Articles - Page 135

What I Mean to Say: A Practitioner Perspective on AI, Semantics, and Content Evolution

msalvatierra

An interesting idea came to fruition from the comments on my popular, <a href="/wordpress-joomla-and-drupal-are-not-the-best-cms/">WordPress, Joomla and Drupal are NOT the Best CMS</a> post.The idea was to pit a number of solutions against one another for a specific use case. I think this is a great idea and I'd like to ask all of you which CMS you'd like me to start the series with?Pitting different content management systems against one another in specific scenarios is a great way to identify the strengths of the various products on the market. Please do not feel restricted to popular products either, the point of the post will be to help identify alternatives.I'd ask that you please leave a comment below with the CMS' you'd like to see pitted against one another and the scenario and I'll choose one to kick off the series with.Thanks for your input!

CMS Wars - Which CMS' Should be First?

mike-johnston

<a href="http://www.sitecore.net/" target="_blank"> Sitecore</a> have announced an early access program for <a href="http://www.sitecore.net/Platform/Channels/Commerce-Experience.aspx" target="_blank">Sitecore Commerce, powered by Commerce Server </a> , the first enterprise-grade .NET customer experience management (CXM) solution with fully integrated commerce functionality.
The new offering will enable marketers and merchandisers to deliver personalized and relevant digital shopping experiences from initial customer acquisition through online transaction using a single, connected platform.
Let's take a deeper look at what SiteCore's latest technological addition brings to the table.
<h2>Keeping it Personalized</h2>
Sitecore Commerce is the latest puzzle piece added to  <a href="http://www.sitecore.net/Products/Sitecore-Experience-Platform.aspx" target="_blank"> The Sitecore® Experience Platform™</a>. It gives marketers access to actionable insights, collaborative abilities and a holistic view of their customers.
<img style="max-width:400px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sitecore_logo_400x0.gif" />
Sitecore Commerce empowers brands to drive e-commerce innovation and growth opportunities, leading to reduced implementation costs, quicker time-to-market and increased conversion rates.
Regarding the announcement of Sitecore Commerce, Michael Seifert, co-founder, and CEO of Sitecore, made these comments:
<blockquote>“We view e-commerce a key piece of the customer experience platform puzzle. I’m proud of the addition of Sitecore Commerce to our leading platform, and excited to bring such a robust yet easy to use solution to the market.
As the only complete end-to-end .NET solution, Sitecore Commerce enables brands to go to market within rapidly reduced timeframes, more quickly increasing their revenue and accelerating growth.”</blockquote>
<a href="http://www.sitecore.net/Products/Sitecore-Experience-Platform.aspx" target="_blank">The Sitecore® Experience Platform™ </a>   includes integrated digital marketing, e-commerce, multichannel customer experience and big data-analysis applications. Sitecore Commerce works natively within Sitecore Experience Platform’s easy-to-use user interface, allowing merchandisers and marketers to quickly and easily implement the service into current campaigns.
Other key benefits include:
<ul>
<li> Single, connected administration:  All product catalog information is available within Sitecore, with no data duplication or synchronization hassles.</li>
<li> Unified content and campaigns:  Marketers and merchandisers can easily search and edit all assets, view end-to-end campaigns and access customer insights across all touch-points, and measure conversions and customer value.</li>
<li> Enterprise-grade:  Sitecore Commerce is built to meet the most demanding enterprise commerce needs, with performance throughput and robust systems to meet seasonal shopping peaks head-on.</li>
<li> Highly flexible:  Developers can build customized environments to meet specific brand needs and create unique shopping experiences, instead of relying on templates.</li>
</ul>
As far as availability is concerned, Sitecore Commerce will be broadly available from September 2014.
Furthermore, Sitecore Commerce, powered by Commerce Server, will be demonstrated at Sitecore Symposium 2014 in Las Vegas on September 8-10.
To learn more, visit the <a href="http://www.sitecore.net/Platform/Channels/Commerce-Experience.aspx" target="_blank"> Sitecore website</a>.
Also, don't forget to explore more of <a href="/products/sitecore/" target="_blank"> Sitecore via our CMS Directory</a>.

Sitecore Commerce Unveiled: the First Enterprise-grade eCommerce Integrated .NET CXM

<a href="http://www.wix.com/" target="_blank">Wix</a> has announced its very first verticalized solution in the form of WixHotels.
The announcement was made during a conference call set up to discuss the company's Q2 14 earnings.
WixHotels is a complete booking engine that is fully integrated into a Wix website, aimed at hotel and B&amp;B owners specifically. In keeping with Wix's user-friendly ethos, WixHotels is code-free, simple, yet feature-packed.
As Wix's first solution dedicated to a particular industry niche, this announcement of WixHotels is a significant milestone in Wix's history.
<h2>Codeless, Commisionless &amp; Comprehensive</h2>
The WixHotels booking engine allows users to manage room inventories and comes complete with pricing, booking, reservation and payment management capabilities.
WixHotels, a complete booking engine that is fully integrated into a Wix website. Wix’s core products answer the needs of all business verticals, and with its new verticalized solutions, the company is extending its offering to more deeply address the niche needs of specific industries.
While many travelers today research hotel rooms via online booking websites, most of them visit the hotel’s website before actually booking. Furthermore, travelers are booking their reservations directly on hotels’ websites at an increasing rate, making an appealing website with an integrated online booking engine essential for a hotel owner’s business.
<img style="max-width:225px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/imagescalnqwn3-1.jpg" /> 
Before WixHotels, hotel owners were limited in their options to take and manage reservations to either integrating expensive and complex booking systems or offering rooms via third-party booking websites. Of course, these solutions usually included hefty commision rates.
WixHotels offers a complete booking engine that is fully integrated into a Wix website for hotels, B&amp;Bs and vacation rentals. This code-free product makes it simple to build and maintain the room inventory complete with pricing, booking, reservation and payment management capabilities. Available through the Wix App Market, WixHotels is not limited to reservations made through the website.
Through their Wix dashboards, hotel owners can easily add reservations made elsewhere and manage their entire room inventory – all under the same digital roof. WixHotels is also fully optimized for mobile devices, enabling potential travelers to book a room on the go, from any device.
Upon the announcement of WixHotels, Avishai Abrahami, Wix Co-Founder and CEO, had this to say:
<blockquote>“Wix offers a robust and comprehensive platform for all business owners. Our new verticalized strategy lets us build on this solid foundation by adding more layers and enhancements that cater to the specific needs of each industry.
WixHotels is the first release designed for a specific vertical. It frees hotel owners from relying on third party vendors who charge a commission, turns a hotel website into an engine for driving growth and creates a hub for managing all aspects of a hospitality business.”</blockquote>
WixHotels beta version is free, and like other Wix products, it will become a freemium feature upon its full release.
Sign up to create your <a href="http://www.wix.com/" target="_blank">free Wix website today</a>.
Also, you can explore more of <a href="/products/wix/" target="_blank">Wix via our CMS Directory</a>.

Wix Announces Freemium Booking Engine, WixHotels

Kentico 8.1 is due to be released on August 22nd 2014. But as of right now, Kentico users can get their hands on a beta version.
The popular ASP.NET enterprise Web Content Management System and Customer Experience Management solution got a major update when <a href="/kentico-8-introduces-slick-new-interface-and-improved-marketing-suite/" target="_blank">version 8.0 was released</a>. Now, Kentico 8.1 s about to add to what's already quite new and exciting.
When I covered <a href="/kentico-8.1-release-date-revealed/" target="_blank">Kentico's announcement of the release date of version 8.1</a>, I made mention of some of the new planned features. Now though, let's take a closer look at what the Kentico 8.1 is set to bring.
<h2>Dashboard &amp; Marketing Suite Enhancements</h2>
Below is a GIF of Kentico's newly tweaked dashboard, a feature users can make use of with the Kentico 8.1 beta. Simply click on the image below to view.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/dashboardcustomization700x0.gif" alt="Kentico 8.1" />
Here's the list Kentico released, outlining what the Kentico 8.1 beta contains:
<ul>
<li><a href="http://devnet.kentico.com/articles/sell-more-with-new-buy-x,-get-y-discounts" target="_blank"> Buy X, Get Y discounts</a>:  This update allows Kentico store managers to configure their cross-selling promotions in a more sophisticated way, e.g. Buy any 3 clothes, get the cheapest for free</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://devnet.kentico.com/articles/live-tiles-and-dashboard-customization" target="_blank"> Dashboard improvements</a>: This update allows Kentico users to easily personalize the dashboard with frequently used applications. Furthermore, some dashboard tiles display real-time data, e.g. Number of running order discounts.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>LinkedIn integration: This update allows marketers to manage the company profile directly from Kentico including the ability to use automated workflow for content publishing on LinkedIn</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>SharePoint integration improvements: This update brings support for the latest SharePoint versions including SharePoint Online and other improvements. e.g. the ability to set up the multiple SharePoint connections for the same Kentico site</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Online marketing performance improvements: The Kentico team have lowered the performance footprint of Kentico Online marketing modules such as Contact groups and Scoring. This means that your web site will respond more quickly and will be able to handle more traffic during peaks.</li>
</ul>
You can <a href="http://devnet.kentico.com/articles/try-kentico-8-1-beta-!?feed=Kentico" target="_blank">download the Kentico 8.1 beta right here</a>.
Also, be sure to explore more of <a href="/products/kentico/" target="_blank">Kentico via our CMS Directory</a>.

Kentico 8.1 Beta Now Available

<a href="http://www.dudamobile.com/" target="_blank"> Duda</a>, a do-it-yourself website builder for web professionals and small businesses, has launched <a href="http://www.dudaone.com/insite/press" target="_blank"> inSite </a> , an easy to use new tool within its DudaOne platform. 
 Formerly known as DudaMobile, <a href="/duda-website-builder">Duda</a> is quickly taking hold of a slice of the website builder market, having partnered with companies like Google, Yahoo and AT&amp;T. 
 I recently <a href="/interview-with-itai-sadan-co-founder-ceo-of-duda/" target="_blank"> interviewed Itai Sadan, Duda's Co-founder &amp; CEO</a>. We discussed <a href="/duda-website-builder">Duda</a>'s begginings, its offerings and its future as a website builder in a competitive market. Itai Sadan certainly sounded positive about Duda's future in that interview, and now that inSite is launching, I can see why.   
 inSite makes it easy for business owners to create dynamic web content based on customer behavior. It comes out-of-the-box with Duda's <a href="http://www.dudamobile.com/dudaone" target="_blank"> DudaOne</a> website builder. The kicker is that such technology is often reserved for large enterprises with huge IT budgets and dedicated IT departments.   
<h2>Democratizing Personalized User Experiences</h2>
Using inSite, businesses can preset what content different types of customers will see based on variables such as time of day or week, device type, number of visits, location and more; without requiring any development work. 
 A website visitor using a mobile device in the morning hours for example, can be shown content different to that shown to a visitor at night via a desktop. 
 <img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/duda-logo90x190.png" /> Duda have also shared some research undertaken by one of their customers, Raydiance for Women, a custom hair replacement company in West Bloomfield, Michigan. 
 By implementing an inSite campaign on their website, Raydiance for Women recorded a 65 percent increase in conversions from potential customers. In this specific campaign, customers visiting after office hours were presented with a contact form, and first-time visitors during office hours were presented with a video and prominent call-to-action. 
Mike Madigan, Vice President of M-1 Studios, the agency responsible for creating the Raydiance website, made these comments:
<blockquote>
“inSite has been incredible, mind-blowing really. Before inSite, we simply would not have had access to the technology needed to present website visitors with such a personalized experience. The huge increase in engagement we’ve already seen is just astonishing. We can’t wait to offer it to our other customers.”
</blockquote>
Furthermore, Itai Sadan, Duda's Co-founder and CEO, had this to say upon the public launch of inSite:
<blockquote>
“The bigger companies have always had the budgets and resources to create elaborate personalized user experiences, creating an unfair situation for smaller businesses and web professionals. 
Today, with inSite, we’re leveling the playing field by democratizing this technology and making it possible for anyone to easily build enterprise-grade websites without the need for massive budgets or a large development team. 
 Duda is the only DIY website builder to bring DWP features to our customers, and we’ve made it as simple as a few clicks. Based on results from our early inSite users, we know businesses will be more successful by personalizing their websites.”
</blockquote>
inSite comes as part of <a href="http://www.dudamobile.com/dudaone" target="_blank"> DudaOne</a>, Duda's DIY website builder.  
 To get started on your website, <a href="http://www.dudamobile.com/dudaone" target="_blank"> visit Duda</a>.

Duda Launches inSite: a Personalized User Experience Tool

<a href="https://www.socialengine.com/" target="_blank">SocialEngine</a> have released some enhancements and bug fixes in the form of <a href="http://blog.socialengine.com/2014/07/31/socialengine-4-8-6-released/" target="_blank">version 4.8.6</a>.
The popular community-building CMS boasts a range of features, apps and themes. Users can choose between a could-hosted version and a self-hosted version, with prices differing between the two.
With this update, SocialEngine have bolstered their anti-spam defenses and fixed numerous bugs around the software. SocialEngine's last update included the introduction of <a href="/socialengine-php-4.8.3-released-with-html5-video-compatibility/" target="_blank">HTML5 video compatibility</a>.
<a href="/products/social-engine/" target="_blank"><img style="max-width:295px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/socialengine-hosting.png" alt="SocialEngine" /></a> 
Here's a list of what SocialEngine 4.8.6 brings to the table:
<ul>
<li>Added some reliable anti-spamming techniques; you will be able to enable them from Admin &gt; Settings &gt; Spam &amp; Banning Tools.</li>
<li>Fixed bug with Re-Captcha when SSL is enabled</li>
<li>Corrected order of forum posts added by Ning Importer.</li>
<li>Fixed bug with adding link to a wall post where image selector was not being displayed.</li>
<li>Background Mailer Task will run better now and not hang.</li>
<li>Fixed bug where the respective profile field column in field search table was not getting deleted after the deletion of a profile field.</li>
<li>Fixed social network mapping issue when multiple social networks are chosen during signup.</li>
<li>Fixed bug with menu editor where any custom menu added to  Member Edit Profile Navigation  was redirecting to  Browse Members  page.</li>
<li>Fixed an error showing in the log that would be generated when changing the order of photos in an album</li>
<li>Fixed bug where bullets added via TinyMCE Editor were not being displayed in blogs.</li>
<li>Fixed a bug in discussions under Events and Groups where page UI was getting affected in certain cases because of HTML tags not closing after truncation.</li>
</ul>
Furthermore, the SocialEngine team has updated Photo Albums, Blogs, Events, and Groups plugins to 4.8.6.
To download SocialEngine 4.8.6, visit the client area.
For everybody else, either checkout the <a href="https://www.socialengine.com/" target="_blank">SocialEngine website</a>, or start exploring more of <a href="/products/social-engine/" target="_blank">SocialEngine via our CMS Directory</a>.

SocialEngine 4.8.6 Released

<a href="http://www.prestashop.com/" target="_blank">PrestaShop</a> have unveiled a (very) long list of enhancements, released under the name of PrestaShop v1.6.0.9.
The open-source eCommerce platform powers millions of online stores across the globe, boasting a range of useful features out of the box, along with a healthily populated app and theme store. I covered everything you need to know about them in my <a href="/prestashop-review/" target="_blank">PrestaShop Review</a>.
In keeping with PrestaShop's focus on community, they listed to 69 different users to help them compile a list of bugs that needed fixing, and a list of enhancements that needed introducing.
<img style="max-width:548px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/prestashop.png" alt="PrestaShop" /> 
Together with their community, here's some of what they came up with:
<ul>
<li>Smarty update to 3.1.19</li>
<li>Improvements for the Block Layered Navigation</li>
<li>Optimization of the database loading time for large catalogs and categories</li>
<li>Better implementation of HTML Purifier</li>
<li>Mobile detection has been updated for improved stability</li>
</ul>
The remaining bug fixes and improvements – which are well over a hundred in number – can be seen via the <a href="http://www.prestashop.com/en/developers-versions/changelog/1.6.0.9" target="_blank">changelog</a>. Or, you can simply <a href="http://www.prestashop.com/en/download" target="_blank">download PrestaShop 1.6.0.9</a>.
To find out more about PrestaShop, <a href="http://www.prestashop.com/" target="_blank">check out their website</a>.
Additionally, be sure to explore more of <a href="/products/prestashop/" target="_blank">PrestaShop via our CMS Directory</a>.

PrestaShop 1.6.0.9 Brings About Long List of Tweaks & Enhancements

Webs' DIY Website Builder has received a massive boost, with <a href="http://www.webs.com/themes" target="_blank"> 450 brand new themes</a> being released. 
 <a href="http://www.webs.com" target="_blank"> Webs</a> – or Webs.com – is a hosted website builder designed to let users of all abilities build beautiful websites. That should now be a lot easier, thanks to this huge amount of extra themes. 
 The new templates include designs tailored to 20 different industries, are all mobile-optimized and even come with theme-matching physical marketing products (like business cards), courtesy of Webs' parent company VistaPrint.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/download.jpg" alt="Webs" />
<h2>More Than a Website</h2>
450 new themes is big news for Webs' website builder, but perhaps the most exciting element of this news is the theme-matching marketing products. 
 Thanks to VistaPrint, business owners choosing any of the 450 new themes will be able to complement their online presence with matching merchandise, from business cards and flyers, to apparel and signs.  
 So you aren't just getting a theme, you're getting an all-in-one marketing package. 
 Regarding this mass theme release, Webs' General Manager Scott Bowen made these comments:
<blockquote>
“We sought our customers’ feedback on what they need to build and manage their online presence and found additional themes to be the most-requested item.
We answered this demand by creating multiple layouts for the different industries we serve. With the addition of more than 450 new themes and availability of matching physical marketing products, we offer small business owners an opportunity to create a professional brand presence with affordable, easy-to-use tools.”
</blockquote>
The new themes can be found via the <a href="http://www.webs.com/themes" target="_blank">Webs Theme Gallery</a>, where you can search by industry, cost and keyword. Webs users can also switch seamlessly between themes at any point, evene after adding content to their websites.
To find out more about Webs, <a href="http://www.webs.com/" target="_blank"> check out their website</a>.

Webs Releases 450 New Themes for Its DIY Website Builder

Power your CMS on AWS

Manage your websites & apps in the most trusted cloud.

#ffffff

Fostering a successful online discussion forum is no easy feat.
There’s a whole host of things that need to work just right both on and off your website in order for a community to form and thrive. It’s far from a simple process.
So, choosing the right forum platform to host your community is pretty damn important. The last thing you need is shoddy software piling on more issues.
<a href="http://www.ninjapost.com/" target="_blank"> Ninja Post</a> has been in business since 2009, and now supports a range of online forums bringing in thousands of visitors a month.
Built to integrate with existing websites, Ninja Post is a mobile-friendly forum software hosted completely in the cloud. It boasts a focus on real-time updates, helping members feel like they are participating in a live, thriving community.
Before I begin looking under the hood, here’s a Ninja Post introductory video to get you started:
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hNc7cUgEuhE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<h2>Initial Thoughts</h2>
For those of you who don’t already know, I like to start my reviews off from the place every customer and client will begin their journey. The vendor website.
Ninja Post’s site is clean, simple and tells you everything you need to know about the product.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/np700x0.png" alt="Ninja Post" />
Core software features are nicely laid out and explained, whilst the pricing page is easy to understand.
There’s also a regularly updated blog, which many software vendors undervalue as a sign of good health.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-2700x0.png" alt="Ninja Post" />
I wasn’t browsing for very long before the live-chat window popped up on the side of my screen. Somebody was asking if I needed any help looking around. It was none other than Mike Wilt – founder of Ninja Post.
Although he knew somebody was going to be reviewing his software, I never announced when I’d be browsing through his site. In other words, Ninja Post’s founder is still very much in touch with the grassroots of his business – the new website visitor.
Impressed, I began asking Mike Wilt about his involvement with Ninja Post, and he gave me a thorough breakdown of the software’s history, mentioning how he still, “Loves bringing communities to life”.
<h2>Feature Overview</h2>
After a helpful chat with Mike Wilt, I continued digging around Ninja Post’s features found both on the website, and within the admin panel – which I will assess in due time.
I soon realised just how much Ninja Post offers out of the box. It looks a little something like this:
<ul>
<li>Custom &amp; responsive design to suit existing websites</li>
<li>Real-time updates</li>
<li>Photo galleries</li>
<li>Rich media support</li>
<li>User profiles, rewards, reputation and rankings (Gamification)</li>
<li>Free updates and backups</li>
<li>Monetization through banner ads and member subscriptions</li>
<li>Single Sign On (Forum can be bridged to existing user databases)</li>
<li>Newsletter management</li>
<li>Analytics</li>
<li>Privatization option</li>
<li>WordPress Plugin to display recent content</li>
</ul>
And that’s not even all of it. There’s more to be seen on <a href="http://www.ninjapost.com/features/" target="_blank"> Ninja Post’s features page</a>. Needless to say, I was once again impressed by what I was seeing.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-1700x0.png" alt="Ninja Post" />
Perhaps the most interesting dimension of Ninja Post is its real-time updating feature.
Not only are new threads automatically updated like a newsfeed, but subtle alerts within threads let you know when other members are typing replies. This is probably best illustrated with a video, so here's Ninja Post's real-time updating feature in action:
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cJ0oTDQMAGc?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
This inclusion of live feed updates and typing notifications makes Ninja Post feel organic and alive.
I can definitely see how they can help nurture a growing online community. It’s a forum and chat room hybrid, taking the best of both worlds and rolling them into one solution. I think that’s pretty damn cool.
<h2>The Front End</h2>
Okay, so the website, friendly founder and extensive features list had got me excited. But I know all too well that the phrase, “Never judge a book by its cover”, applies heavily to the world of software.
It was time to have a look around some live Ninja Post examples, to see exactly how things fit together – if at all.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-3_700x0.png" />
Thankfully, I found Ninja Post’s interface to be quite charming.
The live-feed forum is neatly laid out, adjacent to a bold, “Compose Thread” button, which sits on top of a sidebar menu. 
 Within the menu can be found image and video galleries, groups, subscribed threads, a search option and a list of existing tags. These tags can be added to threads by their authors, helping other members find relevant conversations quickly and easily using the sidebar. Having the tags so visible and accessible will undoubtedly help the flow of engagement across the forum. 
 Inside a thread, things are kept simple once again.  
 <img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-4_700x0.png" /> The familiar forum thread layout is employed, with avatars and user information on the left, and post content on the right.  
 Options within threads allow you to up-vote comments (which adds to the authors reputation), quote posts, @ members and even send private messages without leaving the thread in question. Members can also choose to subscribe to threads, and receive email updates. It all works very well, too. 
 Admins and moderators also have the added ability to delete and edit posts on the spot.  
 <img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-5.png" alt="Ninja Post" /> 
 The interface is clean and quick, but not particularly dazzling, which is no big deal in my book, as I'd take functionality over glitter any day of the week, and NinjaPost gives you just that. 
 So, overall, I’m happy to report that things do indeed fit together, and quite nicely at that.
<h2>The Admin Panel</h2>
After a self-guided tour of the front end, it was time to get my hands on Ninja Post’s admin panel, the home of every Ninja Post forum owner.
Housed within the forum itself, admins will never feel too far away from the community. All you have to do is click “Admin Panel”, which is located via the drop-down menu within the top navigation bar.  
Then, the main forum section will be replaced by the admin panel, keeping the left-hand sidebar menu in place. The admin panel itself is made up of eight pages.
<h4>Forum Info</h4>
The main page of the admin panel, is Forum Info.  
 <img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-7700x0.png" alt="Ninja Post" /> It's a fairly simple page, displaying some basic information and contact details. In fact, it's a little too basic, and I'd suggest Ninja Post integrate this page, and the following page – Overview &amp; Stats – into one. 
<h4>Overview &amp; Stats</h4>
As the page name suggests, this is where all the analytical data and statistics are kept, all of which are nicely laid out.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-6_700x0.png" /> This page gives you an outlook of how your forum has been doing over the last fifteen minutes, so far today, and the last twenty-four hours, which I think could be really helpful for those with large, active communities.  
 Furthermore, daily site visits are shown, along with new post frequencies, devices used by visitors, new member information, external links to Google Analytics, and so forth.  
 <img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-8-1.png" />
<h4>Review Accounts</h4>
This page allows you to search for users, view their profiles, find contact information, location, and so on. 
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-9-1.png" /> The Review Accounts page is also where you can edit such information, remove posts and ban users. It's simple enough to understand, so it shouldn't be difficult for anybody to use.
<h4>Moderation Queue</h4>
Here is where deleted threads and posts go for evaluation. Admins can assess incidents, see which moderator took which actions, and read/add/edit notes and moderator comments. 
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-10.png" alt="Ninja Post" /> Threads and posts which have been deleted can also be restored via this section.
<h4>Manage Groups</h4>
As the name implies, here is where groups can be created, edited and deleted. 
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-11-1.png" /> Admins can see a list of all groups, along with which members are a part of which groups. 
<h4>Tagger</h4>
The Tagger page lets admins add, remove and edit tags added to threads. 
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-12.png" alt="Ninja Post" /> Like the Forum Info page, I think this page could be replaced by allowing admins and moderators to add, remove and edit tags within each thread when they enter upon it. 
<h4>Trending Content &amp; Analytics</h4>
This page displayed which threads are being visited, by how many visitors and for how long. 
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-13-1.png" />
 Other useful metrics like bounce rate and average visit duration exist, alongside organic search terms used by visitors to access the forum. A handy tool to have in any admin dashboard.
<h4>Design</h4>
Finally, we come to the design page. I was excited to see how far the forum could be tweaked, but I was dissapointed to find only a handful of colour options. 
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-14.png" alt="Ninja Post" /> Headers, buttons, links and so forth can all be customized as far as colour goes, but that's about it. Personally, I think Ninja Post is crying out for some more design customization features. 
<h2>Notable Extras</h2>
Ninja Post offers more than a simple forum script. There are some some notable exras that come out of the box, 
<h4>Gamification</h4>
If you know what gamification is, you’ll know how much it can help keep a community bubbling over. Thankfully, Ninja Post can accomodate.
Gamification means implementing game mechanics in a non-gaming environment.
In an online community, that means giving your community members a virtual (and sometimes material) incentive to interact more.
Ninja Post gives each member a user profile, along with a reputation system. Other users can up-vote comments, contributing to the commenters reputation which is displayed under their avatar.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-15-1.png" />
Furthermore, badges have recently been introduced, giving members another incentive to post and interact more.  
 Badges act as rewards for reaching certain reputation benchmarks and can also be given out by administrators, whilst other sets can be freely handed out by other members. 
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/forum_badges.png" alt="Ninja Post" />
<h4>Membership &amp; Monetization</h4>
With Ninja Post, you can restrict your forum to be seen only by (paying) members.
This places a simple landing page on your homepage, prompting visitors to either sign up, or sign in.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-16700x0.png" alt="http://whitepebble.ninjapost.net/" />
This is a handy feature, especially if you’re looking to make use of Ninja Post’s option to introduce member subscription fees.
Or, you may just be looking to create a forum for a controlled number of people within a corporate or social setting. Either way, Ninja Post has you covered.
<h4>Groups</h4>
Groups can be set up for users to join.
This allows a private forum to exist, away from the public one located on the main page. Group members can post and mingle privately together, discussing their own agendas.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-17.png" alt="Ninja Post" />
Groups can only be set up by admins, and members need to be added manually.
This would work well in most cases, although it would have been nice to see a list of groups appear publically, allowing members to request permission to join.
<h4>Photo &amp; Video Galleries</h4>
Ninja Post also supports image and video galleries.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-18700x0.png" alt="Ninja Post" />
Photos can be presented above the main forum, or they can be given a separate page, accessible via the left-hand sidebar.
Images and videos can be added by members, who only need to provide a valid YouTube link or upload images from their computers.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-19.png" alt="Ninja Post" />
<h2>Getting Help</h2>
As mentioned earlier, Ninja Post founder Mike Wilt and his team seem focused on delivering a personal touch when it comes to helping new customers and clients.
They help hone design, integrate the software with existing websites and databases, and so forth. On top of this, there is a small FAQ section along with a live-chat feature, phone number and email address to help get problems seen to.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-20700x0.png" alt="Ninja Post" />
Contacting support for help is great, but not if it’s your only option. Having some dedicated support pages can really help clear up confusion for new and learning customers faster.
The FAQ section needs expanding, and some documentation and/or video tutorials could also be used to help new admins get to grips with their forum software.
<h2>Pricing</h2>
Ninja Post offers three price plans, starting from $99 per month.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-21700x0.png" alt="Ninja Post" />
For what you get, the pricing is justified. As previously mentioned, you get cloud hosting, a ton of features out of the box, plus a helping hand to get your community buzzing.
However, I do think that having your lowest plan start from $99 per month cuts out a large chunk of aspiring forum owners. Startups would find it difficult to cough up that kind of cash every month.
Having said that, Ninja Post’s competitors Vanilla Forums have very similar pricing plans, also starting from $99.
But I’ll stick to my guns. Both platforms – although fairly priced for what they offer – could do with a stripped down plan to bridge the gap for those looking to invest less to begin with.
For now though, Ninja Post is reserved for those with some fairly decent cash flow.
<h2>The Verdict</h2>
NinjaPost is a clean, simple and efficient forum software. 
 The hands on approach taken by the Ninja Post team will without doubt help when it comes to technicalities and design, leaving forum owners to focus on actually building a community.  
 There truly is a wide, wide range of features ready to roll straight away, and they all seem to work seamlessly. Real-time updates, thread subscriptions, reputation sharing and the neat tagging system all come together to create an atmosphere of organic activity.  
 Sure, I've picked out a few areas which need adding to, as you will see below, but all in all, I'm very happy with the functionality, speed and user friendliness of Ninja Post. 
<h3>Pros</h3>
<ul>
<li>Ninja Post offers an extremely user-friendly forum software for both administrators and end users.</li>
<li>Real-time updates to the forum feed and threads makes the forum feel alive.</li>
<li>Looks neat and tidy on all devices.</li>
<li>Cloud-hosting, Single Sign On, automatic backups and automatic updates makes things a little easier for forum owners when it comes to the technical stuff.</li>
<li>Ninja Post founder Mike Wilt and his team seem to take a hands-on approach to helping users set up their online communities, which means help is never too far away.</li>
<li>Private groups can be set up to keep certain conversations for a select few members.</li>
<li>Threads can be tagged by users, moderators and admins to maximise visibility. These tags are then displayed neatly via the sidebar menu.</li>
<li>Photo &amp; video galleries are nice additions, with the former coming with the option to display images above the forum itself.</li>
<li>Built-in gamification features work well.</li>
<li>Images, videos and GIFs can all be embedded into threads and replies.</li>
<li>Fair amount of analytics and stats to be found within the admin panel.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Cons</h3>
<ul>
<li>Small things like a slight lack of emoticons, no polling features and a missing “Who’s Online” section means that there is room for Ninja Post to improve. </li>
<li>A dedicated help/documentation/FAQ section would be handy.</li>
<li>Ninja Post focuses on presenting one live-feed type stream of threads, which is great. But the added ability to bring in forum sections and sub-forums would be useful too.</li>
<li>Although the default look of Ninja Post is clean, simple and mildly customizable, I think some further design options are needed.</li>
<li>Ninja Post’s prices are fair when you consider what’s being offered. However, a lighter, cheaper plan would be extremely welcome for smaller communities.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Final Remarks</h2>
I like Ninja Post. It has a humble charm about it.
There’s nothing too fancy about it generally speaking, and the forum layout itself isn’t going to blow anyone's mind, but it works – and it works well.
The real-time posting feature – made up by the live-feed updates and member typing alerts – is refreshing, and yet it remains only one of a huge list of features and tools to help forum owners succeed. From gamification to analytics, and pretty much everything in between.
The fact that I could only muster up cons regarding what could be added to Ninja Post tells its own story. Sure it can be improved, but it’s also pretty damn good as it is.
All in all, Ninja Post has impressed me, and if I was building an online community, I would definitely add it to my list of forum platforms to consider.
But don’t just take my word for it. <a href="http://www.ninjapost.com/" target="_blank"> Ninja Post offers a 15-day free trial </a> , so check it out for yourself.

Ninja Post Review

<a href="http://www.joomla.org/" target="_blank">Joomla</a> has rolled out a maintenance release for their 3.x series, addressing some issues introduced with Joomla 3.3.2.
Joomla is one of the world's most popular content management systems, powering over 8% of all websites with known content management systems. That's around 3% of all websites on the Internet.
The Joomla team have encouraged users running servers with PHP 5.3.10 or later to update immediately to Joomla! 3.3.3 via either the one-click update or the <a href="http://www.joomla.org/download.html." target="_blank"> download link</a>.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/do-more-33.png" alt="Joomla" />
Joomla 3.3.3 brings about four fixes, with the e-mail cloaking code and user configuration options not applying correctly with Joomla 3.3.2. These fixes are as follows:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://github.com/joomla/joomla-cms/pull/3954" target="_blank">GitHub [#3954] – Change the cloak container from div to span</a></li>
<li><a href="https://github.com/joomla/joomla-cms/pull/3956" target="_blank">GitHub [#3956] – Class attributes are not included in mailcloak</a></li>
<li><a href="http://joomlacode.org/gf/project/joomla/tracker/?action=TrackerItemEdit&amp;tracker_item_id=33984" target="_blank">JoomlaCode [#33984] – Getting a 500 when trying to sort users by User Group in Modal</a></li>
<li><a href="http://joomlacode.org/gf/project/joomla/tracker/?action=TrackerItemEdit&amp;tracker_item_id=33987" target="_blank">JoomlaCode [#33987] – User settings for Editor ignored</a></li>
</ul>
To download Joomla 3.3.3, you can either grab the <a href="http://joomlacode.org/gf/download/frsrelease/19665/160049/Joomla_3.3.3-Stable-Full_Package.zip" target="_blank">full package</a>, or the <a href="http://joomlacode.org/gf/project/joomla/frs/?action=FrsReleaseBrowse&amp;frs_package_id=6930" target="_blank">upgrade package</a> if you're already running Joomla.
Also, be sure to explore more of <a href="/products/joomla/" target="_blank">Joomla via our CMS Directory</a>.

Joomla 3.3.3 Released

Have you ever wanted to try the new, popular blogging platform Ghost? Today, you are in luck. If you don't want to test out their hosted version, you can download and set up Ghost quickly and easily on your own hosting solution.
I happen to use <a href="https://www.servint.net/">Servint</a> and today, I'm going to show you how to to set up Ghost on it in a few short, simple steps.
Servint offers the perfect environment to install <a href="http://ghost.org/">Ghost</a> (the new blogging platform) on.
I'm going to walk you through the process quickly and easily with a number of straightforward steps. Let's get started.
<ol>
<li>First, log into your WHM as root and navigate to Service Configuration &gt;&gt; Apache Configuration &gt;&gt; Reserved IPs Editor. From here, choose an IP address you wish to reserve for Ghost and click the checkmark in the Reserved box. This will release the IP address from Apache when you click save.</li>
<li>Once this is complete, you'll need to assign the IP address to the domain you wish to use. If you haven't set up your domain within WHM as of yet, you'll need to Create a New Account for the domain. You can do so at Account Functions » Create a New Account.</li>
<li>Once the account is created, it's time to assign the IP address you reserved to the domain you wish to use. To get started, go to Account Information » List Accounts. Find the domain in question and click on the + sign beside it. This will give you a number of buttons and options. Click on Change IP Address. You will be presented with a dropdown box of IP addresses, find the one that you reserved and select it. Click save. It may take upwards of 24 hours for the changes to propagate globally so if you cannot access the domain on that newly assigned IP address quite yet, don't worry, it will work soon. In the interim, you can access your ghost install via your IP address when we are done.</li>
<li>The next step will be to FTP into your account using the domain (or IP address you just assigned) and the credentials you specified when you created the new account in step 2. You'll want to have downloaded the Ghost source code from <a href="http://ghost.org/">http://ghost.org</a> and extracted the file. Now, connect using an FTP client and upload the contents of this folder into your www directory. Do not upload the ghost folder itself, just the contents (ie: folders and files within the zip).</li>
<li>Now it's time to SSH into your server and get things set up. If you do not have root access via SSH to your server, you can submit a request to ServInt via the support portal and they will activate it for you straight away. Do be careful, however, as root access to your server enabled can be dangerous if you do not have a strong password. In the hands of the wrong person, they can wipe all of your stuff and cause some serious damage. Once you have root access, ssh into your box using a program such as <a href="http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/%7Esgtatham/putty/">Putty</a> or something similar.</li>
<li>Now, we're going to install node and npm. Thankfully, ServInt uses CentOS and already has the right repository set up so that makes it easy. Run the command <code>yum install npm --enablerepo=epel</code>. This will begin the installation process. When complete, run <code>npm -v</code> and <code>node -v</code> and you should get back version numbers for each. If you do, you are ready for the next step.</li>
<li>From within your www (or public html) folder, run the command <code>npm install --production</code>. This will install Ghost and get it ready for your site.</li>
<li>Now, the first time you run Ghost it will copy the config.example.js file to config.js. Personally, I did this myself and then made the necessary modifications, so go ahead and run the command <code>cp config.example.js config.js</code>. Now you'll need to edit this file, so run <code>nano config.js</code>.</li>
<li>With the file open in the editor, change all instances of <code>http://my-ghost-blog.com</code> to your own domain. You will find it listed twice, once under Development and once under Production. Now change all instances of <code>127.0.0.1</code> to your IP address (the one you assigned to your domain) and all instances of <code>2368</code> to <code>80</code>. Now hit <code>ctrl-x</code> and <code>s</code> to save.</li>
<li>Now, in my instance, I didn't want to have to keep a ssh session open to run Ghost so I decided to do so using forever. Forever is an app that will monitor your node.js (Ghost) session and keep it running. If it stops for some reason it will restart it for you automatically. To install forever run these commands: <code>npm -g install forever</code>.</li>
<li>Once installed, you can start your new Ghost installation. The first time you start it, set the environment to production using this command: <code>NODE_ENV=production forever start index.js</code>. Once you've started it, you can leave the shell and access your new Ghost installation on either your domain or the IP address followed by /ghost in your browser. The first time you access Ghost, you'll need to set up a user. Once done, you'll be up and running. To stop your installation in the future, SSH into your server and run <code>forever stop index.js</code> from within the www directory for your account (ie: /home/domain/www/).</li>
</ol>
If you are interested in trying out these steps, <a href="https://leaseweb-redirect.servint.net/">grab an inexpensive VPS or hosting solution from ServInt</a>.
That's it. Best of luck, hope it helps and if you get stuck or have questions, let me know in the comments below.
Cheers, 
Mike

Installing Ghost on ServInt

<a href="http://www.ezoic.com/" target="_blank"> Ezoic</a> – a fully-automated website optimization and A/B testing platform – has officially launched after a one year closed beta period. 
 The purpose of Ezoic is to help website owners determine the best layout for their content and page elements.
Content and website layout has a big impact of user experience, and Ezoic provides the tools required to test different layouts at once, whilst measuring efficiency in terms of visitor experience, ad income, conversions, and so forth.  
 Over 1000 small publishers benefited from Ezoic's year-long closed beta, where it was used to test over 1 Billion web pages, helping to boost ad income by a whopping 730%. Mobile ad revenue was also increased by an even more impressive 960%.
<h2>Five Steps to Optimization</h2>
To use Ezoic, you can either point your name servers to Ezoic's servers, or place a simple script on your website pages. 
 Here's a video which helps break down the five steps between your website, and your website with Ezoic's optimization tests in place:
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/95669945?dnt=1&amp;app_id=122963" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<h2>A Tool For One &amp; All</h2>
Perhaps the most exciting part of Ezoic's emergence, is the fact that it is not just for enterprise clients.  
 Ezoic has a free plan, an affordable business plan and a plan based on ad revenues for clients with bigger budgets. What's more is that all three plans include a 60-day no-obligation, unlimited-use free trial. <a href="http://www.ezoic.com/" target="_blank"> <img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/ezoic700x0.png" alt="Ezoic" /> </a> In the wake of Ezoic's launch, John Cole, Ezoic’s Chief Customer Officer, made these comments:
<blockquote>
“We solve a problem that many small publishers don’t even know they have. They’re missing out on millions of dollars each month in lost ad revenue, as well as unnecessary bounced or frustrated visitors, all because their website layout isn’t efficient.
Leading eCommerce sites such as Amazon have been endlessly testing and optimizing their sites for years to get users to buy more online, however, this technology hasn’t really filtered through to publishers of content sites, who should be working on usability.   
 Either they just don’t know about it, or they don’t have the time, money or technical expertise. We handle all this technical ‘heavy lifting’ so they can focus on what they do best – creating great original content.
We give ordinary people the freedom to earn a living through a subject they’re passionate about; their site is often their main source of income and Ezoic technology can increase it almost eightfold. It’s life changing money.”
</blockquote>
To find out more about Ezoic, and to sign up for free, <a href="http://www.ezoic.com/" target="_blank"> visit their website</a>.

Website Optimization Platform Ezoic Launches After Year-long Closed Beta

LightCMS has announced a major update to its WYSIWYG editor, due for release on July 29th 2014.This update – labelled as release 2014.8 – is the latest in a flurry of recent LightCMS improvements.Acquired by NetSuite in 2013, the team behind LightCMS have made no less than four major updates so far this year, with these WYSIWYG editor improvements making up the fifth.I've been covering those very same updates, coming in the form of LightCMS'  interface changes, security improvements and blogging enhancements, with the latest news being about the new LightCMS Partner Platform.Now though, LightCMS' busy 2014 continues, with a new WYSIWYG Editor. Let's take a look at what's new.<h2>Revamped &amp; Responsive WYSIWYG Editing</h2>Most noticeably, LightCMS have made some cosmetic changes to their WYSIWYG editor toolbar, giving it a sleeker feel.In the process, icons and dialogue boxes for Image Manager, Flash Manager, Insert Media, and Document Manager have been revamped. Apart from those design tweaks though, all buttons have remained in familiar positions, so users shouldn't have trouble adjusting.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/wysiwygtoolbar700x0.jpg" alt="LightCMS " /> LightCMS users will be pleased to hear that this new look spreads to mobile devices too.Previously, HTML-only editing was on offer for mobile device users, until now. There are still a few key features missing – like the file manager and full screen editing mode, but otherwise, the mobile WYSIWYG editor is the same as that found on desktops.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/mobile-editor.png" alt="LightCMS " /><h2>Full Page Editing &amp; Image Properties</h2>Although full page editing isn't supported on mobile devices yet, it is now available for desktop users.Clicking a new toolbar button (or pressing F11) is all it takes to switch between full screen and traditional editing modes.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/wysiwygfullscreen700x0.png" alt="LightCMS " /> Another key feature within this release is improved control over image properties. The Image, Hyperlink, and Image Map properties dialogue boxes now include a Title text box. When set, the title will be displayed when visitors hover over images with their cursors.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/imageproperties.png" alt="LightCMS " /> But wait, there's more.With LightCMS release 2014.8, the LightCMS team have also removed the “Convert to XHTML” content filter from the text editor to allow HTML 5 attributes, and have also made some improvements to the way Stripe payments are taken.Personally, I'm very much liking the way LightCMS are constantly improving and enhancing their platform with genuinely useful updates. LightCMS users will be happy, although I'm not so sure about LightCMS competitors!You can read further details and the full release notes on update 2014.8 via the official LightCMS announcement.To find out more about LightCMS, check out their website.Also, be sure to explore more of  LightCMS via our CMS Directory.

LightCMS Announces WYSIWYG Editor Enhancements

Call Tracking + AI 

Call Tracking + AI that Turns Calls into Leads

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