THE FORUMS
Thanks guys!!
BTW have faith, recall I'm the dude who created RSDN in the first place. I fully "get it" that people are addicted to the current format and any drastic changes would result in a massive drop in usership.
The forum stays the same, although the design will be nicer looking than the generic VBulletin. It will be at rsdnation.com/forum
When you just go to rsdnation.com you'll find a cool homepage type deal with updated instructor articles five days a week (Monday to Friday). This obviously takes a lot of cordination and experiments with different instructor compensation models to get the content organized and on time (to avoid another RSD Underground fiasco), so we'll keep tinkering with it until we have it fully down.
Now even cooler, is that the homepage link to the latest instructor article will lead you to the instructor's RSDN blog -- where the article is posted.
From there, users will have the easy ability to create IDENTICAL blogs, so that YOU can be the rockstar as well.
There will also be a "Profile" page where you can put up any information you want about yourself, have your "friends" listed at the bottom, and an ongoing comments Wall just like you have on MySpace.
You can then link from your profile to your archive of photos and videos, if you're so inclined to upload them.
Bottom line is the forum stays the same. It's just the additional features on the SKIN that are the improvements.
A few hundred grand in improvements SOUNDS like a lot but it's peanuts. It's like how Blueprint Decoded cost nearly $300,000 to produce and people think that's a lot of money ("I shot a movie on my handicam for 15 bucks!!") -- but in fact it's practically nothing in terms of production values. A movie like "The Secret" costs about 3 million, and a "real" movie costs tens of millions.
Anyway obviously this is happening, so let's focus on what we DO want in the new design -- because it's being created for the users so YOUR opinions are what matter.
Tyler
BTW have faith, recall I'm the dude who created RSDN in the first place. I fully "get it" that people are addicted to the current format and any drastic changes would result in a massive drop in usership.
The forum stays the same, although the design will be nicer looking than the generic VBulletin. It will be at rsdnation.com/forum
When you just go to rsdnation.com you'll find a cool homepage type deal with updated instructor articles five days a week (Monday to Friday). This obviously takes a lot of cordination and experiments with different instructor compensation models to get the content organized and on time (to avoid another RSD Underground fiasco), so we'll keep tinkering with it until we have it fully down.
Now even cooler, is that the homepage link to the latest instructor article will lead you to the instructor's RSDN blog -- where the article is posted.
From there, users will have the easy ability to create IDENTICAL blogs, so that YOU can be the rockstar as well.
There will also be a "Profile" page where you can put up any information you want about yourself, have your "friends" listed at the bottom, and an ongoing comments Wall just like you have on MySpace.
You can then link from your profile to your archive of photos and videos, if you're so inclined to upload them.
Bottom line is the forum stays the same. It's just the additional features on the SKIN that are the improvements.
A few hundred grand in improvements SOUNDS like a lot but it's peanuts. It's like how Blueprint Decoded cost nearly $300,000 to produce and people think that's a lot of money ("I shot a movie on my handicam for 15 bucks!!") -- but in fact it's practically nothing in terms of production values. A movie like "The Secret" costs about 3 million, and a "real" movie costs tens of millions.
Anyway obviously this is happening, so let's focus on what we DO want in the new design -- because it's being created for the users so YOUR opinions are what matter.
Tyler
__________________
HOT SEAT 2 RED HOT OFFICIAL LAUNCH IS JANUARY 25 @ 12PM EST -- check out the kickass new page at www.rsdhotseat.com
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You're talking about having just instructor articles on the front page, I definitely like the idea, but how about putting "5 star" articles from other members as voted by the forum on the front page as well, or maybe even linking from the RSDWiki and integrating that somehow. It might both give guys some incentive to write some more really good posts/articles and it would add fresh perspectives from everybody.
Angel Wrote:
An uploadable video section for every profile. Moderated of course so people aren't uploading obscene rubbish.
Also heard that each instructor will have a video section with their profile with a set # of videos each. Videos either self shot or 'officially shot'. Is that confirmed because that would be very cool.
Aside from that, the changes you mentioned sound more than enough!
Yeah those are all happening.
The instructor video profiles will go onto RSD Underground, but they're going to have a few videos in the "Bio" on the right side of their blog -- just so new users who don't see RSDU can learn what they're all about.
Because RSD Underground never took off, we're planning to use it as a more static site that has about 16 "underground" videos of each instructors a sort of video profile. This will be mostly comprised of stuff you guys have already seen, but for people coming to RSD it will be a cool way of discovering the personalities and lifestyles of the people they're learning from.
Instructors and users will also have the "Pictures | Videos" sub-directories under their avatar, similar to Myspace, where they can store whatever they like so long as it's not offensive (or at least, offensive in a non-funny way!!).
This is all still a few months off, btw. Programmers have been working on it since Blueprint Decoded but it takes time.
Tyler
__________________
HOT SEAT 2 RED HOT OFFICIAL LAUNCH IS JANUARY 25 @ 12PM EST -- check out the kickass new page at www.rsdhotseat.com
SIGN UP DURING THE LAUNCH FOR THE BONUS FREE SECOND DAY OF HOT SEAT FEATURING JULIEN'S INFIELD FOOTAGE AND FOUNDATIONS: RELOADED.
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Well, what I like about myspace is that it allows far more room to create a unique page that can "express your personality" (as much as a web page can, anyway), whereas with facebook, it's got much more of a professional, if conformist, feel to it.
As far as FUNCTIONALITY, I'd definitely like users to be able to add music and videos to their main page. So basically, allow for embedded HTML. This way, it's really easy to post youtube videos or song playlists from projectplaylist.com. As far as allowing color and background customization, that is less important and entirely a question of taste. What would be cool is the option to toggle page customization on and off. So let's say I'm on a computer with a slow connection and I don't want to see somebody's fancy background or wait for ages for videos to buffer. I should have an option for a "Simple" page view. But if I have a fast PC and I want to see how a user customized his page, I should be able to select a "Detailed" view.
With facebook, it's more of a local tool where you keep in touch directly with your friends and people you know. I think myspace is more open-ended and encourages people who have never met to become friends and is also a huge platform for new bands, comedians, etc. There are ups and downs to each approach. I think the reason Facebook is doing so well is because it is the de facto college internet application. EG, (nearly) everyone in college uses it. Myspace then becomes a "spare tire" or "second choice" application for people in college, because all of their "real" friends are already on facebook.
Overall Facebook is far more utilitarian whereas myspace allows for more creativity.
What I'm suggesting with the "Simple" vs "Detailed" toggle selection is that it will allow people who WANT to experience all that customization to do so while sparing those who do not want to see it from having it forced upon them. Maybe put a "Disable HTML" option that would prevent extraneous videos, music, etc from loading? Something along those lines. Like, if I just want to find a guy's AIM screen-name or post on his wall, then I might not want all that stuff popping up.
Anyway, looking forward to it. Good luck!
As far as FUNCTIONALITY, I'd definitely like users to be able to add music and videos to their main page. So basically, allow for embedded HTML. This way, it's really easy to post youtube videos or song playlists from projectplaylist.com. As far as allowing color and background customization, that is less important and entirely a question of taste. What would be cool is the option to toggle page customization on and off. So let's say I'm on a computer with a slow connection and I don't want to see somebody's fancy background or wait for ages for videos to buffer. I should have an option for a "Simple" page view. But if I have a fast PC and I want to see how a user customized his page, I should be able to select a "Detailed" view.
With facebook, it's more of a local tool where you keep in touch directly with your friends and people you know. I think myspace is more open-ended and encourages people who have never met to become friends and is also a huge platform for new bands, comedians, etc. There are ups and downs to each approach. I think the reason Facebook is doing so well is because it is the de facto college internet application. EG, (nearly) everyone in college uses it. Myspace then becomes a "spare tire" or "second choice" application for people in college, because all of their "real" friends are already on facebook.
Overall Facebook is far more utilitarian whereas myspace allows for more creativity.
What I'm suggesting with the "Simple" vs "Detailed" toggle selection is that it will allow people who WANT to experience all that customization to do so while sparing those who do not want to see it from having it forced upon them. Maybe put a "Disable HTML" option that would prevent extraneous videos, music, etc from loading? Something along those lines. Like, if I just want to find a guy's AIM screen-name or post on his wall, then I might not want all that stuff popping up.
Anyway, looking forward to it. Good luck!
__________________
Listen to me! You have to consider the possibility that God does not like you, never wanted you, and in all probability, he HATES you. It is not the worst thing that can happen.
It isn't?
We don't NEED him!
We don't - we don't!?
Fuck damnation, man! Fuck redemption! We're God's unwanted children? SO BE IT!
It isn't?
We don't NEED him!
We don't - we don't!?
Fuck damnation, man! Fuck redemption! We're God's unwanted children? SO BE IT!
Dude, I'd go with the more non-personalized facebook because a lot of people have blogs and pictures that they link to their signature which show a more personal side (pictures, blogs, home videos).
__________________
I make it nasty. & keep it 'G
Tyler Wrote:
Thanks guys!!
BTW have faith, recall I'm the dude who created RSDN in the first place. I fully "get it" that people are addicted to the current format and any drastic changes would result in a massive drop in usership.
The forum stays the same, although the design will be nicer looking than the generic VBulletin. It will be at rsdnation.com/forum
This is good. I was a mod on a big basketball forum, that merged with a general sports forum. Instead of continuing to use VBulletin they built their own thing, which was supposed to be able to handle a lot more stuff better and with more features. What ended up happening was that probably over 70 % of old people from the basketball forum left, including many of the mods. The same thing happened with other forums that merged into the big forum.
So basically, my advice for the forum part is to not make it too complicated - VBulletin is the most commonly used forum type for good reason.
As for the MySpace/Facebook thing - having too many applications that slow down speed and makes pages difficult to navigate is never a good thing. If you compare the old facebook to the new one, you can see they they have dealt with that issue by reducing all the space that all the different applications used to occupy, and made the site a lot more easy to navigate.
Definitely Facebook.
But man, I'm thinking you've been spending way too much time and energy on this project rather than using preexisting frameworks to create what you need to create. I hope it works out.
But man, I'm thinking you've been spending way too much time and energy on this project rather than using preexisting frameworks to create what you need to create. I hope it works out.
__________________
I would definately prefer the sleaker style of a facebook type site. When folks can customize their page too much like on myspace it can make checking out some people's profiles a drag because they're bogged down with so much shit.
I think it would also be a really cool feature if each user could bookmark/favourite articles that they think have incredible value and then have direct access to them from their profile. So like if you have an off day, come home, and want a quick picker upper, you can goto your profile and read a bad ass article to put you back on track with out having to search everywhere for it.
I think it would also be a really cool feature if each user could bookmark/favourite articles that they think have incredible value and then have direct access to them from their profile. So like if you have an off day, come home, and want a quick picker upper, you can goto your profile and read a bad ass article to put you back on track with out having to search everywhere for it.
__________________
There are two reasons to create a social networking site, listed here in order of importance:
1) To connect people with similar interests (friends, network)
2) Enable users to create and share content (profile, about me / interests, photos, videos, blog, etc)
As far as the PRIMARY function of a "Social Networking" site, obviously we'll all be able to "add friends" and look at member's profiles etc (right?). A few really awesome things to connect people, which I really hope to see, would be:
-An instant message system that connects all people who are "online" similar to the one Facebook currently has, which is great.
-A geographical feature that would allow you to look up other users in your area or in a city/state you are going to visit.
As far as user created content, my main suggestion would be to keep the content (video, photos, etc) segregated from the main profile page. The biggest problem with Myspace right now is that a user can overload their main profile page with so much digital content that a lot of them make my browser freeze up so I don't even bother surfing pages anymore. In that sense, I'd keep it more like Facebook - keep the main page simple and straight forward so as not to make it a chore to check out profiles. Photo and video bins are straight forward enough, easy to access with just a click.
1) To connect people with similar interests (friends, network)
2) Enable users to create and share content (profile, about me / interests, photos, videos, blog, etc)
As far as the PRIMARY function of a "Social Networking" site, obviously we'll all be able to "add friends" and look at member's profiles etc (right?). A few really awesome things to connect people, which I really hope to see, would be:
-An instant message system that connects all people who are "online" similar to the one Facebook currently has, which is great.
-A geographical feature that would allow you to look up other users in your area or in a city/state you are going to visit.
As far as user created content, my main suggestion would be to keep the content (video, photos, etc) segregated from the main profile page. The biggest problem with Myspace right now is that a user can overload their main profile page with so much digital content that a lot of them make my browser freeze up so I don't even bother surfing pages anymore. In that sense, I'd keep it more like Facebook - keep the main page simple and straight forward so as not to make it a chore to check out profiles. Photo and video bins are straight forward enough, easy to access with just a click.
Mike Jones
Senior Member
Join Date: 09/20/2006 | Posts: 126
myspace has too many viruses and porn robots and bullshit floating around..
not to mention it's old and outdated, not many people use it any more compared to Facebook.
I have Facebook and I love it! I like how they have the different tabs and each one displays a drop-down page that is clean and simple.
No distracting backgrounds and other advertisements and stuff.
Definitely look into Facebook, Tyler. I'm a senior in college and it's what a lot of college-age people are using.