Interesting implementation of WWF...

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   Well, I've managed to get WWF working well - and even upgraded from the
Access to SQL version right off the bat with very few problems.

I'm using the WWF package in an interesting manner, which I want to
show people and see if they can do the same thing, but I've also got a
couple of minor feature issues/requests I'd like to address quickly,
that I didn't really hit on in my registration messages...

  It would be awfully cool if there were a way to change the
default text, table background, and link colors, fonts, sizes, etc from
within the administration menu.  The code for some of the pages
almost looks like this is being slowly implemented, but I don't find a
place in the Admin interface to deal with it.
  The character restriction on subject lines should be longer or at
least modifiable from the admin interface.  I frequently find
myself having to find new ways of writing things because my intended
subject line won't fit.
  Integration with existing site layouts should be easier.  I
ended up just customizing the pages myself instead of putting them into
the format of the rest of my site (which is all based on Dreamweaver
templates containing multiple nested tables).  I almost got there
once, but any attempt to insert the necessary table codes in the header
and footer files results in the graphics in the page bodies rendering
vertically (both the navigation menu and the control panel for the RTE
do this).  I posted about that hear earlier, but didn't get any
responses, and so I just went forward without integrating...which
probably works out better anyway, because I'll eventually break my WWF
application off into a separate domain.

So, this interesting implementation:  I'm using the WWF as a
engine to create an user-driven knowledge base.  In this case, the
knowledge in question relates to a series of PC roleplaying games
called the Elder Scrolls series, which I realize that many people here
probably don't care about, but I think it's a pretty innovative way of
using a discussion forum application.

You can see it in action at http://www.lowgenius.com/esdb/forum

Of particular interest to WWF administrators (maybe) is the way I've
set up two ladder systems - one for normal users who just want to use
the discussion area, and one for 'contributing users' who will be
adding informational posts to the knowledge base.  

This definitely increases administrative overhead, as I have to advance
the 'contributing users' by hand based on their submission quantitiy in
the information forums, but it allows me to create what is basically a
completely separate application within the discussion board -
discussions over here, knowledge base over there - and then my users
who don't care to write information articles just advance up the
automated ladder.

You can see how incredibly complex this notion can become by reading
the 'Who's Who' post in the About ESDB forum at the above URL - I have
17 user classes (and 72 forums, with more on the way!  Good thing
I went to SQL server right from the nstart, eh?).  6 are
automated, and 11 are designations set by hand (regular users are
designated contributing users on request).

It's a little clunky right now, IMO, primarily because there's just no
way to automate the second ladder system without doing a BUNCH of
coding, including some pretty intense structural changes to the
database table structure and relationships...and if I wanted to do
that, I wouldn't be using a package in the first place!  

Also, the number of forums (the game series is over ten years old and
there is an outrageous amount of information to be collected) makes the
front page look terribly cluttered, which I believe will be addressed
in the next version of WWF - I notice that this board allows for
multiple 'levels' of forums in order to have a cleaner front page,
which will be VERY nice for my application.

And just for the record, I will definitely be purchasing
a key for this application when I get a little spare change in my
pocket.  What an excellent, excellent tool!  Thanks, -borG-!

Best regards,

-----

John Henry

Webmaster

LowGenius.Com