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Phoenix Template Rendering Engine Overview

What is a template rendering engine?
A template rendering engine is the total separation (abstraction) of an application business logic and rules from the content layer (output HTML, XHTML, XML, PDF, etc.).

It includes dynamic variable substitutions (replaces keywords or place holders with content), dynamic block substitutions (for example the result of a record set from a query, for instance the number of available news topics on the news index), amazing capabilities to process unlimited nested loops among many others.

Conditional statements ( [if/elsif/else] which allow you to make decisions based on user interaction in a easy to understand way - optional).

The problem here is many template solutions for PHP are based on regular expressions replacements, which highly complicated the code and added an immense overhead into the application, this regular expressions metaphor where hard to extend (and to adjust to taste), and did not quite provided the complete separation of presentation and logic (for example, to make rows of a table alternate colors, PHP code had to be adjusted).

Instead of following this route and live with this and many other drawbacks, Phoenix takes advantage of a revolutionary concept in template rendering engines, provided by the underlying architecture of Smarty. The compilation of templates, which combines the speed of execution of pure PHP code with the ease and simplicity of template syntax.

By using this approach template files are first converted into PHP scripts before they are executed. This may sound costly in terms of performance until you consider that this need only be done when the template file is changed! Once a template file is compiled, they are stored for later use (and re-use) using a caching mechanism, the end result being a reduced overall server load. Which can be greatly enhanced (up to 500%) by the use of PHP optimizing technologies like php-accelerator or the zend optimizer.

The second biggest advantage is extensibility, this is what really makes it invaluable for programmers and designers a like.

How does it work?
 Basically templates work quite similar to any ordinary HTML page, it uses template "tags" to distinguish dynamic content (data provided from the DB for example), from the rest of the template which is pure HTML. This tags are then automatically replaced with the result of the requested data set. All template functions are loaded on demand this means that even though the rendering engine is extensive in its core it will only load the required code to perform each task.

While working with templates you have access to a wealth of resources, among them are:

Variable modifiers (allows you to transform on the fly the properties of your content, i.e. Caps, indentation, upper, lower, etc)

Configurations files, this allow you to define settings for colors, width and practically every aspect of the HTML properties.

A wealth of Built-in functions which you can extend, like free block/module positioning, forms, automatic clocking and encoding of email addresses, and many more.

You can easily add and extend with your own functions the engine by taking advantage of the plugin architecture.

Many new possibilities arise with the capability of automatic inclusion of static content either local or remote on the fly.

Caching Mechanisms designed with great granularity allows you to specify how, when and how often cached content is to be updated (turning your site as fast as static HTML) and under which conditions.

Advanced Features:

Prefilters
Are a set of functions that are run on the templates prior to them being compiled with the engine. (i.e. removing unwanted comments form them)

PostFilters
This are functions that are executed after the templates have been compiled.
And could help add valuable data to the whole of your templates if needed on the fly.

Output Filters
This feature allows you to apply settings to content while being executed as opposed to the postfilters which are applied just before saving the compiled template.

Multiple Template sources
Templates may come from a variety of sources, like file system or the database.

Debugging Tools
Intelligent debugging console which allows one to trace all items related to any and all templates used diring the course of a page rendering.

The pnTemplate API
This (Template Application Programming Interface) provides a set of tools that allow programmers to harness the full set of combined resources that PostNuke and Smarty provide.

It follows the pnAPI naming conventions and style and will become easy to understand and apply for module/block programming, taking current modules and block to the next level of usability, flexibility and power.

The Phoenix Administration (system) Module
It’s the front end for all this power and flexibility, it manages Themes, which are composed of templates, that in turn have interesting properties like content type (html, xhtml, csv, rss, pdf), they also belong to a layout, each template in a theme can belong to a different layout, lets say you create a "dual column" layout and an "art deco", layout for theme "Postnuke", then you can switch among this with the click of a mouse, and then apply this system wide, templates also belonge to specific zones (header, footer, module content, block etc.)

Templates install them self’s similar to how modules do now, you just drop in the theme, initialize and activate it and you are done. Same goes for upgrades or removal.

In the Phoenix administration module you can manage all aspects of the rendering engine, including but not limiting to all properties that control the behavior of smarty, as well as create, edit, delete templates and its related itmes online, since you can choose to use file system templates or db templates or a combination of both, you can directly upload new sets of templates from your computer.

You have access to CSS and many more properties and features, the best part of it all is, that you can have the old themes right along with the next generation and also switch back and forth among them with ease.

Templates Programming Language and Active Zones
While working with templates as mentioned before you can either use the basic template "tags" and normal HTML or go beyond the choice is yours, the rendering engine provides enough resources to make your templates intuitive and intelligent accomplishing quite complex task with great ease, this is done by the use of what we call the "active zones". Active zones are special place holder areas in your templates that allow execution of commands from the template rendering language or invocation of plugins, filters, variable substitution, etc.

This, active zones, are easy to use and apply and will make your life very simple and productive while customizing and designing the site of your dreams.

In conclusion the Phoenix Template Rendering Engine can answer the needs and requirements of both novices and seasoned developers or graphics designer. And it supports popular HTML editors like DreamWeaver among others allowing you to use visual tools to enhance your experience and over-all productivity harnessing all this power in one simple place.

For reference if you happen to read this before the principal article of this series please read the first part which you will find here:
http://news.postnuke.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=2357

Note: [ For clarification 1st quarter refers to the 1st four (4) months [Jan-Apr] of 2003, thus the goal is to have the 0.8 release by the ends of april - 2003.]

The Future: Where is PN going?

Introduction
PN has grown both in core logic and in modules/blocks available, the lines between the core logic and the modules and/or extensions have blurred at times, forcing 3rd party developers to impose upon the core, creating incompatibilities, delaying upgrades, and slowing response times from the system (pnCore).

So we'll get to the point in the beginning, what can you look forward to in the next release of PN? A modularized core, plug and play architecture, short URL's, admin redesign, a templating engine (get more info here), better security, caching, and a visual editor. Some may be asking, "How is this going to be accomplished?" and "Who is going to do it?" Read on and you'll discover who has volunteered their time, how it is organized and how you can contribute.

Modularizing the core is key to separating core logic and presentation layers. And the work on modularizing pnAPI, and key core components is well under way and means you will see this change in the next release 0.8 (code named: adam_baum). As a result of this modularization future PN releases will include the following packages, (i.e. Core, Modules, Languages, Docs, & Themes) and are reflected in the current CVS as main categories which in turn hold the components belonging to it, (i.e. Modules: Content, Legacy, Miscellaneous, ResourcePack and Utility).

Some of you may be asking yourself, "How do these changes help me as a module dev, webmaster, or user?" First for module devs, the categorization of data provides you with the ability to group your module in a logical way within the current module structure already available in PN. It will also provide a webmaster with the ability to better use and manage their site, targeting their site to specific use or tastes. For example, you can create and tailor your installations based on your personal tastes, needs, or target audiences, i.e., site focusing on community, content, e-commerce, or education. For users this won't make much difference to you other than the site you are using will provide you with a richer user experience.

Also, webmaster/admin's can look forward to new and enhanced core functionality. PN will now be able to categorize modules, blocks, and content. Furthermore it will be able to resolve module dependencies; for example, if you want to install the "News" module it would require the installation of dependent modules that provide additional functionality. The new installer will detect those dependencies and guide you in the set-up process of customizing and installing PN. For example, a request for the "News" module, requires the following additional modules: Submit_News, Topics and NS-AddStory, so the installer will prompt the user to install these dependent modules at the time of installation. Once all the demands are met the Wizard will continue with the installation.

Of course in order to accomplish the above successfully, another technology is needed that we will call the "Custom-Wizard". The "Custom-Wizard" is a low level tool with the ability to handle the dreaded Unix permissions, create, delete, set permissions and ownership among many other things and will even work under "SAFE MODE" installations. So where ever PHP runs the "Custom-Wizard" will work regardless of the ownership and host system restrictions. This extended functionality will cut down almost 98% of the installation/customization issues present today in support requests.

The new and improved core will also cater a solution for 3rd party developers who wish to hook directly into the pnCore, to extend it in a safe and efficient way. This new plug & play architecture will also be made available allowing module devs to tap into the resources without the need of modifying core files. These changes alone will provide certainty and unparalleled power and flexibility to all devs. Also, new CMS importers will be available in order to convert from other systems (i.e., PHPNuke, Xoops, Envolution) with as much accuracy as possible.

Also, another valuable tool, the pnAntiCracker will become a module that will allow greater flexibility. By doing this webmasters will be able to finer control its operation and general properties.

The visual editor will also become a module with cross browser/platform capabilities in the latest generation browsers. Along with this last point PN will be able to automatically detect browser type versions and current rendering capabilities aiding in the creation of themes and templates, which will be possible to enable in a per module setting.

Last but not least, this brings us to templates. Yes, finally the 0.8 version of PN on top of the previous points will bring you the Phoenix template-rendering engine. The work in the global implementation of the Phoenix rendering engine will engage in parallel tasks associated with it, as the complete compliance of all system and core modules with the pnAPI. With the templating system short URL's are implemented and all modules will be fully template based. The administration module will have a new and improved design and new database back ends (i.e. postgreSQL) with enhanced caching technologies for queries and content will be added as well, a new logging mechanism will track trends and use of your site in a friendly and powerful new ways.

This will be a next generation CMS that includes a slim core, is extensible, modular and smart. And will support several backend database servers taking full advantage of ADODB and will finally provide a complete separation of core logic and presentation layers, becoming an N-Tier application. (For those non-developers an N-Tier application architecture is a model for developers to create a flexible and reusable application. By breaking the application into tiers, developers only have to modify or add to specific layers to change or scale up a tool.) http://www.webopedia.com/quick_ref/app.arch.asp

The benefits will be astounding. Developers can focus on code; designers can work on layout and presentation; and writers can focus on content.

This provides a solid foundation to extend the users management area, abstraction of reusable code and much, much more.

You may ask who will do this and how?
It is with great pleasure that I introduce you to, the newly elected Task Force Team Leaders and Members along with its responsibilities and Tasks definitions.

PostNuke Development Task Force Teams

In order to streamline our efforts and efficiently organize the work we are dividing the development into different teams. Each team in addition to the responsibilities listed below will also be responsible for keeping their specific tasks up to date in the NOC and maintain any team related

PostNuke_Security

The security task team will primarily be responsible for overall security of the PN core as well as responding to the security mailing list. They will be the front line for all security concern with PostNuke. They will also be responsible for the permissions system found in PostNuke.

Team Leader: Tanis
Team Members: larsneo, markwest

PostNuke_Research

The research task team will primarily be responsible exploring and testing new and fresh ideas and technologies that could possibly be used in PostNuke. As new technologies are identified they will be slated for inclusion in a future PostNuke release. Analyzing the current needs of admins and conducting suability research to improve the current state of PN

Team Leader: bharvey42
Team Members: Tanis, elgranazul, <a href="http://developers.postnuke.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=phpWiki&file=index&pagename=vworld%2Fvanessa"target="_blank">vworld, class007, <a href="http://developers.postnuke.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=phpWiki&file=index&pagename=Spliffster"target="_blank">spliffster, <a href="http://developers.postnuke.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=phpWiki&file=index&pagename=Neo"target="_blank">Neo, pnCorps

PostNuke_Modules

The module task team will primarily be responsible for the non-core (with the exception of 3rd party modules) modules and blocks found in a PostNuke release.

Team Leader: <a href="http://developers.postnuke.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=phpWiki&file=index&pagename=MagicX"target="_blank">magicx
Team Members: <a href="http://developers.postnuke.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=phpWiki&file=index&pagename=skooter"target="_blank">skooter, <a href="http://developers.postnuke.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=phpWiki&file=index&pagename=nunizgb"target="_blank">nunizgb, class007, markwest, spliffster

PostNuke_Themes

The themes task team will primarily be responsible for the core themes as well as the Phoenix rendering engine.

Team Leader: Neo
Team Members: magicx, vworld, bharvey42

PostNuke_Core

The core task team will primarily be responsible for the PostNuke API, the Install/Upgrade scripts and other core logic of the PostNuke.

Team Leader: larsneo
Team Members: Neo, <a href="http://developers.postnuke.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=phpWiki&file=index&pagename=MagicX"target="_blank">magicx, nunizgb, skooter, lcabrera, spliffster, cybersliver

PostNuke_Languages

The language task team will primarily be responsible for all things related to language within the structure of PostNuke.

Team Leader: nunizgb
Team Members: elgranazul, class007

PostNuke_Database

The database task team will primarily be responsible for the main database access found within PostNuke. Currently that will be with the pnADODB logic, as well as moving the code forward to be used with any database engine.

Team Leader: <a href="http://developers.postnuke.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=phpWiki&file=index&pagename=lcabrera"target="_blank">lcabrera
Team Members: skooter, Tanis, xaplo, cybersliver

PostNuke_Releases

The releases task team will primarily be responsible for the versioning, packaging, and posting new releases to the appropriate locations. They will be the packaging experts and will provide many various packages, including but not limited to *.tar, *.zip, *.deb and possibly others like *.rpm.

Team Leader: magicx
Team Members: larsneo, nunizgb, class007, bharvey42

PostNuke_Docs

The docs task team will primarily be responsible for documentation found within the released PostNuke package. That could be their own developed documentation or documentation from 3rd parties.

Team Leader: infopro
Team Members: jim hadfield, pnCorps, class007

All Task Force Team leaders where elected among their peers in an open vote in the IRC meeting. After these elections a final vote was taken for the following: Lead Developer and Communications Officer.

The elected individuals where:
Lead Developer: <a href="http://developers.postnuke.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=phpWiki&file=index&pagename=Neo"target="_blank">Neo
Communications Officer: vworld

Last but not least, project manager is HZink

Conclusion
This summarizes the results of the meeting, presents us with the goals and objectives for this 1st quarter and allows us to see clearly into the future. All of these new developments and implementations will, be performed in such a way that existing modules, themes and blocks will work flawlessly while new generations of them will be able to do as much and more. These new developments will also allow you to leverage your current and future faith in PostNuke to be safeguarded and extended exponentially.

We invite you all to help us, because together go even farther than we could if we worked alone. And we'd like to thank everyone involved in the community for your support you are the reason this project is unique and different from every other CMS out there!

This is the road, this is the vision, and future of PostNuke.

The PostNuke development team

Related Links:
IRC meeting log
http://noc.postnuke.com/docman/?group_id=5
(Look under IRC Meeting logs document category)

Organizational chart:
http://noc.postnuke.com/docman/view.php/5/31/pnOrgChart-2003b.png

pnDev Profiles
http://developers.postnuke.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=phpWiki&file=index&pagename=bio

Phoenix Rendering Engine Info
http://news.postnuke.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=2358&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

Fellow PostNukers Cross Paths!!!

I have been participating and using postnuke for about two years now. Before that I had briefly found phpnuke a month prior and quickly determined that PostNuke was for me.

While following links and looking around at all the neat stuff that was being created for both systems. I had run across a website that stuck in my mind because of the Topic icons and logos this webmaster used. It was a cartoon or characature of the webmaster. I didn't think much of it, it was just memorable.

This was at least a year or so ago. Shortly after I happened to be taken to his site again and realized that he had switched over to using the Postnuke system and recalled that topic icon again. Since then I stop by his site from time to time as I do alot of your postnuke websites looking for new and innovative things that you all are working on.

Recently I threw my hands up in the air and toyed around with the idea that I would just have to write my own programs and have to break down and learn php (like I am not busy enough already) so... I went to a local book store (Borders Books) close to home to see what kind of books I could find and see if I wanted to tackle such a project.

After seeing how thick the book was I decided quickly that it would be way to time consuming and I would have to again continue my search for a php programmer that was not busy and that was familiar with the PostNuke system and preferably local.

Its not real easy as you can't just open the yellow pages and find one. There isn't a section in the yellow pages for PostNuke PHP programmers (But I do invision one soon) And the searches I have done on the net have not been fruitful as I would prefer a local one that I could meet and share my great ideas and we could work and develop the ideas together. Of couse I would Pay them if I could only find one.

Well when I left the BIG FAT PHP BOOK behind on the shelf I had gone up to the information desk where they have all the intelegent workers there that know everything that is in the store and where to find it. I was now in search of another book of a different topic.

I was waiting as one guy was busy with a customer and the other was on the phone. It happened that the one on the phone was able to help me first. I asked this guy with long blonde hair in a ponytail and a goatee for help and he pointed me in the right direction for the type of book I was looking for and off I went.

My conclusions were right and I couldn't find any books about my subject and thought to myself that I may could write a book on such a thing ( basically a how to book on creating eBook).

I was about to leave that section when this guy came back up to me in the section he directed me to and asked me if I found what I was looking for.

I proceeded to tell him that I didn't and that was ok because of my idea to write such a how to book. Then I started to tell him the original reason I was there about the php book and that I gave up on the idea of programming my ideas myself and that I wish I could just find someone that knew php. He had this look on his face and so I asked him if he was into computers and if he knew anything about php and he said yes.

At that moment I was so excited that I was even in the same freaking state as a php programmer I right away said I need your number!

I then started to tell him that I use this software called Postnuke and was telling him how it works and he said he knew about it. I then got even more excited. You should've seen me I must have acted like the biggest nerd and kid because I was all giddy from excitement.

I said how cool that was that we met and I asked him if I could get his name and number so I could talk to him about the ideas I had.

He said sure and he pulled out a business card and handed it to me. As soon as I looked at his card I got excited allover again as I knew of him because I had been to his site many times. On his card he had that unforgettable icon/cartoon of himself and right away after looking at him again I saw the resemblence.

I told him that I had been to his site and I think he felt like a rock star because I was telling him how I stopped by his site and kept track of his developments and again I know the excitement was showing.

We chatted while he worked for another hour and before you know it he was getting off work. We went to the snack bar area and I gave him my number and emails and chatted more briefly and I had to leave to be somewhere else.

We have exchanged emails and are on track to a great new friendship based on our common postnuke interests.

I have been thinking back on that night and if certain things had not happened we would have never met.

One thing is that I never go to the book store anymore. I get all my info online anymore. the last time I was in a book store was a year ago. Let alone that one as that isn't the closest one to me.

Also that night I was heading to work and I had called them to tell them I would be in later because I knew it was going to be a slow night and I knew they wouldn't mind me coming in a little later than usual. I was on a quest. (little did I know what I would find)

If he was on the phone with the customer a little longer than the other guy then that other guy would've helped me and that would've been the end of that.

If He hadn't followed up to see if I had found what I was looking for I don't think we would've ever know about each other. I think it was great that his attention wasn't consumed by questions of another patron of the store

I think it was devine intervention that guided him back over to me.

It just goes to show you that you never really know if you are standing right next to a fellow PostNuker or not.

Im glad I found a new friend.

"Gordon aka Baohx here's to you!!! (b)(b) "

By the way I haven't told Gordon yet but I think we should start a local Postnuke Fan Club :)

Who knows maybe we will have more than two members. hehe.

Richard Wing
Phoenix AZ

i18n (Internationalization) of Postnuke - Connecting the Dots with Collaboration

There are some issues remaining, however. Aside from the more <a href="http://www.issho.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=DB_phpBB2&file=viewtopic&p=63#63"target=blank">general i18n and localization issues, the matter of how to convert between encodings, for example. One needs to do this with those sites that use more than one encoding, those that are <a href="http://www.issho.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=DB_phpBB2&file=viewtopic&p=73#73"target=blank">importing rss feeds of an encoding different from the site, and those that need to <a href="http://www.issho.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=DB_phpBB2&file=viewtopic&p=72#72"target=blank">send email in encodings different from that of the site. This matter has been approached by Japanese developers, but often the code <a href="http://www.issho.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=DB_phpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=27"target=blank">being proposed is specific to portal software other than Postnuke (Xoops, or Movabletype for blogs) and/or specific to Japanese encoding issues. And comments are often in Japanese. So the challenge facing all developers who are interested in solving the encoding conversion issue: how to access these specific and difficult to a access ideas. Likewise, the developers that have put forth those ideas will hopefully find ways to make the code ideas more universal, and their comments more accessible. The i18n development will proceed. However, it is critical that all developers interested in these issues exchange ideas and consider each other's specific needs during the process.

<a href="http://www.issho.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=phpWiki&file=index&pagename=LaszloBlog"target=blank">Tony Laszlo, Tokyo

PostNuke site on Oprah Winfrey show!

The experiment was carried out using two servers: one to serve the web pages, and another to do the MySQL processing. The servers, a 1.7Ghz and a 1Ghz each had 1 gig of memory.

Since we really no idea what was going to happen, and to avoid the embarrassment of the server dying the instant it got advertised, we took a few measures to cut down dynamic page generation, like having a static html home-page. This meant, even if the server was having a hard time, users would most probably see the home page. The downloads page was also changed to static html for the same reasons.

At 4PM EST, The site went live and millions of Oprah's devotees tuned in. PostNuke's stats records a staggering 21,000 page views in just 2 and a half hours but the overall stats were much higher including the html home page (which has now beed removed).

Judging by server load stats, I dont think two servers was actually necessary - neither were the static html pages. I am very impressed with PostNuke. My gut instinct since I saw Postnuke in August 2001 it was a winning formula. I know it has been though some rough times in the community, but taking the long view, it has actually gone from strength to strength and I will continue to watch this space and support PostNuke in my own small way.

Drak
<a href="www.hostnuke.com"target=blank">Hostnuke.com

Postnuke Dutch Startpage Daughter

Dutch Translation of Postnuke 0.723 Released

Brazilian Lang Pack for pn723 (and more)

All (afaik ;-) core files and standard themes and the modules below.

X's,
Murilo

get it <a href=http://sourceforge.net/projects/xaraya-br>at sourceforge
-------------------------
Modis:
advanced_polls
All_Stories
Autolinks
Blocks
Censor
ContentExpress
Credits
Downloads
Encyclopedia
FAQ
Members_List
Messages
Modules
News
NS-AddStory
NS-Admin
NS-Admin_Messages
NS-Comments
NS-Ephemerids
NS-Groups
NS-Languages
NS-LostPassword
NS-MailUsers
NS-NewUser
NS-Past_Nuke
NS-Referers
NS-Settings
NS-User
NS-Your_Account
Permissions
PostCalendar
postMyMail
Quotes
Ratings
Recommend_Us
Reviews
Search
Sections
shortnews
SnakePending
Stats
SteelKB
Submit_News
Top_List
User_Points
WhereBisDu
Wiki

Internet Peaks as America's Most Important Source of Information, Reports Year Three of UCLA Internet Project

"Incredible as it may seem, for the vast majority of America that uses online technology, the Internet has surpassed all other major information sources in importance after only about eight years as a generally available communications tool," said Jeffrey Cole, director of the UCLA Center for Communication Policy, a unit in the Anderson School of Management and affiliated with the university's College of Letters and Science.

When Internet users were asked to rank the importance of major media, 61.1 percent said the Internet was very important or extremely important, surpassing books (60.3 percent), newspapers (57.8 percent), television (50.2 percent), radio (40 percent), and magazines (28.7 percent).

Even the newest users of online technology believe the Internet is a vital information source. Among Internet users with less than one year online, more than half (52 percent) say the Internet is very important or extremely important as an information source.

"Clearly, users consider the Internet to be their key source for the broad range of information needs," said Cole. "We are especially interested to see how the role of the Internet as an information source continues to evolve as online access increasingly shifts to broadband instead of modem access, and the Internet becomes an instantly available service in America's households."

By comparison, television remains the most important source of entertainment, with the Internet ranked fourth; 56.2 percent of Internet users ranked television as very important or extremely important, followed by books (50 percent), radio (48.9 percent), magazines (26.5 percent), the Internet (25 percent), and newspapers (22.8 percent).

Internet credibility: problems grow
Yet a sobering perception persists about the Internet's value as an information source: the credibility of information found on the Internet has declined for the first time in the three-year history of the report.

In 2002, 52.8 percent of users said that most or all of the information online is reliable and accurate â€” a decline from 58 percent in 2001 and 55 percent in 2000.

Non-users reported even lower levels of belief in credibility of online information; slightly more than one-third of non-users (33.6 percent) in 2002 continued to say that most or all of the information on the Internet is reliable and accurate â€” down from 36.7 percent in 2001 and about the same as the 33.3 percent in 2000.

"A troubling split in perceptions about the Internet is becoming increasingly clear," said Cole. "The Internet is viewed as a vitally important source of information by new users and experienced users alike, yet disturbingly large numbers of users do not trust what they find online."

"If the Internet's importance for information is growing, but it continues to be perceived as a source of unreliable information, then a 'credibility clash' is looming," Cole said. "How long will the Internet be valued as an important source of information, if the material users find online continues to be considered unreliable and inaccurate?"

Television viewing continues to decline
Year Three of the UCLA Internet Report found that television viewing continues to decline among online users.

"The trend across the three years of the UCLA Internet Project shows that users are 'borrowing' their time to go online from hours previously spent watching television," said Cole. "While survey respondents typically underreport their television viewing, the trend in viewing time is very definitely on the decline, while Internet use is rising."

Regarding television:

Â· Overall, Internet users watched less television in 2002 than in 2001 â€” 11.2 hours per week in 2002, compared to 12.3 hours in 2001.

Â· In 2002, Internet users watched about 5.4 hours of television less per week than non-users â€” this compared to 4.5 hours in 2001.

Â· Almost one-third of children now watch less television than before they started using the Internet at home â€” up from 23 percent in 2001.

Â· The decline in television viewing becomes even more pronounced as Internet experiences increases; more than twice as many of the very experienced users than new users say that they spend less time watching television since using the Internet.

Concerns about online privacy: still high, but down slightly
Even while the importance of the Internet grows by some measures, concerns about online privacy and the security still remain sky high.

Year Three of the UCLA Internet Project found that the vast majority of Americans continue to express some level of concern about the privacy of their personal information when or if they buy on the Internet.

Yet overall, concerns have declined slightly. Overall, 88.8 percent of all respondents â€” users and non-users alike â€” expressed some concern about the privacy of their personal information when or if they buy on the Internet â€” down from 94.6 percent in 2001. Those who are not concerned at all increased to 11.2 percent, more than double the number in 2001 (5.5 percent).

Concerns about credit card information: a continuing major problem
While worries about personal privacy online declined slightly in 2002, concerns about credit card security on the Internet remain as high as ever â€” and for many users, nothing will reduce their concerns.

Overall, 92.4 percent of all respondents age 18 or over in 2002 expressed some concern about the security of their credit card information when or if they buy online â€” a statistically insignificant change from 94.4 percent in 2001.

For nearly one-quarter of the respondents (23.1 percent) who have concerns about using their credit cards online, nothing will reduce their concerns about using a credit card online.

"The twin problems of online privacy and credit card security plague many aspects of Internet use," said Cole. "Those concerns decline somewhat as Internet use increases, but they nevertheless remain, and cannot be overemphasized as an important factor in online purchasing and information exchange."

Internet use at home: a dramatic increase
While overall Internet access remained generally stable from 2001 to 2002, use of the Internet at home increased dramatically.

Of the 71.1 percent of Americans who use the Internet, almost 60 percent of users (59.4 percent) have Internet access at home, a substantial increase in only two years from the 46.9 percent of users who reported home Internet access in 2000, the first year of the UCLA Internet Project.

Hours online increase
The number of hours users spend online continued to increase in 2002 â€” rising to an average of 11.1 hours per week in 2002, up from 9.8 hours in 2001 and 9.3 hours in 2000.

The Top Five Most Popular Internet Activities in 2002
1. E-mail
2. Instant messaging,
3. Web surfing or browsing,
4.Reading news, shopping and buying online
5. Accessing entertainment information.

* * * * * * * *

The UCLA Internet Project: Background
Year Three of the UCLA Internet Report, titled "Surveying the Digital Future," provides a broad year-to-year view of the impact of the Internet by examining the behavior and views of a national sample of 2,000 Internet users and non-users, as well as comparisons between new users (less than one year of experience) and very experienced users (six or more years of experience).

The project compares findings from all three years of the study, looking at five major areas: who is online and who is not, media use and trust, consumer behavior, communication patterns, and social and psychological effects.

The UCLA Center for Communication Policy created and organizes the World Internet Project, which includes the UCLA Internet Report and similar studies in Europe, the Middle East, South America, and Asia.

The UCLA Internet Project is supported by public foundations and private companies, including the National Science Foundation, Hewlett-Packard, Accenture, America Online (AOL) Time Warner, Microsoft, Sony, Verizon, SBC, DirecTV, and the National Cable Television Association.

The UCLA Center for Communication Policy is based in The Anderson School and maintains an affiliation with the university's College of Letters and Science.

To download the full text of the UCLA Internet Report, visit www.ccp.ucla.edu.

UCLA Internet Report, Year Three Additional Highlights
In addition to the highlights cited in the press release, other important findings among the more than 100 major issues in Year Three of the UCLA Internet Project are:

(Page references for from the report are listed after each highlight)
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Who is Online and Who is Not? What are Users Doing Online?
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Overall Internet Use
Internet access by Americans remained generally stable from 2001 to 2002. More than 70 percent (71.1 percent) of Americans in 2002 went online, compared to 72.3 percent in 2001 -- a statistically insignificant different -- but up from 66.9 percent in the first UCLA Internet Project in 2000. (Pages 17 and 18)

Technophobia
Technophobia affects respondents at all levels of experience using the Internet; 30.3 percent of new users and 10.8 percent of very experienced users report some technophobia. (Page 24)

How Do You Connect To The Internet At Home?
Most households with Internet access still connect to online service with a telephone modem; however, broadband access has increased, and modem access is declining. (Page 25)

Broadband Vs. Modem: How Do They Affect Online Use?
Broadband users spend more time online than modem users in all of the most popular Internet activities. (Page 25)

How Many Working Computers At Home?
Almost one-quarter of respondents (24.1 percent) have more than one working computer in their homes. Nearly 10 percent (9.5 percent) have three or more working computers. (Page 26)

Are Your Computers At Home Networked To Each Other?
Home networking of computers is a growing trend; 32 percent of respondents with two or more computers at home have networked them. (Page 27)

Non-Users: Why Not Online?
The 28.9 percent of Americans who did not use the Internet in 2002 express a range of reasons for not being online. The primary reason is lack of the technology; 31.9 percent of non-users say they either do not have a computer or their current computer is not adequate. (Page 28)

Electronic Dropouts: Why?
The primary reason given by "electronic dropouts" --Internet non-users who were once users -- for not currently being online is "no computer available." (Page 28)

Nearly half of electronic dropouts say they miss nothing by not having Internet access. (Page 29)

Non-Users: Will You Log On Soon?
The number of non-users who say they will go online within the next year has continued to grow in each successive year of the UCLA Internet Project. Of non-users in 2002, 47 percent said they are somewhat likely or very likely to go online next year. (Page 30)

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Media Use and Trust
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The Internet's Importance: Broadband Vs. Telephone Modem Users
The Internet's importance as a source of both information and entertainment is higher among those who access the Internet via broadband than those with telephone modems. (Page 37)

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Consumer Behavior
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Internet Purchasing: Do You Buy Online? How Much? How Often?
Fewer adults bought online in 2002 than in 2001 or 2000. (Page 40)

While the overall number of buyers in 2002 has declined, their average number of purchases increased substantially over 2001. (Page 40)

The average dollars spent by online buyers in 2002 also increased substantially over 2001, but is still lower than in 2000. (Page 41)

Internet Purchasing: Does It Affect Buying In Retail Stores?
In 2002, online buying replaced some purchasing in retail stores for many Internet users, and at higher levels than in 2001. (Page 43)

How Long Before Your First Online Purchase?
Many Internet users say they waited months or years before buying online. Almost half of Internet buyers (49.3 percent) waited more than two years after going online before making their first purchase. One-third waited more than three years. (Page 43)

Why Wait To Make The First Purchase?
For online buyers who waited several months or more after starting to use the Internet before making their first online purchase, concern about using a credit card online far outweighs any other reason. (Page 44).

Online Purchasing: Will It Increase?
A growing number of Internet purchasers in 2002 reported that their online buying is likely to increase; 71.2 percent of 2002 respondents agree that they will probably make more purchases online, compared to 66.1 percent in 2001 and 54.5 percent in 2000. (Page 46)

Are You Concerned About Your Privacy When Buying Online?
Responses to several questions in the 2002 UCLA Internet Project continued to show high levels of concern about the privacy of personal information when or if respondents buy online. Yet overall, concerns declined slightly in 2002 from 2001. (Page 48)

Concerns About Credit Card Information: A Continuing Major Problem
While worries about personal privacy online declined in 2002, concerns about credit card security on the Internet remain as high as ever. Overall, 92.4 percent of all respondents age 18 or over express some concern about the security of their credit card information if they ever buy online. (Page 50)

Very experienced users describe much lower - but still relatively high - levels of concern than do new users about credit card security on the Internet. (Page 50)

What Are Your Concerns About Using Credit Cards Online?
When asked about the specific reasons for their concerns about using credit cards online, respondents most frequently say that "hackers" are a reason for concern. "Too many unknowns" about online purchasing is the second most-cited reason. (Page 52)

Notably, 8.7 percent of respondents say they are extremely concerned because they know someone who has been a victim of credit card fraud. (Page 52)

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Communication Patterns
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Are Internet Users Communicating More With Family And Friends?
More than half of users in 2002 said that since starting to use the Internet, they increased the number of people with whom they stay in contact. (Page 55)

E-Mail Contact, Personal Contact
E-mail users maintain weekly online contact with an average of 8.7 correspondents. Of those people, e-mail users meet an average of 3.4 correspondents face-to-face. (Page 56)

Multiple E-Mail Addresses
While more than half of e-mail users (52.6 percent) say they only maintain one e-mail account, almost 20 percent (18.3 percent) say they maintain three or more accounts. (Page 57)

Why Multiple E-Mail Addresses?
E-mail users report a variety of reasons for maintaining multiple e-mail addresses. The most often cited reason is separating work e-mail from personal e-mail. (Page 57)

Opinions About The Value Of E-Mail
Large majorities of e-mail users say that online communication: does not require too much time; makes them more likely to keep in contact with other people with e-mail; and allows them to communicate with people they normally could not. (Page 59)

E-Mail At The Office: Business And Personal Use
Internet users continue to report high levels of e-mail access at work for both personal and professional use. More than 83 percent of those who use the Internet at work access business e-mail from work, slightly lower than 2001 but higher than 2000. (Page 73)

Screen Names: How Many Do You Maintain?
Many Internet users maintain more than one screen name that is used for e-mail, chat rooms, instant messaging, and other online communication. Internet users average 2.2 screen names. (Page 60)

Do You Use Multiple Screen Names With Different Personalities?
A small number of users across all age ranges report that they have multiple screen names, each of which is associated with its own personality. (Page 60)

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Social Effects
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Time With Family, Time With Friends
Most Internet users in 2002 continued to believe that the time they spend online has no influence on the amount of time they spend with their family, or time spent with friends. (Page 62)

Where Do Children Use The Internet?
Most children who use the Internet go online at home. Well over 80 percent of children who used the Internet in 2002 went online at home - a substantial increase from 2001 and 2000. (Page 65)

Nearly three-quarters of children who use the Internet go online at school, up from little more than half of children in 2000. (Page 65)

Children Online and Watching Television: The Right Amount Of Time?
44.9 percent of adults say that the children in their households spend too much time watching television, while far fewer (18.3 percent) say children spend too much time online. (Page 66)

A large but declining number of adults say the children in their household spend "about the right amount of time" or "too little time" online - 81.7 percent in 2002. (Page 66)

The number of adults who say that children spend too much time online has drifted upward over the three years of the UCLA Internet Project. (Page 66)

School Grades And The Internet
The Internet is not perceived by most users as having an effect on school grades; nearly three-quarters of adults in 2002 said that since their household acquired the Internet, the grades of children in their households have stayed the same. (Page 67)

Children, The Internet, And Interaction With Friends
Almost all adults say the Internet has no effect on children's interaction with friends. (Page 68)

Political Power And Influence
All three years of the UCLA Internet Project have found that going online can be an important resource for gathering information about political issues; however, relatively small numbers of users believe that the Internet gives them more political power, or helps them influence political decisions and government officials - and those numbers are declining. (Page 69)

The Internet At Work: Business And Personal Use
Internet users continue to report growing levels of online access at work for both personal and professional use. Of those who have Internet access at work, about 90 percent visit Web sites for business purposes; 60.5 percent visit Web sites for personal use while at work. (Page 72)

Do Employers Monitor E-Mail And Internet Use At Work?
About 45 percent of respondents who use e-mail at work in 2002 say their e-mail is monitored by their employers - about the same as in 2001. An almost identical percentage of respondents say their employers monitor their use of the Web either somewhat or closely. (Page 74)

Does The Internet Affect Productivity?
In 2002, nearly two-thirds of users (64.5 percent) said that access to the Internet at work makes them more productive - an increase over both 2001 and 2000. (Page 75)

Are Users Satisfied Or Dissatisfied With The Internet?
Overall, users of the Internet in 2002 were satisfied with online technology, rating satisfaction with the Internet at 4.0 on a scale of 1 (not satisfied) to 5 (completely satisfied). (Page 77)

Users are most satisfied with the ability to communicate with other people on the Internet. Users continue to be least satisfied with the speed of their connection to the Internet. (Page 77)
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Related Links

http://ccp.ucla.edu

----Some Clarifications----

1.- TachionNET simply donated server resources in order to create this new service due to the need to solve the lack of available resources at PN main server, as simple as that.

2.- TachionNET has not direct link to the PN project itself other than this donation, the only ones with a voice in the matter are the community itself and the core devs.

3.- The TM symbol was first used by the project manager when an attempt to use the postnuke name at a fork of PN was made.
The use of the TM has been discussed on this site before and it follows the current US TradeMark guidelines.
Who owns the TM? well all the community does. PostNuke is not any one man's effort its the result of a collective work and as such no one in particular owns it, the community does.

PostNuke is GPL and will always be GPL, no one can change that, not now, not ever.

Nevertheless this community can not afford confusions regarding the name, thus the use of the TM.

4.- The famous pro link was a part of the gforge setup as you can see at the gforge site itself.

5.- The NOC is actually still in development, its final form is yet to be unveiled, and of course it will include an acknowledgment page with all tools used to make it work.

6.- The NOC project was one borne at previous meetings of the PN dev team where an analysis of the current situation regarding the failure of the bugtracker to perform its job, and the need to centralize and streamline the development arose.

In that meeting many approaches where brought into the discussion table and gforge was a nice candidate thus we followed through with that idea.

The NOC was mainly thought to help the core dev team to manage successfully the ever increasing demands in services and tools to perform or deliver the many services the development community requires.

After the initial trial runs it was evident that the NOC could also help the many thus this side effect was a nice one, and in the spirit of collaboration and sharing, the noc allows others to use this resource for the betterment of the community itself.

Since these resources can be just addons to existing PN projects that benefit from the many tools the NOC provides *freely*.

7.- I do not see the need to express exacerbated feelings pointing fingers at members of this community, just for the fun of it, as I said before the GPL nature of PostNuke is permanent, there are no efforts to change that, not now, not ever.

Pointing at people,and implying otherwise is defamation of good people's names, which are despicable acts in my book, we all serve for the greater good, there are no back door policies or hidden agendas, and most certainly there is no need to attack valuable members of the community which devote their lifes to make this project grow and prosper.

In conclusion the NOC site is a huge effort, a concerted one, that can potentially bring forth to the community stability and efficiency. Its creation was build on top of the best of intentions and huge pressing needs.

Its use from any of us is purely optional, no one is forced to use it or visit it as I said this is mainly a resource for core development.

I hope we can all find a common ground and stop fighting ghosts of the past, living a hunted existence where we have the freedom to evolve and the ability to build are diminushed by the constant portraying of malignant plots and ill intentions, these actions do not serve any purpose at all, we all need to understand this is free software, built using open source models and based on volunteer work.

Why attack those that volunteer to build the tools you use? or those that donate resources? It really makes no sense at all to me, instead I would have hoped that we all encouraged and motivate even more those that work tirelessly to make this grow and flourish, but that is just me.

Finally, some stats that portray the reaction of the community thus far to the NOC:

In only 4 days of operation:

Site Views : 48,697
Downloads : 156
Developers : 85
Projects : 19

Best Regards

Cheers
Sam

Postnuke