The New TWF: What do you want to see?

Megan's picture

She has: 11,421 posts

Joined: Jun 1999

As you all know, we are getting ready to make some big changes to the forums. We are currently in the process of finalizing the design and deciding on what the forums should be like in the future.

The question is: what do you want to see? As members, you are the centre of this community and your thoughts are very important to us. Please use this thread to let us know what you think about the future of TWF. If you don't want to reply in public, please feel free to send me an email or PM. Thoughts from any and all members will be extremely valuable - new members, old members, top posters, and lurkers. We want to hear from you!

Feel free to comment on any aspct of the forums and their design. We are particularly interestd in the following:

  1. Are there any vBulletin features or add-ons you have used on other forums that you would like to see here?
  2. Fill in the blank: It would be nice if _________________.
  3. Do you like the pm/email/www buttons across the top of the posts or would you rather see that hidden in a drop-down menu next to the username? (you can see this at the vBulletin.com forums) Are there any other changes you'd like to see in the forum layout and functionality?
  4. Lurkers, new members, and ye with little posts: What can we do to make you a more active participant in our community? Is there any reason why you don't post more often?

We do have a design ready and basically finalized but we would love to hear your opinions on what TWF should look like as well.

Thank you for any feedback. We do appreciate it and will do what we can to incorporate your needs into the new and improved TWF.

Megan Jack
TWF Manager/Administrator

He has: 698 posts

Joined: Jul 2005

I believe you already have this in your plans, but I think an actual home page, rather than just forums, would be a huge addition to the site and would get you much more publicity.

Also, I'm not sure exactly how you could do this, or what kind of prizes you could offer (perhaps hosting packages or domain names), but contests would be a neat way to draw people in and keep them around.

Just a few things that rolled off my tongue. Wink

Kurtis

teammatt3's picture

He has: 2,102 posts

Joined: Sep 2003

I know I already mentioned this, but I would like to see a section of the forums that search engine spiders can't index (mostly, website review forum.) So we can put a client's site up for review without fear of them finding the thread.

DC_Sara's picture

She has: 392 posts

Joined: Jan 2002

  1. Are there any vBulletin features or add-ons you have used on other forums that you would like to see here?

    Yes, a portal would be great. Smiling I also have a cool feature for PMing, you can choose who it goes to through a search feature.

  2. Fill in the blank: It would be nice if _________________.

    I have no idea!!

  3. Do you like the pm/email/www buttons across the top of the posts or would you rather see that hidden in a drop-down menu next to the username?
    (you can see this at the vBulletin.com forums) Are there any other changes you'd like to see in the forum layout and functionality?

    It doesn't really matter to me where they are as long as I can find them! Smiling

  4. Lurkers, new members, and ye with little posts: What can we do to make you a more active participant in our community? Is there any reason why you don't post more often?

    I just got back online here, so, you will see me more often. Smiling

~*Sara*~

Renegade's picture

He has: 3,022 posts

Joined: Oct 2002

gregsbaby64 wrote: [*]Fill in the blank: It would be nice if _________________.

I have no idea!!

Well, are you sure it'll be good if you had no idea of anything? Sticking out tongue

She has: 120 posts

Joined: Oct 2000

I agree with teammatt33. A place spiders couldn't get to would be great.

Quote: Lurkers, new members, and ye with little posts: What can we do to make you a more active participant in our community? Is there any reason why you don't post more often?

Time Time Time...give me time! No really, this past year or longer my focus has been else where in my life, but I hope to become closer to my computer and there fore to my favorite forums in the very near future! Laughing out loud

ps..I find it hard to believe I only have 89 posts in 5 years! That's is just pitifull Sad

Cool Hey Hi Sara..long time no see...

~bobbi

"Nothing worth having comes without some kind of fight- 'Got to kick at the darkness 'til it bleeds daylight." - Bruce Cockburn

DC_Sara's picture

She has: 392 posts

Joined: Jan 2002

dragonsjaw wrote:

Cool Hey Hi Sara..long time no see...

~bobbi

Wow, hey Bobbi! Blast from the past!

02bunced's picture

He has: 412 posts

Joined: May 2005

An IRC channel may be a good idea Wink

Megan's picture

She has: 11,421 posts

Joined: Jun 1999

Thanks for all your feedback so far. We are definitely going to do a members only forum (just a matter of deciding whether it shoudl be premium member sonly or just members only). We are also definitely going to do a chat of some sort - that's just a matter of deciding what form (IRC channel or a vBulletin plugin of some sort). An actual home page is in the works (eventually!) and contests sound good - what could we have contests for? I think we could get some prizes donated.

Thanks again, and keep it coming!!

dragonsjaw - glad to see you back! I think I remember you Smiling

They have: 5,633 posts

Joined: Jan 1970

Megan wrote: We are also definitely going to do a chat of some sort

Please no java! I hate java chats.
Flash is accetable.

Megan wrote: what could we have contests for?

Software (I'm sure we will get alot of donations)
Bragging rights - winners board on the main page? or point system?
Damins - can you get domain gift cards? Confused

Personaly, I like the site to work as fast as possble.
(alt + s has become my best friend!)
I usually filer the threads I want to read by the title. Sadly though, when the indivitual forum is maked as unread I don't know how amky topics are unread so I must invistagate. Possable to have the last 5 active threads drop down on mouse over?

02bunced's picture

He has: 412 posts

Joined: May 2005

Premium members?

He has: 698 posts

Joined: Jul 2005

We could have contests for best overall site, articles, or whatever. It depends on what all you're planning to add to the main site...

Wink

demonhale's picture

He has: 3,278 posts

Joined: May 2005

hmmm pretty much all suggestions are in, I hope themes change every month so the eyes can be a bit more refreshed, hmmm... I hope current members become premium members incase you do put up a premium membership... so many more I cant think now, my heads focused on the bbq...

JeevesBond's picture

He has: 3,956 posts

Joined: Jun 2002

demonhale wrote: I hope themes change every month so the eyes can be a bit more refreshed

Well IMO it's important to keep some form of rolling update going, there's a particular "redesign day" if I remember correctly (Zeldman mentioned it). I don't believe we need to change the whole design - too confusing - but it would be nice to keep inline with trends, so we always look current.

A complete redesign every month though? Definately not, we haven't got the resource and it would be too confusing for users to have to re-learn how to use the site almost every time they visit... Not everyone's a TWF-a-holic so only appear once or twice a month, we don't want them to think they've come to the wrong site!

a Padded Cell our articles site!

JeevesBond's picture

He has: 3,956 posts

Joined: Jun 2002

mscreashuns wrote: We could have contests for best overall ... articles, or whatever.

Well a lot of sites do this with articles, but only so they can gain content, keywords and ranking in Google.

We will - probably (not my decision) - be accepting articles, but I doubt there will be a general airing of any old rubbish bja might write ( Wink ), we're not going to sacrifice useability to pander to the SE's needs - what's the point in getting traffic when your members have all left and new visitors don't stay?

Although it might work if the articles (same goes for sites and other stuff) were submitted to the mods and admins, then we could vet them and only let the best through.

Sorry, not meaning to degrade your suggestions at all mscreashuns, just trying to point out the pitfalls!

a Padded Cell our articles site!

Megan's picture

She has: 11,421 posts

Joined: Jun 1999

I know Dream in Code has a lot of consests so I'll talk to them and find out what they do. The Admin Zone might be helpful there too. Dream in Code gets really great prizes donated by sponsors so I'll look into that too.

About articles - I want this site to become really well known. I think there's a lot of opportunity to be one of the best general sites for web design help and info. The only way we're going to get there is by publishing top quality content. So contests might not be the right route to go there.

Keep the suggestions coming! We appreciate them Smiling

He has: 698 posts

Joined: Jul 2005

I was just trying to come up with something off the top of my head because Megan asked what we could have contests for. I'm not really sure, but I'm sure you people can find a way. Wink

Kurtis

JeevesBond's picture

He has: 3,956 posts

Joined: Jun 2002

And thanks for that mscreashuns. Sorry, wasn't wishing to poo-poo your ideas, just wanted to explain the problems that are inherant in article contests, and why many sites use them.

a Padded Cell our articles site!

He has: 698 posts

Joined: Jul 2005

Yeah, I understand your purpose. Sticking out tongue

It's okay. I really don't care to have my ideas shot down. Laughing out loud

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