Thinking About Using TinyPortal

[whiteout]

Hi, forgive a noob for asking stupid questions, but I am stuck between using Mambo or SMF with TinyPortal. I am currently working on practice sites using both methods. I would prefer to use SMF, but have a few questions. I currently have chat and arcade modules installed on SMF with TinyPortal. I would also like a weblinks directory and a picture gallery with user submitted pics. I know it's possible, but how difficult would it be to stick these things onto my site?

I don't want have a huge amount of time to spend on this, so I'm looking for something that I can just throw on with not much trouble, configure and use. That's why I'm considering Mambo as the "easy" option at the moment.

Also, with the SMFarcade, how can I get "top arcade players" and "recent highscores" or something similar to appear in blocks in TinyPortal?

Thanks for any help.

[G6Cad]

Also, with the SMFarcade, how can I get "top arcade players" and "recent highscores" or something similar to appear in blocks in TinyPortal?

Those are codesnippets for putting in TP blocks, so they are pretty easy to implent.

The gallery you have coppermine you can implent, if you do a bit of search here in the threads there are one with step by step instruktions that look really good. ( A bit of coding there but it didnt look that hard )

[Crip]

All thats easy with Tinyportal combined with SMF, easier to me than any CMS out there..you can't just install it and think it's going to do it all by itself..thats why theres an Admin. if an Admin can't Admin TP and it's power controls then they shouldn't be an Admin..there is support for anything that has to do with TP and SMF, but here the support you get is far Superior than any place else..I highly recommend TP to anyone.

[TwinsX2Dad]

It really depends on what you need. You can bridge SMF with Joomla/Mambo for a full CMS solution. Or, you could do Tiny Portal with SMF for a simple portal solution.

The two options are different. A portal generally wraps around a single component to dress it up and add some functionality. In the case of SMF & TP, the core is SMF and TP adds to that. With Joomla/Mambo & SMF, the forum becomes a component of an entire site management system.

If your site is primarily a message board, go SMF & TP. If the message board is just a feature of the site, go with Joomla/Mambo and bridge in SMF (or nearly any assortment of message board applications).

Joomla is the new fork of Mambo - I've found it to be an improvement, while the workings are similar. In other words, if you like Mambo, you'll like Joomla. It seems the support and features may be heading the Joomla direction.

SMF & TP is much easier, but it also isn't capable of nearly as many things.

[anunlike]

It really depends on what you need. You can bridge SMF with Joomla/Mambo for a full CMS solution. Or, you could do Tiny Portal with SMF for a simple portal solution.

The two options are different. A portal generally wraps around a single component to dress it up and add some functionality. In the case of SMF & TP, the core is SMF and TP adds to that. With Joomla/Mambo & SMF, the forum becomes a component of an entire site management system.

If your site is primarily a message board, go SMF & TP. If the message board is just a feature of the site, go with Joomla/Mambo and bridge in SMF (or nearly any assortment of message board applications).

Joomla is the new fork of Mambo - I've found it to be an improvement, while the workings are similar. In other words, if you like Mambo, you'll like Joomla. It seems the support and features may be heading the Joomla direction.

I agree, TP is designed to be a portal for your forum, basically.

SMF & TP is much easier, but it also isn't capable of nearly as many things.

Yet!


I'd suggest looking at these:
http://www.tinyportal.net/smf/index.php?page=14
http://www.tinyportal.net/smf/index.php?topic=1828.0

I'm sure there are other topics here which cover what Bloc wants to do. You can search for them.

[technodragon73]

My Two Cents...

I have seem several sites with Mambo or Joomla and while they do seem to have a large variety of features, I believe TP is the best bet.  It is still new and growing, and from what I have seen, Bloc has big plans.  Ultimately it will be similar to Joomla and Mambo but the major difference is that it is coded strictly to function for/with SMF and will not require a bridging solution to make SMF work.  I have seen that not only will he have the downloads section but he also is planning a gallery, arcade and several other large features so it will be even better than any other portal solution.

[TwinsX2Dad]

You can only do so much, though. Ultimately, any application is limited by its core.

You just have to determine what your main need is. Is your main focus a message board or is it content? A portal can never be as capable as a true CMS.

This isn't a bad thing, though - just two different purposes.

[anunlike]

My Two Cents...

I have seem several sites with Mambo or Joomla and while they do seem to have a large variety of features, I believe TP is the best bet.  It is still new and growing, and from what I have seen, Bloc has big plans.  Ultimately it will be similar to Joomla and Mambo but the major difference is that it is coded strictly to function for/with SMF and will not require a bridging solution to make SMF work.  I have seen that not only will he have the downloads section but he also is planning a gallery, arcade and several other large features so it will be even better than any other portal solution.

That's my impression and understanding of it, as well. It may not be near Mambo/Joomla in features, but give it time, and it'll probably get up there.

Yes, the fact that it's designed just for SMF, when it progresses to rival other portals, will give it a very distinct edge over the others for any SMF user. And as SMF evolves, it'll rival other forums more.

[technodragon73]

@TwinsX2Dad

True, but SMF itself in evolving rapidly so between the two  I think (like anunlike) that they will become better and more powerful than any other CMS out there.

[TwinsX2Dad]

For that to happen, TP would have to stand on its own and SMF would have to transcend what every other message board has been able to do.

The foundation of either obviously isn't headed in that direction. No message board has been the foundation of a CMS and TP was designed as a wrapper for SMF. In every instance, every CMS, including the custom designed premium offerings, has been without a high end message board component. At best, there have only been light portals fitted around message boards.

A CMS must be, by design, an enterprise capable solution. A look at Plumtree, Metadot, CommNav, WebSphere, etc. illustrates that TP isn't even in the same league.

SMF and TP have been intended for and used almost exclusively by personal or SOHO entities and hobbyists. There has been nothing rapid in its development, nor anything earth-shattering in its features.

SMF is good, as is TP - but let's not make them out to be more than they are. SMF is a midrange free message board - not anywhere close to being a premier offering - and TP is a great addition to it. The way the developers act over at SMF indicates the core offering will never become a high end offering, nor will it even pretend to rival the premiere scripts.