on this consideration, what needs to be done when considering designing for any social network, is that we have to get out of the mindset of a dating environment.
social media and social networking have expanded beyond the one-night-stand socializing precepts from days of old.
I'm very curious over Boonex's business model, they charge allot for a license and if I was seriously going to start a social network I would only pay for enhancements, the basic framework should come free, just like Wordpress or Joomla.
The options should be the cost, the additions should be done by other developers and designers, this builds the community and enables agencies to offer this as an option, then they can make money on the styling, modification etc
I worked for an agency and it's always a case of weighing up a bespoke solution over a out of the box solution. Dolphin isn't flexible enough and needs to offer a good codex support system like Wordpress, where even the non savvy coders can use it effectively.
Things I love about Dolphin:
Video module, gallery module, members module, forum is not bad, CMS features (drag and drop) just to name a couple
Things I don't like:
Difficult code base, full control over the template (no option to style each module), proper layout options
I think it could get there, just with they'd stop upgrading everything including the templates, Wordpress doesn't do that. Supply a template framework that doesn't break on upgrades.
What you think?
i think templates should be designed as they are for wordpress, since you mentioned wordpress, so that they are applicable generically, but also adhering to some schema of interest.
since what i have gathered through my existance on this site and a few others. is lately there seems to be a trend away from box and i have seen overall, not within dolphin but on the web in general the use of more jquery style.
so what i think would really be nice, is if,. a designer, any designer, from novice to pro, could create a work in PS, and slice it up, export the source, and utilize that design across dolphin. you cant.
there have been some good looking tempaltes created in the past, i think consistently gorpus has the best handle the design factors of dolphin. and where i have not personally seen your work, the only other two unity members who i have seen create templates, are deano and MrP.
it annoys the ever living hell out of me, when one creates a template and then uses the frigging import from uni or base.
then end up in situation where you have a custom element that is controlled by a default declaration.
When a GIG is not enough --> Terabyte Dolphin Technical Support - Server Management and Support
