Category Archives: News

Get Ready for Oxwall 1.4

Posted on by

Hey guys!

We know you’ve been patiently waiting for a full-fledged release for a long time, and we are happy to tell you that it’s finally coming your way (pretty soon). Those of you following us on Facebook already know how excited we are about the new Photo Viewer, but there’s more in the lineup.

Let’s see. Among other things, we’ve added Gmail contacts importer, additional options for sorting forum search results, profile newsfeed commenting, and redesigned newsfeed activity on the index page, on top of a myriad of bug fixes and other improvements.

All of that and more will be available in about a couple of weeks, right after we finish all in-house quality testing. The full list of all the new features and fixes will be posted along with the notification about the release of Oxwall 1.4.

Cheers!

Oxwall 1.3.2: User and Admin Improvements, Minor Bug Fixes

Posted on by

OXWALL 1.3.2

Following the completion of quality and beta testing we are ready to present you Oxwall 1.3.2. The new release fixes several minor bugs, and also introduces User and Admin improvements among other things.

IMPORTANT NOTE: ALWAYS BACK UP YOUR SITE BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO UPDATE THE SOFTWARE

Just follow these simple steps while bringing your software up to date, to avoid possible future issues:

  1. Back up your site;
  2. Update the platform (Instructions);
  3. Update all of the installed plugins;
  4. Update your themes;
  5. Enjoy the new version;
AUTO UPDATE BUTTON

The Auto Update button will appear in your website’s admin area within 24 hours after the release of the update.

WHAT’S NEW IN OXWALL 1.3.2

Platform

  • Cron setup changed (now uses HTTP);
  • Default user role is now impossible to remove;
  • Fixed the bug with the number of pics for WYSIWYG gallery;
  • Notifications “Someone posts a wall comment in a group I participate in”, “Someone invites me to a group”, etc., enabled by default;
  • Additional admin now cannot delete the super admin profile;
  • XSS vulnerability in the update script fixed;
  • Added file_get_contents check on server;
  • While editing a custom page it’s no longer possible to enter existing pages’ URLs.
  • Added rel=”nofollow” for auto-linking and WYSIWYG;
  • Changed buttons for group actions on profile lists in admin area;
  • Removed Exception message that happened while approving an already approved member;
  • Changed the order of displaying CSS graphics in the admin area;
  • Multiple language entries corrected;

Blogs

  • Post tags are now added to meta keywords;
  • Added messages about successful post creation and editing;

Friends

  • Fixed friend request template;
  • With friend request a user automatically follows another user;

Instant Chat

  • Fixed ‘OW Debug’ error message when admins deactivated ‘Friends’ plugin;
  • Fixed ‘last activity 42 years ago’ bug;
  • Removed switching ‘for all’ and ‘friends only’ modes, making it dependent on the ‘Friends’ plugin;

Links

  • ‘More’ button does not stick to the last letter any more;
  • Links now open in the new window;

Forum

  • ‘Ghost’ topics now removed in five days after the original topic move;
  • User no longer redirected to a new forum section after moving a topic;
  • Fixed ‘Latest Reply’ field when author profile deleted;

Video

  • Fixed Flash object overlap;

Advertisement

  • Now more than 14 banners can be added to one ad place;
  • Added the ‘Hide Ads’ authorization action for user roles;

Events

  • New events are now at the top of the list;
  • Long event locations now stay within widget;
  • If ‘Friends’ plugin deactivated you can invite all site users (who were not invited yet and are not registered for event);
  • Invite interface now shows all site users (up to 100) if ‘Friends’ plugin is inactive;
  • Added ‘Accept/Decline’ buttons to event invitations;
  • Event notification now disappears after visiting event page;

Mailbox

  • Fixed avatar while sending private messages from profile;

Privacy

  • If ‘Friends’ plugin deactivated all ‘Friends Only’ settings change to ‘Only Me’;

Groups

  • If ‘Friends’ plugin deactivated you can now invite all site users (up to 100);
  • Group listings changed;
  • Invite notifications now disappear after visiting invitation list or group pages;

Newsfeed

  • Redesigned group activity display;
  • Individual pages for every newsfeed item;
  • New option to choose preview picture for attached URLs;

Birthdays

  • E-mail notifications about new comments or likes for birthday items;

Enjoy the new release and feel free to drop us a line if you encounter any problems with it. Thank you for being such a great community!

Coming Up: Oxwall 1.3.2

Posted on by

Dear members of Oxwall community,

We are happy to inform you about the upcoming update of the Oxwall software. The release will be presented to you after we finish the current round of beta and quality testing, in about a couple of weeks or so.

Oxwall 1.3.2 is mostly a maintenance release, where we’ll fix several annoying bugs and improve numerous features. Among other things you can expect to see Newsfeed, Groups, Events and Data Importer  enhancements. The full list of changes will be released along with the update.

Oxwall 1.3: Private Groups, User Block, Invite Friends, etc.

Posted on by

The long awaited Oxwall 1.3.0 is finally here after extensive quality and beta testing. A huge thank you goes to all the testers for their participation.

Don’t forget to BACK UP YOUR SITE before starting the update. This essential step could save you serious headache in case anything goes wrong. Once again, these are the steps required for a proper update:

  1. Back up your site;
  2. Update the platform (Instructions);
  3. Update all of the installed plugins;
  4. Update your themes;
  5. Enjoy the new version;

New Features

Private Groups (as suggested by users)
This new plugin allows users to create Private Groups, invisible to others. New members can be invited either by admins or by other group members.


Private Forum
Admins and Moderators can now create Private Forums for specific User Roles.

Block Users (as suggested by users)
Users can now block each other. Once blocked, a user will no longer be able to send IM/PM, become friends, follow and add comments to content of the block initiator. Blocking a user will immediately sever all Friendship and Follow links.

Major Improvements

Invite Friends
We’ve completely revamped Invite Friends feature, which is now compatible with new Facebook and Google APIs.

Mass Mailing
User roles can now be selected for mass mailing.

WYSISYG Editor
WYSISYG editor was replaced by simple text area for mobile devices.

Enhancements and Bugfixes

Unsubscribe
We’ve added an additional step to confirm unsubscription.

Maintenance Page
Maintenance Page login link was added for easier Admin access in case the page needs disabling.

Verification Mail
The system no longer sends two emails at once – instead it sends a Verification Letter first, and then a Welcome Letter after the verification.

Google Chrome Attachments
Issue with incorrectly displaying full-size attached pictures in Google Chrome fixed.

Events Improved
Events End Date completely reworked to appear after check-box is ticked.

Mass Mailing Variables
Variables can be added to the Subject now.

User Profile and Dashboard Pages
Minor improvements for these pages management through the Admin Area.

Privacy Improvements
Private album bug fixed.

To prevent any questions regarding the Auto Update – it will appear in your Admin Area within 24 hours after the launch of the update. We hope you like the new release. Do tell us what you think in the forum or in the comments bellow.

Oxwall Store Update

Posted on by

We have a new batch of fixes and improvements for the Oxwall Store, check them out:

Improvements

  •  You can now view all of your Store Items on a separate ‘My Items’ tab;

  • You can now see who and when bought licenses for each of your items;
  • You can now revoke licenses for any sold item or theme (useful for when a license is abused);

  • You can now reset the License IP for any bought item (necessary when the IP of a site with the installed item has changed);

Fixes

  • The last file on the list under Item’s Downloads can no longer be unchecked as Main;
  • Main Download option completely revamped under Item’s Download;
  • PayPal account details area is clearer defined while selecting payment method;

 

Oxwall Launches Beta Testing

Posted on by

Great news, everyone!

We are launching beta testing for the new build of Oxwall Software. While we continue to improve the quality of the new release, some of you will be able to get your hands on Oxwall 1.3.0 ahead of everyone else.

Now, since we have limited resources to process all bug reports, and also to raise the testing efficiency, we are going to limit the Beta Testing Team this time over. Only Community Leaders, Oxwall Club members, and users with items in Oxwall Store can apply for the access to Beta Testing this time. To do so, simply drop us a line at support@oxwall.org, with Claim Beta in the subject line.

Good luck!

 

 

Oxwall 1.3.0 Is On The Way

Posted on by

Recently we’ve been asked in the comments about the launch of the new Oxwall version. Good news – it’s coming up pretty soon. We’ve been extensively testing the new build in-house, and the quality testing will go on for about one more week.

This time over we’ve prepared some exiting new features for you (including the much anticipated Private Groups and Friends Invite), enhanced many of the existing ones, and also fixed most of the reported bugs. The full list of new features and improvements will be released along with the update, but I think you can get a head-start by attending Oxwall Google+ Hangout on Thursday, January 19, and get the word directly from Oxwall co-founder Emil.

First Official Oxwall Google+ Hangout January 19

Posted on by

As promised last month, we have finally found time for a Google+ Hangout with you guys. All admins running Oxwall-powered websites, or anyone interested in joining our rapidly growing community are welcome to join us next Thursday, January 19th, at 12PM EST (6PM CET) for an informal chat.

Once again, Oxwall founder Emil will be on hand to speak about his vision for the product, answer any questions, and even make important announcements concerning Oxwall Software and Oxwall Store. Oh yeah, and also to simply hangout with like-minded people. Trust us, you don’t want to miss it.

For those not in the know – Google+ Hangout is basically a multi-user video chat available to anyone with a Google account. Before joining a Hangout you should make sure your webcam, microphone, and speakers (or headphones) are all working properly. Also, we advise to run a quick test Hangout if you’ve never done it before, just to make sure you have all the necessary plugins installed. If you have everything ready, add Emil (gplus.to/emil) to one of your Circles and wait for him to launch the Hangout at designated time – you’ll see a notification on your Google+ Stream.

Now, since we have a truly international community here, with members all across the globe, we had to think long and hard about the best time to hold the Hangout. Launching it at 12PM EST seems to be the best possible compromise, but as always, we are open to your suggestions. Let us know what you think, what you want to talk about, or if you have any technical questions regarding the Hangout in the comments bellow.

Oxwall Store Increased Quality Control

Posted on by

Dear friends,

We are happy to report that Oxwall Store is coming along quite nicely, judging by the steadily growing volume of new items and sales. Unfortunately, quantity does not always translate to quality, and like everyone, we notice the appearance of mediocre-to-poor submissions.

This is not what we had in mind initially. We are also sure most Oxwall admins will agree that Oxwall Store should not become another online collection of second-rate mods of existing plugins and themes.

Oxwall Foundation always strove for improved quality for the end user and we anticipate the community will follow our lead. We all still have a long way to go to reach the desired level of excellence, but with small steps in the right direction we can do it.

One of such steps will be the introduction of stricter quality control for Oxwall Store submissions, in accordance with our Terms of Use. We hope everyone understands that this decision will benefit the project in the long run. Let’s make Oxwall better together.