Organization? Improving the looks of this place?

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Steve E.
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Organization? Improving the looks of this place?

Post: # 28989Unread post Steve E.
Mon Feb 17, 2014 11:58 am

I am open to any ideas about organizing this site better, and improving its look.

Here's a good-looking site. I think it is/was maintained by a guy who was posting here for a bit:

http://forum.talkingmachine.info/

It uses the same software this site uses, but it has a nice, serifed font, autumnal colors, and a two-part structure ("Talking Machines and music" and "TMF Town Square".

I like the two-part idea. If we did a similar thing, what would you put where?

I am finding that these invitational meta-threads are landing with a big thud. But pleeeeease contribute to them. It will help me out.

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opcode66
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Re: Organization? Improving the looks of this place?

Post: # 28993Unread post opcode66
Mon Feb 17, 2014 2:35 pm

Please use a different color scheme. Puke-a-tronic.
Cutting, Inventing & Innovating
Groove Graphics, VMS Halfnuts, MIDI Automation, Professional Stereo Feedback Cutterheads, and Pesto 1-D Cutterhead Clones
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Lima Victor
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Re: Organization? Improving the looks of this place?

Post: # 28994Unread post Lima Victor
Mon Feb 17, 2014 3:01 pm

You can find some color schemes at http://www.colorizeit.com/index.html

Most of the forums i visit have the same structure:
- On topic discussion
- Topic related things such as stuff for sale or trade, meetups, events
- Off topic things.

As i'm new here, i don't know yet if there's much to improve :wink:

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Steve E.
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Re: Organization? Improving the looks of this place?

Post: # 29037Unread post Steve E.
Wed Feb 19, 2014 9:09 pm

opcode66 wrote:Please use a different color scheme. Puke-a-tronic.
Cool. How would you change it? There's an infinity of bad ideas for me to choose from, but I want some good ones.

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Re: Organization? Improving the looks of this place?

Post: # 29039Unread post Steve E.
Wed Feb 19, 2014 10:57 pm

You may notice! The board is now subcategorized into several sections, subject to further revision and reorganization:

*Side 1: The Secret Society of Lathe Trolls - This is the heart of the board, where people tend to go to get and give advice.

*The Booth I was thinking of an instant coin-operated disc cutting booth, like Flo's Disc-o-mat. This contains the sections of an instant, time-sensitive nature: Classifieds, gig announcements....and, just for balance, "Cutters and their work" and the "Members Only section."

*The Library The three reference subsections.

*The Discothèque Related topics, as well as anything off-topic

*Meta-Forum Threads about the forum itself.

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Steve E.
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Re: Organization? Improving the looks of this place?

Post: # 29044Unread post Steve E.
Thu Feb 20, 2014 3:46 am

I've added two styles to the site, which you can try out by going to your user control panel and selecting your board preferences. Be forewarned that this will move the standard location of things around, and I could imagine that might be disorienting. You can move things back by reselected subsilver2.

I am quite charmed by the style called "Artodia: Deluxe." There's a variation on it called "Artodia: Phantom." In either case, the color schemes could be further customized. I find their layouts to be very easy to follow, with just a few minutes of adapting.

I may switch the board to default looking like one or the other of these, so do weigh in if you spend a lot of time around here. Perhaps the overhead logo would be adapted to fit the new scheme, too.

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Stevie342000
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Re: Organization? Improving the looks of this place?

Post: # 29048Unread post Stevie342000
Thu Feb 20, 2014 7:56 am

Personally I find all the other alternatives too hard on the eye either too light or too dark, difficult to read even in daylight. Like the new tabs and sections prefer Prosilver 2.

Aside from which if it ain't broke why fix it?

I am perfectly happy as it now is and would prefer no further changes, it's easy to read and it is easy to find posts under subject areas.

What's going to be on Side 2 or did I miss that one. Even if you can as a user can change the colour why make it harder for people, if people find it hard to read because of the style they will leave the forum.

A prime example colours can be used in buildings to deter loitering, I know this we had it done in our stairwells. Colours, styles and combinations there of can turn people away, so be careful.

My only bugbear is that the search is not very intelligent it is not too bad you of course it is probably me not being specific or being too specific when completing a search. I do not use it that often, as I have a tab up all the time and check at a regular interval throughout the course of the day or night to see if there are updates in the subject areas I am interested in.

There are usually not too many posts and at weekends it gets slow, not many updates at all.

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Nermal
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Re: Organization? Improving the looks of this place?

Post: # 29052Unread post Nermal
Thu Feb 20, 2014 10:58 am

Stevie342000 wrote:Personally I find all the other alternatives too hard on the eye either too light or too dark, difficult to read even in daylight. Like the new tabs and sections prefer Prosilver 2.
Wait, do you mean Prosilver, or Subsilver2? I am assuming you mean Subsilver 2 (the old look). Feedback appreciated!
Stevie342000 wrote: Aside from which if it ain't broke why fix it?

I am perfectly happy as it now is and would prefer no further changes, it's easy to read and it is easy to find posts under subject areas.
There is something to be said for that. Personally I hated almost every change Facebook made, until this last one.
Stevie342000 wrote:What's going to be on Side 2 or did I miss that one.
Nah, you didn't miss anything. I was afraid people would miss the other sections if I didn't put something like that there, but you are right, it is confusing.
Stevie342000 wrote: Even if you can as a user can change the colour why make it harder for people, if people find it hard to read because of the style they will leave the forum.

A prime example colours can be used in buildings to deter loitering, I know this we had it done in our stairwells. Colours, styles and combinations there of can turn people away, so be careful.
Points well taken. Personally I really like the overall look of the "Deluxe" and don't find it too dark, though I'm not sure I like the orange. But I will proceed with caution.
Stevie342000 wrote: My only bugbear is that the search is not very intelligent it is not too bad you of course it is probably me not being specific or being too specific when completing a search. I do not use it that often, as I have a tab up all the time and check at a regular interval throughout the course of the day or night to see if there are updates in the subject areas I am interested in.

There are usually not too many posts and at weekends it gets slow, not many updates at all.
Yeah. That's the limits of phpBB3 search. Sometimes I use Google if I can't find something using the search function.
This is actually Steve E, admin, using his mobile phone's Tapatalk account.

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Steve E.
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Re: Organization? Improving the looks of this place?

Post: # 29156Unread post Steve E.
Mon Mar 03, 2014 1:15 pm

I'm continuing to lean strongly in the direction of switching to Artodia Deluxe. So far I've had only one vote on this. It was negative. But that's not much to go by.

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