Alright, where IS there a demonstration site for Elgg? A real community site.

OK, I have read the "Note: this is not a demonstration site for Elgg."  Fine.  But is there one?   More than one?  Surely there must be some site where Elgg users, people with Elgg sites, and Elgg administrators of all kinds can get together as a Social Network, a real Social Network, as Elgg seems intended for.   I would like to be able to use all the people-finding features of Elgg to communicate with people who share my interests.  Where would I go to do that?

    dpw

  • This is it

    This is a fully working elgg  site right here. I think what they meant in saying that this is not a demonstration site, is that they wanted to inform you that this is not a demo but a real live working site.

  • Well, I don't see what I expected to see.   Maybe I have been misled by that damn book, but I sure don't see much of the power of the system being used here.   I have an Elgg site now, myself, and see as options on it all sorts of things that would be nice to have here -- they are not much use, because my site is extremely new and has no members to speak of -- but there is a lot of stuff there.  So maybe this is technically a real live working Elgg site, that is to say a site powered by Elgg, but it sure isn't set up to do what it could.  It seems very hard to actually network  on this site, which is really the name of the game.  What happened to finding people who share your interest, for example?   Let me rephrase my question.  Is there some site out there which actually makes use of a significant number of Elgg's capabilities, to actually, as I said, find people, network with them.  This particular site seems to be just some cross between a bulletin board system like phpBB and a blog system like WordPress.  I have both, and know what they can do.  Elgg is supposed to be much more.  Isn't it? 

  • DPW, I feel that you completely miss the whole reason behind the elgg concept, what and why this "Original by The Elgg Founders" site was created.

    There are hundreds of other Elgg Developers, (Who develop their own sites using Elgg, develop added plugins to keep the Elgg Wheels turning, network with other developers) and also Elgg Site Creator's, (Who may not be proficient in full php coding or other languages but can get by and still get the best out of this platform for what they require, plus learn more than they knew before they met Elgg)

    You either want to create your own Elgg Platform based site for a hobby site, interest site, commercial / business site or whatever it is you desire and having joined this "Official Elgg Community Site" to network with all of us seeking the same.

    OR

    You want a completely different experience and that is to locate an Elgg Platform based site, that somebody has created for their own needs (Networking with your Interests, which you haven't really stated what your interests are) and that you can join as a member of their site and be on your merry networking way and happy again?

    "This particular site seems to be just some cross between a bulletin board system like phpBB and a blog system like WordPress.  I have both, and know what they can do. "

    That again couldn't be further fromthe truth and without knowing exactly what it can do by taking the elgg site you have started on you mentioned, adding a target audience to it to base it upon. Then looking through the Themes, Plugins and choosing one's you feel will complement your target audience etc... you will NEVER understand it.

    I get a feeling in the tone of your discussion content, that you basically want Elgg 101% all in, all done for you and no work involved but the initial installation?

    Therefore, I still find your posts / requirements somewhat confusing in your posts above. Having to read between the lines to try and get at what it is you are truly seeking and maybe somebody else here can give you what you crave.

    P.S.  In reply to your "Is this or isn't this a Demo site and whatever it is, doesn't do any justice to the full unleashed elgg sites people create, that have many more features than what are in this Official Community version of Elgg" ...

    The simple answer is, you don't understand that the founders have proven their concept, proven their platform to hundreds / thousands of people around the world who are now avid Elgg'ers and creating a whole host of sites for their own needs.

    NO out of the box platform installs from day one to it's full potential, that is the whole point about giving the core part of the platform to the world and then letting the community, independant but avid Open Source developers and fans that ability to extend it and every so often when needed;.

    Then it's a snowball effect, the founders working on new updated versions of the core as and when they see fit... If you ask me and many Elgg'ers... It's working just fine like that.

    As many people would also say, to quote such a true simple phrase;

    "If It's Not Broke, Don't Fix It"

    Regards,

  • Elgg works nicely out of the box for straight posting and community from my experience versus drupal, wordpress, and phpnuke.  I tried to get into Kickapps but their pricing structure and guerrila advertising was a bit more of an investment than what I wanted to make.   Joomla and Xoops were just plain too much stuff to go wrong feeling.

    For elgg, the river feeel, the avatars, all quite nice and attractive for my client base.

    My only quip with elgg is working with video files.  Sure I can file upload them and download them beautifully.  But if I want to upload as videos to play from my site, nada.  You have mp3 playing as stock, so why not a way to link to a video file straightaway, like flv or swf?     I expected a learning curve and was surprised how easy it was to get what I wanted.  Just the video issue. 

    No offense to katula and other video hosts, they are good products.  But I prefer to use my own bandwidth and run my own ads on my site.   So if I could just get a video file on my site to play without being a code ninja from go, I'd be set.

    I'm still mosing around the plugins,   I tried the video player from izap with the mods, data cache clearing, etc.  I can link to YouTube no problem.  Plays great, comments are good, viola. 

    But these other social packages I've mentioned come with some form of local video hosting media out of the box, even if it's just cheesie simple flv.  My window for elgg is 30 days, but so far it's been the best installation experience I've had so far.

     

  • @DPW

    I hope these real live and kicking Elgg-based WebSites satisfies your hunger to see what can be done with Elgg ;-)

    1. http://docs.elgg.org/wiki/Sites_powered_by_Elgg
    2. http://community.brighton.ac.uk/
    3. http://www.realmofnewthought.com/ucs/
    4. http://www.rucku.com/
    5. http://www.snippr.de/social/
    6. http://stopheathrow.org/
    7. http://www.teawlamai.com/
    8. http://mimundo.entrepares.com/
    9. https://www.tgv-rezo.com/
    10. http://www.budokin.com/
    11. http://m4medicine.com/community/
    12. http://thematiccapital.com/
    13. http://laurenceschool.net/
    14. http://www.funnymonkey.com/
    15. http://laurenceschool.net/
    16. http://eduspaces.net/
    17. http://blogs.univ-paris5.fr/
    18. http://www.groupereflect.net/VNU.html
    19. http://www.israelfans.net/elgg/
    20. http://www.bookraiser.com/
    21. http://www.ptustudents.com/
    22. http://www.thinkbowl.com/
    23. http://facebookforkids.com/
    24. http://www.expatklub.com/
    25. http://www.pakidea.com/
    26. http://mylifethinking.com/social/
    27. http://mimundo.peesco.net/
    28. http://community.ptonline.tv/
    29. http://www.hedgehogs.net/
    30. http://www.baptistsocialnetwork.org/
    31. http://zebida.com/main/
    32. http://www.fundable.com/
    33. http://www.tickerheads.com/
    34. http://www.mercyspeak.com/
    35. http://www.smanixsby.ascomm.net/
    36. http://www.theatregig.com/
    37. http://www.t-immersion.com/
    38. http://www.unltdworld.com/
    39. http://www.hapas.us/
    40. http://www.hedgehogs.net/
    41. http://www.twizii.com/
    42. http://www.fealliance.org.uk/
    43. http://www.ravesquare.com/
    44. http://www.ircaserta.com/
    45. http://hi5schools.com/enter/
    46. http://www.elggturkiye.com/
    47. http://maestrozone.marksmusiconline.co.uk/
    48. http://demyx.com/Dhrup
    49. http://www.bimcentral.net/beta/
    50. http://www.thefriendhub.com/
    51. http://www.youcantrade.in/
    52. http://www.revolutionteam.info/
    53. http://love2fish.net/
    54. http://www.bangalicommunity.com/
    55. http://www.paddlefriend.com/
    56. http://myartsroom.com/
    57. http://elgg2.adeshub.com/

     

  • My great thanks to Dhrup for a good kind of answer, information rather than argument, though I appreciate Rob's contibution too.   He does make some good points.  But I don't like being forced into an either/or position.  I both want to make the best site(s) of my own, which Elgg is flexible enough to do, and I want to join a working community on a site that someone else has created in their way.   I do not understand why this site uses so little of what Elgg can do.  I admit that my understanding of what it can do comes mostly from that misleading book Elgg Social Networking, which was based on version 0.8 or 0.9, but surely Elgg is more powerful now, not less.  As described in the book, Elgg had the especially interesting ability to connect people by common interests.  I don't see that in this site.  If it is hidden away somewhere, please tell me where.  If it is not here I'd like to know why not.

    I am amazed that Rob (and apparentlty others) are happy with what you get when you "open the box".  Yes, it works, but I don't see it as ready to use.   Compare MediaWiki and WordPress.  With either you can start adding content, typing in text, within seconds of installing it, without being told how to do it.  Do you remember installing Elgg and what you get right then?  It is pretty blank.  I persist in thinking that it should not be.

    Alright Rob, I will tell you my interests, though I shoud be able to find people with similar ones without having to do so.   I am interested in Social Technology and have had web pages on the subject since the web was invented, with other stuff on the Internet for many years before that.  Elgg is social technology.  I never expected it to do what I want social technology to do, but believe it is a step in the right direction.

                    dpw

     

  • @ dpw - I often find that to 'Thought Provoke in Reverse', often gets deeper in to people's route causes, problems, concerns etc... It may not always be as smooth, laid back and sometimes can come across hard line but it often proves to be the right tactic.

    As we now have above, a further in depth but structured understanding of your needs / requirements, where as In your first post or two it was more leaning towards confusion. With somewhat a hint of slating a platform you didn't know everything about, it takes time no matter how experienced a person maybe.

    It's just some will be quicker than others at taking information in, putting their knowledge and experience together and reachign the end goal quicker... That goes for anything in life Internet / Technology Based or anything at all?

    Any avid Elgg fan(s) will often find misunderstanding it's potential through a few hours use of it by people, a bitter pill to swallow me included, so apologies for that lol. ;)

    The main this is, you now are armed with more of the information you were seeking (Thanks Dhrup) ;) We have between all posters on the Official Elgg Community in our different ways, styles and abilities; brought you further out of your first introduction to Elgg towards greater things that you want from a platform albeit it Elgg or something else in the the end. :)

    Welcome anyway and enjoy your reading. :D

    Regards,

  • LOL ;-O

    Let's beat each other up ha! ha ! ( kidding.. )

    So anyways.. y'all can see... I do keep my list of good and varied Elgg sites.

    There's many good Elgg sites out there.. and some are simply *stunning and when we compare with the plain vanilla community.elgg.org ( which is intentional by CurveRider ) -- we start to see more of what that Elgg magic can do... ;-O   Some people have done some truly amazing things with Elgg !!

  • Wow there is a book in here, it took me 1/2 an hour at least to read this thread

    Elgg is magic and this site is just the foundation

    build what you want, all the bricks are here, and new and varied ones appear daily

  • G'day all.. I had elgg for the past 3 months now and I know how frustrating it can be to try to make a cake from a cake that seems already baked.. It looks that way when you unpack and install the script, especially if you are not a developer or a code author.. But what I say to all is that elgg, in terms of code, is not rocket science.. all you have to do is take your time and understand how it is structured and how it functions and the puzzle pieces will start falling into place. I spent almost 3 months studying the code before I started building my site. Elgg is so diverse and open to modifications to suit your requirements. Trust me, I am so familiar with other SN scripts some of which are absolute nightmeres.. I worked with Dolphin, DZoic (handshakes), Social Engine and the rest. Unless you understand each and everyone of them, just like in elgg, it would be almost impossible to deploy them.

    I never doubted elgg's backend. I think most SN software now incorporates most features by default like profiles, messaging, chat, news..etc. I was more interested to find out how customizeable it is. I found that you need not do more than what you would do for any other script to create your site with elgg. The only difference is I paid $900 for Boonex Dolphin, $450 for DZoic Handshakes and $200 for Social Engine. Elgg core came free. 

    And, just to give you an example of how flexible Elgg is, I wanted to create a site with a messages mod that looks like Facebook message system. I've attached 2 images to show you the results.

    I hope this encourages people to keep trying to understand how things work because ultimately, if you do, then you can produce the site you're set out to create.

     

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