A little suggestion...

KhaosKhaos New Hampshire
edited June 2003 in Community
Hey -

Looking good, guys and Dan. :D

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.

Comments

  • CyrixInsteadCyrixInstead Stoke-on-Trent, England Icrontian
    edited June 2003
    Some good suggestions in there Khaos.

    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).
  • LincLinc
    feels Shorty's head explode from across the pond :p
    Owner Detroit Icrontian
    edited June 2003
    feels Shorty's head explode from across the pond :p
  • CyrixInsteadCyrixInstead Stoke-on-Trent, England Icrontian
    edited June 2003
    Yeah Shorty, this site is crap man! :aol:

    /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.

    :thumbsup:
  • ShortyShorty Manchester, UK Icrontian
    edited June 2003
    Il just rip up 15 hours per day for 5 days work then shall I Rob and start again :banghead: heehehehee... some people are never bloody happy! (joke)

    Nice to see you with us bud :D .. ok .. let me look at this..

    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 :) oh and of course.. dreaded Bertha :(

    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 just did those so they weren't purple :eek:

    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 :D Router still going strong btw! w00t! and so are we ;) now get into gaming and repopulate the half-life 2 thread :D
  • mmonninmmonnin Centreville, VA
    edited June 2003
    I would rather see ads down the right side than a big bertha at top.

    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.
  • KhaosKhaos New Hampshire
    edited June 2003
    LOL, sheesh relax. I know you just started working on the site and forums. My suggestions were more like "opinions on direction" rather than "opinions on current product" - And just that, opinions.

    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 :D) of 'right'.

    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. :D
  • ShortyShorty Manchester, UK Icrontian
    edited June 2003
    Khaos said
    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. :D

    I will do as many of your requests as I can :p just so you quit ya bitchin' ...hehehe
  • MediaManMediaMan Powered by loose parts.
    edited June 2003
    There are many things in the works at the moment. Your suggestions are good and we'll certainly consider each one of them.

    Our aim is to generate enough ad revenu (eventually) to pay for the bandwidth. Free to all of us is a good thing.
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