Dismal Shadow
Active member
So I am not going to copy and paste but quoting from a good developer for SimpleDesk a helpdesk solution for SMF.
One of Arantor's philosophies is 'innovate, not imitate' when it comes to doing something. If you're going to do something that makes it distinctive and unique, and SimpleDesk does that in a number of ways.
http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=381193.msg2625334#msg2625334
So the question is will Xenforo do the same thing...innovate and do something new?
One of Arantor's philosophies is 'innovate, not imitate' when it comes to doing something. If you're going to do something that makes it distinctive and unique, and SimpleDesk does that in a number of ways.
I recently wrote a blog article on SimpleDesk about our permissions revamp, what we did and why we did it.
And I have to say as I was writing it, several things really stuck.
I won't bore you with requoting the full piece - you can see it from the above link. But the opening is very relevant.
Should you accept what is there because it's how everyone else does it? Should you accept how other packages do things because that's what's expected?
The fact that we have such a prevalent customization feel in this community echoes that first statement. They don't want the forum how it is out of the box, which is fantastic.
The problem is too many people ask for it to change how other packages work. I see there's a mod that gives you vBulletin styling in the forum, and I have to say I'm actually slightly disappointed by that. Not because someone's done it, but because it means people just want the look of something expensive to pass it off as that.
It also means people are continuing to desire things how other people have done it, not doing something interesting and unique. And that's really what I'm writing about.
Don't accept things how they are. Definitely don't accept how others do them just because others do them. vBulletin has a specific style, and most vBulletin forums look the same. Just as most 1.1.x forums look the same, just as most 2.0 RC2+ forums look pretty similar, though it's getting more imaginative.
Each person that requests something "like xyz" is doing both their site, and really SMF, a disservice. Don't build your site around what you think is cool, either.
Do something innovative - and do it for your users. Your users will appreciate your site more if you do something new and interesting that helps them relate to each other, or makes the service your site offers that bit more useful or efficient. They'll come back more and talk more and support each other more if you take the time to cater to their needs and do so in a way they may not have realised before.
So, go forth, have amazing ideas, and the fortitude to turn the new and interesting ideas into reality! Don't kid yourself that what is out there is the best for you - only you know that. And what's best for someone else may not be best for you, so allow yourself the creativity to try something totally different!
In short: stop asking for things to be "like xyz". Stop accepting copies of what's done. Start being your own boss, daring to dream the dreams that haven't been dreamt before, daring to imagine the unimagined, even the unimaginable, and start doing new and exciting things.
I don't want to see 100 clones of what's already there. Give me a single new thing to explore any day!
http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=381193.msg2625334#msg2625334
So the question is will Xenforo do the same thing...innovate and do something new?