Joomla CMS

Neal Murphy · Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2008 1:13 am

The Website system that we will be using will be Joomla CMS. You probably have heard of this system. What makes Joomla so exciting is that the way the Content Management System (CMS) works. It allows users to control and modify the content of the site, much like a blog. This is a much better system then a typical blog, as it is a portal and has the usual features of a traditional website.
It will be vital to this project for allot of reasons. First it is easy to manage, easy to build a dynamic CSS style site without knowing any code or do allot of graphic changes. The templates that are available are easy to modify, so even the newest person to web building can have an awesome looking and functioning website.
There are over 1000 Components and addon modules available for Joomla, mostly free. Joomla has just gone through a version change to beef up some security issues. Joomla is Open Source which means that all the code and design updates are available to the public for free. This allows for many third party developers to get involved and create many cool things for Joomla. If you would like to learn more about Joomla checkout www.joomla.org

Now if you are curious and would like to check out the template that I believe we will use you can go to www.joomlashack.com and look under template demos and you can see a working site. The template name is called "Vintage". This template has the features I am looking for it very stylish but not to much flare. We don't need it to be load, just neat and pleasing. It has customizable modules which is important. More on that later, as I have not chosen all the modules yet. But some will be graphic sliders to utilize our ad programs. We will also have Video for tutorials, and Video ads, that we can create with Camtasia.

We will use three main components for handling the membership sign ups, as will as main log in. Community Builder the component used for managing users will allow a member to have the same username for the main site as in the forum which will be a set up on a sub domain if we use PHBB2 or 3, as it will require its own mysql database. There is a bridge that can be used for Community Builder to maintain continuity between the two. It is possible that we may use Fireboard which is pure Joomla and requires no bridge, but I have used it before and wasn't real impressed with it. The main difference that is a plus is that it does not require it's own mysql database, and it will blend more with the site scheme.

As far as other features that will be included is down load pages for Templates and other goodies we will have. The way I may handle this is put it on a sub domain and use a OScomerce style website, as there will literally be 100's of products for download. The OScomerce system is best suted for this.

We will use a Blog, which will be part of the Joomla system for the production of Articles. It is vital to have it part of the main system so we can take advantage of RSS feeds. More importantly so the search engine spiders can find them. I admit I don't know allot about RSS
But I do know that if it is set up properly it will send your articles to 1000's of inboxes and bring in massive traffic to your site. Please don't ask me how that works, I don't have a clue I just know it does. Maybe someone can explain that here as it will be real important for us to take advantage of.

Now as far as advertising goes for the site as I mentioned, we will NOT be using Adsense. I also mentioned we will set up some Modules for the members use. But we need to take advantage of some space to rent to outside sources, although I am up in the air on this as I don't want the site be cluttered with ads. It is not going to be our main line profit stream so it's importance is minimal. What may be our best option for this might be to sell ads on a couple of "Spash" pages I know that I want to use a least two for A/B testing.

If you are not familiar with A/B testing it is used to test advertising methods utilizing ad tracking software to determine which methods and types of ads are working the best for your site. Using an A page with one type of ad copy, or scheme and B page with a different set up. Using the software will allow you to determine what is working the best. Very popular with Affiliate Marketers as they tend to use "Splash" pages allot.

There are some more features that we will use, I will discuss them in another post, But this gives us a good start. As you can see there is plenty that needs to be done. I will handle most of the site building as I will have the best access to the server. Besides it won't take but a couple of days to get it up for content placement. Which brings me to Content, We need content, and lots of it. It needs to be original and quality. Don't be stealing content from blogs etc. If is your thing writing Articles have at it, I will do quite a bit, but I would like to concentrate on getting the website Live. It is important to build credibility so more people will get involved. If you have ideas for the site lets have them so the ones we choose will get implemented.

_________________
Neal Murphy
A Project 4 Freedom
Achieving Freedom with Community Wisdom

"Successful People do the Things Unsuccessful People Refuse to Do"

neal@hosting4freedom.com

Neal Murphy · Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 11:37 am

This plan of mine to try and use the newest version of Joomla, is not working out as I hoped. I found the patch, then, seems like every step you have to dig the bugs out of it. I guess it's not as stable as they claim. It is important to me to use this version as it has updated security, an is not as vulnerable, to exploits. I still am trying to get it to work.
I think I am almost there but, this latest bug is kicking my behind, I am going to have to go over all the code again, and try a couple of things, if that don,t do it, I am just going to use the last version. Which I had loaded and had working fine working yesterday.

I believe I have it narrowed down to one path but for some reason, it won't acknowledge the Mysql database , and times out , the Mysql is fine it shows no errors when I test it, it just won't authenticate the code past this particular line of code.

$mosConfig_dbprefix = 'jos_'; // Do not change unless you need to!

The warning is put there by Joomla so you know they have written code that requires this somewhere else. That some where eles is index.html which deals with session authentication.This is to authenticate the parameters so the web page opens correctly.

The MySQL database as indicated by $mosConfig_dbprefix = is looking for the database site prefix which is this

$mosConfig_dbprefix = 'aproject_': //

So it's as confused as I am

This the error I see when the page loads.

DB function failed with error number 1146
Table 'aproject_p4fjoomla.jos_session' doesn't exist SQL=SELECT session_id FROM jos_session WHERE session_id = '04cc899117be7e32b4c2f28b72997307'
SQL =

SELECT session_id
FROM jos_session
WHERE session_id = '04cc899117be7e32b4c2f28b72997307'

This error is coming from the configuration.php file that I had to manually write.
it basically is defining username/password authentication and system permissions and actions prior to allowing the index.html file to open the page to view.

When I first insatalled the configuration.php was not writable, and even though I changed the permissions there is a program code on the server, I can't change the server file called "globals" these are set to on or '1' but I needed them off or '0' ,so the Joomla program would automatically write this file. " Globals" are a security protection setting the permissions, anyway I could get around that by manually writing the code, I will tell you I have check that code 100 times, I don't see any coding mistakes. The problem is coming from the MySQL database authentication requirements, that where detriminded by the Joomla patch file, some where this code has to re authenticate it self when jumping to another file. as configuration.php to index.html to trigger the next process. the bottom line is when configuring the MySQL database, it requires the site prefix to be set as part of authentication this is it aproject_ but the patch file requires this jos_ as this is the trigger authentication in index.html if I change the index.html file to aproject_ this will probably just make things worse as the code is requiring jos_ but MySQL is requiring aproject_ So This is the bear I am trying wrestle with.
_________________
Neal Murphy
A Project 4 Freedom
Achieving Freedom with Community Wisdom

"Successful People do the Things Unsuccessful People Refuse to Do"

neal@hosting4freedom.com

Neal Murphy · Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 6:23 pm

Ok we have a website, well a test site anyway. I have aborted my attempts to use Joomla 1.5 and have installed Joomla 1.13. It is allot more stable, and it will do all the things necessary. I have installed the test template, but Kevin and I have discussed using this as the actual template. Which as for function is what we are looking for. But the color scheme is all wrong. So I may take the Template files and give them a bath in Dreamweaver, this should do the trick, maybe. I used this template before when I had www.mydebtfreeclub.com It was fine as I was not looking for a particular color scheme. This time I am. So I will play with this template, and I believe Kevin will assist. He has already provided the basis for our logo. I have ask Kevin to post it here in this thread.

Now for how we are going to make things happen, the Toy's....

I wanted give the members the ability to have some of the control over the content, mainly.....
Articles. The reasoning behind this is. A big part of marketing today is Article submission. The problem is very few of us can write effective, or for a lack of better terms marketable content. So I was thinking, I know this is dangerous, but if there was a way to allow the members that are good at it supply marketable content, this would be useful. I am not going to get to involved here. I will start a new cat. and talk more on this. So that being said I would like to give them some control, allowing the members to be interactive which will I hope to be a big pull for others to join. Them being able to get involved with content, This should not be that hard as thats what Blogs do. We just want to control the situation.

Unlike Blogs, Joomla only has a few options, the most popular ironically is the worst, it is done by using a Hack file, called JACLplus that changes some of the core files. This works well for some, but is a disaster for others, you should thinking of Murphy's Law about now. So I tried it, it did not work, this time being older and wiser I backed up the server files first.
So on to plan 'B" not sure what that is yet. Jump in anytime!

Next.. Comunity Builder this well be the component that will control user management, It has so many cool things the only way to describe is you need to check it out yourself.

go to www.joomla.org go to Extensions Tab then write Community Builder in the search, it will give you a description and the link to there site.

The next thing will be AEC this is what will control the subscriptions for membership. It will control the whole process from the time some one tries to sign in to making there payment to PayPal.

Next.... DocMan this is what we will use for file sharing, download Upload, edit, total control over our digital products.

Those are the big ones I will be dealing with first, then will be some more stuff that we have not discussed yet. Like a WYSIWYG editor, it's needs to upgraded, some type of Gallery. The ability to upload Video, and a few more goodies. Thats where we are at for now at the site. If you need a link to the back end admin e-me and I will give it to you.[b][i]

_________________
Neal Murphy
A Project 4 Freedom
Achieving Freedom with Community Wisdom

"Successful People do the Things Unsuccessful People Refuse to Do"

neal@hosting4freedom.com