Crowdfunding the creation of the next version of LFGSS

Ah, should be reading back, not working. Answered

At the moment, by default, you remain logged in until you log out.

and I can't log out (apart from closing safari) since the wherever I click takes me to that error message and when I log on again using that email I get the error

Would that not be done with tags?

I.e. your forum is about crochet in london, so you're homepage becomes a list of microcosms tagged LCC (London Crochet Club)?

Possibly, but if I'm on LCC.org.uk/forum, you shouldn't be able to see the LCC tag on every microcosm or create microcosms without having the tag forced on by default, so as not to break the LCC bubble.

and I can't log out (apart from closing safari) since the wherever I click takes me to that error message and when I log on again using that email I get the error

I'll reset your username, it will take me a moment as I need to get access to the database and our security defaults lock me out.

Try now.

Based on that password length, I'd guess you use the same password everywhere.
excellent...

Not even close.
I do use variants of one password on sites I'm not too bothered about, like bike forums. Any juicy stuff has much nicer passwords :)

hippy knows that no-one will expect him to use '123456'.

You expect me to be able to count that high?

You know how I said I was a roadie? Well...

121212

Try now.

Yes back in thanks
Though logged in as skydancer to 2 different email addresses

'Profile name cannot contain spaces'

Yup, I changed your ct username to skydancer. And as duplicates are allowed right now it works.

'Profile name cannot contain spaces'

Makes sense... don't put spaces in.

Bear in mind that we'd like to be able to enable email options in future without revealing your email address and whilst protecting it from spam.

For example it would be cool to get to the point where sending a private message is no different from sending an email to skydancer@sandbox.microcosm.app , so long as the sender's email relates to a user on the same site and they have right to send you a private message. That message would work via email, but would also create a private message on the site... and then you could in theory reply by email and achieve the same.

To enable features like that in future, we have to be pretty tough on what is an acceptable username.

Could we plug it into a twitter account, customising so everything with a given #tag (ie #TABSbikeability) is automatically posted?

Could we plug it into a twitter account, customising so everything with a given #tag (ie #TABSbikeability) is automatically posted?

That isn't a priority for us in the near-term.

But there's nothing to prevent someone making an API client that listens to Twitter and posts new comments in a "What's happening on Twitter" conversation.

You'd have to use the Twitter API as well as the Microcosm API.

You know how I said I was a roadie? Well...

121212

I used to be both a sound tech and a roadie (and lights, power, stage builds etc).

That's way above a roadie's remit.

Roadies do equipment logistics, that's it.

Roadie+

Bear in mind that we'd like to be able to enable email options in future without revealing your email address and whilst protecting it from spam.

For example it would be cool to get to the point where sending a private message is no different from sending an email to skydancer@sandbox.microcosm.app , so long as the sender's email relates to a user on the same site and they have right to send you a private message. That message would work via email, but would also create a private message on the site... and then you could in theory reply by email and achieve the same.

To enable features like that in future, we have to be pretty tough on what is an acceptable username.

http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc2822 I believe is the RFC for email addresses. It's worth checking over, as it's far less strict about what's a valid email address than people think generally, and most of the plugin checkers for email address validation are far too strict.

http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc2822 I believe is the RFC for email addresses. It's worth checking over, as it's far less strict about what's a valid email address than people think generally, and most of the plugin checkers for email address validation are far too strict.

You're right, and we won't be using email address to derive profile names past the Alpha - it was just a quick stop-gap to give everyone a profile name without a longer signup flow.

In future we'll have a 'fill out your profile' page that you get punted to when first logging in, with how to set profile name + avatar.

And just in case anyone is confused... there will be more than one site.

Today we've only fired up sandbox.microcosm.app

But the whole thing is a platform for many sites, and you won't all have to share the one site if you're wanting to create your own Microcosms.

You can imagine:
mhbp.microcosm.app for Manchester Polo
tabs.microcosm.app for TABS
lfgss.microcosm.app for LFGSS

Each site is given a subdomain of their own, and the site is fully self-contained with no knowledge of other sites.

At this point you can stop. You're done... you've created a site and you could use the address we've given you perfectly well. Time taken to create a site of your own? Barely 30 seconds.

Or... additionally... you could put your own domain name on it. Once a subdomain has been created and you have your site established... you can then CNAME any domain name onto the site.

So... www.lfgss.com would point at lfgss.microcosm.app and everyone would see and use www.lfgss.com*

And MHBP might use forums.mhbp.co.uk for their custom domain.

So just in case there is confusion... sandbox represents a single site on the platform, and the platform is designed to take thousands of sites.

*except for API access which would still use the lfgss.microcosm.app route as API must be over SSL and we aren't forcing every front-end to be on SSL).

It's weird... I'm not totally sure people knew exactly what we were building. But I hope people understand it more now, and I hope you all like it.

I'd entirely forgotten the sub-domain part, makes sense again now. Buyers remorse receding :p

This has probably been covered but what happens to the existing lfgss if/when it migrates to the new platform? With the underlying language being different will existing and past posts be searchable?

Language doesn't matter but the data model does.

This has probably been covered but what happens to the existing lfgss if/when it migrates to the new platform? With the underlying language being different will existing and past posts be searchable?

We are already discussing what import/export looks like.

But in essence:

1. LFGSS gets exported to a big set of files which will translate the BBCode into very basic Markdown on the way. The format of those files will try and encapsulate the idea of forum data (sans-technology or specific product implementation).
   
2. The new files get uploaded to Microcosm, and Microcosm iterates over them and imports them.
   
   

Threads on LFGSS become conversations on Microcosm. Posts become comments, etc.

We will import the functionality that is provided out of the box by vBulletin. A few things that I hacked in will be lost in the migration, but not the core things like users, threads, posts, private messages (all default vBulletin behaviour).

Because it will all be in Microcosm in the format Microcosm expects, all of it will still be available, searchable, editable, replyable, etc.

Under the hood lots happens, but for you the biggest different will be the interface changing and using Markdown rather than BBCode.

Microcosm will also have an exporter, which will allow site admins to dump a Microcosm in that same format.

In principle I'd like to get to a form of forum dump that any product could export and import, to give forums portability and freedom to choose provider. I want us to win because we're awesome, not because we lock you in.

Thanks for the explanation Velocio, I would imagine the ease of transition from an existing site like lfgss to the Microcosm platform will be the key to encouraging already formed forums to take up your new model. Is this in your plan alongside wanting new forum creators to use Microcosm?

Oh and when do you plan to shift to 'Microcosm lfgss'?