Are we missing anything on the site?

[Ray]

If you want to see an option or something that we don’t have on the forum or a new section just ask and it will be done.

This Thread will be Sticky so we can get some responses.



:cool:

[Ray]

Are the banners on top bothering anyone?

[larchmont]

Originally posted by tsxclub
Are the banners on top bothering anyone?
Well, a little bit. It's great to HAVE them -- they affirm that the site is viewed as a thing of value -- but I think it's a turn-off that when you first click onto a page, they're all that you see. Think of it as kind of a Hollywood set, or a poster (in the old sense of the word) -- they're supposed to be something that right away when you see them, they GRAB you, they make you feel good, they're OF INTEREST. None of that happens when all you see at first is those banners. When the first thing that hits the viewer is something appealing, it grabs him. This doesn't.

BTW it was nice of you to ask -- and SMART of you.

[Ray]

Originally posted by larchmont
Well, a little bit. It's great to HAVE them -- they affirm that the site is viewed as a thing of value -- but I think it's a turn-off that when you first click onto a page, they're all that you see. Think of it as kind of a Hollywood set, or a poster (in the old sense of the word) -- they're supposed to be something that right away when you see them, they GRAB you, they make you feel good, they're OF INTEREST. None of that happens when all you see at first is those banners. When the first thing that hits the viewer is something appealing, it grabs him. This doesn't.

BTW it was nice of you to ask -- and SMART of you.

Thanks for the response!

Lets see what I can do about the groupbuycenter banner.

I think we need a whole new top to grab more attention... I will see if I can find a web designer to work on something for us.

[larchmont]

Well, thanks for YOUR response!

I think it would be a big plus to be able to see some of the actual "content" on each page right away when you click onto it. That's what the viewer WANTS to see, that's what he came for, and it's a plus to give some "immediate reinforcement."

Maybe a little off the subject, but..... advertisers (etc.) often feel that they want the viewer to be see nothing but the plugs, otherwise he's distracted and the ads don't have maximal impact. But actually, I think if anything it's been shown that THE OPPOSITE is what holds true. You know all about that "subliminal" stuff, right? That's what it's about -- having the viewer see the message at the same time that he sees what he's really there for. There are ethical and other concerns about subliminal messages, but nobody's going to object to that kind of thing when the plugs aren't secret.

At least this is one school of thought. And IMO there's a lot to it.

[Ray]

Originally posted by larchmont
Well, thanks for YOUR response!

I think it would be a big plus to be able to see some of the actual "content" on each page right away when you click onto it. That's what the viewer WANTS to see, that's what he came for, and it's a plus to give some "immediate reinforcement."

Maybe a little off the subject, but..... advertisers (etc.) often feel that they want the viewer to be see nothing but the plugs, otherwise he's distracted and the ads don't have maximal impact. But actually, I think if anything it's been shown that THE OPPOSITE is what holds true. You know all about that "subliminal" stuff, right? That's what it's about -- having the viewer see the message at the same time that he sees what he's really there for. There are ethical and other concerns about subliminal messages, but nobody's going to object to that kind of thing when the plugs aren't secret.

At least this is one school of thought. And IMO there's a lot to it.

I agree with you on this.

How does it look without the banner on top? Better? As far as google adwords this is the only way to cover our expensive hosting bills. We are hosting the site with one of the best hosting companys. (Rackspace) prices are astronomical but service is second to none!

[larchmont]

Actually I thought when you said "banner" that it meant the whole thing, including the ads, and that's what I was talking about. Sorry about my misunderstanding.
BTW in my first post on this thread, when I talked about the banner showing that the site is "of value," the ads were what I meant there. Of course you need ads, and IMO they're also a good reflection on the site.

Now that I know what "banner" means exactly (I realized I wasn't sure that I did), IMO it's not worth it if it keeps the viewer from seeing a couple of inches of actual text when he first clicks on the page, although it does look good.

Just IMO. (Always just IMO!) As you may know, I've occasionally gotten into trouble by expressing opinions..... but they're just opinions. (Occasionally I've gotten into trouble just by expressing facts too.... )

[larchmont]

Looks real good what y'all have done!

Hopefully it'll also help in showing the site better on Google.

[johnej]

The banner is neat... If the ads are bothering anyone, why not have them after the initial web page? That way the ads would not be seen by people checking out the site. I would think ads for volvos for example would possible turn people off even before they investigate the forum further. I also realize the ads are not always going to be about tsx's or acura's either

[johnej]

How about a java based chat program....or stuff llike that??

[larchmont]

Originally posted by johnej
.... I would think ads for volvos for example would possible turn people off even before they investigate the forum further.....
Hey, it's not like Volvo is Justin Timberlake or anything like that..... :D

Hey, I didn't notice any Volvo ads.

[johnej]

Or Janet Jackson........

[Ray]

Originally posted by johnej
How about a java based chat program....or stuff llike that?? We need more active users for that no?

[johnej]

Yep...but as you noticed as of late I have been more active......Instead of lurking I have been contributing....

Also chat is a 2 edge sword yes you need active particpation (more members) but it could also attract members..( thinking of something that no other forum has currently..Like jumping items

[larchmont]

Originally posted by johnej
.....thinking of something that no other forum has currently..Like jumping items

:jump:

[johnej]

like those !!!

[Ray]

Originally posted by larchmont
:jump: laola

one more :D

[Ray]

Originally posted by tsxclub
laola

one more :D and another1blue1.gif

[Ray]

Originally posted by tsxclub
and another1blue1.gif what about this one jumping-smasdfg5

[Ray]

Originally posted by tsxclub
what about this one jumping-smasdfg5 Dje3

[Ray]

anyways added a few more.. I will add the new avatars in a few days.

[larchmont]

Originally posted by tsxclub
what about this one jumping-smasdfg5
5????? :dunno:


:jump:

[Ray]

Originally posted by larchmont
5????? :dunno:


:jump:

Need to fix it up abit. Will work on it tonight.aehe10

[johnej]

It all looks good.. especially the one above

[Whatchamacallit]

IMHO here are some suggestions:

Better organization of forum categories:
Many aren't being utilized. Combine/reduce categories resulting in more traffic flow and less searching, at least until traffic picks up. (Performance, Forced Induction, and Nitrous can be combined into one topic. Maybe delete Regional section and force people to post in categories where more people can see it).

Better titles for forum categories:
Each category needs to be better defined and attention-grabbing. (Issues and Resolutions vs Ownership Experience).

Better/more smilies. No offense but the smiles looke like they belong on Sesame Street forums. Is it possible to add more/different smilies?

Just my two cents.

[larchmont]

Agree completely.

[Ray]

Originally posted by Whatchamacallit
IMHO here are some suggestions:

Better organization of forum categories:
Many aren't being utilized. Combine/reduce categories resulting in more traffic flow and less searching, at least until traffic picks up. (Performance, Forced Induction, and Nitrous can be combined into one topic. Maybe delete Regional section and force people to post in categories where more people can see it).

Better titles for forum categories:
Each category needs to be better defined and attention-grabbing. (Issues and Resolutions vs Ownership Experience).

Better/more smilies. No offense but the smiles looke like they belong on Sesame Street forums. Is it possible to add more/different smilies?

Just my two cents.

Thanks for the suggestions fixing a few things now. I will add more Smilies in a few days I have 50+ at work waiting to be uploaded. ddddddddd2

[Ray]

So what does everyone think now? As far as sections go?

[Ray]

Regional TSX Groups <-- what does everyone think should we keep it or move everything to general and wait till site grows?

[larchmont]

Originally posted by tsxclub
So what does everyone think now? As far as sections go?
Well.....

Pardon if I'm wrong, but I think you "missed something" big-time.
I don't think he meant you should call a forum "Issues and Resolutions vs Ownership Experience," I think he was just indicating sort of a dichotomy.
But even if that was what he meant, that's not a good or clear title for a section. I personally have no idea whatsoever what it would mean.

Besides that, there are still a lot of other issues, including, as I've mentioned a couple of times, that there's no forum for non-TSX car stuff. As it stands, we have to put those things on "Off Topic," which doesn't seem the best thing.

[Ray]

Originally posted by larchmont
Well.....

Pardon if I'm wrong, but I think you "missed something" big-time.
I don't think he meant you should call a forum "Issues and Resolutions vs Ownership Experience," I think he was just indicating sort of a dichotomy.
But even if that was what he meant, that's not a good or clear title for a section. I personally have no idea whatsoever what it would mean.

Besides that, there are still a lot of other issues, including, as I've mentioned a couple of times, that there's no forum for non-TSX car stuff. As it stands, we have to put those things on "Off Topic," which doesn't seem the best thing.

renamed it for now to "Ownership Experience / Problems " If you have a better name feel free to suggest it.

As far as a non-TSX car stuff do we really need 2 sections that will almost be similar?

[larchmont]

Originally posted by tsxclub
....As far as a non-TSX car stuff do we really need 2 sections that will almost be similar?
They wouldn't be at all similar. If you think they would be, it means I just haven't succeeded in making it clear what I'm talking about, although if you look closely at what I've said I think you'll see that I really did.


The TSX forum is car stuff about the TSX.

The other would be car stuff about any other cars.


As it stands now, there's no place for car stuff that's not about the TSX -- so people put it in Off Topic.


In case you missed it: I pointed out two ways that this could be solved. One way would be to re-define the first section to be not just about TSX, but cars in general. The other way (preferable IMO) would be to add a section that would be about other cars. FYI other sites generally do one or the other.

[Ray]

Originally posted by larchmont
They wouldn't be at all similar. If you think they would be, it means I just haven't succeeded in making it clear what I'm talking about, although if you look closely at what I've said I think you'll see that I really did.


The TSX forum is car stuff about the TSX.

The other would be car stuff about any other cars.


As it stands now, there's no place for car stuff that's not about the TSX -- so people put it in Off Topic.


In case you missed it: I pointed out two ways that this could be solved. One way would be to re-define the first section to be not just about TSX, but cars in general. The other way (preferable IMO) would be to add a section that would be about other cars. FYI other sites generally do one or the other.

Done!

[larchmont]

Cool!

Some threads currently on Off Topic that maybe should be moved to the first section:

-- S2K
-- "watching their front wheel" (you could argue it either way; probably most people would say that anything about driving isn't Off Topic)
-- Hummer

Those are just from the first Off Topic page. There are others further down.

My 0.02.....

[Ray]

Originally posted by larchmont
Cool!

Some threads currently on Off Topic that maybe should be moved to the first section:

-- S2K
-- "watching their front wheel" (you could argue it either way; probably most people would say that anything about driving isn't Off Topic)
-- Hummer

Those are just from the first Off Topic page. There are others further down.

My 0.02.....

moved most of them. :D

[Whatchamacallit]

Originally posted by larchmont
I don't think he meant you should call a forum "Issues and Resolutions vs Ownership Experience," I think he was just indicating sort of a dichotomy.

Yes, that was my original intent. Call it "Issues and Resolutions" as opposed to "Ownership Experience".

Thanks for clearing that up, Larch.

Again, I'm not trying to be the "new sheriff in town" but the site looks much better (uncluttered) IMO.

[Ray]

Originally posted by Whatchamacallit
Yes, that was my original intent. Call it "Issues and Resolutions" as opposed to "Ownership Experience".

Thanks for clearing that up, Larch.

Again, I'm not trying to be the "new sheriff in town" but the site looks much better (uncluttered) IMO. Done!

[larchmont]

Well..... :D

Moving in the right direction.

But: There wasn't really a problem with the title "Ownership Experience," plus, if you keep the change that Whatcham suggested, then you need to change the "subtitle" (or description), because they don't really fit with each other now.

But y'all are on a good track with this.

[Ray]

Originally posted by larchmont
Well..... :D

Moving in the right direction.

But: There wasn't really a problem with the title "Ownership Experience," plus, if you keep the change that Whatcham suggested, then you need to change the "subtitle" (or description), because they don't really fit with each other now.

But y'all are on a good track with this. Done!

[larchmont]

Great work!

I know we've been keeping you busy with all this, but, if you can take one more thing..... :eek:

On the Home page, upper left portion, a couple of the links don't do anything. If you click on "Topics" or "TSX Rumors," which a lot of people might do, you just get a message saying that these things haven't been enabled, which I think is a turn-off.

There seem to be a couple of obvious possibilities here (I'm sure there are others too). One would be to just eliminate those 2 things from that section of the Home page. The other, of course, would be to have them really link to something. If you do the latter, probably you'd want to re-name those links, because there doesn't seem to be any section on this site that really corresponds to either of those titles (except the Forums Home page, which can already be gotten by clicking the "Forums" link in that same section on the upper left).

[Ray]

Originally posted by larchmont
Great work!

I know we've been keeping you busy with all this, but, if you can take one more thing..... :eek:

On the Home page, upper left portion, a couple of the links don't do anything. If you click on "Topics" or "TSX Rumors," which a lot of people might do, you just get a message saying that these things haven't been enabled, which I think is a turn-off.

There seem to be a couple of obvious possibilities here (I'm sure there are others too). One would be to just eliminate those 2 things from that section of the Home page. The other, of course, would be to have them really link to something. If you do the latter, probably you'd want to re-name those links, because there doesn't seem to be any section on this site that really corresponds to either of those titles (except the Forums Home page, which can already be gotten by clicking the "Forums" link in that same section on the upper left). Done!

[larchmont]

Wow!!!!!

[Whatchamacallit]

Thanks for taking the suggestions in stride and the prompt changes. Can't wait for the new batch of smilies. :cool:

[larchmont]

Originally posted by Whatchamacallit
.....Can't wait for the new batch of smilies. :cool:
Special requests:

(1) :dunno: (need it like BAD)
(2) :grinfawk: and :madfawk: (can get by without them)
(3) :cry: (helps keep us from having to do it in real life)


BTW, while you're at it with the smilies....
I guess nobody else has noticed this, but when you try to get the one with the "light" on the head, instead you get the "puke" (they have similar "codes").
What made me think of this was that on the "movie" thread, where tsxclub talked about "American Wedding," he has the "puke" smilie, and I wondered if maybe he was going for the "light."
Probably not. But it gave me an excuse to mention this. :D

[larchmont]

btw -- Is "Users OnLine" now an admin-only page?

[Whatchamacallit]

:confused:

Are you referring to the the "Currently Active Users" at the very bottom of the front page of the forum?

[larchmont]

No -- Home page, left edge around the middle portion (vertically speaking), under "Options."

[Whatchamacallit]

Hmmm, didn't notice that section before. I can click on it and it shows "Who's online". I don't think you have to be an admin to be able to access it.

[dnb]

Originally posted by Whatchamacallit
Hmmm, didn't notice that section before. I can click on it and it shows "Who's online". I don't think you have to be an admin to be able to access it.
Yup, works for me.

It also works on other vbulletin-based sites, including those that don't display the appropriate button. Simply expand the URL to "http://www.*.com/forums/online.php?s=".

[larchmont]

One other apparent little "glitch" on the site:

On the "all cookies cleared" page, where it says click "here" to return to the forums index, actually it takes you to the home page, not the forums index.

It's not just now, it's been that way as long as I've been here.

[Ray]

Originally posted by larchmont
One other apparent little "glitch" on the site:

On the "all cookies cleared" page, where it says click "here" to return to the forums index, actually it takes you to the home page, not the forums index.

It's not just now, it's been that way as long as I've been here. Since vbulletin and php portals are connected it will do that.