SocialEngine has taken 2015 by the scruff of the neck so far, and it continues to do so by unveiling the roadmap for SocialEngine PHP 4.9.0.
In recent months, responsive themes have been rolled out for SocialEngine Cloud, while areas around importing and API have been enhanced. I always like to point out progress when I see it, and it's clear to see that SocialEngine are upping their game. Good on them.
Here's a closer look at what users can expect from SocialEngine PHP 4.9.0 upon release.
Activity Feed Improvements
SocialEngine are introducing iframely to help improve their Activity Feeds.
It's a simple API that embeds content into user's feeds, making it easy to display content in an engaging way just by scraping a web link. SocialEngine will be hosting an iframely API for free (for valid SE licenses), but users will also have the option to go directly through iframely, or even to self-host using the open source version.
Furhtermore, SocialEngine users will also be getting the power to upload multiple photos in the “Post Something” section, allowing community members to share moments and photos more efficiently.
The ability to edit published statuses is another feature on the way. But wait, there's more. A lot more.
A New Default Responsive Theme
After the release of SocialEngine PHP 4.9.0, the default theme will be brand new, and able to adapt to any screen size.
It will be compatible with all core modules and will ensure an excellent browsing experience for everyone. Admins will also be able to customize the theme’s color to provide for individuality and creativity.
SEO-friendly Content URLs with Slugs
The team at SocialEngine have also turned their attention towards making their platform more SEO-friendly.
To do that, they're implementing SEO-friendly URLs with Slugs, replacing their current URL structure of numbers instead of set keywords.
reCAPTCHA On The Way
Yes, that’s what Google calls its new reCAPTCHA. We’re going to provide you with this experience soon by upgrading to Google’s new reCAPTCHA v2.0 (#153).
Further improvements SocialEngine are aiming with version 4.9.0 include:
- Ordering feeds based on popularity
- Ajax-based status posting
- New Activity Feed Items for likes on content
- Sort Past Events in Reverse Chronological Order
- Options to disable YouTube and Vimeo Upload Options
- Make video thumbnail available for selection when a video profile page url is shared
- Animated GIF support
- More organized Activity Feed Settings section
- Ability to change position of Updates and search bar in mini menu
- New widget: Column width modifier
- New widget: Social Sharing buttons
- Ability to set different titles of multiple HTML Blocks placed on a page
- Better Social Login buttons on Login/signup page
- Improvements in pagination
Comments from users regarding this roadmap have been positive. And rightly so, considering the sheer size of this pending release.
To find out more about SocialEngine 4.9, check out the official blog announcement of the version's roadmap.
Plus, you can explore more of SocialEngine through our CMS Directory.
