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Feature #157

closed

Conduct a review of BuddyPress plugins

Added by Matt Gold about 14 years ago. Updated about 8 years ago.

Status:
Rejected
Priority name:
Normal
Assignee:
Category name:
BuddyPress (misc)
Target version:
Start date:
2010-01-20
Due date:
% Done:

0%

Estimated time:
Deployment actions:

Description

Hi Boone,

I was wondering whether I could assign you the task of conducting a review of BuddyPress plugins and seeing whether there are any that we should add to the site. Are there plugins on your radar? We should keep a list somewhere of the plugins we want to upload.


Related issues

Related to CUNY Academic Commons - Feature #599: Consider adding rating plugins for BuddyPress/BBPressAssignedBoone Gorges2011-02-21

Actions
Actions #1

Updated by Boone Gorges about 14 years ago

One that comes to mind is the group wiki plugin, but it requires BP 1.2.

Actions #2

Updated by Boone Gorges over 13 years ago

  • Target version set to Not tracked
Actions #3

Updated by Boone Gorges over 13 years ago

  • Status changed from Assigned to Resolved

Nothing is coming to mind. If you find anything that is appealing, please open a specific ticket.

Actions #4

Updated by Matt Gold about 13 years ago

  • Status changed from Resolved to Reporter Feedback

Just coming back to this ticket for a bit, I think we should discuss our process of keeping ourselves aware of new BP and WP plugins and whether or not we should consider them for the Commons. Do you generally keep track of new plugins (especially major ones)? Can/should we count on you to bring them to the attention of the Dev team, or should we formalize the process a bit? One way we might do that is to add an agenda item at each month's SubCat meeting to discuss new developments in WP/BP --both new versions in the platforms and new plugins -- so that we can discuss them as a larger group. If we do that, can I assign you the responsibility of keeping us abreast of new developments, or should we ask someone else to do that?

Actions #5

Updated by Boone Gorges about 13 years ago

Adding new and interesting WP plugins is fine, as their use is optional, and their effects are limited to individual blogs. We should have a different approach to BP plugins. The adoption of new BP functionality should be undertaken with the following in mind:
- It will be visible to all members of the Commons. For that reason, serious UX considerations are required.
- If it provides a new way to create content, it needs to be set apart clearly from the modes of content creation already in our BuddyPress installation (forums, activity updates, documents, profiles, blogs, and soon to be Docs). Introducing methods of content creation whose purposes and methods largely overlap with existing functionality strikes me, all things being equal, as a bad idea.
- BuddyPress plugins are generally created by individuals and released to the community, out of the goodness of their hearts. For that reason, when we adopt a BP plugin (which, in virtue of the way that we use BuddyPress, almost always means that it becomes an integral part of the site), we must operate under the assumption that our development team (and ultimately I personally) will become responsible for the upkeep of the plugin, should its original developers abandon the project or move it in another direction. This has already partly happened with the groupblog plugin.
- BuddyPress plugins are often mutually incompatible, requiring customization to the plugins and/or to BP itself to keep them running in our already quite full environment.

These are just a few reasons why we should not actively pursue a "let's see what's cool and install it" strategy with respect to BuddyPress plugins. If something comes along that is truly interesting, we can and should talk about it, but to focus large amounts of energy on searching for new stuff does not seem worthwhile. I would vastly prefer if our development strategy was driven by the needs of the Commons community, so that our development is largely reactionary.

As for WP vs BP: I am in a good position to know when there are major events in the BP world. I do not actively keep up with WP plugin development. Scott might be a good person to do ongoing WP plugin scouting.

Actions #6

Updated by Matt Gold about 13 years ago

I think these are important considerations to keep in mind. I guess I'm thinking, though, that we need some kind of transparency here so that I (and others) can know when you've already considered, and possibly rejected as not "truly interesting," BP plugins. For instance, have you already thought about some of the plugins mentioned in this ticket , like Achievements and BP Rate Forum Posts?

Actions #7

Updated by Boone Gorges about 8 years ago

  • Status changed from Reporter Feedback to Rejected

I'd like to close this ticket. We're no longer really in the market for new BuddyPress-related plugins - we often end up building our own stuff, based on the specific needs of our users, and after doing a review of existing tools addressing these needs. I do casually keep an eye on new and interesting BuddyPress stuff, and will be sure to bring anything of interest to the attention of the team.

Actions #8

Updated by Matt Gold about 8 years ago

Okay - thanks, Boone.

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