Features / Usability

Posted by George Greene 06 Aug 2007 16:07 GMT-0000 posts: 257

I won't get into specific how to's because there's a lot you're looking for here but I can point you in some directions. Coupla things about the calendar issue:

1) The Tiki calendar is quirky. If it's just you entering data, you can learn the wierdnesses and work around them. I find my users are flummoxed by the 24 hour clock issues and some time change issues from where your server is located and local time where you are. I've had to deal with these issues and others (not so successfully) by changing values and adding text instructions in the template scripts (and I don't really know script). See my calendar -Go ahead and register and then look at adding an event. So bottom line, while the calendar has some potentially very valuable features, it is not quite ready for prime time. (I'd be interested to know if anyone else following this thread knows of better calendars that can be integrated into tiki that support rss feeds. Or maybe if the calendar will get better in 1.10!)

2)You can set up multiple calendars -one for each city. You can put links to each city's calendar in a user module you create that you can then assign to the left or right menu columns.

3)Alternately there is an "Upcoming Events" module you can choose that will display I think 10 events for you in a module -again, that you can assign to the left or right columns. But I've never tried it on more than one calendar because I only have one. This does not solve your problem of past concerts though as it shows "Upcoming" events.

4) I've had some luck with using RSS feeds used to generate menu data from the calendar (and blogs and file galleries -it's really a cool way to get auto-updating menus). Create an RSS feed for the calendar and then create a blank user module and stick the Rss feed code in there for your calendar and add a "max=n" argument that limits the number of events displayed. Again, I have only tried this for my one calendar. I'm not sure if Tiki suppports an rss feed for each calendar separately -my guess is it does. Once again, this will only work for current and future events. You may have to only show upcoming events and then link users to the calendar itself for past events.

Now your other issue is linking off the calendar to an anonymous comment forum with pictures. Technically it's possible but I see no easy way that doesn't either require your users to do (and know) more than they'll be willing to or that would prevent you from having to manually create the means to do so for each and every concert.

Forums: You can certainly create anonymous forums. Users can link to external images or images in one of Tiki's image galleries using a full URL to the image. Will users go through the trouble and will they get it right?

Image Galleries: Users can upload images to an image gallery but there are no comments available.

Blogs: You could create a blog and allow anonymous users to post comments to it. You'd still have to each entry, call it whatever the name of the concert was and then let users comment on it. Again, no easy way to integrate images.

I'm no genius though so hopefully someone else will have some good ideas about this part -maybe with categories -which I barely understand.

Posted by jamesoftopiya 06 Aug 2007 18:11 GMT-0000 posts: 175

Hi; Here are a few of my thoughts on this.

I suggest you install and use the MOD AulaWiki aka WorkSpaces.

For your design I would suggest that in your right column you include the search Module, the log in Module and others of your choice. On line users for example.

Also I would create a Module that has the "PluginInclude" pointing to a page with your list of cities. This wiki page can be added to as new cities are added to your site. The links would point to the "WorkSpace" of that city. This would appear as a list like craigs list. (There also may be a workspace plug in for this?)

For the default main page I would use a wiki page. Put a little blurb about what the site is about. Perhaps a picture or two. Then use the "Split Plugin" to include some of the latest info plugins. Ie, last blog post, last image upload etc. This will create a nice row of what is happening. This is also a good place to put the shout box.

Then you could put the article plugin below that to have a list of the most recent articles. That would look like the home page here at TW.

OK, so here is the fun part.
The city list will point to the "WorkSpaces" of the city as I mention above. There is really to much to say about the potential of the AulaWiki aka WorkSpaces MOD. So check out this page to see an example and learn more.
http://edu.tikiwiki.org/tiki-workspaces_desktop.php?workspaceId=2

Of course you can custom design your WorkSpaces for your needs!

Hope that helps, James

Posted by George Greene 06 Aug 2007 20:23 GMT-0000 posts: 257

Woo Hoo indeed! And, since we're bichin' anyway, maybe:

-12 hr time easily chooseable as default for start and end times and in item display (Rick showed me how to modify the templates for this).
-12 hr time in pop up -it's 24 now no matter what you do!
-a way to turn those pesky pop ups off! (I'm probably just missing this"
-Default for status should be "confirmed" not "tentative".

Bichin aside, I do truly appreciate what folks who are more knowledgable in coding like Mark do with tiki wiki. I love it and I'm expanding it's use outside of my own site. I'm glad to give back what little I can.