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[contrib] Niche is good, but...
People want WordPress.
No doubt that businesses and organisations around the globe are installing for WP without even thinking about alternatives. WP it to blogging platforms what Google is to Search. Well, not quite but their market share is massive.
It’s unrealistic to think that Textpattern will become the same monster WP has become. I don’t think it should either. However, a higher profile would be beneficial.
The main benefit would be more jobs for developers and designers using TXP and, consequently, more resources for the TXP development team. It would be great if a more commercial TXP could support a number of full-time staff.
I know that a re-design of textpattern.com is on the cards and I hope that it will help make a TXP more visible. I hope that it will do a good job at selling the idea of TXP as an alternative to WP (as well as being a great CMS).
Perhaps this is an opportunity for us to pool together some resources and try to create buzz around the re-launch of the site?
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Re: [contrib] Niche is good, but...
lozmatic wrote:
The main benefit would be more jobs for developers and designers using TXP
I personally don’t really care. It’s open source project and I really respect the open source nature.
I do also think that if developer wants the masses then he goes for the masses — or alternatively uses the open source nature to make a project that is the WP killer.
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Re: [contrib] Niche is good, but...
I shouldn’t have used the expression ‘a more commercial TXP’. I think TXP should remain open source as it is (also because it’s a selling point). But it wouldn’t hurt if a more widely used TXP would translate into more jobs / resources for those involved in the project.
The issue here is one of perception and not about the product. We all know TXP is excellent and often a better choice than WP. But TXP is practically unknow and therefore more difficult to ‘sell’.
A drive to grow awareness could be fun too. I certainly wouldn’t try and position TXP as the new WP or hype it as if it were a tech startup in Silicon Valley but use humor and irony. The blurb on the home page could be something along the lines of… ‘A bit like WordPress, only much better’.
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Re: [contrib] Niche is good, but...
lozmatic wrote:
Perhaps this is an opportunity for us to pool together some resources and try to create buzz around the re-launch of the site?
Yes please! Any and all articles you can write or noise you can make about Txp on your own sites helps. This will hopefully be the first time that all the disparate domains will be aligned in terms of style, look and feel, and clearly defined function. That in itself should help to engender more trust in the project as a whole.
On a practical level, we could do with more hands on Textbook to bring the documentation up to scratch (especially changes to the admin side since 4.2.0). It needs up-to-date screenshots (without the numbers all over them!) and the text realigned to match the product. I intended to do it but have been sidetracked of late.
When the new txp.com hits the streets sometime soon I’ll be writing about it for sure. As soon as Stuart gets his computer fixed and rejoins us, we’ll firm up a release date and post it in advance here. Textgarden will follow with a new look to fall in line, and Destry has kindly offered to take some time out of his busy schedule to adjust Textbook.
That leaves the forum and textpattern.org to be rejigged. I have no idea about the forum. The new Google search is cool and kinda staves off the immediate requirement to install fresh forum software but that still leaves the problem of finding someone with enough PunBB experience to remodel it under the new ‘corporate’ image. Any takers?
On the same track, anybody who has an admin login to textpattern.org (or knows someone who knows someone’s parrot who knows someone who has a login) and could either add a couple of new Publishers or get in touch with one of the dev team to discuss the changes that need to be made would be most welcome. I’d love to help kick it into touch. At a minimum the site needs to be upgraded to 4.2.0, needs its masthead / colour scheme changing and have any useful tips/tricks/mods/etc moved to Textbook. That will leave textpattern.org as just a plugin directory index, which is how it should be imo.
Besides the grunt work listed above you can also help to promote Textpattern idea sharing by arranging local meet-ups. If you’re travelling somewhere, look up in advance who’s in that area (or post a message on the forum) and get together for a beer or three. Throw some ideas around, get to know others in the community for real. I did just that at the weekend; went to a wedding and arranged to meet up with someone the day after. Brilliant. That sort of thing is the first step towards more structured meets; TXP-con anyone? ;-)
So yes, any and all promotion help is most welcome. If anybody needs any more info on what’s going on, please feel free to ask more pointed questions and those in the know will see if they can furnish some answers to the best of their knowledge.
Last edited by Bloke (2009-10-13 08:47:13)
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Re: [contrib] Niche is good, but...
lozmatic wrote:
It’s unrealistic to think that Textpattern will become the same monster WP has become. I don’t think it should either. However, a higher profile would be beneficial.
Was Matt Mullenweg gunning for MoveableType, Blogger and TypePad when he started Wordpress? Enquiring minds want to know :)
I guess you have goals in mind, and you put your best plans forward, but ultimately it’s fate that takes you. If it’s Textpattern’s fate to topple Wordpress, who are we to stop it? Or could we?
The main benefit would be more jobs for developers and designers using TXP and, consequently, more resources for the TXP development team. It would be great if a more commercial TXP could support a number of full-time staff.
Growing the user base would indeed afford more opportunities for all involved. Drupal and Joomla! have a thriving community centered around customizations, extensions, templating and training.
Bloke wrote:
Perhaps this is an opportunity for us to pool together some resources and try to create buzz around the re-launch of the site?
I’ll wear my TxP t-shirt ;)
That leaves the forum and textpattern.org to be rejigged. I have no idea about the forum. The new Google search is cool and kinda staves off the immediate requirement to install fresh forum software but that still leaves the problem of finding someone with enough PunBB experience to remodel it under the new ‘corporate’ image. Any takers?
Staying with PunBB is not a good option, if the intent is to stay on the same code base, then upgrading to FluxBB 1.4 would be best. FluxBB 1.4 is the continaution of the legacy 1.2 code, it has enhancements, like move/split thread and it receives security updates. You should be able to find someone in the FluxBB community to help in the upgrade process, like applying whatever mods that have been made here.
That will leave textpattern.org as just a plugin directory index, which is how it should be imo.
Gocom is doing some great work in the plugin arena, maybe he has the time to get involved in textpattern.org?
If anybody needs any more info on what’s going on, please feel free to ask more pointed questions and those in the know will see if they can furnish some answers to the best of their knowledge.
What’s the official beer of Textpattern?
We Love TXP . TXP Themes . TXP Tags . TXP Planet . TXP Make
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Re: [contrib] Niche is good, but...
hcgtv wrote:
Drupal and Joomla! have a thriving community centered around customizations, extensions, templating and training.
Yes. With wet’s latest stroke of genius at making Textpattern more platform-oriented (something we can build on in future releases) developers and plugins can do a shedload more with 4.2.0 than ever before, and far more easily. Combined with the better documentation on the wiki about how to go about plugins and how to take advantage of the new stuff, a raft of more powerful plugins are possible. If we shout loud enough, this should attract more top notch developers.
I’ll wear my TxP t-shirt ;)
As well as drinking TXP beer from the TXP glass, and eating TXP pasta shapes…
upgrading to FluxBB 1.4 would be best… should be able to find someone in the FluxBB community to help in the upgrade process…
Cool. So short of installing a brand new forum and leaving this one closed as legacy reference only, all this needs is a champion to draft in some external resources and oversee an upgrade? Awesome.
Perhaps someone with high enough access to the forum back-end would be kind enough to step forward? Tentative dangling carrot: the volunteer will get a login to the v2 textpattern site in order to grab the new masthead/CSS/whatever they need to apply to the forum for a consistent look across the domains.
Gocom is doing some great work in the plugin arena, maybe he has the time to get involved in textpattern.org?
Gocom would be great yes. I’d start it myself if only I could track down someone who has a Publisher login/FTP access and could furnish a few more people with those privileges. Nobody seems to know who is the current maintainer though (well I don’t, and nobody’s offered any ideas afaik). Answers on a postcard to the usual address…
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Re: [contrib] Niche is good, but...
and eating TXP pasta shapes…
love it :-D
Nobody seems to know who is the current maintainer though (well I don’t, and nobody’s offered any ideas afaik). Answers on a postcard to the usual address…
I believe textpattern.org (about page and contact) is run by alicson. ruud may have a login as he was intimately involved.
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Re: [contrib] Niche is good, but...
jakob wrote:
I believe textpattern.org… is run by alicson. ruud may have a login as he was intimately involved.
D’oh, fancy not checking the about page *slaps wrist*. Thanks jakob. I’ll put some feelers out.
The smd plugin menagerie — for when you need one more gribble of power from Textpattern. Bleeding-edge code available on GitHub.
Txp Builders – finely-crafted code, design and Txp
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Re: [contrib] Niche is good, but...
I would be happy to volunteer my services (and those of a new group soon to be announced) to improve txp.org should the need be there.
First question though – will the domain remain as-is or will it become plugins.txp.com? I assume Textbook will become docs.txp.com?
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Re: [contrib] Niche is good, but...
jstubbs wrote:
I would be happy to volunteer my services
Brilliant, thanks Jonathan.
will the domain remain as-is or will it become plugins.txp.com? I assume Textbook will become docs.txp.com?
The domains will all remain as they are, but we may do some htaccess trickery on txp.com such that docs.txp.com, plugins.txp.com and templates.txp.com redirect to the appropriate domains.
The smd plugin menagerie — for when you need one more gribble of power from Textpattern. Bleeding-edge code available on GitHub.
Txp Builders – finely-crafted code, design and Txp
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Re: [contrib] Niche is good, but...
Ok – wonderful. Happy to help. Is it possible to get a look at the new design to prepare the ground? I’d also like it to adjust TXP Tips for the new revision.
If this does not work its ok but a heads up would be great.
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Re: [contrib] Niche is good, but...
jstubbs wrote:
Is it possible to get a look at the new design to prepare the ground?
Sure. I’ve got a few more things to iron out first — and we’re waiting for Stuart to resurface with a non-broken computer so he can check all the stuff that’s been done recently works — but I’ll send you a login when it’s in a reasonable state so you can get at the relevant useful bits.
The smd plugin menagerie — for when you need one more gribble of power from Textpattern. Bleeding-edge code available on GitHub.
Txp Builders – finely-crafted code, design and Txp
Online