Hi all! My name is Heather, and I am relatively new to Dophin. It was brought to my attention a bit over 2 weeks ago as a solution for a client site I am working on. I have spent the past few weeks going through every bit of the current install on that site (v 6.1.6) and, more recently, reading back through these forums by about 20 pages or so, just to get a feel for the kinds of questions/challenges that may arise.
I hope I am prepared. *grins*
I am not new to OpenSource or CMS. I have created nearly 100 sites in Joomla, and before that, I worked with some various ASP-based systems. I've been developing (in a manner of speaking) since 1996. In fact, I am working with someone now, hoping for a Dolphin/Joomla bridge, too merge the amazing CMS benefits of Joomla into a site with Dolphin community. We're not sure if it'll work yet. *smiles*
I am not what one would call a programmer. I hire that out. I am a developer with an emphasis on GUI (Graphical User Interface). In other words, I know enough about code to be a danger to myself and others, LOL!
Most of my development is planning the layout for the end-users, making it as intuitive as possible, and as sticky as can be. I work with programmers to get the pieces I need coded, and I focus on design, especially on colors, graphics and CSS.
My first website in 1996 was one very long GIF image, since I knew how I wanted my website to look, and HTML had not yet caught up, LOL!
You will quickly find that I'll ask a lot of questions, and I hope that you'll bear with me. As I said, I read back a ways, and even did some searches. Sometimes I will guess that my questions have been asked, but in different words than I will use, so I can't find them (and i'll have to ask them again).
Thanks to all who are a part of this project. I look forward to learning more.
Heather
|
hi Heather
welcome to the boonex forums I hope you find the informative and friendly, feel free to ask any questions and I'm sure there will be someone here with the answers :-) |
Hi Heather,
You may find the following website helpful http://www.boonexnerd.net. I have in the past and is a good starting point. Good luck.
Paul
|
One of the most helpful website ive found that helped me get through the steep learning curve was this one.
http://www.dialme.com/news/-Welcome-
there are lots of things here for you to get to grips with, and you dont have to make a member to use the tuts. this place helped me no end at the beggining
|
Yes http://www.dialme.com/ is also very good. |
Thanks for the welcome and the site recommendations.
I'd seen them in the forums and copied them into my notes for future perusal, so now I know I'd better get on in there and read more!
I'm perfectly happy to research and plan for hours, so any suggestions you have for me to brush up my skills are also welcome, but don't think that they will stem the flow of my questions. Usually the more I learn is possible, the more I want to stretch the boundaries, LOL!
Heather
|
Welcome, TheSoMeEx. I hope you enjoy your stay here.
I'm curious about your username. What does that mean? :)
|
TheSoMeEx = The SOcial MEdia EXperiment
It's related to the project I'm working on right now.
*smiles*
Thanks for the warm welcome.
|
Heather, have you looked at Dolphin 7? I'd have a hard time recommending D6 for new installations. My opinions expressed on this site, in no way represent those of Boonex or Boonex employees. |
Houston has a point. D7 is a version to be released fairly soon and it is much better than 6.1.x versions. The alpha can be previewed here:
http://www.demozzz.com/dolphin7a
Not having seen the source code (only a few have seen it and so they could comment on this), there is the possibility that the file and directory structure could be very different to 6.1.x and I think once to have seen D7 you would prefer to work with this rather than 6.1.x. It may be best to wait until D7 is release before learning processes and procedures that may be irrelevant to you in a month or so time.
|
Hi Heather,
Setting up the profile fields, language keys, database settings, etc actually takes quite a bit of time and thought. At this point in time, I would install the most recent version of Dolphin and work on that - but not do any mods or appearance changes, and not launch it live- except perhaps as a beta. The database from this prototype can be easily moved to D7 when it arrives. Welcome to the forums.
-
Rob
|
hi Heather
might be better to work on Dolphin 6 for a couple reasons, it will help you be more familar with Dolphin 7 when it comes out, we lalso have only an expected date for Dolphin 7's release and this could easily change (late jun might turn into July which might become November....), and when it does come out it might be better to wait 1-3 months after it comes out so it can bed in within user community *let everyone else find the bugs*
Good luck with your project.... |
HoustonLively. yes, I have been looking at D7, and I like it very much. I hope this weekend to get a chance to go through it thoroughly piece-by-piece, as I did with 6.1.6 (with lots of notes) to familiarize myself with the progress/changes on the front-end so far.
The client project I mentioned was already in development when my partner (a web writer specializing in copy, blogs, email promos, etc.) were brought in to make this project sticky to the target market. So, we'll be working in 6.1.6 for that, and I'll probably set up in D7 for my own project.
cbassthefish, I don't mind learning both at the same time. Reading through the forums has also given me a chance to learn more about the community strengths and weaknesses. Having been in online communities since 1996, I have seen the problems that come with growing pains - some of the same ones I see here. *smiles* Kinda makes me feel at home.
Thank you for the welcome CALTRADE/Rob. Yes, I'll play a lot with 6.1.6. It's good to know where software comes from as wella s where it goes sometimes. I've been with Adobe (for example) since Illustrator 88, and go tthe first Macromedia release ever. It's fun to see them grow up! *grins*
YouDidntDidYou, you make a good point, and one I have thought about. I know how testing can go. In my own project, once we set the dates firmly in plae, I will have deadlines and schedule to meet that will NOT be flexible (due to PR and such). I have to keep all of my options open, including the possibility that a fixed and heavily modded 6.1.6 (or, rather, I hear 6.1.4 is more stable) would have to do.
Thanks you guys again for the welcome. I really appreciate it and all the tips. They keep me thinking. Feel free to send as many thoughts my way as you wish. *smiles*
--
On another note... I have noticed some weirdness with these forums, and I am wondering if it is just me (Firefox on Mac)...
1. Every time I hit "return," the page resets so my carat (text insertion point) is the last line on the page, regardless of how I had my page in the window.
2. Although I type in two carriage returns, and I see the correct paragraph coding in the HTML, all of my paragraphs run together.
3. If I go outside the text field to scroll down the page (to look at replies for example), the carat remains, but will not type until I click back into the text field.
The reply being at the top of the page is kinda annoying. Counter-intuitive to me. Seesm it should be down nearer the replies I am replying to. *shrugs*
|
same bugs using opera browser lol
"hilarity begins at home" |
Ahh, funness is everywhere. For me, it's annoying. For an end user, I can only imagine the speed at which they would leave the site. *sighs*
Luckily, with my own project, the forums are not a required function, but they are with my client project. I have to agree with others' sentiments about phpBB and so on being much better choices if bridge options were available.
|
Heather, (and others)
Workaround for the the annoying antics of the editor .....
Instead of using enter for next lines use shift-enter instead.
It stops the page jumping and also gives you the correct paragraphs at the same time.
I know it's anoying but it is workable for me anyways using FireFox 3.0.10 on Vista.
Oh yeah, I don't notice the 'click back in the editor box' thing you mentioned.
When I scroll down the page and start typing again it goes back to the editor by itself.
And when you EDIT a post, the editor box is right there where you would expect it to be.
(go figure)
HTH
.
|
Okay, trying your shift-return on the eidtor...
Ahhh. I get the breaks. Makes sense. As far as the cursor not being where I need it, that may be peculiar to the Mac version, as it's not happening here on my PC at the J-O-B.
Just noticed something else odd, though. When I hit return twice by accident, instead of shift-return, then I used the delet button, it actually took my up one line once, then up to the end of the first paragraph, instead of the second where it should have gone. Trying again...
Same thing happened. It took me up one line once, then back up to the first paragraph. How odd.
*grins*
Once returned and deleted takes me up as well.
Ah well. I am learning what to watch for. Thank you for the suggestions.
|
Good one Rumpy
I have been using a little " - " character for new lines ever since I saw someone from Boonex doing that.
This is much better.
Rob |
