What will xenForo become?

CTXMedia

Well-known member
The BETA is out, people are using it, and (for a BETA anyway) it is installed and actively in use at a fair number of sites and is getting lots of positive feedback.

However, it's a new product and people are going to want more; so what do you see xF becoming in the future?

Forums only? +CMS? +database management? +ecommerce? Etc.

Cheers,
Shaun :D
 
Well I'd like to say "until the forum is perfect then it'll remain just a forum", but to keep at the top of their game then the fundamentals need to be constantly improved as technology advances. I think for the next year it'll remain just a forum with possible add-ons for galleries and such. A CMS can't really be created without customer feedback of what they require, most people seem to mistake a portal page for a CMS...
 
I'm not sure where it's headed, but so far I like the path it's on! I bought a license to support the gang and play around with it and the more I play with it the more I want to convert my community when a stable release comes out. (even though I just converted my community in April from vB to IPB)

I would hope that Kier and Mike and Ashley take a route similar to IPB in that they offer a rock solid core (forums) and then sell add ons like a CMS, Gallery, Blog, etc.. This model allows an Admin to pick and choose what is needed for their site vs having a bloated be ALL end ALL solution.

Jamie
 
Well I'd like to say "until the forum is perfect then it'll remain just a forum", but to keep at the top of their game then the fundamentals need to be constantly improved as technology advances. I think for the next year it'll remain just a forum with possible add-ons for galleries and such. A CMS can't really be created without customer feedback of what they require, most people seem to mistake a portal page for a CMS...

James Ive never been clear what the difference is between a cms and a portal.
I'd be interested how you see it.

Remember not to tell in Russian :)
 
Xenforo will become a fluffy white bunny!

Oh wait, you're talking about what it is and what it will become, got it!
I see a lot of potential for Xenforo, it could become the #1 in the field, but it'll take some good trials to get through there. Personally, I'm just happy I found out about it within the first few months, can't wait to get my hands on a copy of it to play with, working with a client now to grab a copy!
 
database management?
What? Sure, why not.

And while we're on the subject, some sort of application that I can access from my desktop wherein I enter the different types of liquor I have around the house and it provides me with a list of cocktails that can be made from those ingredients. Along with detailed instructions and a few images of how the finished drinks should look in different scenarios. If they can get that together, a similar application for food should be easy.

Of course all this is down the road quite a bit. I wouldn't expect it until version 1.2 or 1.3.

I'm excited about the future!
 
James Ive never been clear what the difference is between a cms and a portal.
I'd be interested how you see it.

Remember not to tell in Russian :)
I'll try not to ;)

A CMS is a Content Management System and a portal is generally just a front page, a portal to your forums - so to speak. vBadvanced is a portal (if you've used it). Personally I'd love to see a textbook definition of a CMS, it's kind of like defining love ;)

A Portal is basically a mini-CMS in my opinion. It allows you to promote content, create content, manipulate content but on a smaller scale than a CMS. A CMS is designed around managing the content as well as creating/promoting it, whereas a Portal isn't. A portal is basically a dashboard where people can view the contents of it and navigate through it, not really designed for manipulation IMO.
 
I'll try not to ;)

A CMS is a Content Management System and a portal is generally just a front page, a portal to your forums - so to speak. vBadvanced is a portal (if you've used it). Personally I'd love to see a textbook definition of a CMS, it's kind of like defining love ;)

A Portal is basically a mini-CMS in my opinion. It allows you to promote content, create content, manipulate content but on a smaller scale than a CMS. A CMS is designed around managing the content as well as creating/promoting it, whereas a Portal isn't. A portal is basically a dashboard where people can view the contents of it and navigate through it, not really designed for manipulation IMO.


Ok great your non-Russian is becoming really fluent now ;)

So I get that a Portal is a single opening/ home/ index page and it displays some content from the forums and offers links to selected places in them.

A CMS can do that and more. It can "manage" the content ... manipulation .... not quite with you there.
Is a CMS something that ADDS stuff like articles, widgets, blocks - where a Portal just calls out content from the existing stuff in the forums, and displays it?
 
However, it's a new product and people are going to want more; so what do you see xF becoming in the future?
Yep, I see XF having a full suite of standard pluggable products, such as CMS, gallery, blog, download / cart, etc.

Whilst many have worked on this premise of constant additions to the software, its not a sustainable model IMHO, because you endup with an IPB, VB4.x type products, that is so cumbersome and heavy, literally too many features, they create more issues than solutions.

I would like to see this product stay rich, fast, innovative with key aspects, being product intensive that meet the same goals as the forum product... as that is where IMHO the money is... XF products, not constant upgrades bloating the features. I would rather XF sold of plugins and products than continually adding more useless features. Sure, it needs a bit more yet, but I would hate to ever see it become like the others due to user constant requests. That is what mod developers do... they make pluggable products / mods to give those features for those limited admins who want them.

I would like to see XF create valuable products that meet the same high standards the forum does, even a range of official XF styles for purchase from XF themselves...
 
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