Robert Garcia
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| 9/05/2006 7:24 PM |
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Hello Scott, and the members of this forum.
I've never been happy with the blog module from DNN, but I've always enjoyed your article module. Simple to use and better suited, I think. What I would like to know is this.
From what I gather from using the Article Module, I can actually created seperate pages (tabs) and have a particle article category show up on the tab. This would be closer to the other LAMP blogging engines out there, and a little easier to follow because of what the blogging community is used to.
However, before I begin this big project, I was wondering if I'm missing something with the Article Module that might already be there.
For instance, with wordpress, blog categories show up as navigation on either the left or right panel. Is there a way to seperate the article categories into a placeable mod, without the article count or the xml button? Or is the way I described above the way to do this? |
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Patio Umbrellas |
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Danny Tam
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| 9/05/2006 8:18 PM |
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| The News Articles into a seperate module would make it much more flexible and more intuitive to use than a Categories link. It's a great idea, and I've actually been suggesting this a bit, and would love to have this up and running with some other requests. Much like you, I will be starting blog sites, and have found that the News Articles module has potential to be very good at it. |
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Kevin Rimlinger
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| 9/06/2006 6:04 AM |
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Vote for this request in the feedback section.
While you are waiting for this to be implemented you may want to try one of these workarounds:
1. Use a single instance of the Articles module and create your own categories list using the HTML module. You should be able to use the links from the "Categories" feature in the header to create your manual list and then hide the "Categories" link from the menu for non-admins using menu.item.html.
2. Use one main Articles module that holds all the articles, then create a new DNN page (tab) for each category. Copy the master Articles module to each of the new Category pages and filter the new module on the specified category. You can make the master articles page visible to all or only admins depending on your goals.
I have used both on my website Home Office Blues. I use option 1 for the articles section and blog (Okay, I haven't finished creating my manual categories list yet, but I will. I have been holding out for the feature to be implemented.) I use option 2 for my resource directory. Option 1 is useful if you want one master page where all the articles show up filtered or not. Option 2 is useful if you want to have different modules on each different category page. (Notice the different header icons and descriptions on each resource category page.
Good luck.
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http://www.homeofficeblues.com |
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Scott McCulloch
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| 9/06/2006 2:27 PM |
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Yes, News Articles Archives can show up on other pages and can link to a single news articles instance.
A News Articles categories like what has been suggested on the feedback link above should work for you, is that correct? |
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Scott McCulloch
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Robert Garcia
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| 9/06/2006 7:20 PM |
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Yes, I don't know if it would be a completely new build for you Scott, or just the seperating the navigational qualities of your Articles Module. That being said, this is what I am trying to do.
A new website, where the blog will be on the Home page. Imagine a left hand panel, where you would find the category links that you would find in any other blogging system. Below that, latest articles list, below that, outbound links to other sources, and below that, your monthly archive.
This way, we place one Article Mod on the first page, and we are done. Much better solution than the current bloggin engine that ships with DNN, and I would be blod enough to suggest it as a replacement.
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Patio Umbrellas |
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Danny Tam
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| 9/06/2006 9:16 PM |
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Tons of blogs also have a section in a right or left pane where it displays the most viewed which can be already done, but also, a "Most Commented" on as well. Some very cool things to add:
- Seperate Categories Module and/or the Administrative Options (Admin Options, Create Article)
- Sub-Categories
- Archive system w/ filtering options
- One last very important thing for blogs - tags!
Asides from this, my only request for blog features would be:
- More function with better trackbacking
- Banner/Ad Code Placement system to enable posting of code in between posts. If you run Adsense, this would allow to do somethign similar to Engadget to post ads in between posts, and you can also post Contest banners or special events your site would be having there.
- If possbile at all, a shorter permalink for articles would be amazing, however, this seems to be a limitation with DNN and not really the module itself.
Since you are running a rumblepup, it'd be good to know of the things above of what you'd be interested in as I am vying much the same - to use News Articles as an intuitive and functional blogging script.
Danny |
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Robert Garcia
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| 9/06/2006 9:26 PM |
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My thoughts as well Danny.
Not to blow smoke up you know where Scott, but I think that your Articles Mod is much better suited for blogging than the Blog Mod that comes with DNN.
Again, I don't know if you want to add this functionaliyt to the mod, or maybe do a rebuild of the Mod for this function. I would love to suggest the later, as I will be the first, or maybe second if Danny gets there first, to grab it. |
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Patio Umbrellas |
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Danny Tam
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| 9/06/2006 10:22 PM |
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Sorry, I meant to say above, as a new Sort Option to have "Most Commented" on to be featured. The sentence seemed kind of vague or misunderstood at second glance when I read it myself. =) The other suggestions are great as well.. Hopefully some can get implemented soon enough! =) Good work with the module so far Scott.. And thanks for being open to listening to what your customers want and need. You're really creating a modue that is really catering to them and will help us all a big deal.
Danny |
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Perry Mowbray
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| 9/07/2006 2:06 AM |
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I agree with all of the above! I did use the DNN blog, but News Articles is so much more elegant!
The possability of being able to sub-categorise and tag is very enticing.
The possability of displaying articles in many other ways would be a great enhancement (I always think you need as many doors into your information as possible).
- Perry
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avi a
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Posts:653
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| 9/07/2006 5:34 AM |
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I was doing something like that:
I think it is about the same idea; differnet tabs to categories and home page with latest articles to all.
http://www.ebizarticles.info |
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Avi A
Nukedesigners.com W3C valid skins for dotnetnuke |
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Scott McCulloch
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| 9/07/2006 6:12 AM |
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The categories module would work similar to the archives module, it will link to one instance of the article module.
Aviavia, the latest articles can only link to 1 instance at a time, it can't link off to multiple tabs based on category. This would be good functionality, but would be very difficult to implement, as it's possible to have different categories shown on multiple pages, etc.
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Scott McCulloch
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avi a
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Robert Garcia
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| 9/07/2006 12:48 PM |
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Scott, again, I don't know if this would be a completely new build, however, to make this an easier concept, why not just seperate the
Current Articles | Categories | Search | Syndication
section at the top of your Articles Mod into seperate functions...er...um...Mods, that can be placed on a page.
Obviously, it would be your choice as to how the final mod would work, however, my suggestion would be to have it work much like the current blog module, in that when you place the module on the page, all the seperate dependant mod sections would be placed on the page as well, as to allow the dnn user to move them around at their pleasure.
This would fantastically improve your Articles Mod, and in my mind, completely make the Blog Mod a moot addon.
As I said, I'm first in line! |
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Patio Umbrellas |
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Scott McCulloch
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| 9/07/2006 4:57 PM |
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Well, if there would be a categories module then this would probably work, you could then have both choices.
The search would probably remain inside the module, maybe just a search box in the upper right. The current articles is equivalent to "Latest Articles".
Some people like it to be all in the module, others like it separate, so we could probably do the best of both worlds. |
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Scott McCulloch
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Robert Garcia
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| 9/07/2006 8:00 PM |
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Your the Bad Ass Developer Scott, so I bow to your better judgement. However, if you where to seperate out or add the categories module, could there be an option NOT to display the Current Articles | Categories | Search | Syndication withing the module. If I remember correctly, since the article is localized (I thing I'm using the right term), then content should be available for the native DNN search.
Or am I a dumb noob? |
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Patio Umbrellas |
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Scott McCulloch
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| 9/07/2006 8:44 PM |
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| There is already an option, you can remove the html in the menu.item.html template in admin options |
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Scott McCulloch
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Danny Tam
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| 9/07/2006 11:33 PM |
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In my opinion, I think the DNN search module needs some big work. My entire site would be ran in the News Articles module, and I wonder if it'll actually bring up relevent information to the posts. My previous experience with it has led me to believe it's not as robust as I like.
It'd be great if the Search Box can have it's own independency as well. Pretty much everything would have it's independence from each other and not be confined by design, but rather allow people to incorporate the flexibility into what they wish to achieve.
Danny |
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Scott McCulloch
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Posts:12450
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| 9/08/2006 12:11 AM |
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| I've just updated the archives module, I look forward to your feedback. |
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Scott McCulloch
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Kevin Rimlinger
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Posts:50
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| 9/08/2006 6:31 AM |
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Thanks Scott! This saves me a lot of work.
I've got it installed and it meets all my category expectations so far. This will probably keep me quiet for a while. ;-)
Cheers! |
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http://www.homeofficeblues.com |
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Danny Tam
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Posts:242
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| 9/08/2006 6:56 AM |
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| Looking good.. Sub-Categories would be good too, but than again I have a long list of stuff as well. :-) |
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