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<a href="http://www.oxwall.org/" target="_blank">Oxwall</a>, a CMS for social networking websites, has released some notable updates in the form of Oxwall 1.7.2.
Seen as a steady solution for a number of years, Oxwall is a free and open source software package for building social networks, family sites and collaboration systems.
Let's take a closer look at what's new.
<h2>Avatars, Messaging &amp; Flagging Improvements</h2>
“Finally!”, the Oxwall team said via their announcement. Users can now choose avatars from their existing photo albums. It's been a long time coming, but it's here now at least.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/capturecapture700x0.jpg" alt="OXwall Avatars" />
Selecting an image to be your avatar will also allow you to crop it before it goes live.
Oxwall have continued to add to their new Messages plugin, which is another essential feature for a social networking CMS. Here’s what they came up with:
<ul>
<li>Increased conversation body area;</li>
<li>Improved conversation list (back icon, attachment indicator, group actions);</li>
<li>Text formatting for input;</li>
<li>Various performance optimizations</li>
</ul>
The Oxwall team also conceded that, “flagging content has always been an underdeveloped aspect in Oxwall. We are focused on optimizing daily experience with Oxwall, that’s why we came up with a new, completely redesigned moderation interface in the admin area.”
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/img_18112014_171039700x0.png" alt="Oxwall Flagging" /><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/img_18112014_171039700x0.png" alt="Oxwall Flagging" />
This new interface will be populated with various types of flagged content for administrators to review.
For more information on Oxwall 1.7.2, check out the <a href="http://blog.oxwall.org/2014/11/oxwall-1-7-2-beta-release" target="_blank">official blog announcement</a>, as well as the <a href="http://oxwall.org/1.7.2/CHANGELOG.txt" target="_blank">complete changelog</a>. You can download Oxwall 1.7.2 <a href="http://www.oxwall.org/download" target="_blank">here</a>.
Plus, you can explore more of <a href="/products/oxwall/" target="_blank">Oxwall via our CMS Directory</a>.

Oxwall 1.7.2 Brings Avatars & Messaging Improvements

mike-johnston

Whether you're looking to create your very own version of Facebook, a fan site, an education project or even a formal company social network, Oxwall has all the tools you need.
Oxwall was crowned the winner of our <a href="/peoples-choice-winner-for-best-social-networking-solution-is/#.UnbSBvkvlyU" target="_blank">2012 People's Choice for Best Social Networking Solution </a> , and was also nominated within the same category for our most <a href="/2013-people-s-choice-winner-for-best-social-networking-solution/#.UnbaJ_kvlyU" target="_blank"> recent CMS awards</a>.
Their platform offers a sleek solution to social networking, and also enables you to add functionality via various plugins, which compliment the powerful admin panel already in place. Let's take a close look.
<h2>Take Charge of Your Community</h2>
With Oxwall, you can build an online community from the ground upwards, just the way you want it. You can then exercise complete control across a number of a different areas of the website and community.
Things like menus, pages, blogs and forums can call be customized to your liking, simply by using Oxwall's drag-and-drop system to create navigation menus and organise different social modules on each of your pages.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/33.png" alt="Oxwall" />
Oxwall even enables you to create user types, giving each one specific privileges and restrictions. This opens the door to paid membership schemes, where users of your social network can pay a fee to access more content, or even to share their own.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/2.png" alt="Oxwall" /> 
What's more is, your Oxwall admin panel comes bundled with built-in Google Analytics, an advert manager, access to your website's code, and much more.
<h2>Connect in Style</h2>
When it comes to socializing, Oxwall provides some pretty useful features. You can set up your own pages and modules to encourage users to interact, or even give those same users the freedom to submit content themselves.
For example, groups can be created by users which revolve around specific subjects. Different users can then come together and join these groups, and discuss the topic at hand. Groups can be listed by both popularity and age, whilst owners of the group can send out invitations.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/5700x0.png" alt="Oxwall" />
Additionally, and perhaps most impressively, your Oxwall website can have a main dashboard, where things like user uploaded photos, videos and blog posts are all displayed together in modules, alongside upcoming events, and even a list of all other users currently online.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/6700x0.png" alt="Oxwall" /> 
To top off the social integration features offered by Oxwall, a built-in chat feature also exists, allowing users to talk in privately if they wish, away from the eyes of other users.
<h2>Develop, Customize &amp; Grow</h2>
Making your social network unique will be your toughest job, but thankfully, Oxwall has it all covered once again.
You can start to customize your website by browsing through the <a href="http://www.oxwall.org/store/themes" target="_blank">Oxwall Themes Store</a>, where you can find a healthy number of themes, the vast majority of which are free. Each theme appears professionally polished, and have been built with Oxwall's social features in mind.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/4700x0.png" alt="Oxwall" />
If you would like to delve into the code of your chosen theme, you can. This allows you to customize and even expand your website even further, in any way you like. That unrestricted ability to add your own personal touch to your online community is precisely what Oxwall is all about. Simply put, you're in control – all the time.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/7700x0.png" alt="Oxwall" />
The icing on the socially shared cake is most certainly Oxwall's plugins. Found within the <a href="http://www.oxwall.org/store" target="_blank">Oxwall Plugin Store</a>, you can search through a vast array of extensions and applications which can enable your website to mimic the functions of other popular social networks, add functionality to existing modules, automate maintenance, and so forth.
All in all, Oxwall offers a pretty extensive approach to building online communities, giving you complete freedom thanks to it's free and open-source nature.
If you're interested in Oxwall, you can find out more about the community building platform <a href="http://www.oxwall.org/" target="_blank"> via their website</a>. Or, you can skip right to their <a href="http://www.oxwall.org/download" target="_blank">official download page</a>.
Additionally, you can check out some information about <a href="/products/oxwall/" target="_blank"> Oxwall via our CMS Directory</a>.

Grow a Thriving Online Community with Oxwall

If you've been waiting to cast your vote for your favorites in the People's Choice Awards, now is the time to do so.Voting has officially opened and you may now <a href="/cms-critic-awards/">cast your vote</a>! So head on over to our <a href="/cms-critic-awards/">awards page</a> and submit your favorites.If you are in the running, we have created a handy badge you can use to spur interest...Simply download the graphic (shown below) and link it to <a href="/cms-critic-awards/">https://www.cmscritic.com/critics-choice-cms-awards/</a>.For those who missed it, here are the nominees in each category:<h3><a href="/cms-critic-awards/">Best Open Source CMS</a></h3>2013 Nominees ( <a href="/announcing-the-peoples-choice-for-best-open-source-cms-nominees">read the announcement </a>):<ol><li><a target="_blank" href="https://modx.com/">MODx</a></li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.dnnsoftware.com/">DNN Platform</a></li><li><a href="/products/liferay">Liferay</a></li><li><a href="/products/processwire/">Processwire</a></li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://e107.org/">e107</a></li></ol><h3><a href="/cms-critic-awards/">Best Free CMS</a></h3>2013 Nominees ( <a href="/announcing-the-peoples-choice-for-best-free-cms-nominees/">read the announcement </a>):<ol><li><a target="_blank" href="https://processwire.com/">Processwire</a></li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://tiki.org/HomePage">Tiki</a></li><li><a href="/products/concrete-cms">Concrete5</a></li><li><a href="/products/wordpress/">WordPress</a></li><li><a href="/products/umbraco/">Umbraco</a></li></ol><h3><a href="/cms-critic-awards/">Best Small to Midsize Business CMS</a></h3>2013 Nominees ( <a href="/announcing-the-people-s-choice-for-best-small-to-midsize-business-cms-nominees/">read the announcement </a>):<ol><li>Adobe Business Catalyst</li><li><a href="/products/ingeniux/">Ingeniux</a></li><li><a href="/products/kentico/">Kentico</a></li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.percussion.com/">Percussion</a></li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.progress.com/sitefinity-cms">Sitefinity</a></li></ol><h3><a href="/cms-critic-awards/">Best Enterprise CMS</a></h3>2013 Nominees ( <a href="/announcing-the-peoples-choice-for-best-enterprise-cms-nominees/">read the announcement </a>):<ol><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.adobe.com/solutions/web-experience-management.html">Adobe Experience Manager</a></li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.hannonhill.com/products/cascade-cms/index.html">Cascade Server</a></li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.optimizely.com/">EpiServer</a></li><li><a href="/products/liferay/">Liferay</a></li><li><a href="/products/sitecore/">Sitecore</a></li></ol><h3><a href="/cms-critic-awards/">Best eCommerce Solution </a> (New for 2013!)</h3>2013 Nominees ( <a href="/announcing-the-people-s-choice-for-best-ecommerce-solution-nominees/">read the announcement </a>):<ol><li>3dcart</li><li>Aspxcommerce</li><li><a href="/products/bigcommerce/">BigCommerce</a></li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://business.adobe.com/products/magento/magento-commerce.html">Magento</a></li><li><a href="/products/shopify/">Shopify</a></li></ol><h3><a href="/cms-critic-awards/">Best Website Builder</a></h3>2013 Nominees ( <a href="/announcing-the-people-s-choice-for-best-website-builder-nominees/">read the announcement </a>):<ol><li>Adobe Business Catalyst</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.jimdo.com/">Jimdo</a></li><li><a href="/products/squarespace/">Squarespace</a></li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.ucoz.com/">UCoz</a></li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.webydo.com/">Webydo</a></li></ol><h3><a href="/cms-critic-awards/">Best Forum Solution </a> (New for 2013!)</h3>2013 Nominees ( <a href="/announcing-the-peoples-choice-for-best-forum-solution-nominees">read the announcement </a>):<ol><li><a target="_blank" href="http://vanillaforums.org/">Vanilla Forums</a></li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://nodebb.org/">NodeBB</a></li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.simplemachines.org/">Simple Machines Forum</a></li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.vbulletin.com/">VBulletin</a></li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.invisionpower.com/">Invision Power Board (IPBoard)</a></li></ol><h3><a href="/cms-critic-awards/">Best Social Networking Solution</a></h3>2013 Nominees ( <a href="/announcing-the-people-s-choice-for-best-social-networking-solution-nominees/">read the announcement </a>):<ol><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.dnnsoftware.com/products/evoq-engage">Evoq Social</a></li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.phpfox.com/">PHPFox</a></li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.oxwall.com/">Oxwall</a></li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.socialcore.com">SocialCore</a></li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://socialengine.com/">Social Engine</a></li></ol><h3><a href="/cms-critic-awards/">Best Hosted/Cloud CMS </a> (New for 2013!)</h3><ol><li><a target="_blank" href="http://acquia.com/products-services/acquia-cloud">Acquia Cloud</a></li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://agilitycms.com/">Agility CMS</a></li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.paperthin.com/products/commonspot-cms.cfm">CommonSpot</a></li><li>Gutensite</li></ol>Best of luck to all who are in the running!

It's Official! Voting is Now Open for the People's Choice Awards!

<a href="http://www.oxwall.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Oxwall</a>, the social network builder, has unveiled its latest version.
The free and open-source CMS is available to anybody who wishes to self <a href="/bluehost">host</a>, while <a href="http://wall.fm/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Wall.fm</a> provides a hosted version of the platform.
After announcing a <a href="/oxwall-reveals-new-focus-on-interface-mobile-going-into-2015/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">new focus on user interface and mobile experience</a>, Oxwall has released a slew of new updates in the form of version 1.7.4. Here's what's new.
<h2>Oxwall 1.7.4</h2>
Alongside some platform improvements and bug fixes, here's what Oxwall users can expect to find when they update their software.
Forums &amp; Photos:
<ul>
<li>Advanced search added to Forums.</li>
<li>Search results relevancy improved.</li>
<li>“Filter by user” language key Added.</li>
<li>Users can now edit/view personal photos when service “View photo” is not active.</li>
</ul>
Messages, NewsFeed &amp; Social Sharing:
<ul>
<li>Social services' management interface is now based on Ajax fixed issue with a Logged Out user showing as Online in Mobile Version </li>
<li>Like and Delete buttons now work on Oxwall mobile version.</li>
<li>Issue with Read messages showing as Unread fixed.</li>
<li>Interface issues with Conversation Windows and Messages Page fixed.</li>
<li>Issues with Status Update video upload fixed.</li>
<li>Issue with an uploaded video not playing in mobile version now fixed.</li>
</ul>
To see those comments, and to find out more about Oxwall‘s plans, <a href="http://blog.oxwall.org/2015/06/oxwall-1-7-4-is-released" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">check out their blog announcement</a>. The changelog can be <a href="http://www.oxwall.org/1.7.4/CHANGELOG.txt" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">found here</a>.
Also, you can explore more of <a href="/products/oxwall/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Oxwall via our CMS Directory</a>.

Oxwall 1.7.4 Released

<a href="http://www.oxwall.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Oxwall</a>, the popular social networking platform, has released a very interesting statement via their blog, identifying their, “key directions and objectives for this year”.
In my <a href="/cms-in-2015-what-we-want-to-see/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">recent article regarding what the CMS world needs to see more of in 2015</a>, I discussed how a social networking CMS needed to step up. Perhaps, starting with this announcement, Oxwall will be the platform to do it.
Oxwall is free and open-source and available to anybody who wishes to self host. <a href="http://wall.fm/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Wall.fm</a> on the other hand, is the hosted version of the platform.
Here is what Oxwall will be paying close attention to throughout 2015, as seen on their blog:
<blockquote>
<h3>CMS &amp; Interface Changes</h3>
Content management has always been an underdeveloped part of Oxwall. We’ve been busy with making Oxwall better in social aspects (it’s a social network product after all), but because of that some basic tools that any website requires (like CMS) went overlooked.
Having received fair criticism for that, we’ve developed our vision for content management in Oxwall’s next iteration. Together with that we refine existing interfaces and rethink some basic assumptions in the product, and how they match real life usage patterns.
This is going to be a series of releases spreading the new paradigm across the product and leaving plenty of time for user and developer adoption. Details will be gradually introduced in our Dev Diary column and beta release announcements.
<h3>Mobile </h3>
Pocket version of Oxwall has been around for some time but it still lacks important features. We will be working on that front since a lot of people now use phones instead of desktops/tablets, even if Oxwall is not especially accommodating for that. We laid solid foundation for the small screen version of Oxwall but haven’t been active on feature development side yet. This will change.
To reiterate, we think that the “pocket” version of Oxwall (the one adapted for phones) differs from the desktop/tablet primarily by usage patterns, let alone obvious input/output characteristics. That’s why we made a decision to essentially build two products instead of one, so now we have to catch up in the mobile part.
<h3>Documentation &amp; Test Coverage</h3>
More news coming to the Oxwall developers camp. This year we finally start covering code with tests and we’ll be working on better documentation. Right now third party developers mostly rely on the existing plugins to build their own ones. To create systematic approach to developing plugins we have to step up our game in the essential technical aspects. These works are to be launched together with the new development cycle.</blockquote>
For me, all of the above points raised by Oxwall are hugely encouraging. I personally see the social networking CMS sector to be a rather stagnant one, so hopefully this announcement will not only spark the beginning of a newly invented Oxwall, but also inspire other platforms to improve, too.
Oxwall users were equally excited about this announcement in the comments section of the blog post.
To see those comments, and to find out more about Oxwall's plans, <a href="http://blog.oxwall.org/2015/02/oxwall-2015" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">check out their blog announcement</a>.
Also, you can explore more of <a href="/products/oxwall/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Oxwall via our CMS Directory</a>.

Oxwall Reveals New Focus On Interface & Mobile Going Into 2015

This year’s winner of the People’s Choice Award for Best Social Network Solution goes to Oxwall!
Congratulations to everyone at Oxwall for their awesome work. It was a hard fought battle with Wall.fm for first place but Oxwall took over in the end and won this year with the most votes.
Oxwall® is unbelievably flexible and easy to use PHP/MySQL social networking software platform.
Its flexibility is an extremely easy way to change the way it works using Oxwall plugins. These plugins are complete units of functionality that can be used for various purposes.
They take special care about core and plugins compatibility so any updates are easy. Just click that button in the admin area.
Oxwall offers unseen levels of efficiency when you need a full-featured, working site.
Check out <a href="http://www.oxwall.org/">Oxwall</a>.
Our runner up for this year was <a href="http://wall.fm/">Wall.fm</a>, which fought a hard battle and did a commendable job of making Oxwall work for their win.
This isn’t the end of the awards, however, as the Critic’s Choice portion of the awards which will be selected by CMS Critic will be announced soon.
<ol>
<li>Oxwall</li>
<li>Wall.fm</li>
<li>phpFox</li>
<li>Elgg</li>
<li>SocialEngine</li>
</ol>
Thanks to all for really driving hard for the votes and don’t forget to stay tuned to our site to find out which of our five shortlisted competitors below takes the <a href="/cms-critic-awards/">Critic’s Choice Award</a>, to be announced soon.

People’s Choice Winner for Best Social Networking Solution is…

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