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Post by (_.·: mǒгø :·._) on Dec 13, 2006 8:50:34 GMT
Moto has some suggestions for you guys and girls!- Premade Templates - Yes, you still do have premade templates, and I'm sure you have members create them once in a while but, where are they? Remember the old days when you can just easily find them by just looking on the forum? Now, they're on the website. You never know when there is a new template out, nor graphics for that matter because they're just going straight to the website after you accept them.
- Placement - You have a website now, and yes I know it's been there for quite a while now but hey, give me a break I was gone for a while. I would recommend getting rid of it. The placement of the content is more than likely where the people will go, so all I have to do is add the website into my favorites and I'm done. I get all of these graphics without even having to register on the forums.
- Organization - There is definately a lot of great content here but organization is a different story. You may think most of SSD is organized (which it is) but you are not looking at what really needs to be organized the most. Today, I was looking for a code that I needed and well, it took me 30 minutes to look through the database to find it. I would recommend making it more user-friendly to the everyday coding "n00b".
- Members? Where did they go? - Like I said, everything that's created for SSD is going straight to the website when completed. Don't you think it should just stay on the forum in a database like the coding? I mean come on, we're trying to attract members to stay at the forums not tear away from them. I'm going back to the premade templates suggestion, or what not, that I was talking about before. Well, I remember making them for SSD a few years ago, and they stuck on the forums. Many members would just sign-up to get a premade template, and figure out that they want to make them on their own and submit them. You see what this is all coming to again? The website. Everything is submitted there. If you got rid of it and started to add more content into the forum then it will attract more people. I'm pretty much done repeating myself about this subject, so let me try and give somemore suggestions.
- Categories - I think I was talking about this earlier but, I may have deleted it when I went back so, I will repeat it too. Yes, Solid Snake Designs is obviously here to attract the graphic design audience and the people that need help in the coding area. But! The only board that you can talk about games, sports, entertainment, etc. in is the "chillout" section. Well, I think it would be nice to have at least a category for "entertainment". Maybe under it, you can have sports, games, etc. etc. so people can hang out there.
- The Design - We all know we're sick and tired of hearing about it, but it's got to be said just to get it off my chest. Time for a new one and which we all know it is in the process so, that's basically all that's got to be said here.
- The Battle Board - It's not that active as I am looking at it right now, so what can we do to change that? How about we make it into a contest board instead, or make it seperate? Maybe we can run a contest every week and give away prizes for the winner? I think that would attract some people who like contests! I know you are running a Christmas contest as I am typing this, but don't you think we need this? I mean, I will run the dang thing if you want me too. Heck, I will even figure out exactly what type of prizes the winners can get...anyways, moving along.
- Patience - This is a funny one. We are going to have to be patient until we can get it back to the way it used to be, and it's going to take a lot of work. Hey, we lasted this long right? I am actually excited that I am typing these suggestions because I really do want SSD to grow again and to be more active. Actually, I think I'm really going to be more active again in fact, I'm going to finally change my name back to the way it used to be. How long have I had "moto is BACK"? Haha! Ya, I know...to long!
Well now folks, that's some of the suggestions that I have and I really hope most of you will read it and agree to some of it. I will try and bring up a lot more ideas to SSD so that it can be on top again.
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Post by Admin on Dec 13, 2006 11:34:48 GMT
The website needs a massive re-doing and it needs to integrate more with the forums, everything needs to be easier to find too. I agree with you there. I don't agree on getting rid of it, as we can back up the stuff on the website. Its difficult to back up individual posts and such.
People don't need to register to view the forums anyway, we removed this because it created a lot of inactive accounts. Around 15,000 of them or so.
With the templates, I think they need to be in an easy to access place, thumbnail previews and perhaps their own support area on the forum for people with problems.
Did you try using the search feature to find your code?
I'm against an entertainment category because it would leave chillout with low quality threads. Such as pepsi vs coke or funny videos.
Frequent contests like you mentioned are too much really, people get bored and they take a lot of dedication and effort to run for little participation. Currently there is the battle board one that Josh is running and SOTW, thats enough.
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Post by Josh on Dec 13, 2006 17:44:03 GMT
Premade Templates- I have to agree here. I think that they should stay on the site, but I think we need to have something forum side to compliment it. I'll make some suggestions in the Head Office once I am done with this. Placement- I'm unsure of what you mean by this. If you are saying to get rid of the website entirely, then that is a definite no. We have a lot of stuff based around the website that we need. Organization- How would you suggest organizing the Code Database? It's pretty straight forward in my mind. Everything is in one of like 8 categories and the codes are titles are labeled pretty well and give the general idea of what the code does. I'm unsure of how that can be improved Members? Where did they go?- Read this threadCategories- We used to have boards for debates and Video Games here. All it did was take the majority of the activity away from Chillout and when those boards die, Chillout goes down with them. The way it is now you have loads of topics in one place and a vast assortment of topics at that. Odds of Chillout dying are slim to none now. The Design- Well, not to be mean or anything, but you haven't had to deal with v5 for almost two years now as the upper staff and many others have. We know it is time for a change and v6 is nearing completion. We have been set back so many times with the new skin that it isn't even funny. I am sure we will give a rundown when we release it, but until then just sit back and wait. It is nearing completion and will not be released until we are satisfied. Would you rather we release an unfinished skin? The Battle Board- This used to be done quite often. Back in the v4-early v5 days we had a contest board that would run a contest every few weeks or so. Problem is that people grow tired of them quite quickly. It just doesn't work. We do small contests in chillout, I run stuff in the Battle Board and we have SoTW for weekly stuff. As for the activity in there, I know it is dying. Every battle board on Proboards is dying. The people that used to make it super active (Such as myself and my two former mod partners in there, Adam and Matt) no longer need it to excel in their skills so we hardly battle anymore and we haven't been replaced with new people yet. Instead of suggesting we delete something, how about telling us how to reform it instead? I have a suggestions thread set up in the main board, go and post away Patience- Personally, I do not want it to go back to the way it was before. Pointless topics in every direction, staff being treated like crap (Especially in requests), members leaving because they got flamed or pissed off at another member. We are going to a more friendly community based website. The forums of old are dying out and we are keeping ourselves in the lead by going against what is normal and what everyone else does. Look at the old design forums: SSD, G101, ZD, CDP, Insane's forum, and F5 (There are more, those are the ones I could think of off the top of my head.) G101 has died twice and come back, it no longer has Jay and people complain about the lack of structure and the amounts of anger in there. ZD closed for good about 5 months ago. CDP moved away from PB about a year and half ago and closed its doors at the beginning of the year. Insane's forum died right after I started being active here. F5 is still around, but not like it used to. There is a lot of anger towards the upper staff for the way they handle things and they have nothing that hasn't been seen a million times before. SSD, on the other hand is still leading the pack and v6 will redefine what it means to be on Proboards, as did v3-5. Our community based structure is what the world of forums is coming to now and what a forum needs to survive. We are strengthening ourselves for a long run while keeping it going in the present. Once v6 comes out, everyone will see what I mean
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Post by (_.·: mǒгø :·._) on Dec 13, 2006 18:51:38 GMT
I've been a member here for quite a while Joshua, and I have been through most of the versions (I signed up in late 2003 or early 2004). Anyways, what I am trying to say about the contests is that it would be something different I suppose, I mean it could get boring I guess, but if you give away prizes wouldn't you think it would attract more people to do it?
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craig56
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Post by craig56 on Dec 13, 2006 19:09:35 GMT
What kinda of prizes are we talking about?
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Post by Josh on Dec 13, 2006 20:15:37 GMT
Yes, and where do you propose we get these prizes? I certainly cannot afford to give prizes out and I do not think we get any donations ever.
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Post by Me on Dec 14, 2006 3:43:23 GMT
Just want to add a point about activity: Have you noticed how much more intelligent and conversational the current members are? SSD has little to no 0-10 post members (that simply come here for graphics or codes). This allows for members to, through time, become a valuable part of the community.
The community is generally tight knitted and almost everyone knows each other, and frankly, I am happy having it the way it is.
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Post by Admin on Dec 14, 2006 12:06:51 GMT
Yes, and where do you propose we get these prizes? I certainly cannot afford to give prizes out and I do not think we get any donations ever. Well to be fair, we haven't really shouted about donations at all. People have no idea where they could donate to, but its something to definately think about. If we got money from that, we could then buy bigger prizes :)Its pointless asking for donations if people are gonna win CD's or a book, they could most likely buy those themselves. But we cannot rely on giving out prizes all the time.
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Post by (_.·: mǒгø :·._) on Dec 14, 2006 16:46:28 GMT
Yes, and where do you propose we get these prizes? I certainly cannot afford to give prizes out and I do not think we get any donations ever. This is in my first post talking about prizes: "I mean, I will run the dang thing if you want me too. Heck, I will even figure out exactly what type of prizes the winners can get...anyways, moving along."So...I would have figured it out myself, don't act like it's not possible because Oliver just gave one of the ideas I had. Plus, even if it's just a small prize for the weekly events or what not, then I think it would be neat to have. Maybe a bigger prize at the holiday events, something bigger like a television, computer, etc. Just things that would want people to do the contest for sure. Also, to be able to win those prizes you may have to have over 100 posts and have had to enter at least 10 contests before you can enter the big ones? I don't know. But somehow I would get it to work out. That is, if Oliver is up for it or not. Anyways, that's about it. Just let me know. It was just a suggestion too so, just think about it. Oh, and I forgot to add that the contests would be different every week depending on what people would want to do, or the creative things that I would create. I have many different contests I would love to run for SSD as of right now, but like I said, it's up to the administrators and all staff member including yourself, Joshua, to do it.
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Post by Me on Dec 15, 2006 3:25:57 GMT
Yes, and where do you propose we get these prizes? I certainly cannot afford to give prizes out and I do not think we get any donations ever. This is in my first post talking about prizes: "I mean, I will run the dang thing if you want me too. Heck, I will even figure out exactly what type of prizes the winners can get...anyways, moving along."So...I would have figured it out myself, don't act like it's not possible because Oliver just gave one of the ideas I had. Plus, even if it's just a small prize for the weekly events or what not, then I think it would be neat to have. Maybe a bigger prize at the holiday events, something bigger like a television, computer, etc. Just things that would want people to do the contest for sure. Also, to be able to win those prizes you may have to have over 100 posts and have had to enter at least 10 contests before you can enter the big ones? I don't know. But somehow I would get it to work out. That is, if Oliver is up for it or not. Anyways, that's about it. Just let me know. It was just a suggestion too so, just think about it. Oh, and I forgot to add that the contests would be different every week depending on what people would want to do, or the creative things that I would create. I have many different contests I would love to run for SSD as of right now, but like I said, it's up to the administrators and all staff member including yourself, Joshua, to do it. So... after Josh mentioned that SSD rarely gets any donations, if at all, you decide to suggest prizes like a television or a computer? That isn't very logical. However, I do think a few more contests would be nice to see. If they had prizes, they would be small things such as prints on deviantart or custom titles. I don't think that they could be ran weekly though. Even monthly takes a lot of work in organization, marking, and implementing.
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Post by (_.·: mǒгø :·._) on Dec 15, 2006 7:16:50 GMT
This is in my first post talking about prizes: "I mean, I will run the dang thing if you want me too. Heck, I will even figure out exactly what type of prizes the winners can get...anyways, moving along."So...I would have figured it out myself, don't act like it's not possible because Oliver just gave one of the ideas I had. Plus, even if it's just a small prize for the weekly events or what not, then I think it would be neat to have. Maybe a bigger prize at the holiday events, something bigger like a television, computer, etc. Just things that would want people to do the contest for sure. Also, to be able to win those prizes you may have to have over 100 posts and have had to enter at least 10 contests before you can enter the big ones? I don't know. But somehow I would get it to work out. That is, if Oliver is up for it or not. Anyways, that's about it. Just let me know. It was just a suggestion too so, just think about it. Oh, and I forgot to add that the contests would be different every week depending on what people would want to do, or the creative things that I would create. I have many different contests I would love to run for SSD as of right now, but like I said, it's up to the administrators and all staff member including yourself, Joshua, to do it. So... after Josh mentioned that SSD rarely gets any donations, if at all, you decide to suggest prizes like a television or a computer? That isn't very logical. However, I do think a few more contests would be nice to see. If they had prizes, they would be small things such as prints on deviantart or custom titles. I don't think that they could be ran weekly though. Even monthly takes a lot of work in organization, marking, and implementing. If you would have viewed Oliver's comment you can see what he wrote, " Well to be fair, we haven't really shouted about donations at all." Yes, it would take work and it was a suggestion and I was thinking it would work at pretty well. Why do you think I mentioned that I would do it? I know I can. Anyways, I'm going to sleep in a few minutes and just wanted to let you know. So before you go and correct me why don't you make sure you view all of the comments before posting? Thank you. EDIT: After thinking about it for one second, it seems as if every time I post something and try and defend my answer I always end up getting flamed in one way or another. Why is that? It never happened when I was very active here. It seems as if everyone hates me now for some reason. Whatever.
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Post by Admin on Dec 15, 2006 11:16:13 GMT
You're not getting flamed, people just seem to disagree. Now, you also have to remember we have SOTW which is weekly, there is a different theme each week. Even that gets boring at times, I had to judge the thing for 2 years and it got very tiring. I feel a weekly contest may possibly remove further activity from SOTW. I will tell you this now, there will not be weekly contests. I have enough evidence from the past to know that its not a good idea. However, I do like the idea of bigger contests that happen less frequently and have a nice prize for them. That would build up a bit of excitement too ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png)
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Post by .hp_pickle on Dec 15, 2006 12:21:00 GMT
People don't hate you and they're not flaming. It might be that your opinions seem to be displayed too strongly
Perhaps short, general-themed holiday/periodic contests are better. They could be a big contests and have a nice prize, as Oliver said. V6 will be coming soon, but the coding has been a huge speedbump. The only way we can get money here is possibly by donations of WEBSITE ADS. I think it's one of the reasons that we need to promote the website more, because SSD gets paid per click (or view) of the ads, I believe. If people like the tutorials on the website, they might register (or we could offer naked pictures of Oliver). And they will usually be active.
If we have a bunch of inactive members here who only registered for the tutorials or resources, then the community isn't really great is it?
The new code index system is under construction and will possibly be released a few days/weeks after v6. It would make everything easier to find, I promise.
Big prizes don't really seem probable to me without huge amounts of money, which I doubt anyone would want to help donate or any of the staff members would want to spend their money on. I would keep them in-forum, in-website prizes or anything over the internet, such as a domain+hosting or subdomain of SSD. Maybe even a blog on the website. It's much easier to give without giving personal information (if the prize is a TV, you're gonna have to ship it, and you need to know the address of that person).
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Post by Me on Dec 15, 2006 12:35:33 GMT
So... after Josh mentioned that SSD rarely gets any donations, if at all, you decide to suggest prizes like a television or a computer? That isn't very logical. However, I do think a few more contests would be nice to see. If they had prizes, they would be small things such as prints on deviantart or custom titles. I don't think that they could be ran weekly though. Even monthly takes a lot of work in organization, marking, and implementing. If you would have viewed Oliver's comment you can see what he wrote, " Well to be fair, we haven't really shouted about donations at all." Yes, it would take work and it was a suggestion and I was thinking it would work at pretty well. Why do you think I mentioned that I would do it? I know I can. Anyways, I'm going to sleep in a few minutes and just wanted to let you know. So before you go and correct me why don't you make sure you view all of the comments before posting? Thank you. EDIT: After thinking about it for one second, it seems as if every time I post something and try and defend my answer I always end up getting flamed in one way or another. Why is that? It never happened when I was very active here. It seems as if everyone hates me now for some reason. Whatever.Please explain how what I said is considered flaming? I was merely in disagreement, but when you say stuff like "So before you go and correct me why don't you make sure you view all of the comments before posting? Thank you." it tempts me to do more then discuss. I will leave it at that and continue discussing the topic at hand. I just think you need to be more realistic. SSD will never produce enough money from donations to give a television away as a prize. It is far too much. When you say that you are going to run it, and that solves the money problem, does that mean you are buying the television? What about shipping? Will there be viewers that won't even be able to get the prize? It is much better just to have a couple small contests then any big ones.
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Post by Mitchell on Dec 16, 2006 5:30:04 GMT
As said before, weekly contests are pretty much a no-go. Things of that sort have been tried with very little success. What's happened before is that the ideas of large-scale contests come about and everyone hops on the wagon; "Great idea! I'd join in," or, "Count me in!"...only to have small turn-outs. A good example of weekly/regular events and contests is the Community Practice thread. Sure, we had good turn-outs for the first few weeks...and then slumped. Things like that become to habitual. It's not one person's fault. The majority of us are guilty of not participating in community events. Prizes are a hard thing to manage. I mean, usually, the extent of our prizes is customized sigs and custom titles. But, things like that aren't important to many people, resulting in small turn-outs for contests. I like the idea of smaller things, such as free hosting or small deviantART subscriptions (something we could definitely afford if we got a few donations here and there). But things like TVs and computers are out of the question. And, lastly, we've been known to have problems in the past when an idea of a community contest comes about and someone kindly jumps in to say, "Oh, it won't be a problem. If you want, I'll run it." History shows that those things end up going straight down the tubes due to inactivity on the host's or participants' part/parts. ![:-/](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/undecided.png)
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Post by Ovi on Dec 16, 2006 17:24:16 GMT
The last thing SSD needs is these type of threads. Everything you said was quite obvious. Are you trying to imply that SSD is not the top forum in PB anymore and that it's dying? I can hardly agree with you.
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Post by Admin on Dec 16, 2006 22:08:26 GMT
The last thing SSD needs is these type of threads. Everything you said was quite obvious. Are you trying to imply that SSD is not the top forum in PB anymore and that it's dying? I can hardly agree with you. I think he's just trying to help and give some ideas. Its made me think about the donations option a little more ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png)
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Post by Luke on Dec 20, 2006 6:33:54 GMT
Bottom line: More money/prizes, more contests, more activity, more V6. Everyone happy? ![:P](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/tongue.png)
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Post by Kay on Dec 20, 2006 6:44:51 GMT
Buttom line: More money/prizes, more contests, more activity, more V6. Everyone happy? ![:P](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/tongue.png) *tries to refrain from, fails* B ottom*
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Post by Luke on Dec 20, 2006 6:57:01 GMT
Buttom line: More money/prizes, more contests, more activity, more V6. Everyone happy? ![:P](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/tongue.png) *tries to refrain from, fails* B ottom* Bleh, typo (U>I>O, both very close). ![:P](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/tongue.png) Jump me.
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