Re: Forum (or Content Management) Entities

[Adrian Crum]

Al,

I'm moving this over to the dev list - since the thread seems to be going in that direction.

Thank you very much for the notes! My comments are inline...

Al Byers wrote:
> That is one of the things to be done is define what a forum does and how it
> is different from a blog.
>
> Of course the one big difference is that in a blog only one or a few people
> have permission to add "articles" while any logged in user can usually start
> a thread in a forum.

I agree. So, the basic underlying code would be shared, but the UI would be different.

I have already created forum-specific permissions - so that they can be handled separately from blog
(or content manager) permissions.

> The biggest question is whether or not the comments are ordered in date
> order or by thread. Blogs tend to allow only date ordering, but Slashdot
> orders responses by thread. A general forum mini app would probably allow
> the user to choose which ordering.

I had already thought of that! I have the main forum message list in descending date order right
now, and later I'll add an option to order it by thread.

> One thing that I did a fair amount of work on was allowing the posting of
> mixed content (ie. images and text). That is not something you may want to
> have in a forum, but if it is used for a non-standard purpose, you might.

Maybe that could be configurable.

> I will start to diverge now, as I see forums as possible collaboration tools
> - in which case do you let users make personal notes to themselves about
> certain entries?
>
> You may want to think about allow categorization of an entry or response
> (eg. asking for help, lodging a complaint, etc.)

In our case, the forums will be used as a type of online meeting. Instead of trying to get everyone
to meet in the same place at the same time, a forum topic can be started and the meeting "attendees"
can post messages as they find the time.

So, mixed content would be appropriate in our case - so that files, images, video, etc can be
included in the discussion. As time goes by, searches can be conducted on the forums for research
purposes.

Extracting the forum feature into its own component was easy, and I've made a lot of improvements in
only a little over a day. That ease demonstrates all of the hard work that was done previously.
You've done a great job Al!

-Adrian

[Adrian Crum]

How about making a stand alone Forum application a separate web app within the content component?
All that would require is adding a few files and a <webapp> element in the ofbiz-component.xml file.
The <webapp> element could be disabled OOTB by commenting it out - anyone wanting to use it could
uncomment it.


Adrian Crum wrote:

> Al,
>
> I'm moving this over to the dev list - since the thread seems to be
> going in that direction.
>
> Thank you very much for the notes! My comments are inline...
>
> Al Byers wrote:
>
>> That is one of the things to be done is define what a forum does and
>> how it
>> is different from a blog.
>>
>> Of course the one big difference is that in a blog only one or a few
>> people
>> have permission to add "articles" while any logged in user can usually
>> start
>> a thread in a forum.
>
>
> I agree. So, the basic underlying code would be shared, but the UI would
> be different.
>
> I have already created forum-specific permissions - so that they can be
> handled separately from blog (or content manager) permissions.
>
>> The biggest question is whether or not the comments are ordered in date
>> order or by thread. Blogs tend to allow only date ordering, but Slashdot
>> orders responses by thread. A general forum mini app would probably allow
>> the user to choose which ordering.
>
>
> I had already thought of that! I have the main forum message list in
> descending date order right now, and later I'll add an option to order
> it by thread.
>
>> One thing that I did a fair amount of work on was allowing the posting of
>> mixed content (ie. images and text). That is not something you may
>> want to
>> have in a forum, but if it is used for a non-standard purpose, you might.
>
>
> Maybe that could be configurable.
>
>> I will start to diverge now, as I see forums as possible collaboration
>> tools
>> - in which case do you let users make personal notes to themselves about
>> certain entries?
>>
>> You may want to think about allow categorization of an entry or response
>> (eg. asking for help, lodging a complaint, etc.)
>
>
> In our case, the forums will be used as a type of online meeting.
> Instead of trying to get everyone to meet in the same place at the same
> time, a forum topic can be started and the meeting "attendees" can post
> messages as they find the time.
>
> So, mixed content would be appropriate in our case - so that files,
> images, video, etc can be included in the discussion. As time goes by,
> searches can be conducted on the forums for research purposes.
>
> Extracting the forum feature into its own component was easy, and I've
> made a lot of improvements in only a little over a day. That ease
> demonstrates all of the hard work that was done previously. You've done
> a great job Al!
>
> -Adrian
>
>

[Jacopo Cappellato]

Adrian,

and why not as a new component in the specialpurpose folder?

Jacopo

Adrian Crum wrote:

> How about making a stand alone Forum application a separate web app
> within the content component? All that would require is adding a few
> files and a <webapp> element in the ofbiz-component.xml file. The
> <webapp> element could be disabled OOTB by commenting it out - anyone
> wanting to use it could uncomment it.
>
>
> Adrian Crum wrote:
>
>> Al,
>>
>> I'm moving this over to the dev list - since the thread seems to be
>> going in that direction.
>>
>> Thank you very much for the notes! My comments are inline...
>>
>> Al Byers wrote:
>>
>>> That is one of the things to be done is define what a forum does and
>>> how it
>>> is different from a blog.
>>>
>>> Of course the one big difference is that in a blog only one or a few
>>> people
>>> have permission to add "articles" while any logged in user can
>>> usually start
>>> a thread in a forum.
>>
>>
>> I agree. So, the basic underlying code would be shared, but the UI
>> would be different.
>>
>> I have already created forum-specific permissions - so that they can
>> be handled separately from blog (or content manager) permissions.
>>
>>> The biggest question is whether or not the comments are ordered in date
>>> order or by thread. Blogs tend to allow only date ordering, but Slashdot
>>> orders responses by thread. A general forum mini app would probably
>>> allow
>>> the user to choose which ordering.
>>
>>
>> I had already thought of that! I have the main forum message list in
>> descending date order right now, and later I'll add an option to order
>> it by thread.
>>
>>> One thing that I did a fair amount of work on was allowing the
>>> posting of
>>> mixed content (ie. images and text). That is not something you may
>>> want to
>>> have in a forum, but if it is used for a non-standard purpose, you
>>> might.
>>
>>
>> Maybe that could be configurable.
>>
>>> I will start to diverge now, as I see forums as possible
>>> collaboration tools
>>> - in which case do you let users make personal notes to themselves about
>>> certain entries?
>>>
>>> You may want to think about allow categorization of an entry or response
>>> (eg. asking for help, lodging a complaint, etc.)
>>
>>
>> In our case, the forums will be used as a type of online meeting.
>> Instead of trying to get everyone to meet in the same place at the
>> same time, a forum topic can be started and the meeting "attendees"
>> can post messages as they find the time.
>>
>> So, mixed content would be appropriate in our case - so that files,
>> images, video, etc can be included in the discussion. As time goes by,
>> searches can be conducted on the forums for research purposes.
>>
>> Extracting the forum feature into its own component was easy, and I've
>> made a lot of improvements in only a little over a day. That ease
>> demonstrates all of the hard work that was done previously. You've
>> done a great job Al!
>>
>> -Adrian
>>
>>

[Adrian Crum]

That would work too. It just seemed convenient to have it in with the majority of the files it will
be using.

Jacopo Cappellato wrote:

> Adrian,
>
> and why not as a new component in the specialpurpose folder?
>
> Jacopo
>
> Adrian Crum wrote:
>
>> How about making a stand alone Forum application a separate web app
>> within the content component? All that would require is adding a few
>> files and a <webapp> element in the ofbiz-component.xml file. The
>> <webapp> element could be disabled OOTB by commenting it out - anyone
>> wanting to use it could uncomment it.
>>
>>
>> Adrian Crum wrote:
>>
>>> Al,
>>>
>>> I'm moving this over to the dev list - since the thread seems to be
>>> going in that direction.
>>>
>>> Thank you very much for the notes! My comments are inline...
>>>
>>> Al Byers wrote:
>>>
>>>> That is one of the things to be done is define what a forum does and
>>>> how it
>>>> is different from a blog.
>>>>
>>>> Of course the one big difference is that in a blog only one or a few
>>>> people
>>>> have permission to add "articles" while any logged in user can
>>>> usually start
>>>> a thread in a forum.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> I agree. So, the basic underlying code would be shared, but the UI
>>> would be different.
>>>
>>> I have already created forum-specific permissions - so that they can
>>> be handled separately from blog (or content manager) permissions.
>>>
>>>> The biggest question is whether or not the comments are ordered in date
>>>> order or by thread. Blogs tend to allow only date ordering, but
>>>> Slashdot
>>>> orders responses by thread. A general forum mini app would probably
>>>> allow
>>>> the user to choose which ordering.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> I had already thought of that! I have the main forum message list in
>>> descending date order right now, and later I'll add an option to
>>> order it by thread.
>>>
>>>> One thing that I did a fair amount of work on was allowing the
>>>> posting of
>>>> mixed content (ie. images and text). That is not something you may
>>>> want to
>>>> have in a forum, but if it is used for a non-standard purpose, you
>>>> might.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Maybe that could be configurable.
>>>
>>>> I will start to diverge now, as I see forums as possible
>>>> collaboration tools
>>>> - in which case do you let users make personal notes to themselves
>>>> about
>>>> certain entries?
>>>>
>>>> You may want to think about allow categorization of an entry or
>>>> response
>>>> (eg. asking for help, lodging a complaint, etc.)
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> In our case, the forums will be used as a type of online meeting.
>>> Instead of trying to get everyone to meet in the same place at the
>>> same time, a forum topic can be started and the meeting "attendees"
>>> can post messages as they find the time.
>>>
>>> So, mixed content would be appropriate in our case - so that files,
>>> images, video, etc can be included in the discussion. As time goes
>>> by, searches can be conducted on the forums for research purposes.
>>>
>>> Extracting the forum feature into its own component was easy, and
>>> I've made a lot of improvements in only a little over a day. That
>>> ease demonstrates all of the hard work that was done previously.
>>> You've done a great job Al!
>>>
>>> -Adrian
>>>
>>>
>
>

[Adrian Crum]

If there is any interest, I could make a "collaboration" or something component in specialpurpose
and include my personal calendar application in it too. I hope to add an In/Out board and To Do list
soon.


Adrian Crum wrote:

> That would work too. It just seemed convenient to have it in with the
> majority of the files it will be using.
>
> Jacopo Cappellato wrote:
>
>> Adrian,
>>
>> and why not as a new component in the specialpurpose folder?
>>
>> Jacopo
>>
>> Adrian Crum wrote:
>>
>>> How about making a stand alone Forum application a separate web app
>>> within the content component? All that would require is adding a few
>>> files and a <webapp> element in the ofbiz-component.xml file. The
>>> <webapp> element could be disabled OOTB by commenting it out - anyone
>>> wanting to use it could uncomment it.
>>>
>>>
>>> Adrian Crum wrote:
>>>
>>>> Al,
>>>>
>>>> I'm moving this over to the dev list - since the thread seems to be
>>>> going in that direction.
>>>>
>>>> Thank you very much for the notes! My comments are inline...
>>>>
>>>> Al Byers wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> That is one of the things to be done is define what a forum does
>>>>> and how it
>>>>> is different from a blog.
>>>>>
>>>>> Of course the one big difference is that in a blog only one or a
>>>>> few people
>>>>> have permission to add "articles" while any logged in user can
>>>>> usually start
>>>>> a thread in a forum.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I agree. So, the basic underlying code would be shared, but the UI
>>>> would be different.
>>>>
>>>> I have already created forum-specific permissions - so that they can
>>>> be handled separately from blog (or content manager) permissions.
>>>>
>>>>> The biggest question is whether or not the comments are ordered in
>>>>> date
>>>>> order or by thread. Blogs tend to allow only date ordering, but
>>>>> Slashdot
>>>>> orders responses by thread. A general forum mini app would probably
>>>>> allow
>>>>> the user to choose which ordering.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I had already thought of that! I have the main forum message list in
>>>> descending date order right now, and later I'll add an option to
>>>> order it by thread.
>>>>
>>>>> One thing that I did a fair amount of work on was allowing the
>>>>> posting of
>>>>> mixed content (ie. images and text). That is not something you may
>>>>> want to
>>>>> have in a forum, but if it is used for a non-standard purpose, you
>>>>> might.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Maybe that could be configurable.
>>>>
>>>>> I will start to diverge now, as I see forums as possible
>>>>> collaboration tools
>>>>> - in which case do you let users make personal notes to themselves
>>>>> about
>>>>> certain entries?
>>>>>
>>>>> You may want to think about allow categorization of an entry or
>>>>> response
>>>>> (eg. asking for help, lodging a complaint, etc.)
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> In our case, the forums will be used as a type of online meeting.
>>>> Instead of trying to get everyone to meet in the same place at the
>>>> same time, a forum topic can be started and the meeting "attendees"
>>>> can post messages as they find the time.
>>>>
>>>> So, mixed content would be appropriate in our case - so that files,
>>>> images, video, etc can be included in the discussion. As time goes
>>>> by, searches can be conducted on the forums for research purposes.
>>>>
>>>> Extracting the forum feature into its own component was easy, and
>>>> I've made a lot of improvements in only a little over a day. That
>>>> ease demonstrates all of the hard work that was done previously.
>>>> You've done a great job Al!
>>>>
>>>> -Adrian
>>>>
>>>>
>>
>>
>