Question Kunena 1.6 - a moderator's view

I think one of the most exciting new prospects that interested me, when I first saw the A few Kunena 1.6 Screenshots was the way that categories could be customised with different colours. Applying a different colour "theme" to different categories, forums within categories and topics within forums, is really quite easy to do with K 1.6.

The following screenshot shows a number of different categories that I have created at my K 1.6 test site (I had to reduce the size and quality, but you should get the idea).

I am sure you would like to know how this is done ...

Actually, it's achieved with an unused feature that has been around since "forever" but no-one found a way to implement it properly. The key to applying a different coloured theme to a forum lies in the use of the setting Forum Display (yes, you will find this in your K 1.5 Forum Manager tool but it probably won't do you any good if you try to use it with the K 1.5 default_ex template!).


Forum Display » Forum CSS Class suffix takes the following possible values in K 1.6

• -red
• -green
• -yellow
• -blue
• -grey
• -pink

Each of these values corresponds to the category themes I've shown earlier.

Not only are the categories shown in different colours, when new messages are posted they will appear in the "Recent Topics" view in the colour of the category to which they belong. Obviously, though, when you drill down to the actual messages themselves, they will be shown in the "usual" manner.

For what i saw... Kunena will be the first class joomla forum!
and when integrated with group access. an insuperable.
Agora have some of these.. but is not good as kunena.

Just another one

In the configuration will be possible to choose where to display user info in the view page.

In the introduction to this topic, I referred to the changes that have been made to the K 1.6 configuration settings and I provided a screen shot. As I also wrote, such information was subject to ongoing change and, like all things, the information has changed again.

The old Kunena configuration settings interface (that everyone would be familiar with) has been thoroughly overhauled and, in K 1.6, the settings are arranged under 11 tabbed "panes" as the following screenshots illustrate:

1. General
2. Frontend
3. Users
4. Security
5. Avatars
6. Uploads
7. Ranking
8. BBcode
9. Integration
10. RSS
11. Plug-ins

As I have continually stated throughout this discussion, the information presented here is for information purposes only and does not imply that any features will necessarily be implemented in the version of K 1.6 made available to the public. The images you see are based on a work-in-progress. They are not intended to be an official endorsement of what the finished product will look like, nor do they represent the default values or imply any recommended values, with the finished product. They are merely an illustration of what people may encounter with the new version.

Kunena 1.6 is big. I mean it's huge. It's not just the way that your users will notice the differences - and those are mostly only cosmetic - it's how you will need to adjust your approach to forum administration. It's because K 1.6 is so very different to K 1.5 that this discussion topic exists: to prepare people for when K 1.6 is finally unveiled for all to see.

Even though I have been involved with Kunena for a long time and I'm a strong supporter of the project, you would also be aware that I have shared my opinions about Kunena honestly, candidly and (I hope) objectively. Kunena 1.5 was, as you know, merely an adaptation of Kunena 1.0 for Joomla 1.5 and K 1.0 was, itself, the successor to something else. Kunena 1.5 was, therefore, a "follower" in some ways, not the leader, in forum software innovation that the developers envisaged.

Kunena 1.6 changes those perceptions and it changes them very quickly. Kunena 1.6 marks the beginning of leadership in software innovation. Admittedly the developers cannot solve all the technological hurdles that were endemic within K 1.5 (or earlier) and that's because you, the users, are impatient for change. There are only so many hours in the day and the developers are hard pressed for time to complete K 1.6 which marks this first stage in the overall transition of the Kunena product, free from the hindrances and legacies that have dogged it since it arrived on the scene.

So what has this got to do with the subject that I have chosen for my 'blog today? Plenty, as you will see.

New users of Kunena (even old users of Kunena, like me) get confused with the terminology. In the discussion topic, Standard (consistent) Terminology?! there were some excellent points made about the inconsistent [jargon] terms that pepper the topics in these forums. I tried to clarify some of the terminology - I may have done more harm than good - by trying to find definitions of certain terms within the Wiki .

But, the Wiki has evolved over time as the collaborative effort of a few users, lacking the co-ordination of a central editor-in-charge, and the Wiki contains numerous factual errors, inconsistencies and contradictions.

There is a wonderful article in the Wiki called How to create Categories, Forums and Subforums - I refer to this article lots of times when I'm trying to help new users - that attempts to demystify some of the Kunena jargon. The article uses terms like categories, forums, sub-forums, child-boards, topics ... and, after a while, you find yourself using the terms interchangeably. Although the article states, quite clearly, "the categories of Kunena are not Joomla categories", there is more to this than meets the eye.

Starting with K 1.6 we will be talking about message threads (or topics or discussions) within categories. Categories are themselves contained in sections. Categories may have "child boards" (if you like, sub-categories). The point that I'm making is that categories are containers for messages; sections are containers for categories. Simple as that.

The idea of categories and sections is not new, of course, and the concept is borrowed from Joomla 1.5: articles are organised within categories that are themselves contained within sections. And before people start telling me that Joomla 1.6 eliminates "sections" ... yes, I already knew that! :laugh:

Nothing else in Kunena 1.6 will change: users can only post messages (start new discussions/topics or reply to existing ones) if you have defined categories for them. Moderators you can only move messages from one category to another category. But K 1.6 will correct a known problem with K 1.5 that permits moderators moving messages from a category to a section! :woohoo:

The sooner we adopt a consistent terminology, the quicker we will be able to address any new problems we confront. I am sure I will be reminded by you when I use an incorrect term. Be gentle with me (as I will try to be with others) ... I'm a user, too, you know

I know that I have written much about what some people might consider to be a relatively insignificant point, but there are some important fundamentals that I felt required the effort. I thank you for the time you've taken to read this and, I hope, understand the points that I have tried to make.

oh my I cant wait untill you guys launch 1.6 Keep up the good work!!