Author Archives: Emil

Oxwall 2015

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Hey everybody,

The year is off to a fast start, and January is already past without you realizing it. So it’s high time we shared our plans for 2015.

Before, let’s talk about our priorities. We have to choose wisely where to apply our effort, and here’s how we look at it. There are things that can grow to take care of themselves in the community (like any particular plugins, themes, translations and utilities) and those that require our full attention (like general direction, standards and critical platform functionality). Thus, for the next big iteration of the product (and the project) we identified key directions and objectives for this year.

CMS, interface changes

Content management has always been an underdeveloped part of Oxwall. We’ve been busy with making Oxwall better in social aspects (it’s a social network product after all), but because of that some basic tools that any website requires (like CMS) went overlooked. Having received fair criticism for that, we’ve developed our vision for content management in Oxwall’s next iteration. Together with that we refine existing interfaces and rethink some basic assumptions in the product, and how they match real life usage patterns.

This is going to be a series of releases spreading the new paradigm across the product and leaving plenty of time for user and developer adoption. Details will be gradually introduced in our Dev Diary column and beta release announcements.

Mobile

Pocket version of Oxwall has been around for some time but it still lacks important features. We will be working on that front since a lot of people now use phones instead of desktops/tablets, even if Oxwall is not especially accommodating for that. We laid solid foundation for the small screen version of Oxwall but haven’t been active on feature development side yet. This will change.

To reiterate, we think that the “pocket” version of Oxwall (the one adapted for phones) differs from the desktop/tablet primarily by usage patterns, let alone obvious input/output characteristics. That’s why we made a decision to essentially build two products instead of one, so now we have to catch up in the mobile part.

Documentation, test coverage

More news coming to the Oxwall developers camp. This year we finally start covering code with tests and we’ll be working on better documentation. Right now third party developers mostly rely on the existing plugins to build their own ones. To create systematic approach to developing plugins we have to step up our game in the essential technical aspects. These works are to be launched together with the new development cycle.

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All in all, we are looking into a very busy year of creating value for users and grow Oxwall as the product and the project. Although we are a small team and our capabilities are limited, we expect 2015 to be the year of making the biggest difference for users in a long time. Thanks for creating with us!

Oxwall team

Oxwall 1.7.2 is out

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Oxwall 1.7.2 is available for download immediately. All details about this release can be found here.

Important: If you are running Oxwall of any previous version, you are encouraged to wait until the auto-update prompt appears in your admin area. Before you attempt it, make sure to:

  • Back up your website. Seriously, folks, better safe than sorry;
  • Install all available plugin updates right after the platform update completes;
  • Install a theme update right after the platform update completes.

If you don’t want to perform the update yourself, check companies specializing in Oxwall support.

Thanks,
Oxwall team.

Oxwall 1.7.2 beta release

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Hey there! We’ve been very busy during the 2.5 months since the last release, and for a good reason. It took us longer than we expected to develop this iteration and test it internally, that’s why we are glad to finally show you what we’ve been working on.

Today we are releasing Oxwall 1.7.2 beta. This release will contain some important fixes that we invite you to make yourself familiar with.

Most notable changes:

Flags (platform)

Flagging content has always been an underdeveloped aspect in Oxwall. We are focused on optimizing daily experience with Oxwall, that’s why we came up with a new, completely redesigned moderation interface in the admin area. If will be populated with various types of flagged content for your review:

IMG_18112014_171039

Avatars (platform)

Finally! Users can now choose avatars from their existing photo albums. Sorry, it took unreasonably long, nonetheless here it is:

Choose_picture

Oh, the new, redesigned avatar crop interface:

CaptureCapture

Messages (plugin)

And of course, we continue to smoothen our new Messages plugin, since it needs a lot of care to be a valid site communication tool. Here’s what we’ve done with it this time:

– Increased conversation body area;
– Improved conversation list (back icon, attachment indicator, group actions);
– Text formatting for input;
– Various performance optimizations (see changelog).

messages_3

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These are the most notable changes for this release. Review complete changelog here.

Please note: this is a beta release, not intended for deployment in production environment.  Beta testers now have the time to test the new release. Developers and designers are invited to check their store items for 1.7.2 compatibility.

Public release of Oxwall 1.7.2 is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov 25.

Thank you,
Oxwall Foundation team

Plugin Links: looking for a new owner

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We at Oxwall always try to streamline our operations because there’s only so much a small team can do. Sometimes it means that we have to give up an area of activity that no longer serves community’s best interests. Today is the case with one of our old-timer plugins, Links (view item in the store).

Rather than let it slide into the oblivion, we decided to give away this plugin to a 3rd party. Probably somebody can take better care about it than we did. So, if you:

1) have experience with Oxwall plugin development;
2) have ideas how to improve this plugin;
3) are ready to make it happen,

… send an email to info@oxwall.org and let us know about your vision for this plugin. Also, don’t forget to attach the link to your plugin portfolio. We’ll review the applications and hand the ownership to the best applicant.

Thank you,
Oxwall team

P.S. The new owner is found, thank you.

Oxwall 1.7.1 is out

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Oxwall 1.7.1 is available for download immediately. All details about this release can be found here.

Important: If you are running Oxwall of any previous version, you are encouraged to wait until the auto-update prompt appears in your admin area. Before you attempt it, make sure to:

  • Back up your website. Seriously, folks, better safe than sorry;
  • Install all available plugin updates right after the platform update completes;
  • Install a theme update right after the platform update completes.

If you don’t want to perform the update yourself, our friends from Skalfa can do it for you. Also, check other companies specializing in Oxwall support.

Thanks,

Emil & the Oxwall team.

Oxwall 1.7.1 beta available

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As we are returning to 5 week release cycle, Oxwall 1.7.1 public beta is out today.

Most notable changes are:

– New join form for mobile version (which didn’t make it to the 1.7 release);
– Messages plugin enhancements (based on feedback and real-life testing).

Here’s the complete changelog for Oxwall 1.7.1:

Platform

– new join form for mobile version;
– reorganized action buttons for profiles on the profile view page; new buttons ‘more’ and ‘moderate’ for grouped actions;
– default avatar image vulnerability in the Admin Panel is fixed;
– the bug preventing the save of changes in the admin panel > user settings >general due to the error ‘The image is not valid’ is fixed;
– all comments longer than 150 symbols are now truncated, and “View more” link is added;
– display of profile action buttons in mobile version is fixed;
– new option to create links to external sites in mobile menu;
– design improvements for account type administration interfaces;
– embedded videos are now playable on-site, no need to leave for external destinations.

Messages

– new form to create a message and select recipient;
– various performance improvements;
– new tooltip with user info on user avatar mouseover;
– new invitation labels within text inputs for clarity;
– new option to send messages to users who have no permission to ‘read’, ‘write’ and ‘continue chat’, in case the site has pre-installed Memberships and User Credits plugins;
– ‘Chat now’ button now disappears when user is online and the mode ‘Chat Only’ is turned on;
– new line formatting bug is fixed (sorry for this one).

Photos

– both “post_max_size” and “upload_max_filesize” PHP settings are now recognized during the calculation of file’s maximum limit for upload;
– action buttons for albums are now displayed on album view page;
– optimized display performance of ‘User’s albums’ widget on profile view for users with a large number of photos;
– the bug affecting ‘Add photo’ button for users with unavailable ‘upload photos’ service is fixed.

Groups

– group description text on the group listing page is now truncated after 300 symbols;
– now user automatically unfollows the group after leaving it;
– the bug allowing unauthorized users to delete wall comments is fixed.

Forum

– performance optimization for supporting large number of topics.

Video

– vimeo support now fixed.

Birthdays

– design improvements for the widget and newsfeed listing.

Events

– display of private events in user dashboard is fixed.

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Public release of Oxwall 1.7.1 is scheduled for Monday, August 25. Beta testers now have time to test the new release. Developers and designers need to check their items for compatibility.

Thank you,
Oxwall Foundation team

Oxwall Store: important improvements

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Hello there Oxwallers,

Our community grows. It’s exciting to see this growth since it assures that our work is important, and warrants that Oxwall is here to stay. With user growth some aspects of the community work also need to evolve, and today it’s the Oxwall Store that is affected.

We just released some small and big improvements that I want to introduce. They are based on developers’, designers’ and users’ feedback, and also on our own careful examination of the usage patterns. Let’s look in detail:

My purchases:

  • Item list is now divided into Plugins and Themes;
  • Search by item name (new);
  • Add review for purchased items right there (new).

My items:

  • Item list is now divided into Plugins and Themes;
  • Search by license key and buyer’s username.

Item listing improvements:

  • Oxwall Store now supports version compatibility between items and the platform. From now on every item should state platform versions that it supports, and users will see it;
  • Mandatory “Terms of Use” field for items (new);
  • Optional “ReadMe” field for items (new).

Suspended items:

  • Suspended items are now shown to license holders in “My Items”;
  • “Item suspended” page is shown to all but license holders;
  • Suspended items can’t be deleted by owners but will be deleted in 4 months unless activated by Store moderators.

Reviews:

  • Now authors can not only modify but also delete their reviews.

Apart from these changes there are many tiny things changed to help developers better manage their items.

Policy updates

Last but not least, we have updated Oxwall Store Terms of Use, and added Store Item Policy and Item Review Policy. Everybody is encouraged to actually read this document, it’s written by humans for humans in the most comprehensive way possible.

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Enjoy the updated Oxwall Store and leave your feedback! We are always listening. Also, there’s a special Store-related forum, so developers can find additional technical info and questions.

Nominate Oxwall for People’s Choice CMS Awards

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Hi guys!

We hope you are enjoying the summer (as well as our latest release), and have some free time on your hands. Feel like giving us a small pat on the back for all the work we put into the project? Here’s your chance.

The nominations for the annual People’s Choice CMS Awards are open until August 15, and we need a little help from you to get to the finals. We already claimed the accolades for Best Social Network Solution in the past, and it’d be nice to repeat that.

So here’s where you come in –

  • Go to People’s Choice CMS Awards nomination form;
  • Enter your name and email;
  • Enter “Oxwall” as the product name;
  • Tick off the “Best Social Networking Solution” “Best Free PHP CMS” and “Best Open Source PHP CMS” categories;
  • Give an example of when you’ve used Oxwall or list URLs of sites you’ve created with it.

And that’s it. The process is free and takes only a couple of minutes, but it gives us an enormous confidence boost, confirming that we are moving in the right direction.

Thanks,
Emil
Oxwall Foundation

Oxwall 1.7 release

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Today is July 8, and as promised, Oxwall 1.7 sees the light of the day. This is another big milestone for the product: an important platform update, plus completely redesigned photos and messages.

Oxwall 1.7 is available for download immediately. All details about this release can be found here.

Backup!

If you are running Oxwall of any previous version, you are encouraged to wait until the auto-update prompt appears in your admin area (that make take up to 24 hours). Before you attempt it, make sure to:

  • Back up your website. Seriously, folks, better safe than sorry;
  • Install all available plugin updates right after the platform update completes;
  • Install theme update right after the platform update completes.

If you don’t want to perform the update yourself, our friends from Skalfa can do it for you. Also, check other companies specializing in Oxwall support.

Theme support

With this release we drop support for the following themes maintained by Oxwall Foundation:

  • Grunge
  • Basic
  • City
  • Green
  • Pastel
  • Graphite
  • Graphite+
  • Club
  • Rainy
  • Spring
  • Stars
  • Silent

If you use one of these themes, please be aware that they are not getting updated to Oxwall 1.7. Feel free to choose another theme in the Oxwall Store (check 1.7 compatibility), or apply the changes by yourself if you have the skills. The reason for this decision is simple: focus. In order to concentrate on iterating critical product components, we have to cut off non-core ones.

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Have fun and tell us how you like the new Oxwall. We hope to impress you once again, not less than we do with every release.

Emil & the Oxwall team.

Oxwall 1.7 on July 8, beta today

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Finally, we have definite release date for the next version. Oxwall 1.7 will be out on July 8, with developer beta available today.

As you know, we first planned to have 1.6.1 release with a lot of improvements and fixes. However, a few distinct platform changes creeped in, so this release is shaping up more important than just a new build, and we call it minor version advance, namely Oxwall 1.7.

Important changes

Attention, developers, designers, and admins! Apart from some updated plugins, there are platform changes that require your attention:

  • New option to assign specific user roles for each account type;
  • New option to assign separate list of profile questions for each account type;
  • Modified user permission check (developers, you need to adapt your plugins!);
  • Attachments for all media (messages, forums, comments, etc) are redesigned (designers, you may need to adapt your themes!);
  • Comment box redesigned (designers, you may need to adapt your themes!);

For all changes see complete changelog.

Apart from that there are two major advancements to highlight:

Complete photo redesign

We’ve been working on the new photo plugin for the last 6 months. Hopefully, it works better than the current one, so your community enjoys easier and more effective photo sharing facilities:

Photo list

Single photo view

Newsfeed photos

Among the most notable features are:

  • New advanced bulk photo upload;
  • New photo list view;
  • New photo album view;
  • Optimized photo preview (info and comments in sidebar);
  • Search by keywords, users, hashtags;
  • Full-screen slideshow;
  • Photos posted to newsfeed are now collected in a photo album.

There are a lot of hidden gems in this one, so we’ll leave them for you to discover when Oxwall 1.7 gets released to the public.

Mailbox + Chat = Messages: complete redesign + mobile version support

The new Messages plugin comes to replace the two old plugins: Instant Messenger and Mailbox. When you install the new plugin, it will migrate the data from the Mailbox and deactivate it automatically.

Oxwall messages

 

Messages  Messages

What’s in it?

  • Chat only mode, mail only mode, or both;
  • Additional on-page interface for chat with saved history;
  • Now possible to send a message from mailbox to any recipient;
  • Revamped attachments for both chat and mail;
  • Inline images and video in chat;
  • Chat and mail is now also in Oxwall mobile browser version.

We hope you will appreciate the interconnectedness and easiness of the new way of sending messages in Oxwall.

This plugin is deeper than a few screenshots could show, so we invite you to explore its capabilities.

Developer beta

It’s available for download now. If you signed up for beta testing, you will be able to obtain it from the private beta release forum. Check it out.

If you are a developer or a designer but haven’t signed up for it yet, you are recommended to do that right away. There’s a high chance that you need to update your work to make it compatible with Oxwall 1.7. Developer’s guide to the platform changes is packed with the beta.

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We are eager to send the new bulk of awesomeness your way. July 8 is the day it hits the ground, together with the updated versions of plugins by 3rd party developers.

All hail Oxwall!

Emil & the Oxwall team