Jump to content
C4 Forums | Control4

Site Upgrades


Recommended Posts

Hello Everyone,

I would like to start the discussion about upgrades to this system. As you know we use PunBB as the forum software, and we heavily modified it to make it suit this community. It's start here and there to show it's age, and we would like to revamp the site a bit.

If you have any suggestions as to things that would improve this site, please reply to this topic to keep it in all one place.

Two major areas we will be focused on is integrating a much better Wiki into the site, as well as opening up some CYTEXONE internal wiki documents to the public which we use every day.

Additionally adding logged chat will be another possibility, that I am curious to see the response.

Hope everyone is doing awesome, please post your comments so we know what exactly you want.

Dan

Link to comment
Share on other sites


we already have LIVE chat - and you used to link to it.

IRC --> Efnet --> #control4

Why create more than is needed? :)

As for site changes - just fix the bugs... the site itself, I think, works very well and changing the format may actually harm it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'll second that! It may not be the 'sexiest' of sites, but then again, I doubt very much that it was meant to be. As far as I know, it was designed for functionality - providing invaluable help and information to dealers, installers and end-users - and it works just fine IMHO!

As Slemay pointed out - fix what's broke - but don't try to fix what ain't broke.

Just my .02 worth.

-Norm

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey just to clarify. By no means are we redesigning the site. It's purpose was definitely for a tool and the aesthetics came second to function.

The software is a few point releases behind and to be honest a tremendous amount of customization went into this forum. To go through the process of patching and upgrading the system, will only serve as a stop gap.

Going to the next software revision is something we definitely will be doing, it's just important to determine when. Ideally we will have both systems up and running, or at least a easy migration path so we can run the staging area system with data replicated from the other database.

The reason I bring up the chat is because I think IRC is extremely outdated. It is important to have instant response to questions if needed and it is also important to have a log of that conversation / solution to be able to search it. It is just something I've been thinking of, and quite frankly I don't know if "chat" is the solution.

There are some other ideas but implementing them will take a bit of time, primarily because CYTEXONE is currently undergoing a very significant move and time across the board is very limited. Some of the software implementations we have done internally will definitely help this community significantly.

Just to summarize, we are definitely not redesigning the site by any means. We are going to be upgrading software and at that time, since we will be in that mode it would be nice to know somethings that are missing from the site so they can be implemented at that time.

Dan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good to hear on the site... upgrading the software - sure... we love new features... :)

As for chat... live chats NOT linked into a public network are small and usually close down. Unless you guys are going to "man it" for free - which I see very unlikely... IRC, as old as it may seem, is still the best way to go - just put a nice front end on it (ie: Java and hide most of the "annoying" IRC features - make it look like a regular chat room)...

But the benefit is that you get people that sit in it from all over other networks etc... and they all can help out. Myself, a few other dealers and even some C4 people, from time to time, come and visit the channel... thus making it VERY valuable... but yes... there is a down side... all of us work for a living and "donate" our time in there... it sometimes is an hour or two before someone replies to a chat. But again - it's free and the resources that currently man it are great.

If you can put together a channel / chat that is similar - I encourage it... but why re-invent the wheel?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We man it 24/7... but that doesn't mean we'll respond 24/7... :)

We're always in it though and have people from all over the place - so I've seen conversations at 3 in the morning before (though I've been long asleep).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good to hear on the site... upgrading the software - sure... we love new features... :)

As for chat... live chats NOT linked into a public network are small and usually close down. Unless you guys are going to "man it" for free - which I see very unlikely... IRC, as old as it may seem, is still the best way to go - just put a nice front end on it (ie: Java and hide most of the "annoying" IRC features - make it look like a regular chat room)...

But the benefit is that you get people that sit in it from all over other networks etc... and they all can help out. Myself, a few other dealers and even some C4 people, from time to time, come and visit the channel... thus making it VERY valuable... but yes... there is a down side... all of us work for a living and "donate" our time in there... it sometimes is an hour or two before someone replies to a chat. But again - it's free and the resources that currently man it are great.

If you can put together a channel / chat that is similar - I encourage it... but why re-invent the wheel?

do you have a link to this channel???

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dan USED to have a JAVA based client here on the forums, that when you clicked on it - would automatically log you into the channel... perhaps thats a feature request we can ask for back??? :)

It was nice - as you didn't need to understand HOW to use an IRC client (or IRC for that matter), nor did you have to install any software.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.