A little suggestion...
Hey -
Looking good, guys and Dan.
I just have one suggestion for now.
Icrontic 3.0 (The last one) had good forum functionality, but it used up way too much top-of-page real estate for my tastes. I would personally like to see the title/navigation bar at the top of S-M's forums stay the size that it is, however, there could be a lot more functionality built in.
First, you should do away with the generic, ugly forum buttons ('user cp', 'calendar', etc) and make those buttons built into the graphic so that it looks more integrated. Second, there should be two rows of buttons. The top one could provide navigation of the content areas of S-M, and the bottom row of 'buttons' could provide navigation of the forum.
I would also like to see two small indicators in this navigation area (Separate from the buttons) that would use cookies to determine whether there have been new reviews or articles posted since the user's last pageview of the forums *or* main site.
If you guys ever get the hankering to create some large top area of the forums with lists of hot threads, articles, reviews, news, etc, just please make it optional.
Oh, and as for the mascot issue, I don't think a tech site needs a mascot - HOWEVER, a folding team does. So S-M should have a mascot, but I don't think it should be plastered all over the site like Spudz was at Icrontic. Just my .02.
Looking good, guys and Dan.
I just have one suggestion for now.
Icrontic 3.0 (The last one) had good forum functionality, but it used up way too much top-of-page real estate for my tastes. I would personally like to see the title/navigation bar at the top of S-M's forums stay the size that it is, however, there could be a lot more functionality built in.
First, you should do away with the generic, ugly forum buttons ('user cp', 'calendar', etc) and make those buttons built into the graphic so that it looks more integrated. Second, there should be two rows of buttons. The top one could provide navigation of the content areas of S-M, and the bottom row of 'buttons' could provide navigation of the forum.
I would also like to see two small indicators in this navigation area (Separate from the buttons) that would use cookies to determine whether there have been new reviews or articles posted since the user's last pageview of the forums *or* main site.
If you guys ever get the hankering to create some large top area of the forums with lists of hot threads, articles, reviews, news, etc, just please make it optional.
Oh, and as for the mascot issue, I don't think a tech site needs a mascot - HOWEVER, a folding team does. So S-M should have a mascot, but I don't think it should be plastered all over the site like Spudz was at Icrontic. Just my .02.
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Comments
Particularly the button one, I don't like it how they float around all over the place (although I know things will improve more & more over time).
/me hurts terribly when Shorty appears Neo-like out of my screen with a massive fist sandwich.
You know I'm only kidding, it's the shnitzel and don't let anybody tell you otherwise!
Just take your time with the 'enhancements', and remember that's what they are - enhancements, not bug fixes.
Nice to see you with us bud
Icrontic 3.0 (The last one) had good forum functionality, but it used up way too much top-of-page real estate for my tastes. I would personally like to see the title/navigation bar at the top of S-M's forums stay the size that it is, however, there could be a lot more functionality built in.
There is a reason for the blank spaces.. they are gonna be filled with frontpage information when it is ready
First, you should do away with the generic, ugly forum buttons ('user cp', 'calendar', etc) and make those buttons built into the graphic so that it looks more integrated. Second, there should be two rows of buttons. The top one could provide navigation of the content areas of S-M, and the bottom row of 'buttons' could provide navigation of the forum.
I have had 4 days to make this and include a HOUGE amount in! This is not the final design. It's a beta until the final logo and other bits are ready. There will be a small redesign which includes losing the fugly buttons
I would also like to see two small indicators in this navigation area (Separate from the buttons) that would use cookies to determine whether there have been new reviews or articles posted since the user's last pageview of the forums *or* main site.
That will come. I have just got a hack that allows me to use PHP in the HTML templates (which VBulletin will not normally parse).. These templates all build the index page. As soon as things are ready on the frontpage of the site, then this is something I will get more into.
If you guys ever get the hankering to create some large top area of the forums with lists of hot threads, articles, reviews, news, etc, just please make it optional.
There will be more than one "style" in the future. Each style uses unique templates. I can do a "minimalist" template for the elite, moaning, whinging, hippy hacker types called Khaos ....
Oh, and as for the mascot issue, I don't think a tech site needs a mascot - HOWEVER, a folding team does. So S-M should have a mascot, but I don't think it should be plastered all over the site like Spudz was at Icrontic. Just my .02.
Due to be done asap my old mate
An area for reviews/hot threads at the top would be more appropriate at the top. And ad where the buttons are now would be ok.
Big Bertha is tolerable as long as it's only on the first page... Same for the large lists of reviews and articles, at least IMHO. I would like a minimalist skin for the forums, but obviously that is off in the future somewhere.
I have skinned and modified forums before (Did a lot of work with Ikonboard), I know how tedious it can be (But fun at the same time). A good forum skin takes a hell of a lot of work, and is easily as time consuming as creating a website from scratch. If it's done right, anyway, and I have no reason to suspect that Shorty does things short (No pun intended
Anyway, just wanted to throw in the stuff about the navigation bar. I won't moan anymore until you declare the forums 'done', I promise.
I will do as many of your requests as I can
Our aim is to generate enough ad revenu (eventually) to pay for the bandwidth. Free to all of us is a good thing.