Managing Content by End Users

After reading some of the complaints about the recommended diaries a rare but definite thought entered my brain. I figured I'd go ahead and add it to a diary entry before I forgot what the thought was, otherwise I'd be lost to it forever.

Now, I've worked with a number of content management systems for websites, and I'm basing this idea on something I've seen used for administrators. I'm wondering if it could somehow be used to add another layer of functionality for end-users.

e107 is by far one of my favorite content management systems. I first started using it not long ago when my gaming clan switched to it for our website. (To see it in action, check out Res|stance Platoon). e107 has a great user interface for administrators that is really simple to use and makes life quick and easy.

One of its greatest features is that you can place and move content in the sidebars however you see fit, and I'm assuming that Kos has similar functionality with scoop. For example, on the DailyKos homepage, on the right sidebar, you have all of the site features, starting with the Menu and followed by Archives, User Info, HotList, Recommended Diaries, Recent Diaries, and so on which I'll call "modules".

In e107, the admin can move and place all of these modules as he or she deems necessary, and even add modules or removed them if they want. It makes customization really easy and provides a uniqueness to each website using this particular CMS, even though it runs on the same basic engine.

What I think would make this site really incredible is if each end user could place each module in whatever particular order they wanted, within reason of course. Right now, the modules seem to be set globally so that they are the same for everyone, which is perfectly fine if that's the way the site admin wants it, but I think adding a little bit of customization functionality to end-users would be great.

Something simple like a list of modules, with a dropdown box next to each one where you could select the number of its position would go a long way towards making life easier for the end-users. As a rough example:

• Menu-----------------------2
• Archives-------------------5
• User Info------------------4
• Recent Diaries-------------1
• Recommended Diaries--------3

Now, I don't know if this is possible to do with the way Scoop is coded or not. Like I said, it's just an idea that I think would be pretty cool to see as an addition to the site. Anybody else have other ideas?

•  I've seen other scoop sites

  where the arrangement of modules has been different (I think).

  Suffice it to say, I think your idea is swell.

  by JimTXDem on Tue Aug 17, 2004 at 02:40:03 AM PDT

•  slash does it

  sort of. You can pick & choose your 'hotboxes' and their placement.

  I've never delved that deeply into Scoop code, so I don't know how hard this would be to implement, but I'm pretty sure it would take some time.

  by cyclopatra on Tue Aug 17, 2004 at 03:17:02 AM PDT

  •  I agree

    It probably would take some time.  I'm a horrible coder so I know it would take me ages to do it.  It just seems like potentially a really nice feature for users if the developers agree.

    by Lipo on Tue Aug 17, 2004 at 03:59:18 AM PDT