BuddyPress Tips: How We Built chekmrk

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BuddyPress Tips: How we built chekmrk

Innovation happens by knowing what the rules are and then bending them or breaking them to do what we want.

How we built chekmrk

BuddyPress is a powerful tool. We discovered a unique way to use the software. We challenged ourselves to think about the software differently.

DATA: how do you get data about your business?

At the heart of the issue is the failure to distinguish between narrative, data and method.

- Greg Glassman, Founder, CrossFit(In response to the fitness industries unsubstantiated claims. Example: Why doesn’t the “AB Roller” work?)

Narrative is a story.“Our projects are on time and on budget!”

Data is something that is measurable, observable and repeatable.

“It takes us 3 months to build a website.”

Method is the exact approach you took.

“We use the Waterfall process.”

Narrative, Data and Method cannot exist independently.

- Narrative is just guesses without data

- Data needs narrative for direction

- Method needs data to figure out which process to employ

Businesses can use Narrative, Data and Method, to track projects better.

- Narrative is the project scope

- Data are the tasks for the project

- Method is the software used to complete the tasks

How are you keeping track?- A project management app is one of the few tools we have to measure the success of our business.

• Keep project on track• Central place for communication• Accountability, if it's not in the project it

doesn't exist.• Team member leaves, the next person

can pick up quickly.

• Anyone can go on vacation at any time.

Why use a project management app?

HISTORY: how we chose BuddyPress to build a project management application.

ProjectGroupie (2003 - 2009)Pre-BuddyPress - The first project management app we built

• People don't use most features• People relied on email updates a lot• People liked having a dashboard• Communication happened outside• Scaling the app was difficult.

When we built ProjectGroupie, we learned a lot about how people actually manage projects.

BuddyPress is a social networking plugin.Incredible sharing and data collection features.

BuddyPress 1.0 (April 30, 2009)

• Display data from all main areas, Activity, Forums, Members, Groups, Blogs, Group Members, Private Messages and Profile.

• Share data across features, between users• Extensive plugin utilities• Custom profile build out• Keep data public or private

Why BuddyPress? It’s about the sharing and data.

ProjectGroupie was “project centric”We realized people contribute to projects. Projects don’t contribute to people.

chekmrk is people centric.chekmrk is a “virtual hallway” where people can share and contribute to others projects.

HOW BUDDYPRESS WORKS:

BuddyPress is just a plugin( With Privileges )

This doesn’t look like WordPress!What we see when we first install BuddyPress

Essentially, we created a child theme of BuddyPress. Stripping everything away and only bringing back in what we wanted, where we wanted it.

• Create a child theme• Build custom templates for pages• Add BuddyPress or WordPress Plugins• Use conditionals for public or network• Create multiple menus for better UI• All WP & BP tags and functions play

well together

How to customize BuddyPress

chekmrk public facing site

chekmrk network dashboard

THE BREAKDOWN: How we get the data

Using WP functions and BP tags

WP, BP Loops & Filters

BP Group Loops

• Create template pages for flexibility• Use template tags to customize display• Mix and Match WP & BP tags and functions• Really tweak CSS to make it yours• Experiment with BP Plugins

BuddyPress Creative Power Tips

• WP.Tutsplus.com• BP-Tricks.com• Stackexchange.com• WPMU.org• StackOverflow.com• BuddyPress.org

BuddyPress Resources

Thank you!• Slides at www.CrowdedSites.com• chekmrk invite signup www.chekmrk.com• For any questions feel free to contact me!• Wes@CrowdedSites.com