Just thought I'd clue you guys in on what's going on with KCTuners 2.0, with a feature-set and requests.
KCTuners will be run from a custom CMS, programed from the ground up, heavily reliant on XML. It will be open-source, released under the RPL (Reciprocal Public License). Basically, you may use it freely on your site, you may make money from it, but you cannot call it yours. It is the intellectual property of KCTuners and subsidiaries.
Releases will be made at every minor version change, freely available for download once the codebase is generic enough.
Current Features
Groups, Security, and Permissions
* Multiple authentication schemes (SSL, client-side SHA1, rotating PIN, etc) for increased security
* Customizable permissions (allow groups or individual users access to certain areas or threads)
* Max posts / interval limiting server-wide overridable per user or group (e.g. 15 posts / day, but set it to 3 posts / day for trouble members or newbies)
* Members will be able to access administrative features relative to their group (editing their own profiles, all the way to editing the site itself with the right permissions)
User features
* Customizable ignore of other members' posts
* Several skins to choose from, with an open-framework design for making custom skins
* Complete control of posting environment, allowing for decoration of user's posts (change the background color of your post, for instance)
* Several icon packs
* Several smiley packs as well (same smileys, different look)
* Allow disabling of seeing annoying decorations on posts :)
Personal Files
* Each member will have webspace available to them, in a variety of templates with customizable modules (blogs, music, photo galleries, etc) This allows members without HTML experience to create sites like their friends, without having to visit multiple boards or put up with the nonsense present there.
* Media uploading (pictures, videos, and mp3s [assuming legal permissions]) to public and private space
* Very easy to insert pictures into posts, without needing a separate webhost or 3rd party company
Framework Technologies
* XML-driven backend allows for all sorts of applications to render / communicate with the forums and other areas
* Runs from the MySQL database engine, using very efficent queries
* Internal object caching for high speed under heavy load
* RSS aggregator on the site, allows the import of data from several places (news sites, comics, any other forums supporting RSS / XML, etc)
* XHTML output on all themes (created by KCTuners, at least) for small size and great portability
* DOM2 compliant JavaScript
Extra features we're adding
* OPTIONAL spell checking per post
* automatic image preview of certain links
* auto-linking to several types of links with title detection and stuff
* Fantastic search capabilities with advanced hueristics (if a certain thread is clicked often in search results, it will rise up the search list)
* Ability to assign search keywords to a post or new thread (if you want your thread to show up when searching for 'homemade pots', add that as a keyword)
Proposed themes
* A few built-in themes, like the ones now ... nothing special
* A very lightweight theme with adjustable graphics display, for dial-up users
* All JavaScript theme, placing most of the burden of drawing and rendering on the client. This will be the fastest way to use kcms, period.
* A theme that lets you customize exactly how it looks ... the colors, images, etc.
* Perhaps a media-heavy Flash-based site later on
Questions? Comments? Let me know in this thread. Off-topic replies will be silently removed. If your post was removed, it wasn't relevant to the discussion, and don't raise a stink about it. You knew the rules.