ok guys my question for the night is: when do you decide when to put tinyportal on a site and when do you decised not to? i am stuck like chuck right now on making a decission and would really like to know this one.. and all because i really do like tp.. and this isn't for my site, twistedgraffix, but for my new one.. help a girl out!! :D
That question, asked here, is like asking a fox to guard the hen house... 8)
Quote from: Ianedres on January 22, 2008, 08:58:07 AM
That question, asked here, is like asking a fox to guard the hen house... 8)
That certainly is a salient point if there ever was one. ;)
TP should be installed immediately after finishing your SMF install because even if you don’t want to use the TP front page, going instead to the forum for your front or first page you gain so much more in features and usability by having TP as part of your website tool kit.
i had to look up that word Ken:
salient \SAY-lee-unt; SAYL-yunt\, adjective:
1. Shooting out or up; projecting.
2. Forcing itself on the attention; prominent; conspicuous; noticeable.
3. Leaping; springing; jumping.
noun:
1. An outwardly projecting part of a fortification, trench system, or line of defense.
2. A projecting angle or part.
my question is, if since i do know what tp does, and i have managed both the smf/tp and the smf sites.. im just curious, as to when and when not to. not about the functionality or anything else, and if you look, the setup on the tp mod does change a bunch of the files from smf.. and if you think about it, it is still smf, but its changed due to the mod.. so if it makes those changes, my question is when do you not use it.. I would love to hear this (cuz i feel like im going in circles trying to explain what im thinking on this right now..) and im wanting what is best for this other site..
if this helps better. lol.. perhaps if i explain my intentions on the site?? it is going to be a full blown graphic warez site, with private membership available per donation. i can not say anymore than that right now, as i am not too sure of my contributors yet. but i can promise with donation comes privileges to choice downloads. as far as other mods go, im not sure on them yet either..
Some common reasons not to use it
-- Your server cant handle it(well that server would be a blasted one)
-- Someone has gun on your neck and says dont use TP
-- You don't get the features you need with TP
-- You are looking for a blog and installs TP thinking it is a blog(same with arcade,gallery,shop,link manager)
-- You don't use SMF
LOL...I say install it and lock it down if not needed then you can still use articles/blocks and point links to them if you'd like.
I too looked the word up just to be sure that its meaning was as I remembered and it is: :)
"important; striking, remarkable"
You can actually have it both ways, to some degree at least.
On the one hand most everyone who has some knowledge of the ins and outs of installing mods to SMF will say that you should install the biggest mod first and most/many would agree that TP is the one mod that best fits that description.
But, if one is willing to do the manual install for TP then you can easily install it at any point in the process. So you could leave it off for now if you are having doubts but install it a few weeks or months later should you decide that you want it after all.
Doing the install later might cause your members to make minor adjustments in their viewing or use habits but those adjustments should be very small indeed. And if you did it this way the changes could be presented an improved features and options for them.
As for the changes that are made to the SMF files, personally I don't view that as a problem because even if my forums did not use TP they would still use some of the other mods that are available on the SMF mod site, like SMF Gallery, Ultimate Profile, etc.
Quote from: Ianedres on January 22, 2008, 08:58:07 AM
That question, asked here, is like asking a fox to guard the hen house... 8)
Lol.. im with Ianeders on this … ;D
I fail to see where your question bears that much thought; the installation does modify some files, but the footprint of the files and the database are well worth the expansion when you consider the many features and ease of adding content to your site.
When I think of what I would have to do to integrate the many aspects of my own site, I don't think I could do that within SMF (which, in itself, is a great package- let's not forget that!) while maintaining security, uniform appearance and interface, and navigational control.
Perhaps the greatest feature of TP is that it can exist with SMF yet not overtake control and appearance of your site- the flexibility is available to you at anytime, but not mandatory that you must use it immediately.
Use TP when:
- You want to supplement your board with extra information - Articles & Blocks
- You want more than just boards to be available to different membergroups - Articles & Blocks
- You want to make downloads available to some/all membergroups - Download Manager
- You want to use a large header and need to transfer other things usually in the top section to a side panel - TinyPortal
- You want the future flexibility that a portal gives you over a board and you want the best - TinyPortal
- You dream about Bloc
If you want to have the best possible forum then use TP, if you want it to be a bland ordinary forum don't use TP
It is as simple as that ;)
Oh and nokonium the last reason you gave is exactly why I use TP :P
err, I'll pretend i didn't read that last item lol :D
Naa we just dream about BLOCKS ;)
Thats the idea :)
I would tend to agree with the general populous here... I've not been an SMF/TP user for long, but I can't see not using it. If there are features I don't want shown, easy enough not to use them. Also, in the long run I think it would be easier to mod a mod ( little redundant there :) ) to fit TP than having a bunch of mods on and trying to fit TP on later....
See-ya
Yello Smoky,
Well certainly saying No to TP here is like saying your child is ugly lol, however no one said we all should have kids. :D
sort of translates...lol
Foremost there is one crutial and very first step that is overlooked by many web-admin-community-doodle-folks like us including myself.
Pen and paper!
Sit down or sit your friend down and ask her:
-What features/functionality would you like to have on your site ?
= type of content(about what)? private site(famlity)? public? single user/admin? admin coder? forums? articles? rss? gallery? downloads?
-How soon and how much you want to spend?
...fill in more Qs here...
THEN you ask what is the best tool for me to accomplish this for my site or client?
SMF = Tool
TP = cordless tool :D with many possiblites....dremel or something lol
CMS?
Open Source?
Hand Code some static html or go dynamic?
Dynamic - what language you know or have option of using?
What host?
You can't make enough coffee to really answer this question and it is really up admin or person that is going to run this site not so much the "designer".
IMHO...if you have or want just a forum based comminuty...no need to look arround when u got smf....if you got smf TP is one mod that you really don't have to fear....I mean seriosly what other mod gets this much support and development by users and is so non-intrusive to smf?
This way user/admin can experiment with "boosting" their community at their own time w very little coding knowledge....if u really think about TP you can eliminate quite a bit of mods.Any time I see someone post a list of 40-50 mods on their smf community I shead a tear...because I know sooner or later they will have to write a letter to their community saying how they had to upgrade smf for security reasons but unfortunatelly Joe from Bosnia no longer cares or can code their mod to keep up....while my little nifty html snip called "banners" in TP lives on happily after...sure u have to roll up your sleves and not all is a checkbox away from getting it done! :P
There is also a subculture of cms and turnkey solutions where people really don't care to learn and experiment but rather just have it work for them....which is a perfect solution for some.
yeah I am a mod hater but TP is not a mod of SMF but rather smf is a 'forum mod-on' of my TP....I don't care what Block says LOL!
Soo...there u go, perspective from the west coast!
Take care!
hmm :coolsmiley: ok.. i was just wondering what people would say here as to when and when not to.. my main was the "when not to". you all have some very good points, and thoughts as to the "why" and i do appreciate them all.. i just cant imagine, after 4 months of using tp, not using it. can we get a sticky on this?? :2funny:
whats the point of this being sticky?
well Dragoon, i was thinking on my friends site for mobile phones. it still needs updating etc., but the one thing stoping me, i just got a new palm centro.. love the thing.. good signal etc., however, i took it to my site, full blown tp, very little mods, couldnt see the whole site, much less buttons.. and the only thing i could see, but not use, is the shoutbox from tp. i dont allow guest shouts.
being that his site is mobile based for access, this wouldnt work, unless there is some kind of work around, and im not thinking that there is, but im not a umm how to say this?? im not a coder. i can code, but i havent gotten too deep yet. im not experienced enough to know what i could trim out, and do away with, but still make the mod functional, and i would hate to cut up a site, that the backup cant fit on 2 dvds, would hate to screw something up. not to mention, looks like now i have to create an area for smart phones. mmmmmmmm..
/me says too early in am, need coffee :D
Smoky then your "real" persuit is for the site that is wap compatible vs. tp or not...I think I saw a post by Ich saying he is using his phone to be on this site...so there must be a way...maybe a whole new topic?
no lebisol.. lol.. i have a wap area on that site i just posted above me on that i can get to.. it is the front page of tp that i cant get to by my palm.. at least on my site..havent tried to get into the any other part of my site yet, but still working things out right now, and havent tried to get here yet but will.. as far as another topic on this, yep! maybe, but my wondering is if it is messing up the ability to get onto a site, say the registration is on the front of the site, most are once you are logged in, if you are using it as a mobile based i dont think tp would be that good.. unless im going about this backwards which i might be.. lol
then again i havent tried to get on my blog yet either.. i would like to try out the various softwares to see what all is workable or not.. but i am thinking bout this.. and that is why i wanted to know when to and when not to add tp on.. thanks again :D
hmm interesting...so ur saying no frontpage=smf ok on wap?
then I think you can make a custom theme that would use the same condition as if the TP was not installed...don't know just yapping here.
Good luck!