I wonder what it is about the BROWSE ALL option that isn't giving you everything your looking for?
SNOWEST FORUMS: Moving Foward into 2010!!
- Thread starter christopher
- Start date
K
Your response says it all right there.... you aren't listening to the users, especially the ones that have been here and seen it all. I don't know how long you were around in the background before you sold yourself as the guy that was going to make this a big cash flow for Harris Publications but it seems to me that you jumped in without really getting a feel for what the users want or how the place works. Remember anyone can set up a forum but without users and the knowledge they bring it will never get the hits.
It doesn't solve the problem that there are still too many forums and sub forums that you have to go to to browse.
At work we have numerous in-house developed programs and I have had basically this same discussion with our software programmers- don't make what used to be one or two clicks more clicks, don't make the users have to scroll until they get down to the detailed information. As a general rule a page should almost entirely be visible without scrolling.
I have to scroll down three screens worth to get to the snowtalk section. This is the part with most posts and the heart of the forum - it should be at the top. Sled specific forums which are busy should not be the top of the page they are not the ones that you have all users going into regularly - the cat guy isn't likely to be in the yamaha section but both cat and yamaha guys will be in the snowtalk forums. There is too much information about the category and it takes up lines of screen and I would hazard a guess that 99.9% of viewers never read it.
Constructive feedback from user not just b!tching.
S
KWB and I might have been seperated at birth, because I feel the same way ! I'm not a software programmer or a computer geek, I'm just a sledder looking for info on my favorite sport, and the format as it is now, is cumbersome to navigate !
KWB, Good post!!
I am sure you realize that we have 3 very distinct groups of people on SnoWest.
#1. The active member who posts and contributes on a regular basis. This is our smallest user group by total size.
#2. The registered user who READS but seldom or never posts. This is our medium group.
#3. The non member who comes to SnoWest to find specific information for a specific question. This is the overwhelmingly largest group, and constitutes the largest total population of viewers of the site.
The #1 section of our forums for traffic is the SWAP MEET, and as you might have noticed it is at the VERY BOTTOM of the forums list, even though it is the most read of all the sections, and brings us the most traffic. The #2 are the Sled Forums. And you guessed it, the Sub-Categories in the Sled Forums were created to better serve the #2 and #3 user groups that come to the site looking for information specific to their sleds. Those categories make their life much easier in locating the information they are searching for.
Now, as for all the extra clicks you have to make to get to your content. I just don't see it??????
You arrive in SnoWest on the main FORUMS PAGE.
You scroll down to say ARCTIC CAT, and make you one and only click to see BROWSE ALL and your reading all the posts. EXACTLY like you were before we added the sub-forums. Where are all these extra clicks and extra scrolling?????
And as for everything fitting on your screen. You and I both know that is a function of "your" screen size and your screen resolution. the data that is displayed on your screen will vary WILDLY from what another person sees.
On my screen, I can see 100% of
SnowMembers
SnowMobiles
SnowTalk
and just the upper tip of SwapMeet.
======
All that said.
Your comments were echoed by many people that met with us over the weekend in Boise at the SnowShow. But in EVERY SINGLE CASE they were not using the BROWSE ALL feature. Not a single person that came by the booth understood that that feature was installed so you would NOT have to enter into any of the sub-forums in order to read all of the posts for the entire forum.
We are honestly looking for a WIN-WIN solution here. One that serves our loyal active reader/posters, and one that serves the tens of thousands of visitors that pass though our site every month.
Hmmmmmmmmmmm, I for one appreciate the lay out of the sub forums. I own Revs, and when looking for REV info, I can go straight to REVS.
Lookin for XP info, straight to XP, want to browse hit browse all.
Works pretty sweet!
:beer;
oh, but hey, i'm just one of thos PostWhores that are just ruinin this place for everybody.
never mind
:beer;
Lookin for XP info, straight to XP, want to browse hit browse all.
Works pretty sweet!
:beer;
oh, but hey, i'm just one of thos PostWhores that are just ruinin this place for everybody.
never mind
:beer;
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N
For the most part I support what you are doing here. BUT, I just want to point out something that seems to be escaping your attention with the repeated theme that "SW is changing to work for everyone and NOT just for the people that frequently posts":
Without #1 (the smallest group and the complainers), there would be nothing for group 2 and 3 (by far the largest group) to read and no reason for them to come to SnoWest in the first place. And of course no reason for your advertisers to buy banners on this site, which is what this is ultimately all about.
I don't envy your task here. You will NOT be able to please everyone. There are a lot of jerks here that live to complain and offer little in the way of any useful input. Still, I already see the tone of this forum going south. if you ignore the users they will go elsewhere.
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Hopefully we will negotiate the land mines and find a safe path forward that offers something for everyone.
F
Very nice website, and very user friendly!!
Josh Zieske
Josh Zieske
A
Very nice website, and very user friendly!!
Josh Zieske
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You sound like Eddie Haskel.
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ya....................
I
Christopher, I have a question.
It is not meant to start a sh!tstorm, I just want to know, would you please answer............
Will the new Snowest forum share a server with your other owned forum, "AVOW"?
Thanx, SLIM.
It is not meant to start a sh!tstorm, I just want to know, would you please answer............
Will the new Snowest forum share a server with your other owned forum, "AVOW"?
Thanx, SLIM.
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I
Thanx for your PM reply to me Christopher, I appreciate your candor. No further reply needed. Based on your reply, I will stay, watch and hope the new forum works out for all of us.
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C
heh heh
I can come up with about 4 lines of qualifications for myself.... Mind you I have thousands of adventures to talk about. I think I am a man of life.... not leisure.
Tiz the story of my life.
What was the question???
WTF do politics have to do with being correct???
I can come up with about 4 lines of qualifications for myself.... Mind you I have thousands of adventures to talk about. I think I am a man of life.... not leisure.
Tiz the story of my life.
What was the question???
WTF do politics have to do with being correct???
A
I've not read through the entire thread but I read the first part where you said you bought the forum. I also read a thread where the head guy of Snowest said they were turning it over to you. I think you've done an excellent job with improving the site.
I've always felt that Snowest was a far better forum than a magazine. But just like the magazine I never paid anything. When I bought a new sled it seemed like I'd end up getting a free subscription to Snowest for a year. When it stopped coming I didn't miss it. I've been a poster on SnoWest since around the early part of this decade under differnet user names so I'm familiar with the history. I'll be a bit bummed when this forum becomes a pay site but I'll just go to another free site. There is and was a lot of good info on here, but I contribute to that info so I don't feel I should have to pay for it. I just wanted to post my opinion and I wish the forum the best of luck.
I guess I don't understand how other free forums can survive while some feel the need to charge? Didn't American Snowmobiler do this back in '98? How did that work out for them? Not trying to be a dick, I'm just saying.
I've always felt that Snowest was a far better forum than a magazine. But just like the magazine I never paid anything. When I bought a new sled it seemed like I'd end up getting a free subscription to Snowest for a year. When it stopped coming I didn't miss it. I've been a poster on SnoWest since around the early part of this decade under differnet user names so I'm familiar with the history. I'll be a bit bummed when this forum becomes a pay site but I'll just go to another free site. There is and was a lot of good info on here, but I contribute to that info so I don't feel I should have to pay for it. I just wanted to post my opinion and I wish the forum the best of luck.
I guess I don't understand how other free forums can survive while some feel the need to charge? Didn't American Snowmobiler do this back in '98? How did that work out for them? Not trying to be a dick, I'm just saying.
Just so everyone is here is 100% clear in this.
I did NOT buy the SnoWest Forums, nor do I have any ownership in it at all!.
This forum is 100% owned by SnoWest Magazine, which is owned by Harris Publishing, of which I am NOT a owner/stockholder.
S
Christopher, what boat manufacturer were you involved with. If you posted it, I apologize, I did not see it.
Sam
Sam
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