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Re: Statistics

Sat Jan 16, 2010 8:26 am

MG - Admin wrote:The donor icons are based on a tier system. It's more for me to help keep track of things.


I guess I will just have to keep adding $1 to figure out when the colors change!! :lol:

Re: Statistics

Sun Jan 17, 2010 8:57 am

Thanks for the reminder -

Re: Statistics

Thu Jan 28, 2010 8:39 am

Hi Mike

I am a member of another forum which is an absolute mess to navigate etc. Am I right in thinking the software/platform you use for Enthusiasts is phpBB? If so, do you find it easy to use... and how much time do you normally have to devote to the actual running of PSE on a daily basis?

Thanks in advance

Iris 8)

Re: Statistics

Thu Jan 28, 2010 9:36 am

Iris:

Yes, the platform is phpbb based. The basic form of phpbb is enough to make a forum work really well, but I found that some of the mods created to enhance the software is what really makes the forums perform best. You can add security mods, performance mods, stat mods, cosmetic mods, etc. It all depends on what you want to do, or don't do.

The initial setup is what takes the most time. If you just want the basic setup with very little customization it might take you an hour or so to get everything up and running. The more you want to customize the longer it takes with experimentation. Changing your style for example may require several hours in the beginning just to get logos, links, etc. set up. It's an ongoing thing after that, but the initial setup can be very time consuming.

As for daily maintenance, there isn't more than maybe an hour's worth of work. I personally approve each member (one of many steps I take to prevent spam), I scan through the many new posts and move any that are incorrectly positioned (sometimes I miss one or two), and I do a backup of the database just about every day. There are a few other minor chores I perform now and then as well.

Phpbb definitely is easy to use and allows for a lot of tweaks to make your job a lot easier. I've used other software long ago and it wasn't nearly as flexible or easy to use. They update the base software now and then with improvements and new security measures so it's nice to know that it's always improving.

Hope that helps!

Mike

Re: Statistics

Thu Jan 28, 2010 3:48 pm

Thanks for that invaluable information, Mike... and for all the time you continue to give to PSE.

It is very much appreciated!

Keep on doing what you do - a great job 8)

Iris

Re: Statistics

Fri Jan 29, 2010 5:40 am

Iris -
If your organization's IT person is familiar with VMware, you can get phpbb in an appliance that will install in 5 minutes.

vmware.com: http://www.vmware.com/appliances/direct ... /0?k=phpbb
bitnami.org: http://bitnami.org/stack/phpbb

Mark

Re: Statistics

Fri Jan 29, 2010 8:43 am

bellzerr wrote:... If your organization's IT person is familiar with VMware, you can get phpbb in an appliance that will install in 5 minutes.


A lot of hosting companies also offer a service to have add-ons such as phpbb installed with a click of a button, but you'll only have the basic setup installed. You'll still want to go in and customize the installation with your logos, forum categories, etc. This is what takes all the time. The installation itself is quite simple even if you do it manually. It's all the stuff that takes place afterward that is time consuming.

Mike

Re: Statistics

Fri Jan 29, 2010 10:19 am

Mike -
And I must say, this is the nicest looking and easiest to operate forum I have ever seen! :D :D :D
Mark
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