Slashcode Can (and Should) Learn from Scoop
Since we began enhancing Slash 0.3, CTDATA has looked to a variety of sources for new feature ideas. Of course, our primary source of ideas has been the subsequent versions of Slashcode itself. However, recently, we have been looking at other Weblog toolkits primarily to ensure that we are not developing tunnel vision.
We find Scoop, the code framework that was developed for Kuro5hin, very interesting. While we are not sold on using moderation techniques to manage a Slash-like Site's submission queue, there are a number of interesting features that are designed to encourage more user participation.
Features we find particularly interesting:
- User Diary
We like the idea of the User Diary because users who submit stories that are ultimately rejected are still able to place them somewhere on the site. Of course, the side-effect of such unmoderated posting is that it may appear to be part of the main story flow. Some casual users of K5 sites may be confused by this.
- Your Comments, Your Stories
These features actually appear to be lifted in some way, shape, or form from Everything2, but we like the added dimension of pulling the story submissions into the user's personal area.
- Simple list of allowed HTML tags wherever HTML is permitted
Not really a revelation, but well implemented. Also, had never seen the HTML Primer for Weblogs, which we will have to incorporate in our sites at some point.