[kevinjohngallagher]

Gautam,

This won’t be a short post, but I truly wish for you to know this comes from a place of respect and admiration for both your code and your commitment to bbPress and it’s community.

Please, let us focus on what we need to get the next release finished.

We simply cannot fix everything.

We have to prioritise.

Matt, who is the project lead, did the prioritising for us.

• Critical Bug fixes
• Email notifications
• Anonymous posting.

That’s it. Once those are ready, we release.

Matt himself said that the focus should not be on bugs, but on the 2 new features and critical only bugs.

It’s not for me to tell you, nor even ask, what you should be working on; but please allow me to help you. As a developer, and someone who loves this project, you are trying your best to solve as many problems as possible. It is so admirable, and we all appreciate your efforts. But in the long run, you are only going to slow us down. How?

Bugs.

When a developer writes code, especially large pieces of code, there are bugs. It is the nature of the beast. We have very very few testers, very very few people who download the latest trunk version to test. The chances of us catching anything but the most obvious of bugs are slim.

Take the new default Kakumei theme you’ve included. While I’m in total agreement that the default theme needs changing, this is not the way forward. You’ve changed about 400 lines of code, and there will be bugs. Given that a new Kakumei theme isn’t part of the feature list, those bugs are going to count against us, not be a positive.

You’re giving theme developers slighty more tools to work with, but all you’re giving the average user and the new users is an untested theme that looks like the old one (which looks crap still).

Regardless of how awesome your code is, and it looks brilliant, the best we can hope for with it is that it doesn’t go badly. If it works flawlessly, no-one will notice. There is no winning scenario here. No part of releasing a new theme in 1.1 will be beneficial, especially as it looks identical to the old one.

Sadly the same can be said for your efforts to totally rewrite the entire tag system. I’ve absolutely no doubt, 100%, that your code and functionality would be amazing. But right now, it works. Same for your Mass Delete / User handling functionality. etc etc

There comes a time when Less is More.

Less code changes means less new bugs, means less “OMG it’s taken a year to come out and it’s still terrible” posts. Less code means less to test, it might mean more bugs are caught, it means less bugs released. Less code means we can release quicker. Less code means less testing time.

Realistically, we have only 2 bugs in 1.0.3 ( #1228, #1276 ) and 2 bugs in 1.1 ( #1244, #1268 ) that are stopping us from releasing this thing to alpha for testing. Thats great work, even if #1244 looks like it will be a lot of work.

The other bugs (#538, #1183, #1277, #1243 ) are all “nice to haves”, and yet somehow contain about 800-1000 lines of code with changes. There has to be some form of Risk Assesment here bro. 1000 lines of code changed with no functionality to forum users, but instead increases the chances of bugs?? Risky, very risky.

Look, BackPress might never include the fix we need to get this thing working, so lets focus on the outstanding bugs that are blocking us, and lets worry about the others after. Because lets be honest, if we’re building a new theme for bbPress, it’s should look nothing like KAKumei (emphasis on KAK)

[ts230]

I guess I might take a shot at coding a bbPress plugin. Here’s what I was thinking of:

Adding an additional role that doesn’t allow posting, but is set as the default role. If that is detected, a message will appear telling the user about that, they can click on a link that will open a fancybox and show the quiz. If 9/10 or 10/10 of the questions were right, set some kind of cookie that changes the role to a member that can post. Just double-checking if my idea seems valid.

[WimTibackx]

I think that with the new 3.0 Custom Post Type functionality, a lot could be done to simplify the current WordPress as blog vs. WordPress as CMS vs. Buddypress vs. bbPress clutter. It seems to me that there is no good way of combining them all at this very moment. In wordpress you can’t change nor delete the default post types. If you want bbPress you need to link it up and such. I think it would be better if the current project group evolved into (but who am I in the community ^^):

*BackPress, which contains the whole base (a lot of things it doesn’t contain atm from WordPress)

*Wordpress, which could just be no more then a plugin to BackPress (on the download page you should have the option to either download the plugin or backpress+plugin)

*bbPress, (see wordpress)

*BuddyPress, (see wordpress)

This way, wordpress can evolve in a stable, clear and usefull cms. This way, development teams could be handled much more flexible (a team for backpress, and teams for the other projects only having to worry about the plugin).

This would make it more clear for users and certain wanted features could be implemented much quicker. There should be, however, the functionality of having “plugins on plugins”, thus, plugins on wordpress, …

Also, this way of working would permit developers to use the backpress/wordpress codebase without having the mess of the current post types. It would also ease combining these projects a lot.

Last but not least, it would give the teams the oppertunity to clean up codebases (raise spec to php 5, more object oriented way of handling things, …)

What do you guys think about it?

As a final note, I’d like to say the following to the developing teams : work with the community, not against.

Edit : And if there would be interested in starting such an initiative from the community, as automattic isn’t likely to do this, I’d be willing to help developing. If I’d had more time, I’d probably already started something like this, but I haven’t got the time to lead such a big thing.

[garrik]

from w3

“CSS attempts to create a balance of power between author and user style sheets. By default, rules in an author’s style sheet override those in a user’s style sheet (see cascade rule 3).

However, for balance, an “!important” declaration (the delimiter token “!” and keyword “important” follow the declaration) takes precedence over a normal declaration. Both author and user style sheets may contain “!important” declarations, and user “!important” rules override author “!important” rules. This CSS feature improves accessibility of documents by giving users with special requirements (large fonts, color combinations, etc.) control over presentation. “

[Rootside]

Okay, bug hunting is hereby unsuccessfully terminated for the time being:

I installed WordPress 3.0 RC3 and bbPress 1.0.2 in a different subdomain on the same server, and everything works as it should:

I can register new accounts, they show up in WordPress without a role, but as soon as I’ve logged in and posted a reply, I’m mapped as a subscriber in WordPress.

Adding a new user in WordPress works as well, I can hop over to bbPress, log in with the details chosen in WordPress, and post as a member.

Now that I see it working on the same server, I must have made a mistake in the first installation, or it’s a crazy bug. I doubt it had to do with my custom theme, because I switched back to the defaults during testing. However, I’ve only tested the new installation with the defaults, I’ll be back here if anything goes weird…

I’m still slightly uneasy about this of course, because I usually find the bugs or errors, even if I can’t always (okay, rarely) solve or correct them myself. But given that bbPress is BY FAR the best solution for a simple forum on WordPress, I simply had to make it work. Non-intrusive custom themes and Akismet are just two reasons why bbPress is so far ahead of other WordPress integrated solutions; I’ve tested 4 alternatives over the last week or so – OMFG.

The only thing I can offer to others is to try again, following Sam Bauer’s screencast at https://bbpress.org/forums/topic/basic-integration-screencast

(with one addition: when bbPress asks for the cookie salts and you can’t find them on the admin page bbPress links to, copy them from wp-config.php)

[Rartemass]

I’ve setup a wordpress and bbpress blog/forum.

In wordpress I have added a plugin to display the user login/registration screen by default. So unless you login you can’t access the blog.

Logins will only be created manually by me.

I want the same for the forum but can’t find a plugin.

Please assist.

[KentonMr]

I’m still struggling with this one – and it seems everyone is flummoxed as well.

The problem has evolved a bit.

I’m looking to change the default topic list view not only as described above but also to give the user the option by clicking a image button in each header to change the display order. Also taking the view count out and into a column. So a user can view the most viewed as well as most posted as well as the freshest – all sub listed by ascending alphabetical order.

Although i can change the image buttons and the raw sql for ordering the data – I still cannot get my head round how it is currently working (or should that be not working)

[kevinjohngallagher]

Kool and the gang. We’re one step closer.

EDIT: Yes, you’re partly right. I get the same. Ok, thats a bug. Well done!

When logged out, visiting a user’s profile page the default avatar is replaced with the profile owner’s avatar.

That said my code above definately works to not display the gravatar if you’re logged out, insteadyou can display any image you want.

if (empty($bb_current_user) || $bb_current_user == 0)

{

echo "create an image output here to any image on yoru server";

} else {

echo bb_get_avatar($bb_current_user->ID, 100);

}

[kevinjohngallagher]

I am mate, the function bb_get_avatar() returns either your Gravatar or the default gravar that you specified in your admin section under Settings / Discussion.

In order for that to happen you have to type in the code I’ve given you above. I’ve got it working right now, i’m looking at it.

It’s not working for you for some reason I can’t replicate, so you need to debug the array and look to se what’s happening with print_r($bb_current_user) – and we’ll try from there.

[btko]

Hello,

I’m starting to modify the Kakumei theme and I’m kind of stuck; I’ve made a new folder in ‘my-templates’ and I copied over the style.css from the Kakumei theme. I plan to use it as a starting point for something more personal.

But there are is zero CSS being applied now: http://btko.webfactional.com/sq36/forums/

From reading the Docs I understood it that by just having the style.css bbPress should find all of the other files it needs from the default theme, but it doesn’t seem to be finding anything.

Any thoughts?

Regards,

[yoyopop]

Hiya,

Very sorry for long post, hoping someone might be help to shed some light on this problem…

If you try to add a tag to a topic that doesn’t have any tags yet, using the box below the topic title, the whole page refreshes in order to add the tag (whereas it should do it within the page using Ajax).

If you try to add a tag to a topic which already has at least one tag, then it comes up within the page, highlighted yellow etc using Ajax. That should be normal.

Then, if you try to delete all the tags in a topic which has more than one tag, when you attempt to delete the last one it flashes red to denote it’s being deleted, but it then pops up again and a message appears saying ‘An unidentified error has occurred.‘

– – –

I had a similar problem a few weeks ago, with the tags ajax function not working, which I found out was due to a single space at the end of one plugin file.

Now though, I have disabled all plugins, am using the default template, I have re-uploaded both older backup versions and the latest trunk version of bbpress, but still have the problem!!

Am not sure if it could be a problem with the database? Looking at my database, the bb_tags and bb_tagged tables are both empty?? I do have tags in my forum though, where are they stored?

Does anyone have any clue as to the problem?

It could be the ajax is broken because of a random extra character somewhere?

Or the ‘unidentified error’ is due to the database??

[ghettobsd]

Ok, so both my blog and forum are set up properly and working fine.

I did some hacking to get rid of the back tick to quote option.

So I’m posting for the fist time “I’m” and it posts as “I/’m”

I try to find the problem and can’t.

I end up making 3 db’s total:

db 1) Using what I have (results in /’)

db 2) Clean install, using only themes (results in /’)

db 3) Clean install, no themes, no hacks nothing, just integrated with cookies (results in /’)

Any one have any idea what’s going on?

Both are latest releases. Everything else works fine. Integration works etc etc

I created a new DB with clean installs of both wp and bb with the same results. Different user names, default themes etc. Nothing worked.

tia!

[kevinjohngallagher]

Hi Matt,

What version of bbPress are you using, what version of WordPress, are you definately 100% not using WPMU or BuddyPress, and are you using default themese ?

Thanks

[gerikg]

If you want it like this site…. An easy way to do it is…

the front page of the default theme is broken into two parts.

If you open front-page.php serach for these div codes, everything on the left is between “id=”hottags” role=”main””

Everything on the right is between “div id=”discussions”” JUst move what you want in them.

All you have to do is adjust the width/margin of both css styles.

style.css (line 285) #front-page #hottags for the left side change the width

style.css (line 293) #front-page #discussions change margin left to be 20px more than what you pick for the left column width and the width to fit.

(Why doesn’t this site have a demo on bbpress! I hate changing my theme back to default to answer questions!)

[chrishajer]

It would be strange if you were using the default theme and no plugins and it would do this. Especially if you did not modify any core files. Did the trouble first start after you made modifications?

Not all hosts have error logs enabled.

[sajp]

Can anyone help me with this?

I’ve been setting up my own template for my installation of bbPress (modifying a copy of Kakumei), and at some point along the way the function to register as a new user has broken. Now when you fill in the registration form and click submit, you just get a blank page. No details arrive via email, but the user does appear as registered in the back end of bbPress. I can’t work out where the error is occurring!

I’ve tried switching back to the default theme: no effect.

My only active plug in is Askimet. I tried disabling that: no effect.

I don’t think I edited any of the core files (I’ve just been working in my own template folder), so I’ve run out of ideas!

Can anyone give me any other areas I should investigate?

Thanks!

[Rootside]

Thanks a lot for your help, zaerl – at least we now know that it should be working, or at least it looks like it should be. That’s valuable info.

I’m not sure I’m using the ‘WordPress bbPress cookie plugin’ you mention – I think I’ve seen several plugins that promise to get the integration right – can you point me to the ‘right’ one?

The only plugin I’m using is bbPress Integration 1.0 by Michael Adams and Sam Bauers.

Any other suggestions/guesses? I’d be happy to report back – finding out what’s causing the “email is required” behaviour might be helpful to everybody, considering that there’s at least one other person (Terranb) who’s getting this, and also in light of kevinjohngallagher’s and timskii’s remarks.

Some more information:

The configuration is the same as zaerl’s (except maybe for the plugin mentioned above) – WordPress and bbPress are sharing users, I don’t get booted out of one when I log into the other etc.

The site is hosted on Media Temple’s Grid Service, running PHP 5.2.6 and MySQL 5.1.26

Feel free to have a look if it helps (it’s work in progress):

http://dev.sandithom.com

I’ve tried switching back to the default theme, but the problem was exactly the same…

Thanks everybody – good to find people who are passionate about making it work.

[tcarr184]

Kevin, thank you. Interesting way to ask that question…

I am looking at the backend and at the files and I am pretty sure it is bbpress. Otherwise how would the default template from bbpress run on the site?

Why would the link in the footer bring me to this site if it was the buddypress version?

“Unfiltered MMA is proudly powered by bbPress.”

Thats interesting.

Maybe all this time I have had the wrong software going… Still interesting that BBPress is able to get the user info from wordpress but just not able to activate the members.

[tcarr184]

I switched back to the default theme in hopes that would solve the issue but have had no luck. After I get this figured out I intend to switch themes but my thinking this would be easier to resolve with the default theme in place and I have not made any edits to it yet.

[chrishajer]

Looks like you’re using the default template. Did you modify it at all?

Did you integrate with WordPress?

What plugins are you using?

Does the browser in use make a difference?

[kevinjohngallagher]

I’m going to do something strange here AmplifiedShock, I’m going to ask you NOT to do that.

The “bbPress” that BuddyPress uses is not the same as this “bbPress”. It is heavily heavily modified. Basically the whole of BackPress is removed and replaced by custom functions, and then some of the middle tiering has been rewritten, and a little bit of the front end output and default theme.

A large chunk of the support requests we deal with each day/week is people coming here because BuddyPress calls their forums “bbPress”. We need to be able to tell people honestly and without looking like we’re being difficult, that if they use BuddyPress we can’t help them.

I’m sure it’s technically possible to do anything. I’m sure once it’s technically possible, it’s easier to write a guide for people to follow. You seem to be good enough to do that But with bbPress being turned into a WP plugin and Matt publicly telling people not to use this software; inviting more support queries that end in “we simply can’t help you” isn’t going to help us at all.

Now if you felt like writing more tutorials on converting from other forums to bbPress, I’m sure there would be a good market in that for you!

And, as always, thanks for your time

[kevinjohngallagher]

It comes with 1 default theme, but you can create your own very easily or download others from the internet. There are not that many around currently, but enough for most people.

It would be very helpful to enable us to answer you if you give us some information about what you were looking for in a theme or forum?

[Milan Dinić]

To repeat unfixed issues from my previous post here:

• in login form in header, username and password are not deleted when you click on it, so you need to manually delete them (this is when you are logged put, of course)
• better aligning on post form on plugin’s pages
• more margin between columns on user’s favorites page
• no subscribe to topic link (I’m now wondering could be this solved by using action topicmeta instead of hardcoding in theme since this won’t work in any theme by default)

Ideas:

• gravatars could be added to posts on plugin’s page too
• RSS icons on links to RSS feeds

[r-a-y]

For those not using deep integration and want to use BuddyPress avatars, check out this forum post I just made on BuddyPress.org:

https://buddypress.org/community/groups/how-to-and-troubleshooting/forum/topic/how-to-definitively-display-buddypress-avatars-in-bbpress/?topic_page=1&num=15#post-56018

If you’re using WPMU, replace the $avatar_folder_url with:

$avatar_folder_url = '/files/avatars/'. $author_id;

[Petehds]

There is no default theme in the admin panel. Can I download it from somewhere for my version? Also; not familiar with “development environment”.