Divide the CoD Site into a Blog Section and a Forum Section
Ok, Steve. So the big difference between a Blog and a Forum is that Blogs can be sent on RSS feeds, and Blogs are more in the author to reader mode. Am I correct on this?
As for Forums, that is where a discussion among folks can occur, Right?
My reason for trying to be clear about this is that both of these different technical formats are mixed in the CoD's visual site layout / visual page latout. The pages are busy and confusing with the two technical (Blogs-Forums} mixed around and filling up the page. And I believe good page design contains about 30 % of white space.
Wouldn't it be more user friendly to divide the site into two fromats or layout? One section of pages for building and presenting Blogs and another section to layout the presenting Forums. Then the site pages could be less demanding on the eye, more white space, and each section would have themed links within that section. Of course this then would require only ONE link in the same area of every page to navagate over to the other section. Let me know if I am being clear with this discription?
Please any comments?
Cheers,
Tony
Here is an Example of a Discussion Forum Section
To follow-up, you mentioned elsewhere that you did not know of Vbullitine, and of course, I agree that we should encourage open source like PHP. But that aside, if you look at some of those applications in the Forum Section, they seem to be easier to navigate around in. I've used one or two myself, and I think it may help us to see some excellent tech use of the bb forum "layout", please look at http://www.aota.net/forums/
This forum is very cleanly laid out, all very self explanitory and it seems a model to emulate for our issues. Any comments please?
Cheers,
Tony
Yes, I have been thinking about these things
I have thought about and agree with just about everything you mention. All of your suggestions will eventually be incorporated, including a major face lift to the look of the site. The limiting factor is time, of course.
I'm also a big believer that when it comes to software, or websites, the principle that should be followed is "release early, release often" philosophy. In other words, don't wait until the thing is perfect before you let it wild in the world. Give it to the users and let them report back to you how it works for them. Plus, If I hemmed and hawed about launching this site until it was perfect, this site still wouldn't exist.
I can tell you the busy look to the site is purposeful. I want first-time visitors to say "Wow! There's a lot going on here!" The drawback, as you point out, is usability. As the site gains in popularity, and as I get more time to overhaul the site, the look of the front page will change dramatically.
Your feedback is greatly appreciated. It gives me a better idea of what you, the user, is experiencing.
On RSS feeds
Each forum category can and does have its own RSS feeds. But most other sites won't be checking those. They'll only check the front page.
However, you can promote a forum topic to the front page and it will go out on the site's front page RSS feed.
Interestingly, each blog also has its own RSS feed. And since each person has their own blog on CoD, they all have their own feeds.
In other words, this site has feeds coming out of every hole. But the only feed that will see heavy traffic is the one on the front page.