Forum improvements

[Bryd0]

Since last month, I've been thinking of giving my forum some improvements even though it looks fine just now, but I wonder if any of you can help out as there's not been much discussion about this amongst the other staff there. What I have in mind is a fresh new skin (still need someone to design it), the addition of a reputation system and new sections that I really need help on. I only have two in mind and those are sections to do with movie reviews and polls but for the former, there are fears of spoiler warnings when one person writes a review of a movie.



If any of you can help out and get it to what I call RXComm v5, that would be grateful. We've been stuck at v4 for far too long and it's time for some changes to occur. You're more than welcome to have a visit to the forum so that you can see how it looks currently (via my signature that is)

 

[McConnaughay]

You're using JCink, you don't need to get anybody to design a skin, you have a moderately decent library of skins to choose from much more appealing than the default skin in my opinion, and Jcink makes it really easy because it uploads the macros, board wrappers, and everything. In my opinion, what you need is not new forums but a new category, holding so much in the general discussion feels unnecessary and I think somewhat takes away.

 

[The Dragon Master]

If you were going to go with a new skin then maybe have to option in changing the background colour?



Also, I agree with Orion. The general discussion category maybe needs splitting up, and the sub-forums that you have don't really make sense, like In The News is in the Debating forum.

 

[Armin]

Forum looks great, I like the ajax/jquery usage on the site. Loads without reloading.

 

[McConnaughay]

I'd really recommend getting some themes from the JCink support site, it's just a couple of clicks.

 

[Bryd0]

You're using JCink, you don't need to get anybody to design a skin, you have a moderately decent library of skins to choose from much more appealing than the default skin in my opinion, and Jcink makes it really easy because it uploads the macros, board wrappers, and everything.

How do you know I'm using JCink? I've not even heard of it, although I have realised that Jcink and ZetaBoards are somewhat merged together. Could you maybe link me to the library of skins I can view from there? I don't know my way around the site :\

The general discussion category maybe needs splitting up, and the sub-forums that you have don't really make sense, like In The News is in the Debating forum.

Yeah, maybe In The News should be separated from The Debating Room but I don't know how I would split the sections into their own categories. What would your idea of the General Discussion category split up be like?

 

[The Dragon Master]

Yeah, maybe In The News should be separated from The Debating Room but I don't know how I would split the sections into their own categories. What would your idea of the General Discussion category split up be like?

You have a Technological Corner sub-forum so you could make that a category and then put all the related forums in that. In The News and The Debating Room could be put into some sort of life category? Then the rest in a General Discussion category

Something like that. So their all split out from each other.

 

[McConnaughay]

How do you know I'm using JCink? I've not even heard of it, although I have realised that Jcink and ZetaBoards are somewhat merged together. Could you maybe link me to the library of skins I can view from there? I don't know my way around the site

I screwed up, you're using Zeta Bords, Jcink isn't somewhat merged with Zeta Boards at all, that's Invisionfree. http://resources.zetaboards.com/index/ , this site has hundreds of Zeta Board themes that will brighten your site.

 

[Bryd0]

You have a Technological Corner sub-forum so you could make that a category and then put all the related forums in that. In The News and The Debating Room could be put into some sort of life category? Then the rest in a General Discussion category

Something like that. So their all split out from each other.

I don't fancy putting Video Game Discussion under Technological Corner though, but I could group In The News and The Debating Room in their own category. Thanks for the suggestion anyway.

I screwed up, you're using Zeta Bords, Jcink isn't somewhat merged with Zeta Boards at all, that's Invisionfree. http://resources.zetaboards.com/index/ , this site has hundreds of Zeta Board themes that will brighten your site.

I've picked four themes from there so far that I like, but I don't know if Before Rain could be a suitable new default skin for the forum.

 

[Bryd0]

Okay, I have split In The News out of The Debating Room but I really need help on splitting the sections into smaller categories. I can't really think myself :\

 

[McConnaughay]

What do you mean? There should be a Lobby or The Lounge section for General Discussion (or Random Discussion), Life Discussion, Creative Corner, and Debating Room. Miscellaneous section for Movies & Television, Video Games, In The News, Technological Corner, Sports and Website Advertisement. This doesn't exactly have to be your path of travel but you should work on expanding your categories, I'd say for you to look at Off Topix's sections for inspiration.

 

[Bryd0]

Sorry for the late response, but I've taken these into consideration. Although, having five in one section and six in the other still may be too much and I had looked at Off Topix's layout for an inspiration but I don't want to copy the way its sections are layed out.

 

[RJH]

I don't get why people need to call things v4 or v5, does it make the site sound cooler or something?

 

[Bryd0]

It's just different versions of things people develop and work on, like on games and such. So yeah, it's Version 5 for my forum as I'm planning to make it better than the current one.

 

[McConnaughay]

It's just different versions of things people develop and work on, like on games and such. So yeah, it's Version 5 for my forum as I'm planning to make it better than the current one.

I used to do that, I'd get rid of all of my old skins and banners and put new everything instead, but I think that it's childish and amateur to call it v5, you'd never see Off Topix go by the name of Off Topix v2, because it's not necessary.

 

[Bryd0]

Well, I'm too poor to have paid forum hosting

At least it's not on InvisionFree.



Anyway, I haven't had the time to work on the improvements suggested to me but I will get them done this week. If anyone has other ways to improve my forum, fire away.

 

[Foxtrot]

I actually like your board. You have a fairly simple layout, a few themes to keep the members happy as well as a nice memberbase. I may even join.

Good luck on your improvements!

 

[Bryd0]

Thanks

Hope to see you there anytime soon

 

[Bryd0]

Just to let everyone know, I have chosen some decent skins to add to my forum but haven't got around working with the splitting of the sections yet, so my apologies. Although there is one other thing that needs to be improved... the member titles. This is what they appear as currently:

Just Registered ~ 0 posts

New Member ~ 10 posts

Member ~ 25 posts

Active Member ~ 50 posts

Very Active Member ~ 150 posts

Frequent Member ~ 200 posts

Experienced Member ~ 400 posts

Ultimate Member ~ 750 posts

To me, they look a bit off and I wonder if anyone can improve that, with the last rank requiring about 2000 posts or something.

 

[Evil Eye]

Something like this?

Just Registered ~ 0 posts

New Member ~ 10 posts

Member ~ 30 posts

Frequent Member ~ 75 posts

Active Member ~ 200 posts

Very Active Member ~ 500 posts

Experienced Member ~ 1000 posts

Ultimate Member ~ 2000 posts