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Author Topic: ADMIN: New site for The Cauldron -- Take Two  (Read 3358 times)

RandallS

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ADMIN: New site for The Cauldron -- Take Two
« on: June 10, 2019, 11:00:30 am »
In early April (2019) we made an attempt to move to a new site (see this thread for details). It combined a wordpress/buddypress site for our Special Interest Groups, a forum (phpbb instead of SMF) for our discussions and a wiki for member content. T+it had a complex layout and a single-signon (one account and one login for all three parts). This had a large number of problems and was abandoned within a few days. (Members are logged in can read the postmortem in this thread.) 

Over the last couple of weeks I've a been recreating a much less ambitious "new site" built around our existing SMF forum -- the forum you are reading now. Like April's aborted completely new site, this site takes our current wordpress frontend and gives it a new theme facelift and adds Buddypress so it can handle the member-created SIGs -- the most popular part of the aborted April site. It also adds a wiki. The major difference is the three parts of the site (wiki, forum, and SIG area) are not nearly as well-integrated visually or otherwise.

The main method of visual integration is similar top menus on all three parts of the site. Logging into the forum portion will also log you in to the wiki portion. If you are logged into the forum, you can test this now by clicking the Wiki button in the top menu, you should go to Cauldron Wiki and be logged in there (avatars from the board are currently broken on the Wiki, however.) The SIG area (using Wordpress/Buddypress), however, will require a separate account and a separate login. Unlike phpbb, SMF forums simply are not designed to have their membership system merged with the Wordpress system in a reliable manner. Signing up for the Wordpress/Buddypress SIG area requires an invitation code. Once we open the SIG portion officially, the current invitation code will be available in the private Cauldron Community forum. This will mean that people cannot sign up for the SIGs without first being a member of the main part of our website -- THIS FORUM.

NOTE: Logging into the SIG portion of the site WILL NOT login you into the forum or wiki. Logging out of the SIG portion will not log you out of the forum or wiki. Logging in or out of the forum with not log one in or out of the SIG portion of the site. Creating an account on the forum will not create an account in the SIG area.

I'm sure this will sound like a complex mess to some, but it provides a way forward that meets most of the goals when we trying moving to the completely new site in early April. Just without most of the drawbacks. If all you are interested in is this forum, you will be able to continue use it just as you have been and ignore new SIG and wiki parts of the site.
Randall
RetroRoleplaying [Blog]: Microlite74/75/78/81, BX Advanced, and Other Old School Tabletop RPGs
Microlite20: Lots of Rules Lite Tabletop RPGs -- Many Free

Ashmire

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Re: ADMIN: New site for The Cauldron -- Take Two
« Reply #1 on: June 10, 2019, 11:17:08 am »
Over the last couple of weeks I've a been recreating a much less ambitious "new site" built around our existing SMF forum -- the forum you are reading now. Like April's aborted completely new site, this site takes our current wordpress frontend and gives it a new theme facelift and adds Buddypress so it can handle the member-created SIGs -- the most popular part of the aborted April site. It also adds a wiki. The major difference is the three parts of the site (wiki, forum, and SIG area) are not nearly as well-integrated visually or otherwise.

I'm sure this will sound like a complex mess to some, but it provides a way forward that meets most of the goals when we trying moving to the completely new site in early April. Just without most of the drawbacks. If all you are interested in is this forum, you will be able to continue use it just as you have been and ignore new SIG and wiki parts of the site.

Sounds great to me!  Thank you for your efforts!

PerditaPickle

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Re: ADMIN: New site for The Cauldron -- Take Two
« Reply #2 on: June 10, 2019, 02:02:21 pm »
Sounds great to me!  Thank you for your efforts!

Seconded  :)
“Radiate boundless love towards the entire world — above, below, and across — unhindered, without ill will, without enmity.” – The Buddha
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