Should the WMB Arms be merged with the off-topic forum?
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There have been improvements since day one.I'm still waiting for said improvementsFunny how one person, or a small group of people can create a much more user friendly forum that users actually enjoy & prefer, faster than a huge corporation with loads of money & people to throw at a forum can make 'improvements'
You would be surprised at how many different departments are involved, how much stuff needs to get approved, signed-off, tested and made live on a massive site like BikeRadar.com.0 -
"Funny how one person, or a small group of people can create a much more user friendly forum that users actually enjoy & prefer"
We are talking only 200 people or so! The forum was created for them, so of course they will like it! Again, it also depends what you want from a forum. There is far more info here, and many more people posting with a broad range of knowledge behind answers, plus quite a few new regulars appearing. I do like the 'breakaway' sites, its a great bunch of people, but don't see why people choose one over the other. Use both, get the most from both!0 -
Well, this forum was supposedly created for the existing users of the other forums, so of course they will like it?!?!?supersonic wrote:"Funny how one person, or a small group of people can create a much more user friendly forum that users actually enjoy & prefer"
We are talking only 200 people or so! The forum was created for them, so of course they will like it! Again, it also depends what you want from a forum. There is far more info here, and many more people posting with a broad range of knowledge behind answers, plus quite a few new regulars appearing. I do like the 'breakaway' sites, its a great bunch of people, but don't see why people choose one over the other. Use both, get the most from both!
Seriously though, I can see the hard work that's gone into the Bikeradar website, BUT, this is the forum we're talking about for god's sake. It's been proven, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it is not as complicated as future make out, to create a good forum.
As has been said, a small group of users has managed to surpass the entire BR team in that respect. You really should be ashamed of yourselves. I really mean that.0 -
It would be rather easier to please 200 rather than 113,000 I think... plus it uses the old forum software and was specifically designed to mimic the old forum.0
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Well, that highlights a few areas where you went wrong then.supersonic wrote:It would be rather easier to please 200 rather than 113,000 I think... plus it uses the old forum software and was specifically designed to mimic the old forum.
Maybe, just maybe, asking your users what THEY would have liked would have been productive?
Also, running the two systems in parallell whilst ironing out any bugs, config issues etc.
As I said, you should be ashamed of yourselves as web developers.
This forum is nothing to be proud of yet, and I daresay, when the time comes that it is a decent forum, it will still be nothing to be proud of, because of the amount of time it took, the amount of complaints, the amounts of issues.0 -
Well they did please 100,000 (or however many it was) users on the old forums until they assimilated all the forums into one!
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Who is you?! I have nothing to do with designing this forum, I just post here (and on others). All I am saying is that I don't think it is as bad as people are making out. OK, could be better, and its improving, but lots of new members and a wealth of experience to answer questions.0
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Id agree with supersonic.
I was on the MBUK forum before here (don't hate me!) and I think the potential here is massive. The changeover definitely could have gone smoother but the changes are happening.
I don't think anyone can deny that complaints have been noted and changes are slowly being made.
Any time there is any change people moan and the forums continue regardless.0 -
M.Cole wrote:
As has been stated elsewhere:Why not test the forum with a select group while still running the old forum?
"Sometimes you get to the deadline and you have to go with what you have. In case you haven't gathered, none of us are exactly ecstatic about the situation either, but it's improving and will continue to do so. "
its funny because your making out like you actually care what this place ends up like, and whether people enjoy using it or not.
Its not all about how many users there are.0 -
Alright Dude-O, long time no hear!
Have to say, what can you not do here that you can do in the 'WMB' (UK-MTB) forum? 75% of the threads posted would have gone straight into the 'Arms', and the rest into the normal sectors which get answered quicky and efficiently.0 -
fozzybear wrote:also would love to see the posty struggle with the mag to the door with the ad mail, crappy (TBH) free gifts in MBUK (actually they are still better than MBR's fisher price lock) she scowls at me already and says she hates ebay
To be fair, the bottle opener this month proved to be very handy at the weekend.
It ensured we were able to get enough bottles opened on friday night, to have sufficient hydration/headache issues for 10 at Kirroughtree! :roll:0 -
Anything in particular?Andy_B wrote:I'm still waiting for said improvements0 -
supersonic wrote:Alright Dude-O, long time no hear!
Have to say, what can you not do here that you can do in the 'WMB' (UK-MTB) forum? 75% of the threads posted would have gone straight into the 'Arms', and the rest into the normal sectors which get answered quicky and efficiently.
psh its the complete lack of proffesionalism (is that a word?) thats gone into it.. they can boast about how much time they've put into the forum (which tbh i cant really believe because its just some rubbish free forum) and how they had to stick to a deadline blah blah, whatever... anyways as i keep saying, i couldnt care what the forum can do - but this place has certainly lost its 'community'ness. Anyway im not going to bother about ranting..
More importantly, Im good ta, and yourself!? Off to morzine on saturday and cant wait..
Im sure theres another wmb regular i havnt seen in ages.. chris? .. name isnt coming to me at the moment.. the mechanical genious... Maybe im imagening things.. maybe its you.. who knows..0 -
I'm pretty good! Not seen Chris (Kal-El) for ages, not sure he has the net at his new gaff.0
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yeehaamcgee -Maybe, just maybe, asking your users what THEY would have liked would have been productive?
Given that we can't time travel and ask *you* what *you* want...what do *you* want? What suggestions do you have for the current forum?0 -
I want to see more nonsense about baby raping and suchlike in the MBUK sandbox. It feels strange without it.M.Cole wrote:yeehaamcgee -Maybe, just maybe, asking your users what THEY would have liked would have been productive?
Given that we can't time travel and ask *you* what *you* want...what do *you* want? What suggestions do you have for the current forum?
Seriously though, MOVE the freaking ad to the right of the threads. Put it at the bottom of the screen or whatever.
Sort out the widescreen issue - Which actually isn't just a widescreen issue, I'm reading this now on a 17" screen at 1280x1024, and it's STILL only in the centre of the screen.
You do realise that ALL screens are wider than they are tall, right?
Sort out the layout, there's too many identical sections for fitness etc, when, seriously, why would roadie health/fitness or WMB H/F be any different to MBUKers H/F? That kind of thing.
Also with regards to the layout, try and reduce the size of the front page.
for example,
MTB section
Road section
Health section
From there we could go into the relevant areas that we're interested in. It also gives the place a neater look, and (ye gods) you'd still have room at the bottom of people's screens to put that fricking add on the right hand side.
The really bloody stupid thing about the ads though, is that they're for your OWN bloody products, there's one at the top right now advertising C+, and the annoying one on the right, which takes up FAR too much screen space, is actually advertising BikeRadar!
A BikeRadar add on the BikeRadar site?
WHY IN GOD'S NAME IS THAT NECESSARY?0 -
That's good then. You've covered all the things that we're going to do. Thanks!0
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So you've changed your tune. Time after time, you've stated that you WIL NOT nove the add on the right.M.Cole wrote:That's good then. You've covered all the things that we're going to do. Thanks!
Now you're going to?
Seems like a bit of lying to me :evil:
But anyway, you do realise, don't you, that I am one of the people who actually uses BR regularly?
There are people who really hate this site, maybe you should try and gt their opinions.0 -
Yeah i'm lying. I enjoy lying. Nothing more i like to do than come onto the internet and lie on the forum.
Are there people who hate the site? Surely not. Some people have mentioned they dislike the forum, but not the site.0 -
Well if you do indeed move that fricking ad, I will eat my, er, lunch.M.Cole wrote:Yeah i'm lying. I enjoy lying. Nothing more i like to do than come onto the internet and lie on the forum.
Are there people who hate the site? Surely not. Some people have mentioned they dislike the forum, but not the site.0 -
You've quite possibly just stated the cause of the problem.M.Cole wrote:You would be surprised at how many different departments are involved, how much stuff needs to get approved, signed-off, tested and made live on a massive site like BikeRadar.com.
Must be frustrating for you.0 -
BigAl wrote:M.Cole wrote:
You've quite possibly just stated the cause of the problem.You would be surprised at how many different departments are involved, how much stuff needs to get approved, signed-off, tested and made live on a massive site like BikeRadar.com.
Must be frustrating for you.
Sounds just like any big company. No single person is capable of making a decision.0 -
mc wrote:BigAl wrote:M.Cole wrote:
You've quite possibly just stated the cause of the problem.You would be surprised at how many different departments are involved, how much stuff needs to get approved, signed-off, tested and made live on a massive site like BikeRadar.com.
Must be frustrating for you.
Sounds just like any big company. No single person is capable of making a decision.
Almost true mc. I've worked for one truely giant company.
Plenty of people capable of making a decision.
They're just not allowed to
This forum should be run by just a handful of 'techie bikers'. They'd see what was wrong and put it right without needing 'permission'.0 -
Being more honest, those capable of making a decision, are not allowed to by those allowed to make decisions, who aren't capable of making a decision. (yeah, i just confused myself typing that :? )BigAl wrote:
Almost true mc. I've worked for one truely giant company.
Plenty of people capable of making a decision.
They're just not allowed to0 -
lm_trek wrote:Ive suggested in one forum, that BR is changed completely, why not have sub forums for all the mags so individualality of the mags can be retained!!
ie front page of BR Forum has
MBUK and then all the other forums relevant to mbuk ie general, sandbox, rides etc
WMTB and then the other forums relevant to wmtb, is arms general and beginners etc
get the picture??? while we have just one log in for all mag forums all housed within BR, gives everyone what they want, while we can leap across mag forums, and still have our own community which we had before.
I know it would mean taking BR off for a few hours or day to set up but surely it cant be that difficult to achieve??!
In thoery that would bring new forum members into the big group and let new members experiement with which parts of the BR forum that appeal to them, and if sure existing forum members would love the chance to get there community back!!
Plan and a half. I second your motion.0 -
Everyone says that Bikeradar has 100,000 plus members. THAT is only the total number of registered users from all the assimilated forums.
There were 25-30,000 members on MBUK IIRC, yet there must have been only 150-200 memebers who regularly posted/used the forum.
NOW consider the number of registered users on the new 'alt' site, and you begin to see the TRUE scale of the problem. THEN you have to take into account the WMB counter forum, and I dare say C+'s counter forum, and Bike radar/Future have a REAL problem.
If I was in Bikeradar/future's position I would canvas the regular using members of the old forum's on what they would like to see, AND show examples of what their ideal layout-look would be.
Maybe then there could be some improvement in Forum use.
The web site itself I have no real problem with, I think it is actually quite good, and informative. It is the forum users who are most likely to generate revenue for the sponsors and advertisers. Hope they dont forget thatquote "Whyamihere"
You're one freaky fucking bastard Phil.0 -
Indeed here lies the problem. The actual admin have no power to actualy make the forum work without asking about 20 people for signatures whenever something needs doing.
Thats where youve lost touch with the comunities, its being run by the suits trying to make money. The actual riders dont have a say.
And Phil missed off the MBUK counter forum, Shame their so intimidated on here by it theyve filtered its name. Never to be spoken on this forum.0 -
John wrote:Indeed here lies the problem. The actual admin have no power to actualy make the forum work without asking about 20 people for signatures whenever something needs doing.
Thats where youve lost touch with the comunities, its being run by the suits trying to make money. The actual riders dont have a say.
And Phil missed off the MBUK counter forum, Shame their so intimidated on here by it theyve filtered its name. Never to be spoken on this forum.
yes you are correct we do need the sign off from a lot of the higher ups, however its not to make money, so I will explain how it works so you realise why doing a "push" (update) is such a ball ache for all concerned.
We have at present a team of about 20 people working on Bikeradar - Some are backend developers, some are frontend developers (such as me).
Each of us has a local copy of the entire site running on our MacPro's. When we change a file we have to send it to a repository so when someone else performs an update of the sites files it will merge with their files so no-one overrides anything something else has done.
This makes life very easy for people to work on the same files and such without issue, but obviously with this many people working on the site, we have to perform a cut off point, i.e. no more commits to the repository. This is usually 12 or 24 hours before the planned live date.
Therefore we have a good time period to test the site on a temp location to test and make sure that nothing has crept in by accident. It does happen, I for one when i develop and test my XHTML and CSS use lots of red borders and such to locate div's and other such elements while debugging, so occationally things like that sneak in or get missed.
This is why we cannot just simply update the site via FTP or whatever like you would with your personal site (as i do with my personal site).
I hope this gives you an idea of why we go a long period between our site updates. Its general practice for large projects such as this with most large scale companies.
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