developers effort, GT knows that best.

Most important, we are willing to pay for high class products; GT is able to provide such product.

Thank you, peter
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Re: [pyc] GCommunity upgrade? In reply to
Wow.
I see you voicing it so loudly when few PM's to me on some other subject went entirely the other way :)

Thanks
HyTC
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Last edited by:

HyperTherm: Apr 3, 2005, 2:59 PM
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Re: [HyperTherm] GCommunity upgrade? In reply to
Hi HyperTherm,

Its true. From my experience, if you try to price it down, you may kill the interest in getting anybody putting his/her time for development.

We need it so must be willing to accept the goodies that will come with it. Good things are not free/cheap.

thank you, peter
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Re: [pyc] GCommunity upgrade? In reply to
Isn't Apache (oh not the chopper) Free?

If a fully functional Community could become a driving force in getting more and more clients to que up for multiple GT Apps licenses, i think (again entirely my personal opinion) that should be enough of a motivator

I for one would wait for years to see community functional in true sense before i decide to buy Gossamer Auto responder. If Community Gets Paid i might as well look for other Alternatives.

Thanks
HyTC
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Mail Me If Contacting Privately Is That Necessary.
==================================
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Re: [pugdog] GCommunity upgrade? In reply to
Community is simply VITAL both for users and GT itself. I felt that GT didn't fully understand the importance and the potential of GTCommunity... Do they read this thread?? I hope so!
Now that Links 3 is released, my needs are updated versions of GCommunity, GForum and GList with XHTML templates but also with core advancements and new features.
Max
The one with Mac OS X Server 10.4 :)
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Re: [maxpico] GCommunity upgrade? In reply to
Well, interesting conversation. Community was designed to allow one log in across various GT products. To that end, it was and should remain free. It should also be easy to set up and should be upgraded to work with and look like Links 3.0. Actually, GForum should have had the same templating system as Links years ago, since they are designed to be used together. I have a couple of sites that I haven't used all the components together yet because they are too difficult to configure to get them looking alike and playing nice together.

The goal was a modular system, with Community being the glue. I would just like to see more progress in that modularity and guess what, if it happens, I will happily purchase a GForum license to go with EACH of my Links licenses. That should be incentive to make Community work and work well. Those with Forums will add links licenses and those with links licenses will add forums.

Just my 2 cents added to the fray.
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GCommunity upgrade requests In reply to
I'm not sure whether this should go in a new thread but anyway here goes.

A list of things I'd like to see in the next version of G Community :

A separate script for the admin panel (previously requested I think)
Also the ability to have more than one admin account

As requested by Alba some synergy between the template sets. If it is possible it would be nice if the template sets between applications had a more common structure. Hopefully the XHTML/CSS structure will bring templates themselves closer and not just the fact that they'll be using CSS.

The ability to update fields in other GT applications for example allowing a user to manage his preferences from one place rather than in GT Comm and then needing to also change preferences in Links; in Gmail and in GForum.
Would it be possible to have one preference area with tabs that correspond to each GT application available. Maybe even the ability to choose that certain fields cannot be updated by the user ?

Would a plug-in system on the applications side that allows options for an admin to decide which fields need to be replicated in GT Comm be possible ? This would be nice if you created a field in Links and then wanted it to be replicated in GT Comm.
I can't think of an example at the moment but there may be situations of synchronisation of data where one could choose which database or field is the reference. Say you would on a specific field want Links to be the reference for GT Comm ?

The ability to upload files/images into GT Comm that can be used in other GT applications ex : photo

Better updating system that immediately updates data from GT Comm to other GT applications.

These are the first things that come to mind...

John
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Re: [Alba] GCommunity upgrade? In reply to
Hi,

Thank you everyone for the feedback, it's very valuable. Community isn't forgotten and will be getting an update, but I don't have a timescale for you.

Cheers,

Alex
--
Gossamer Threads Inc.
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Re: [Alex] GCommunity upgrade? In reply to
Hi Alex,

On top of the idea of having the admin script separate I was wondering what you thought about URL mapping through rewrite rules.

Would it be possible to have a sound rewrite rule compatibility of Community. On a large ERP project I worked on a Single Sign On application we used had a nifty URL mapping system that would make sure that the real URL format used wouldn't be giving away certain details that users don't need to see.

Just a thought, and may seem to be a bit overkill, but it was a nice selling point for the clients I worked with along with the encryption possibilities...

It would also mean GT would be required to do some fine tuning for certain clients of Community if this function was requested ;)

Thanks
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Re: [Alex] GCommunity upgrade? In reply to
Hi,

is there any reason not to use GC now, e.g. security or overall changes with no portability for the "old" version to a hopefully soon to come new version?

Regards

n || i || k || o
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Re: [el noe] GCommunity upgrade? In reply to
I'm currently using it and just edited the templates to use the same as LUNA.
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Re: [el noe] GCommunity upgrade? In reply to
Hi,
I use Community and Links 3.0.X and they do have different templates but as Alba says you can easily use the CSS from your luna templates in order to create the same layout / design in Community. Which is also what I have done...

John
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