Web site update - suggestions and input?

[delanvital]

Not quite.  Another way of viewing it might be:

A lot has happened since you provided it to us, including the research & decision to go with vB4 which we then had to wait for to be released.  Clearly the use of any content depends on the way we redesign the site and you were told that we would hold the content submitted for that decision.  That's not quite the same as 'content was ignored' or 'sat on shelf for a month'.  Apology accepted.

Apology accepted? I am sorry, but I can't be bothered to be provoked. I think your presentation above is wrong and will let the facts speak for themselves.

[TeaLeaf]

I think you might have misunderstood that Snokio.  The template/script *is* vB4, it allows the style changes to be imported from elsewhere or custom designed to suit us.  It's the options that are new to us as vB has not previously had a CMS and we had been using a plugin CMS system.  The CMS included with vB4 allows us to manage the content in the way we want and as it is a complete re-write of the code we're learning the CP over again and finding our way around the very many of new features (the features which attracted us in the first place).

[TeaLeaf]

http://www.tacticalgamer.com is a nice start.

Interestingly it's powered by vB.  So it is possible.

[Snokio]

I think you might have misunderstood that Snokio. The template/script *is* vB4, it allows the style changes to be imported from elsewhere or custom designed to suit us. It's the options that are new to us as vB has not previously had a CMS and we had been using a plugin CMS system. The CMS included with vB4 allows us to manage the content in the way we want and as it is a complete re-write of the code we're learning the CP over again and finding our way around the very many of new features (the features which attracted us in the first place).

 
Ahh, I understand thanks :doh:

[smilodon]

I sometimes think there must be two identical dMw forums. The one I post on and the one everyone else posts on. Cause I seem to type stuff and post and then it's as if my posts simply didn't ever appear?

So one more go eh.


My job is NOT to write the new dMw home page text. I'm not writing ANY of the content that will feature on the updated site. It's not my job, not my remit and I've not been asked to do it. So hopefully that's now clear. It's not my task. Ok great. What is my task is three fold. First it's to run the background technical stuff required in running the forums. I basically do the admin function. Penfold runs the community, I run the forum software the community runs on. Second I will have a similar role looking after the CMS/Web site part of the community site. Third I'm gathering the thoughts and ideas about what we want from the site and I'll be taking the feedback and changing stuff once the new site is up and running. Project Management if you like. Once again I am not building the site, not deciding what the site will contain nor what it will look like and as we're all now so very very aware I am not going to be writing the web site content.

Moving on. What we will need is contribution in the form of written stuff to actually go on the forum. That includes whatever goes on the front page. Something has already been written and assuming everyone else is happy with it then it will most likely form the page that new visitors read when they first arrive at the site. It won't appear till the new site appears.

We've had lots of fine suggestions for what we could do with the site. Although obviously the vast majority of the community didn't offer an opinion at all, and there's no reason why they should. Some of the suggestions includes interviews, podcasts, reviews, blogs etc. Two thoughts cross my mind. First do we really want these features? Can we  really produce stuff that the community might want to read? And can we produce stuff that isn't readily available elsewhere on the web? If we do want this stuff then who will write it?
I stand by my earlier point. I asked for ideas about what we could do with the site and I got some incitefull suggestions. But no one so far has contacted me and asked to be able to write any of it (with the notable exception of Delanvital who wrote his piece long before I asked anyway). So I'll ask now. Are there people who can commit to regularly write original, interesting, well written and informative pieces that would be of interest to this community and that cannot already be easily found elsewhere on the Internet? I await the responses.

Frankly though what I have managed to pick up from those who have expressed an opinion is the following.

1. The forum (along with the servers) and not the web site remains the heart and soul of our on-line community. The web site is our shop window.

2.We do need to think how we present ourselves to the world and new visitors. Our shop window needs an update

3. We need a new visual look and style to the web site element that would carry seamlessly across into the forum.

4. We need to include a well written introduction to the site (already done) and a clear navigation system that directs users to each gaming/folding etc section of our community. Here we will keep the server rules, guidelines, gaming policies etc. that define the games we play and how we like to play them. We may have map rotation list, server IP's, tips about logging in, setting up voice comms' and all the other useful stuff we need.

5. These sections will be managed by the relevant Section Head (i.e. they will have edit permissions etc) and contain the information about each game that currently sits either in forum sticky's and or on static pages within the web site.

6. If possible we will use a new feature of the Vbulletin software that allows us to 'promote' certain forum posts to the new front page. These in themselves could serve as the dynamic interesting information that makes a web site look current and relevant.

Vbulletin will allow us to have one enclosed piece of software that, much like the forum, will allow people to create and edit the web site content based on the same forum permissions we already enjoy i.e. Duval could update the pages about Folding much like a moderator can update a forum post.

I may be utterly wrong and I stand to be corrected but I do not believe there are enough people who want to be content creators (bloggers) to make it worth implementing now. The beauty of VBulletin is that nothing is set in stone. If I'm wrong it's a simple matter to add the features in quickly and painlessly as they become a requirement.

This weekend (the first free one I have since we updated the software) I'll have a play around with it. I'm sorry that I'm not a professional VBulletin designer and am having to learn this stuff as I go along. If you want to have go feel free to find out more here for the forum and here for the CMS

[Penfold]

/flippant mode on

...Penfold runs the community

:lmfao:

sorry, I only got that far before lol'ing. I think perhaps running the forum may be more accurate but I like your thinking. :flirty:

/flippant mode off


Thanks for the clarification, it was needed I think.

As mentioned above, my only request (and one based on professional experience) is that if we're going to have live content - blogs articles etc and in whatever form, then they HAVE to be updated regularly. Otherwise it'll be totally counter-productive. Whoever takes that on has a hard and important role to play. Keeping it active, witty and topical is no mean feat. Be nothing worse that have a load of ageing turgid prose.

[smilodon]

As mentioned above, my only request (and one based on professional experience) is that if we're going to have live content - blogs articles etc and in whatever form, then they HAVE to be updated regularly. Otherwise it'll be totally counter-productive. Whoever takes that on has a hard and important role to play. Keeping it active, witty and topical is no mean feat. Be nothing worse that have a load of ageing turgid prose.

Exactly my point. It would be grand to have active content like that. But I know what a huge ask it would be to get enough stuff written every week to make it worthwhile. I'm assuming we like to spend our time gaming not scribbling away. As mentioned I'm happy to be proved wrong if there are budding scribes out there desperate to put finger to keyboard on anything like a regular basis.

[Jabbs]

I just want to clarify a point I made yesterday before it gets swallowed

At no time in the thread (that I could see when re-reading) was anyone asked if they would like to contribute.  The thread was a voice for ideas only until the thread went to sleep late October.  It was then revived at the beginning of January to which we were told that vB4 was the way were going.

I don't have a problem with that if that's the decision made on our behalf but please don't make us look bad for not offering our skills when they actually haven't been asked for until now :norty:

Oh by the way, I think I do pretty good website copy (both visitor and search engine friendly) so if you want to give me a topic and pointers (when the time arises) I'll put something together.

Thanks

[TeaLeaf]

Again.  The content side of things is one aspect, but we also need to handle and manage the content on an ongoing & manageable way.  The content will come when we sort how we want to implement vB4.

The content management side of things is not a coding issue.  Yes we can get people to code pages for us, but that also means manual involvement each time we need to update or change things. Given our experience with vB and their new CMS inclusion with vB4 we felt the most effective way of handling the content was via the vB4 CMS.  That's something that the Admins have to handle and run on a day to day basis, so clealry their input was the major factor.

The fact that we have vB4 does not mean that we will not need people to write content or that we will not need people to code new pages for specific uses.  The whole idea of vB4 is to allow us to have more content, more easily manipulated and updated that we have done up until now.

The work now is to try to get a handle on how to use all the new functionaility and then to fill the content.  SHs have already been tasked with some aspects of that as it pertains to their specific game.  Other content requirements will be decided as we work through the new CMS and find out what is needed.

Offers of help are always welcomed Jabbs.  As I said above, poke Smilo and keep in touch with him, I am sure he has added yoru name to the list.

[smilodon]

Oh by the way, I think I do pretty good website copy (both visitor and search engine friendly) so if you want to give me a topic and pointers (when the time arises) I'll put something together.

Thanks

You make a fair point, I haven't asked specifically. I asked what people wanted to see on the site. I got some good feedback. Although it was clear we could have that facility so far no one has stepped up and asked to write anything, you offer accepted. Also Delanvital's front page piece is 'in the bag' but that's more of a fixed web site feature rather than an ongoing contribution.

I suppose my point was that no one 'seemed' to be champing at the bit to write stuff, so I assumed there wasn't really any desire by the community to turn the web site into a glorified online magazine. There's always the ability to have stuff promoted to the web site. If we get an occasional scribble by the good community then great. However unless I get some real positive feedback about a desire to write for the site then I'm working on the basis that while no one objects to us running the occasional article etc. that facility is not our top priority. Again correct me if I'm wrong

My original concern was, from reading previous posts, that I was somehow going to be creating the web site from scratch and presenting it to the community in a complete form. Obviously that's not the plan

[Snokio]

Hows the new website coming along?

[TeaLeaf]

Progress updates have tended to be via the Supporting Member section rather than here, just in case you missed them!

Work is slow at the moment with the small number of people who volunteered to help, but it is steadily progressing.  Current content is mostly re-done, a lot of the design work is still needing to be completed and new widgets and content still need writing.

[suicidal_monkey]

...I can see a web dev forum but it's empty and I can't see a post-thread forum?

[smilodon]

That is because it's a private forum for those who volunteered to help. A quiet place for us to consider ideas and options. Here we can turn our wild and madcap schemes into coherent plans before we present them to the world for consideration. In this way we look like we are an organised bunch of professionals. :norty:

[TeaLeaf]

Suicidal, I assume you can see and access the Web Design forum but not the Web Content forum?