PDA

View Full Version : Changes...



gusstrand
06-23-2010, 08:13 AM
I have made a few changes to the main site, now using a wordpress front end as a portal... hope you like it... It's a little rough, as I had been working on it in the background and was testing moving the whole wordpress install to the front/root, and when I finally got the bugs worked out in the test, decided to leave it there...

I have also implemented a team of core contributors for that part of the site, much like the BIGCaT of smallstreams of old, and including some of the original folks from that, and some new blood as well. Watch that front end for articles, thoughts, insights, and highlights pulled from the forums, and enjoy the site!

-Gus

Chef
06-23-2010, 08:30 AM
Looks good but here's a few comments so please don't take offense as it's not my intent. Just my opinion.

I think the site is hard to navigate and a bit busy on the opening page. I think it needs to attract fishermen to want more and to enter the site where you drive traffic in the forums and snag new members along the way. The idea for me is to want to go inside and get more and turn more pages. In my opinion I don't like the smallstreams tag through the banner fish pic. I think it needs to be tight fish pics that are clean. Click on a fish eye or fly to skip to forums or individual links below. Script

Logo
From the Mountains to the Sea

Streams
Rivers
Lakes
Sea

The Journey
Food
Life

Contest of the Month
Featured Member
Fish Porn

Forums
Scripts
Us

(Twitter, FB icons)

gusstrand
06-23-2010, 08:37 AM
Awesome. I need that sort of feedback, Chef, especially from Core folks! I have been trying to see what I can do to simplify a bit. Right now, all of the bells and whistles are turned on... I'll be slowly backing them off until I get where I like. Simple is better from my perspective as well.

I've been debating about the overlay, and don't think I like it either... easy fix... soon people will wonder what we were talking about because it'll be gone. :)

The forums will/are linked from both the top bar and the left side link menu.

First bar is pages on the site. The second bar is categories with posts. I can take these and make them the categories... those of you who can post to the front page will have those categories to work with when posting.



Streams
Rivers
Lakes
Sea

The Journey
Food
Life

Contest of the Month
Featured Member
Fish Porn

gusstrand
06-23-2010, 08:53 AM
Check it out now, Chef. Totally simplified the thing. I like it much better... there are also numerous ways to get here to the forums embedded all over the place.

gusstrand
06-23-2010, 09:10 AM
Also - clicking the smallstreams logo in the upper left of the forums will now take you to the front end. If you were used to using it to take you to the front of the forums, look down beneath it in the blue bar for the "Board Index" link... :)

gusstrand
06-23-2010, 02:07 PM
Oh, and the forums stay the same... different link, though... I noticed some searches for them showing up in the data. Sorry for any confusion!

garethl
06-24-2010, 02:27 AM
I'm liking the new front-end Gus, top work there and well done.

Keep up the good work :D

G

Alpinefly
06-24-2010, 11:54 AM
Gus,
Pretty good new look. I agree with Chef somewhat !!! Smallstreams has come a long way !!!!!!
John (Alpinefly)

terry
06-24-2010, 06:00 PM
Love it! I really dig the "at home" feeling it adds. Thanks

troutrageous1
06-24-2010, 08:07 PM
Enjoying the new landing page (thanks for the blog link BTW).
Not sure what it originally looked like pre Chef's suggestions, but like the functionality & options that are currently displayed.
Thanks again for all the work you do on the back end to keep this community running smoothly for the rest of us.

BrkTrt
06-25-2010, 06:39 AM
At my age sometimes the old way is best, in my opinion, but the new changes to the site are great.

I really do enjoy it.



Brk Trt

adam
06-25-2010, 08:41 AM
Told you Gus.

:D

Originally, we designed the "Front Page" as a portal and this is what we are getting back to. Gus has been helping me develop the idea for Tenkara-fisher and Word Press is perfect for it.

If I could put it simply, the front page is like ahh, the front page of a newspaper.

It is busy because it contains a little of everything.

I think all comments are ok because they lead to one central theme.

gusstrand
06-25-2010, 08:51 AM
I wanted to try it with WP before doing it here... had looked at the old php portals we used to use when I first revived the place, and whileI wanted that, I didn't like them - too many hooks in to the board software that would make it a horrific event to keep up to date... Then when you wanted it for TK-F, it sorta got me going again as well... Tenkara was the proof of concept/proving to myself it would work. I needed the push to do it here, and you gave it to me last week... :)

So here we are, and the evolution is good. I have the front page contributors/team solidifying, and soon to be contributing, the general comments are positive, now we keep this bus moving, and enjoy the ride. This place is a labor of love for our hobby that also exercises my creative nerd gene.

Wallyran
06-27-2010, 04:17 PM
Two thumbs up from me.

Walt

rbaileydav
06-29-2010, 05:54 PM
Gus:

I really like the new front end......... reminds me a lot of the old old days

DD

gusstrand
06-30-2010, 08:08 AM
Dick, did you happen to see the list of folks we have/want on the "team"? Maybe notice other things here when you're at the forums?

rbaileydav
06-30-2010, 10:10 AM
I am an idiot as always but i am more observant now. Sorry for the delay info to follow.

DD

gusstrand
06-30-2010, 10:23 AM
:)

gusstrand
07-12-2010, 12:31 PM
Hadn't seen that CMS... will check it out... I've done some joomla sites, and it's OK... but also like the idea of two separate entities with the main site and board... while wondering about one product.

Thanks!

gusstrand
07-13-2010, 08:21 PM
Are all of their layouts that busy or are there different skins and templates? And do they require the ad for their software?

ksbioteacher
07-15-2010, 01:58 PM
There are so many options.....I'll throw one more into the mix.

Have you considered the Buddypress plugin for the wordpress....does forums, groups and social network all in one wordpress package.

I'm using it right now on a low traffic biology teachers site---no problems yet....

gusstrand
07-16-2010, 01:52 PM
Interesting.

One of the main considerations is that smallstreams has been on phpBB since the beginning. Adam and I have used phpBB for, like a decade... I know how to use it, and all of the security nuances and whatnot. Not sure I want to give all of that up.

BUT again, the all-inclusive CMS' are interesting.

So... is there a problem with the WP front end and the php forum? I think they integrate pretty well, myself...

ksbioteacher
07-16-2010, 04:08 PM
I'm not working to convince you that one is better than another. Lord knows, that I don't know which is better... :? I'm only experimenting with the Buddypress--before that I did the same thing you have. I certainly understand staying with the current software, just thought you might not have seen the new capabilities of WP and if you were considering a CMS you'd probably would want to know about it.

gusstrand
07-20-2010, 07:34 AM
No worries there... there are tons of options!

For now, given that I know both of the platforms, I'll stick with this. Someday we may move to a full fledged CMS... Thanks for all of the input, though!

trout-nut
06-30-2011, 04:36 PM
I just started again today and I will have to figure my way around again. I have no comment as yet on the new site. I'm a little slow on these new fangled contraptions so it mitght take me awhile.

icefire
01-12-2012, 11:16 AM
Nice suggestion Chef! Me too, I think logo should be change a little bit to attract more viewers.