PCM Improvement Brainstorm

[Blindsite]

Ok right now most of this is just in the idea phase but I thought I'd share my thoughts with you and perhaps if I don't manage to make any mods myself someone else will down the line. First off I'd like to say my clan does use PCM and so far the leadership is very happy with it (the ability to add and delete ranks has thrown it leagues ahead of the standard template sites). That being said having used it for awhile I, having been the primary admin, have run into some. . . problems and do miss some features I've worked with in other scripts. Consequently I have had some ideas of how things could be improved.

- The chat feature needs to be repaired/made compatible with subdomains. I don't know what the issue is here, all I know is it did not work so I disabled it and moved on. This could also be solved by referencing third party free chat software. I don't know.
- The ability to include non alphanumeric characters in usernames and passwords would be outstanding. This can be done in most other scripts and forums and so the inability to do so has become rather awkward.
- I would like to add another catagory to the rank php table that would indicate hiarchy position. So you'd have something like id, position, name, desc. . . etc. This would allow not only for functions that would let one change a rank's position within a rank structure (move it up and down) but would also allow for ranks, and indeed whole chains of command, that were equal in authority but differed in responsibility.
- I'd like to see a medals system built, hopefully with the same flexibility that the rank system is developing.
- AIM support for member profiles. In fact why don't we add a feature that just allows admins to add contact fields on the fly. I mean in most cases a contact info field is pretty simple right? Label + Info. So why not add an option so that an admin could just add contact options that members could then fill out within their profiles. Or why not just options in general? Custom profiles. The fields and resulting functions couldn't be TOO complicated but still, if one could pull it off it'd save a ton of work on the developer's end and provide a whole lot of customization for the clan admin/leader.
- Recruit count in one's profile. Basically in most template (*cough clone*) script site's these days (Bluethrust for example) when one adds someone to the site two things happen: the recruit's name is added to the new member's profile and the recruiter gets credit for having recruiting the new member added to their profile (usually in the form of the new recruit's name being added to a list or a number count of some kind). I miss this because without this automation you've got to track who got recruited by whom with a whole lot of boring and largely irratating beaurocracy.

Oh well I've run out of steam for the moment and I'm hungry. I hope something comes of these ideas. Please do not feel criticized or offended. You all are doing a great job and I hope to help where I can. Cheers.

[Andrew]

These are all good ideas however you haven't emailed me with one patch. I can then only assume that you want me to implement this all for you.

Unfortunately I don't have the time to work on PCM like I used to however if you download a copy of SVN and submit me patches we can go from there.

[TjBaker]

- The chat feature needs to be repaired/made compatible with subdomains. I don't know what the issue is here, all I know is it did not work so I disabled it and moved on.

If you find a bug, make a bug report on sourceforge. I may not always be actively coding but the bug reports get forwarded to my email and i do read them and will work them as i see them. Ill make one for this and look at it when i get off work.