Comments on: New Gear Diary Comment Feature http://the-gadgeteer.com/2007/02/03/new_gear_diary_comment_feature/ Gadget reviews and news by Julie Strietelmeier and friends since 1997 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 23:01:46 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Rob Tillotson http://the-gadgeteer.com/2007/02/03/new_gear_diary_comment_feature/comment-page-1/#comment-25502 Rob Tillotson Thu, 08 Feb 2007 18:53:46 +0000 #comment-25502 <p>Well, if I was just going to use canned forum software, there's little reason to replace VBBS anyway. A Rails based forum might be easier to deal with, but it would still be a separate forum. To integrate it like the comments on these pages, I would still have to do almost as much work as writing the feature from scratch, in terms of creating and modifying forms, views, controller code, etc. and since I would have to do the front-end stuff anyway, I might as well structure the database exactly how I want it. (This site is not using any kind of canned CMS... what you see here is the front face of a custom web application built specifically for Julie. So I can't really just plug anything else into it without doing some work, but then again it is also unique :)</p> <p>--Rob</p> Well, if I was just going to use canned forum software, there’s little reason to replace VBBS anyway. A Rails based forum might be easier to deal with, but it would still be a separate forum. To integrate it like the comments on these pages, I would still have to do almost as much work as writing the feature from scratch, in terms of creating and modifying forms, views, controller code, etc. and since I would have to do the front-end stuff anyway, I might as well structure the database exactly how I want it. (This site is not using any kind of canned CMS… what you see here is the front face of a custom web application built specifically for Julie. So I can’t really just plug anything else into it without doing some work, but then again it is also unique :)

–Rob

]]> By: Tyler Puckett http://the-gadgeteer.com/2007/02/03/new_gear_diary_comment_feature/comment-page-1/#comment-25501 Tyler Puckett Thu, 08 Feb 2007 01:38:34 +0000 #comment-25501 <p>Rob, couldn't you use a Rails forum and integrate this with the Rails forum? I don't know much about Rails, but I'm sure there are some. Of course, migrating from the old BBS to the prospective new Rails one wouldn't be easy...</p> <p>And here I am acting like I know what I'm talking about, I use WordPress and bbPress :)</p> Rob, couldn’t you use a Rails forum and integrate this with the Rails forum? I don’t know much about Rails, but I’m sure there are some. Of course, migrating from the old BBS to the prospective new Rails one wouldn’t be easy…

And here I am acting like I know what I’m talking about, I use WordPress and bbPress :)

]]> By: Rob Tillotson http://the-gadgeteer.com/2007/02/03/new_gear_diary_comment_feature/comment-page-1/#comment-25500 Rob Tillotson Mon, 05 Feb 2007 18:32:58 +0000 #comment-25500 <p>One of the reasons for the separate login ID without spaces is that eventually it will be part of URLs, for your profile and such (this is only the beginning for the comment system here). Except for those eventual URLs and the "You are logged in as..." on the front page, your name will be what is displayed, so feel free to use whatever capitalization, spaces, etc. you want to show to other users. (I should also mention that names and email addresses do have to be unique when you create an account, mainly to prevent accidental multiple accounts. Also, a lost password function is coming soon.)</p> <p>As for integrating with VBBS, the problem with that is that the only way to do it is by poking at VBBS' database behind its back -- the backend for the site is in Ruby on Rails, while VBBS is in PHP, so no direct integration is really possible -- and that isn't a great idea in the long term. Eventually this system will grow to replace VBBS for comments on reviews as well, leaving the forum primarily for general discussion instead of talk about specific gadgets.</p> One of the reasons for the separate login ID without spaces is that eventually it will be part of URLs, for your profile and such (this is only the beginning for the comment system here). Except for those eventual URLs and the “You are logged in as…” on the front page, your name will be what is displayed, so feel free to use whatever capitalization, spaces, etc. you want to show to other users. (I should also mention that names and email addresses do have to be unique when you create an account, mainly to prevent accidental multiple accounts. Also, a lost password function is coming soon.)

As for integrating with VBBS, the problem with that is that the only way to do it is by poking at VBBS’ database behind its back — the backend for the site is in Ruby on Rails, while VBBS is in PHP, so no direct integration is really possible — and that isn’t a great idea in the long term. Eventually this system will grow to replace VBBS for comments on reviews as well, leaving the forum primarily for general discussion instead of talk about specific gadgets.

]]> By: Julie http://the-gadgeteer.com/2007/02/03/new_gear_diary_comment_feature/comment-page-1/#comment-25499 Julie Mon, 05 Feb 2007 10:42:01 +0000 #comment-25499 <p>I agree that integrating with VBBS would be optimal, but the problem is that I don't want to manually create a new forum or topic for each gear diary entry that I post like I do for every review and article.</p> <p>There is also a good possibility that we might completely ditch VBBS at some point for a home brew solution. Then it all will be integrated. :o)</p> I agree that integrating with VBBS would be optimal, but the problem is that I don’t want to manually create a new forum or topic for each gear diary entry that I post like I do for every review and article.

There is also a good possibility that we might completely ditch VBBS at some point for a home brew solution. Then it all will be integrated. :o )

]]> By: Tyler Puckett http://the-gadgeteer.com/2007/02/03/new_gear_diary_comment_feature/comment-page-1/#comment-25498 Tyler Puckett Sun, 04 Feb 2007 17:27:05 +0000 #comment-25498 <p>Pretty nice! But it would be nice if this was integrated in the forum rather than being separate. </p> Pretty nice! But it would be nice if this was integrated in the forum rather than being separate.

]]> By: Julie http://the-gadgeteer.com/2007/02/03/new_gear_diary_comment_feature/comment-page-1/#comment-25497 Julie Sun, 04 Feb 2007 01:01:07 +0000 #comment-25497 <p>Your 'name' can have a space in it, but the Login ID can't. That seems to be a fairly standard restriction.</p> Your ‘name’ can have a space in it, but the Login ID can’t. That seems to be a fairly standard restriction.

]]> By: Richard Greene http://the-gadgeteer.com/2007/02/03/new_gear_diary_comment_feature/comment-page-1/#comment-25496 Richard Greene Sat, 03 Feb 2007 19:34:35 +0000 #comment-25496 <p>Well this is interesting.....the new log in procedure. It will not accept a blank so I had to log in as MooseMan rather than the grammatically correct Moose Man. </p> <p>Other then this little annoyance - I like it. </p> Well this is interesting…..the new log in procedure. It will not accept a blank so I had to log in as MooseMan rather than the grammatically correct Moose Man.

Other then this little annoyance – I like it.

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