Joel R

I always see it as a literal “evolutionary” process. I constantly try out new “mutations”, i.e. features. If they turn out to be beneficial, I might put more work into them and make them more prominent. If they do not work, I scale them back slowly (e.g. by first demoting them in the menus) and remove them eventually. There certainly is a danger in adding too much stuff. Not just in regards to the software conflicts you will get, but also in the way you confuse your users. I even have tons of “display:none” declarations in my theme to hide stock functionality. Often less is more. 

@Joel R Just to be clear, I don't really have 98% of the marketplace as the rumor @Rhett has started. Maybe only 96% LOL .. I kid.
Hey someone has to keep the 3rd party folks funded!!! I'm an altruist dammit!!!
Realistically I have lately been limiting it to things I really need that my clients depend on. Right now I have 4.4 running  smoothly with a paired back limited set of specialized plugins that are supported very well by the BEST developers we have here. 
However, I have made similar rookie mistakes back in my SMF/phpbb .. specifically phpBB I had so many modifications I ended up basically destroying the site. 😞
I don't want to get too philosophical but there are conflicting interests at play here. From the IPB perspective they need the software to be GENERAL so that it will run well and suit the needs of the widest audience possible. However as a site owner you need the opposite. You need your site to be very unique, targeted and specific. This is how you can best appeal to your niche and win in your market. That can only be achieved with 3rd party plugins.
IPS knows this and have done a VERY good job at making their software (all things considered) bullet proof. It handles the 3rd party stuff in a genius way with specific hooks and deals with the change very well. Clever enable/disable features really help.
Great article Joel!!!! 🙂 🙂

This ^^^^^^^^
Good Points again @Joel R

I think a lot of us overdose on the Marketplace (looking at you @SJ77!!) And I'm guilty if this too (sorry Tier 1 support!!) but I do believe that as long as you have a significant reason for the Marketplace app or plugin then you'll be fine.  
Its one thing to install something like a Member of the Month app where it's a central component of your community activity, versus an app that you think will magically run itself.  And that's where I think a lot of us get into trouble with the big apps or plugins, where we don't invest the time or energy or strategy to make it a central focus.  
Great point.  This goes to the new article by @Matt on Primark Cafe where they're creating new experiences.  
You see this with malls in the United States, where instead of the same boring department stores they're inviting more "pop up" stores for unique and changing experiences.  
From my own life, I just spent the weekend shopping at Ikea.  I don't furniture shop at all, but my friend dragged me to the store - and whoa!  For anybody who does not know about Ikea's furniture stores, it's not a store -- it's an experience.  You're eating Swedish meatballs, the kids are in the play area, you're on their walking tour of Swedish ingenuity, you're surrounded by these amazing full room installations of new cabinets and lighting and pillows and furniture that are perfectly curated, and by the end of the day, your life goal is to sell your home, move to Sweden, and rent an 800 square foot economy space just so you can redecorate a multi purpose living / kitchen / bedroom and install one of their crazy lighting fixtures and your life really won't be complete until you do so.  
You still need to offer functional value to your members as a fundamental reason to visit your community.  But layered on top of that functional value is how you want to deliver, present, and delight your users.  Whether that's Instagram-ready visuals, a compelling tour through your site, or Swedish meatballs 🤣, that's the hard part of creating a unique community experience.  

I think a lot of us overdose on the Marketplace (looking at you @SJ77!!) And I'm guilty if this too (sorry Tier 1 support!!) but I do believe that as long as you have a significant reason for the Marketplace app or plugin then you'll be fine.  
Its one thing to install something like a Member of the Month app where it's a central component of your community activity, versus an app that you think will magically run itself.  And that's where I think a lot of us get into trouble with the big apps or plugins, where we don't invest the time or energy or strategy to make it a central focus.  
Great point.  This goes to the new article by @Matt on Primark Cafe where they're creating new experiences.  
You see this with malls in the United States, where instead of the same boring department stores they're inviting more "pop up" stores for unique and changing experiences.  
From my own life, I just spent the weekend shopping at Ikea.  I don't furniture shop at all, but my friend dragged me to the store - and whoa!  For anybody who does not know about Ikea's furniture stores, it's not a store -- it's an experience.  You're eating Swedish meatballs, the kids are in the play area, you're on their walking tour of Swedish ingenuity, you're surrounded by these amazing full room installations of new cabinets and lighting and pillows and furniture that are perfectly curated, and by the end of the day, your life goal is to sell your home, move to Sweden, and rent an 800 square foot economy space just so you can redecorate a multi purpose living / kitchen / bedroom and install one of their crazy lighting fixtures and your life really won't be complete until you do so.  
You still need to offer functional value to your members as a fundamental reason to visit your community.  But layered on top of that functional value is how you want to deliver, present, and delight your users.  Whether that's Instagram-ready visuals, a compelling tour through your site, or Swedish meatballs 🤣, that's the hard part of creating a unique community experience.  

I think a lot of us overdose on the Marketplace (looking at you @SJ77!!) And I'm guilty if this too (sorry Tier 1 support!!) but I do believe that as long as you have a significant reason for the Marketplace app or plugin then you'll be fine.  
Its one thing to install something like a Member of the Month app where it's a central component of your community activity, versus an app that you think will magically run itself.  And that's where I think a lot of us get into trouble with the big apps or plugins, where we don't invest the time or energy or strategy to make it a central focus.  
Great point.  This goes to the new article by @Matt on Primark Cafe where they're creating new experiences.  
You see this with malls in the United States, where instead of the same boring department stores they're inviting more "pop up" stores for unique and changing experiences.  
From my own life, I just spent the weekend shopping at Ikea.  I don't furniture shop at all, but my friend dragged me to the store - and whoa!  For anybody who does not know about Ikea's furniture stores, it's not a store -- it's an experience.  You're eating Swedish meatballs, the kids are in the play area, you're on their walking tour of Swedish ingenuity, you're surrounded by these amazing full room installations of new cabinets and lighting and pillows and furniture that are perfectly curated, and by the end of the day, your life goal is to sell your home, move to Sweden, and rent an 800 square foot economy space just so you can redecorate a multi purpose living / kitchen / bedroom and install one of their crazy lighting fixtures and your life really won't be complete until you do so.  
You still need to offer functional value to your members as a fundamental reason to visit your community.  But layered on top of that functional value is how you want to deliver, present, and delight your users.  Whether that's Instagram-ready visuals, a compelling tour through your site, or Swedish meatballs 🤣, that's the hard part of creating a unique community experience.  

#summergoal2019
On a serious note, I've always felt like "experiences" were the way to go with an online community.  You want visitors to see, feel, touch, and think in a whole new digital world that only you can deliver.  
I changed my language strings to literally use words like explore, discover, start an adventure.  Before the post before register, Invision Community had the streamlined sign-in and I changed the wording to "begin your adventure" for new registration and "restart your adventure" for login.  I literally couched my terms in a sense of new discover and wonder, which fits with my sites theme.  
Perhaps the next step is a digital renovation like a department store to create new and exciting spaces.  
It's all about crafting a unique online experience that they can't get anywhere else.  

Facts!!
Thank you for this Joel.
 
One of our "Rookie Mistakes" back in 2017 was that we tried to have every single app and plugin that the marketplace offered, then try to "cram" it all into One place, not creating "doors" that led into other places to find "More"
Also we were changing Themes way to much and too often
 
Now, we have staff meetings every week, we have each staff member familiar with IPS and it's Powerful Core Features, then they are always going thru the marketplace to research key apps and plugins to make sure they are needed, not needed, and pro's vs con's of having them

Congrats on the 100 member milestone!  

Congrats on the 100 member milestone!  

Congrats on the 100 member milestone!  

Congratulations to both The Trevor Project and Invision Community for finding happy partners in each other.  

Congratulations to both The Trevor Project and Invision Community for finding happy partners in each other.  

Congratulations to both The Trevor Project and Invision Community for finding happy partners in each other.  

Congratulations to both The Trevor Project and Invision Community for finding happy partners in each other.  

Congratulations to both The Trevor Project and Invision Community for finding happy partners in each other.  

Congratulations to both The Trevor Project and Invision Community for finding happy partners in each other.  

WoW, very good read!!

Bring me some free trade avocado toast while you step into my safe space 😀

Bring me some free trade avocado toast while you step into my safe space 😀

My dream is that IPS grows enough that it can pay a dedicated developer team for each app. Pages, Commerce, Downloads … they all just get these “sweeps” after 1,5 years with a few improvements here and there. It clearly shows. Those app can’t keep up with standalone solutions by other providers who improve that one app all day every day.  

Bring me some free trade avocado toast while you step into my safe space 😀

What about Discussion? 

Bring me some free trade avocado toast while you step into my safe space 😀

Better than "bulletin boards" 😂
Regardless of the name, I think discussion communities will always serve a growing importance in an increasingly digital world.  The ones who can be the best in their niche will be able to serve a digitally global audience, solopreneuers can now reach customers everywhere, and brands can scale to any size and audience group with a community.