Portal System for VBF

Hi all,

I was just wondering if after the next update made the forums, that we might have some sort of portal system in place? If so it would be nice to have a Hall of Fame or VBForum MVP to give those who help a lot something back :)

I just got the idea after looking at CodeProject and they have a system similar in place. It would probably only work best with a portal system, right?

But i thought it would be a neat idea :bigyello:

Thanks Paul M

*Note*
Primary discussion is about a portal system ;) but please add ideas you would like to see in the portal system if you have any.

That's unlikely to happen but we do have the Ratings.

Yea but like some sort of certificate of appreciation would go far ;)

And is there really no chance of a portal system even after the next big updates and all?

No, unless there is a really good reason for something we don't modify the underlying software.

I see but why was CodeGuru different? And the weird thing is the forum software is older on CodeGuru also.

CG is a large site that integrated vBulletin into it. VBForums is the original site which the author of vBulletin started.

Sure we could have a portal written to do "stuff" but then that will require more time for the JM developers to manage and update etc. and what would be the business benefit for JM to add a portal? What would be the content published on it?

Who knows what is possible if there is a beneficial business reason to implement such a feature here at VBF.

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Originally Posted by RobDog888

CG is a large site that integrated vBulletin into it. VBForums is the original site which the author of vBulletin started.

Sure we could have a portal written to do "stuff" but then that will require more time for the JM developers to manage and update etc. and what would be the business benefit for JM to add a portal? What would be the content published on it?

Who knows what is possible if there is a beneficial business reason to implement such a feature here at VBF.

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Yea i just figure since we are so nosier than CG and the forums are very active in terms of .NET based programming that it would be the a little more of a priority but yea thanks for the explanation.

Well I guess if we had some source for posting information on the portal that would attract more traffic then it would seem that it would be desired.

I dont think it would require modifying any vBulletin code but will be a separate project in itself - a portal to the forums.

This is a good idea but to get some change of this size implemented on the site may require permission and implementation beyond the site admins.

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Originally Posted by RobDog888

This is a good idea but to get some change of this size implemented on the site may go above the site admins.

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Oh yes, i wasn't really complaining or telling the administrators to add it rather than really just trying to get this out, see what people think and then it might get passed on to JM and they might decide to have a look into some options for VBF.

It could contain articles, the FAQ section could be converted or whatever to work with the portal and news. And then in any case maybe the ad's could be added to the portal and removed from the forums (just ideas)

Oh no I was just saying that it may require approval from others in the JM corporation as a major addition like that is nothing to easily add to the site. Brad could pass the info up the ladder but we would need to see if it would be desired by a good chunck of members and determine what would go in the portal etc.

Yea it would be nice to see the response it gets from JM's people because i can see the portal being of great use. And i find that a lot of people i know when they need to find something they will usually read articles and such rather than actually registering on the forums and asking (it is usually a last resort for some). So in conclusion traffic could increase.

But yea ill wait to see what Brad says about this :)

Well I would say we could use a poll but no sense adding a poll if its really something we cant get added.

There is no need to do a poll.

My question would be -- what specific features are lacking on this site that you would want? There is always a micro-chance that they could happen....

Brad!

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Originally Posted by Paul M

If so it would be nice to have a Hall of Fame or VBForum MVP to give those who help a lot something back :)

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People that fall into this category already have everything they need, or want, when a member posts a "Thanks" for having received assistance for a particular problem. :)

I think the original topic has changed to a portal on vbf.

We could either pull in content from one of the other JM sites, have news, latest posts, faqs directory, etc. Oh and another page where you can add a few adds :D

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Originally Posted by RobDog888

I think the original topic has changed to a portal on vbf.

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yeah... sorry about that. :)

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Originally Posted by brad jones

There is no need to do a poll.

My question would be -- what specific features are lacking on this site that you would want? There is always a micro-chance that they could happen....

Brad!

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Well as you can see Rob had some nice ideas, but i would like to see a more organized FAQ section that can be viewed via the portal or something (not that it isn't already organized) and just maybe allow coders or people with a particular status on the forums to write articles for the publics viewing.

And yes the Hall of fame/MVP was just an idea for this idea :p i should have had a better and not as misleading thread title, one thing led to another :D

<edit>
Brad, i was just wondering since you have some what more connection with JM then many others at these forums do you think its possible that a portal system could appear sometime in the future? Whether its one of the things added in the next line of upgrades or a little earlier?

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Originally Posted by Paul M

...Brad, i was just wondering since you have some what more connection with JM then many others at these forums....

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Yes, Brad actually works for JM.

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Originally Posted by MartinLiss

Yes, Brad actually works for JM.

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Cool :) I thought it was "Does work for" not "works for" :p

I have never attempted something like this but if it were to be added, i assume with the number of staff employed to do something like this it wouldn't be to difficult, would it :confused:

Click on his name and look at his profile for more info.

the very reason that code guru has not been updated is due to alterations to the software. That's the main reason why we only alter things when it's absolutely necessary.

Yes but adding an external system like a portal index page shouldnt involve any code changes to the vBulletin software.

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Originally Posted by RobDog888

Yes but adding an external system like a portal index page shouldnt involve any code changes to the vBulletin software.

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True -

Unless you start adding features that might require a log-in -- such as adding articles and then adding the ability to comment on those articles. Once you do that, then you need to tap into the forum registration or you end up with multiple sign-ons (kind of like the internet.com sign on at the top of the page versus the forum sign on... :eek2: )

Brad!

Well yes and no as you can present a login if you want that would log the member into vBulletin and allow commenting on articles retrieving the current member name etc but nothing will go "into" the vB database of touch any of its standard default pages.

It can get complex real fast if its not planned out well or depending on what is really desired to be done.

I think it would be easiest to implement somthing that would stand alone / separate of the vBulletin software / site but only pull in relevant data for presentation on the portal from it only. ie: hot threads, polls, announcements, news etc.

There are several external systems that integrate with vB or can act as separate products, most free and some paid. It just depends on what can be approved and what level of integration is desired.

Wouldn't a separate login system for the portal be better? Since you might get people who just want to keep up-to-date with the news and articles available in the portal system only.

Though i can see the other way having its positives as well. It would be harder though. If you wanted them intertwined (forum and portal login systems) then i am not sure how JM feel about it but would they consider using the vBadvanced or what ever the portal system is for vBulletin and just customizing it to there liking?

<edit> just noticed my post brings up almost the same identical ideas as Rob's Sorry :p

maybe I'm being thick, but I'm still not getting the advantage of having something like that. As a member, it's probably not something I'd use at all.

-tg

vBA is an ok system but it integrates too heavily with vB so I think for JM they wouldnt go with it. But how it presents a login box for you on their page is showing how simple it is to just create a couple of textboxes and call the php function to log the user in.

See if we had the portal already before the MS VB Slo Chat we could have featured it on the portal and got more members/guests aware of it and involved.

@Paul, see we are thinking along the same lines could mean that other members would too.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RobDog888

vBA is an ok system but it integrates too heavily with vB so I think for JM they wouldnt go with it. But how it presents a login box for you on their page is showing how simple it is to just create a couple of textboxes and call the php function to log the user in.

See if we had the portal already before the MS VB Slo Chat we could have featured it on the portal and got more members/guests aware of it and involved.

@Paul, see we are thinking along the same lines could mean that other members would too.

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I hope they are :)

Okay got another idea (seems i have to many :lol:) what would people think about having the forum system embedded into the portal? This is if both were integrated would it be a good idea? Personally i don't like it but i have seen some sites that haven't done such a bad job at making it work neatly.

I wouldnt think I'd like that and probably too much to try to get JM to do. Remember they have 30+ forum sites to manage.

I may be wrong but I think that all the portals that they have on the sites that do have one have been designed befor ethe forums and forums were added to it. We have the difference of having the forums first and adding something extra along side of it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RobDog888

I wouldnt think I'd like that and probably too much to try to get JM to do. Remember they have 30+ forum sites to manage.

I may be wrong but I think that all the portals that they have on the sites that do have one have been designed befor ethe forums and forums were added to it. We have the difference of having the forums first and adding something extra along side of it.

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So it would be easier in that respect right?

I would think so but Im not privy to the behind the scenes stuff JM has or has to work with.

Just to clarify -

When you guys say "Portal" what do you actual mean? This forum use to have a site associated with it called VBWorld (and other names). Are you talking something like that -- an associated site with articles and other content? Or are you talking a portal -- which generally is more of a landing page with links to content elsewhere?

What are you primarily talking about just so we are clear?

Brad!
(If you are talking 'sites', then how about if we make it www.Codeguru.com/vb ;) )

We already use VB advanced

I am talking about a landing page where the prementioned content types are/can be displayed.

@Joe, We dont use vBA here but what other JM sites use it?

http://www.graphicdesignforum.com/
http://www.webdeveloper.com/

Yes, Im an webdeveloper too and didnt notice it was vBA as the copyright footer is gone so it must be a branding free license :D

It uses the sites styles so its really easy to implement and has the login box already too as one of its modules.

We could use it here and present differnt modules to display whatever we want.

So is adding a portal a decent possibility here?

I would say probably not, I don't see what it would add to this site.

Well it would add the same or more benefits then other JM sites where it is used. vBA would add more headaches for upgrades as its too integrated with vB but I understand that the benefits need to outweigh the costs/time to maintain it. This is why I just thought if we had an independant page for a portal it would be alot easier to manage. Just rss feeds and queries to the vB database etc to present content. Nothing major or complex.

Well my first inclination is to say that we already have performance issues here, and everything you add, adds to those issues, including RSS feeds. Yes, VBA is difficult to maintain, the CMS is not terribly well designed, but I already know it at this point. The thing is, I would be the only one who could make changes to it. It's not like we would be able to add user content at will.

How long would it take to solve these performance issues? And haven't they got to do with the ad's?

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Originally Posted by RobDog888

Yes but adding an external system like a portal index page shouldnt involve any code changes to the vBulletin software.

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Correct, do a google on vbAdvance ;)

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Originally Posted by AceRimmer

Correct, do a google on vbAdvance ;)

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Yea its already been discussed further down in the thread. (Page 1)

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Originally Posted by AceRimmer

Correct, do a google on vbAdvance ;)

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Actually I know vBA well and it does install extra files which is no problem but it also modifies the vBulletin database which in this case is something we would want to avoid.

I know a simple portal page can be written which doesnt change any vB code or database modifications. If the admins want I can write it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RobDog888

Actually I know vBA well and it does install extra files which is no problem but it also modifies the vBulletin database which in this case is something we would want to avoid.

I know a simple portal page can be written which doesnt change any vB code or database modifications. If the admins want I can write it.

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Wasn't aware of that Rob. We're also noticing it has some problems with third party themes/skins/templates/whatever.

Vaguely remembering someone talking about a vb front page or something that apparently ships with the product, haven't seen anywhere within the ACP to switch that option on.

There is no 'front page' feature in the standard product at present.


Frankly, I don't see what a portal page would add to this site either. We are only a forum; we don't have feature articles like CodeGuru does. A new front page will simply duplicate the content of the current forum index.

Well that pretty much is what vBA does too. You cant have it both way; Unique content with an ease of implementation/maintenance.

They're not necessarily solvable. No, they have more to do with the size of the database and the size of the forum, then they have to do with the ads. Occasional slowdowns may be attributable to the ads but to many other factors as well. The more subforms and posts/threads you have, the slower the form renders.

The more things you add to the page that are remotely hosted, the greater the potential for slowdowns. This includes RSS feeds.

Would it be more suitable to have it on its own in that case? Sort of like Codeguru's i guess. Because it seems to me that if we integrate it with the actual forum system then it will slow things down as you mentioned, but if it were separate then it shouldn't be as much of an issue.

you mean add a separate static HTML front page? What do we need it for?

The same reasons JM has vBA on those other two sites.

the other two sites have articles and blogs linked on the front page. We don't have any articles or blogs here.

We have FAQs which could be pulled in like latest additions with a single db query. This would keep the info fresh along with the latest threads or hot threads etc. No maintenance either.

there's nothing unique about that content though, it's all already visible on the forum. I can't see any reason yet for adding a portal page.

Well my major idea would be for articles, not those from the FAQ (though already visible content can come later after performance issues are resolved) but from members. You might be thinking we have a codebank but this would be more of a walkthrough than a tutorial, with screenshots where necessary and every single step.

And then all the other stuff a portal should display, affiliates, link to the forums, announcements, and news on public events happening in the programming world and in VBF(like coding contest etc...).

But this would require the members to be able to login from the portal, this shouldn't be to hard i believe.

<edit>
also it should increase traffic once articles are written and the content grows. This site is already so noisy why not make it a little bit louder ;)

Here is a nice portal system that i like and can see suiting VBF. Maybe a little more customized otherwise it is still quite a simple job.

http://codecall.net/

Brad should have some opinion on this. Brad? Oh, BRAD? :D

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Originally Posted by JPnyc

Brad should have some opinion on this. Brad? Oh, BRAD? :D

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I chimed in a few times in the first few dozen posts on this thread ;)

This site had a 'sister' site originally that had articles and such. Most of the focus, however, seemed to be here at the forums. As such, we left www.Codeguru.com/vb and www.developer.com/vb focus on the articles and let this site filter down to being primarily the forum.

I've heard the requests in this thread and am pondering some ideas. Having said that, we'd need to have a pretty good commitment to have people submit articles (freely) in order to create something in conjunction with this site. We don't get that many VB articles submitted to Codeguru, so I question whether it would happen here if we created a portal site to go with the forum.

Right now we are doing some revamping of our other sites. Once those redesigns have happened, then I believe it will be easier to address some of the requests being made here. That is because the 'revamps' include adding some functionality to our existing content systems to allow for user comments, submissions, and such in a much easier manner. The rollout of this for the other sites is still a while away, so for now it will need to be on hold here. Having said that - I hear you, and I agree that there is more we could be doing here.

Brad!

Adding vba is certainly possible, I just question whether or not we have sufficient content to warrant it. Where's it going to come from?

Most could come from whats already in the db (along with top/popular codebank entries/faqs), rss feeds, a few ads and then the articles.

For a good example of portal usage head on over to www.sitepoint.com and see what those guys are doing. They sort of have the forums as secondary to their development blogs, books, articles, and tutorials. They link up latest discussions etc from the forums.

I like Rob's ideas in the post above.