Cleaning up a bit

NorioDS

I'd like to improve the site a little so I'd like to clean up.

My thoughts right now:

- Chuck the eBay ads (not making bucks, and they're irritating, i think)
- Chuck the notices on the home page (old and outdated)

Your thoughts on the above? Anything else?

Just wanna make the site easier to use so fire away with suggestions. I'll listen to everything, this is (kind of like) a democracy ;D

AlanRatcliffe

Norio wrote: - Chuck the eBay ads (not making bucks, and they're irritating, i think)

Oh yes, please. I adblock them anyway as I never buy from EvilBay.

- Chuck the notices on the home page (old and outdated)

The news section? Might as well. It doesn't add anything.

Anything else?

Maybe organise the forums a little by making a Resources subdirectory and putting Sites, Books & DVDs, Events, YouTube Videos South African Music Sites and classifieds under there.

Similarly Have a Site subdirectory (or some such) at the top and put Competition and Site feedback under there.

Speaking classifieds, move Jam Sessions and Band Members to be subforums under Classifieds. Even better, do away with classifieds completely and point everyone in the direction of www.musicads.co.za (not that I have a vested interest in this or anything ;D)

The above leaves the Guitar section with the most popular and best categories: General Discussion, Gear, Reviews, Setup, Mods and Repair, Recordings, Players and YOUR Gear.

This should all help organise all the different forums and make it easier to navigate the homepage.

this is (kind of like) a democracy ;D

I'm no political science expert, but I think what we have here is called a benevolent dictatorship ?

AlanRatcliffe

I just thought - wouldn't it make sense to have an off-topic forum too? I think we're all getting friendly enough that we can discuss other things that affect us without the board imploding. Just the usual provisos of no sex, politics and religion.

NorioDS

Great suggestions, thanks Alan ?

I've dumped the news-fader. Definitely a pointless little thing.

Also chucked the eBay ads. Makes things SO much neater!

As far as off-topic goes, I'm very scared to go down that road right now as it tends to be where things fall apart. I'm going to steer clear of it for now until I can figure out how to do it safely. So far, there's been almost no need for moderation and I think that adding off-topic posts will change that a little too quickly.

I agree with your re-organising suggestions. Even the classifieds bit but I'm wondering how everyone else feels about that.

So, how do you people feel about the classifieds section pointing to MusicAds.co.za? It's a far more organised way of buying and selling your stuff.

AlanRatcliffe

Fair enough. We should also be able to incorporate a box here which pulls the latest five or 10 ad titles from Musicads - so the content can still be here too.

Probably easy to just take it from the RSS feed.

Renesongs

I'd say yes to to musicads.co.za - since I advewrtise there already it means one less site for me to copy my ads to

NorioDS

OH MY GOD!!! The whole forum is different!!!

Sorry for the lack of notice guys ? I just did the changes Alan recommended above. I think it looks good but if you guys disagree, shout!

We base our decisions on this forum on what YOU want. If you don't talk, you might find the forum going in a direction you're not happy with. As always, majority rules. Even if I hate a suggestion but most of you guys are keen on it, I'm doing it.

So speak up, even if it's just to say, 'good job!' ?

NorioDS

Also, if there's a category of the forum you don't like, you can minimise it on a permanent basis by clicking this goodie next to the category name:

No, not here! Next to the category name ?

Manfred-Klose

gonna take a while to get used to, but it is better this way.
change is good.

Spyke

I got a bit of a fright when i saw it...

still not sure about splitting it up the way you have. Almost feels cluttered. But as with anything I'm sure I'll get used to it.

Only concern is with the Child Boards - the last post update in Classifieds shows the last update, even if it was posted in the Classifieds section. Sounds confusing, I know, but just take a look at it at the moment. Under Classifieds it's showing the last post under Jam sessions and not Classifieds.

Gray

Ok im confused. ???

Whats a Child board?

Why did you opt to recategorise the forum like this, is it to make space for the new sections coming in?

Renesongs

OMG - I only realised you changed the topic section now - shows you how often I start a new thread :-[

The thing that amuses me is the stats at the bottom of the page - 145 users online on 17 Oct 2007, Uh we currently have 142 members - how does that work ?

Spyke

Take a look just under the Classifieds... Jam sessions and band members have been made 'sub directories'

AlanRatcliffe

Spyke wrote: still not sure about splitting it up the way you have. Almost feels cluttered.

Just better organised to let you find stuff quicker. Give it a chance, it'll grow on you

Under Classifieds it's showing the last post under Jam sessions and not Classifieds.

Jam sessions is a classifieds subdirectory, so it's correct. If you go into the Classifieds directory it shows you the posts there plus then shows you the child boards, with the last updates for each.

Gray wrote: Whats a Child board?

Think of it as a subdirectory - a category within a category.

Why did you opt to recategorise the forum like this, is it to make space for the new sections coming in?

Just to organise the info better. The site is getting busier and busier, so it needed a better organised structure.

Renesongs wrote: The thing that amuses me is the stats at the bottom of the page - 145 users online on 17 Oct 2007, Uh we currently have 142 members - how does that work ?

Users include anyone on the site at one time - guests who are not logged in as well as members.

Looking good Norio!

Gray

I figured as much but why make them sub directories, seems out of place or am I missing something here?
I know it seems menial but no other categories have child boards.

AlanRatcliffe

Gray wrote: I figured as much but why make them sub directories, seems out of place or am I missing something here?
I know it seems menial but no other categories have child boards.

Well, it helps keep the home page neat to have them as sub boards rather than have them as boards of their own - they are basically classifieds after all.

What I would suggest to Norio, is that you make another child board - For Sale/Wanted and move all the ads in the parent category there and make it so people can only post in the child categories and not the parent.

I've said this before, but what about making MusicAds the official selling site for the forum and remove the classifieds altogether? That way when MusicForum rolls around, we don't end up with a Classifieds section under every single board. Otherwise make a master classifieds board for all instruments with child boards for the subdivisions. Either way will make sure that the stuff is being advertised to more than just the guitarists. Obviously, I have a vested interest in MusicAds, so will go with what's best for the forum. Discuss.

Gray

Otherwise make a master classifieds board for all instruments with child boards for the subdivisions

Im for this idea but doesn't MusicAds already have all those sub-directories?

AlanRatcliffe

My point exactly. BUT it is a different site with a different login, etc. (playing devil's advocate here).

Gray

Its your site isn't it Alan? why not intergrate them? ???

NorioDS

Gray wrote:I know it seems menial but no other categories have child boards.

Oh they will, eventually ?

It's all about expansion. This site is expanding so, to make it easier to get around, we have to clump some stuff together. It's always at least a little unpleasant at first but, if done right, it tends to work out very well.

The one thing that kinda sucks about growth is that things tend to move from where you're used to finding them. That's something I've found to be unavoidable. The only way to stop that is to stop growing and we're still a little young for that to be an option ?