[buddypress-trac] [BuddyPress] #4671: BuddyPress Default Components

[buddypress-trac]

#4671: BuddyPress Default Components
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 Reporter:  johnjamesjacoby  |      Owner:  johnjamesjacoby
     Type:  task             |     Status:  new
 Priority:  high             |  Milestone:  1.7
Component:  Administration   |    Version:
 Severity:  normal           |   Keywords:
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 In Vancouver, the core team (minus Paul) discussed the idea of switching
 up the default components that !BuddyPress comes activated with. I think
 the "all-on" approach is overwhelming for new users, can be confusing, and
 isn't a very rewarding experience.

 Since every component is pretty awesome, and they all rely on each other
 in some way, the idea of turning components off at all is a little weird
 at first. Each component has strengths, weaknesses, and potential to be
 extended into something more than it starts as.

 I'm mostly agnostic about which components make the most sense as the
 default ones, but if I had to pick a favorite, I think having activity
 streams and profiles turned on, with everything else turned off, would
 make the best starter experience, and here's why:

 * Profiles are completely missing from WordPress.
 * Friends don't make sense without profiles.
 * Groups don't make sense without users and profiles.
 * Settings doesn't make sense without profiles.
 * Private messaging is useless without a profile to connect it to.
 * Forums come with bbPress now, and don't need profiles to function at
 all.
 * Activity streams don't make sense without profiles, but they can run
 pretty silently in the background and aggregate activity.

 It's true that even with the XProfile component off, BuddyPress still
 fakes the profile experience pretty well. I'm imagining an activation
 experience without a setup wizard. One where when !BuddyPress is activated
 on a new installation, the admin is greeted with a message like:

 ''Welcome to your new community! Check out your new profile to get
 started!''

 With a tabbed What's New/Credits page like !WordPress core has, we could
 easily explain what the components are, and why they might want to roll
 them out over time. Opening this up for discussion here, with the
 intention of getting this decided shortly after this weeks dev chat, and
 into trunk soon after.

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Ticket URL: <https://buddypress.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/4671>
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