The new version release of Open Social is focused on upgrading the technology at the heart — continue reading
Open Social is a fast, forward-looking company focused on building the future of online communities software. With the release of Open Social Version 11.0.0, we are pushing our software forward as always.
The new version release of Open Social is focused on upgrading the technology at the heart of our platform. While we are constantly releasing new extensions, features, and design updates, Version 11 is very much about upgrading the engine under the hood that drives everything. The biggest update is of course complete compatibility of Open Social with Drupal 9.
Forward-compatibility with Drupal 9
Open Social is built on top of the open-source Drupal framework. In 2020 Drupal released a new version of their software – Drupal 9 – to usher in a new era of Drupal open-source technology.
While we have already upgraded many of our features to be Drupal 9 compatible since its initial release, with Open Social Version 11 our platform and all its dependencies are 100% compatible.
But why is this so significant?
Quicker innovation
As stated in their initial press release, Drupal 9 will “empower Drupal’s vision for the next generation of the web”. Drupal is focused on providing tools to help developers build the versatile, structured content that dynamic web experiences need.
Drupal 9 promises cutting-edge new features, a focus on reaching new digital channels while strengthening its foundation as a content management framework. Upgrading to Drupal 9 means that Open Social is linked into that roadmap moving forward.
We are set up to be forward-compatible with new releases of Drupal and benefit from future feature releases.
Moving towards a decoupled Open Social
Each minor version release of Drupal 9 contains improvements that make it more flexible, offer improved developer experience and remove older code. This is making it easier for our team to build the Open Social API and move towards a decoupled Open Social.
A decoupled Open Social means that the platform will be more flexible and allow users to interact with different and dynamic content on a single page.
As Open Social’s front-end engineer Alexander Varwijk wrote in a previous blog post, a decoupled system will enable “real-time content-streams to take place on a single page” and enable users to “post chat-messages or comment without having to navigate between separate pages”.
A few new features
Open Social V.11 also comes with a few new features, including:
Zero Permission User-role
Whenever a new member signs up to an Open Social platform, they get certain automatic permissions. Permission to create content, engage with the community, leave comments, access sections of the platform and more.
The new ‘zero permission user-role’ allows community managers to withhold these permissions from new members until they have been verified by a community manager. This goes a long way to preventing spam on your platform and preventing bad actors from infiltrating your community.
In addition, this new feature also enables our new Monetization extension to work smoothly. Monetization lets you add a new revenue stream to your community platform by adding membership subscription payments. ‘Zero permission user-role’ allows new members to sign up, but only receive community permissions once they have paid their subscription fee.
What’s next for Open Social?
Open Social V. 11.0.0 enables us to keep in step with new technologies, making us forward compatible with new Drupal updates and making Open Social more lean and flexible. We are set up for a bright and innovative future.
There are amazing things in the pipeline, with 2022 promising to be a breakout year for Open Social. If you want to be kept up-to-date on new developments, you can subscribe to our monthly newsletter here.
