36 replies to this topic

[dancam]

Some people have brought up issues and new ideas for technology we already use, mainly our Network Bar. We would welcome your opinion on how to improve it and make it more usable.

One suggestion is that we need to perhaps re-organise it somewhat to make it more user friendly. Whilst another more radical suggestion was that all hostee sites were removed, to encourage people to visit the existing network hubs, CNCGuild, etc. Allowing us to promote the entire division, including all projects within that division thereby hopefully encouraging more individuals to visit hostee pages.

What do you think we should do to improve existing Revora technology to improve your experience?

[Detail]

Psychology: the more options you present a person with, the less likely they will pick one.

Internet: the more links you present a viewer with, the more likely they will click back.


Wait for the hub sites to be made imba (easy to read and navigate), then change the bar to only link to them.

Also, If the viewer is looking at a Red Alert 3 mod project site, the bar could also link to the site of a released RA3 mod (replace RA3 with any covered game). This is the bar knowing what the viewer wants and helping them find it.

[Banshee]

Network bar should have its links stored in a database and accessed by the current bar, the IE6 version and a future mobile version of the bar.

And I think each hostee should still have their own site.

[Copaman]

If it's possible, I think it'd be cool if we could somehow implement a instant-message kind of function.

I mean, we've got the user profiles and friends and everything already. Why not just borrow from Facebook a little more and allow users to send messages to one another which show up near-instantly, instead of taking the chance of sending a PM to someone and hoping that they either 1. reload the page or 2. follow a link to another Revora page before they log off?

Just for an example, I've had times when I've needed to discuss things with Vortigern and I've seen that he's online. So I send him a PM and go about my business reading whatever there was to read on the boards. I don't finish reading some stuff for 30 minutes plus sometimes... by the time I clicked to go to another thread or whatever, Vort had already sent his PM, finished his business on Revora, and logged off - we're left playing PM-tag for the next day or two because we're busy reading through pages of stuff and we're also on opposite sides of a 5 hour time difference. Had I been able to send him a message which showed up on his screen a few seconds later, and vice-versa, what took us days to figure out would've only taken minutes.

Basically, for those of us who either can't (me)/don't want to use MSN or the other chat hosts used by Revorians, we get the same functionality off of a bar or something while we browse the forums.

[Banshee]

Get his MSN, lol...

[ambershee]

Software support for hostees is where it's at. Some kind of management tool (Trac?) and bug reporting (Bugzilla / Mantis?) is really hand to have on board. Hopefully that kind of software support might help entice some network expansion too, since it's the sort of thing you rarely have access to without your own site.

IRC or a Javachat system is something we also considered, as it helps facilitate regular team meetings, which MSN just completely fails at. We currently use Skype, but something browser based is much more lightweight and user friendly.

Edit: As for the network bar - linking to hubs might work well. Personally, we're not really fussed, since we're not really that related to any of the other projects around here.

Edited by ambershee, 25 January 2009 - 07:57 PM.

[Jeth Calark]

I really like the idea of a IM feature here. I don't have any of the IM programs, and can't get them on my computer.

In fast reply, instead of the smiley button bringing up a small window, have it do a drop down box like the smiley button in PMs do.

[Banshee]

www.meebo.com

And MSN has a web version. Check it at msn.com

[ambershee]

@Banshee - it's more of a convenience than a necessity. Ever tried initiating an MSN chat with around 30 people in it? Most IMs can't handle that, so you end up with people dropping out all the time, and it's a pain to add people in all the time. Skype, fortunately can, but it's a heavy bloated application. IRC isn't all that user-friendly.

[Copaman]

Get his MSN, lol...

...

...for those of us who either can't (me)/don't want to use MSN or the other chat hosts used by Revorians...

I don't have any of the IM programs, and can't get them on my computer.

...

IRC or a Javachat system is something we also considered, as it helps facilitate regular team meetings, which MSN just completely fails at. We currently use Skype, but something browser based is much more lightweight and user friendly.

I agree with ambershee. A browser-based chat system would really help those of us who can't use MSN or Skype. And if there isn't much of a way to implement a chat system, what about a shoutbox in user profiles that auto-updates, like we have on several of the CnC webbies?

[Vortigern]

Yeah, I've been wondering about that for a while now, actually. I'm barely ever online on MSN anyway, so even those who do have my MSN have to get lucky to catch me hanging around. I'm fully in favour of whatever chat system you can set up on here.

And I'd like to second Jeth Calark's motion for the drop-down smiley menu in Fast Reply.

[Jeth Calark]

Thanks Vort. I use normal Reply way more that fast reply for that reason alone. If the smiley drop-down box was implemented, I would so use Fast Reply all the time.

Not to mention that such a drop-down would make Fast Reply faster, if you think about it.....

[Banshee]

Guys, check meebo if MSN is not enough convenient:
http://www.meebo.com/meebo/


Understand one thing: Revora has a lot of higher priorities in terms of technology to work at rather than a convenient IM chat. The network lacks almost everything. Maintenance is hard, getting hosted here still has some bureaucracies where requires web design skills from the mod team, creating new divisions here is also very hard and we lack people to make things easier.

Perharps an IM chat extension is a good idea, but it would definitelly comes after many things that are more important for the survival and expansion of the network.

When suggesting features, make sure you have a priority list in mind.

[Duke]

Uhh...no offence Banshee but, I'd have to disagree.

What do you think we should do to improve existing Revora technology to improve your experience?

Note the you. It's kinda a personal question to people - it's not their problem to figure out priorities, that's the Staff's job

[Banshee]

You have a fair point, however, you must also consider that if the feedback is not realistic to the conditions of the network, it actually becomes totally useless. I'm sure that this poll was started to collect feedback that will be useful or considered in a later time by the network staff.

[Phil]

People can suggest whatever they want as long as they realise that we cannot make every request reality. In that sense, I'll have to agree with Banshee that a custom IM solution is not on our top priority list. I'll make a note that people mentioned it but for now that's all we can do in that respect, I'm afraid.

I'll talk to jnengland and MM regarding Trac and Bugzilla. I'd like to see a slightly more professional touch on our development software offer anyway. Subversion is already a good step in the right direction, but more should be possible. I hope that would help both the division hostees and standalone projects.

[Detail]

I'd like to see a new forum skin.

[Phil]

How so? Revora Main is still rather new, actually.

[Detail]

Ok, i'd like to see a good skin

[Duke]

Ok, i'd like to see a good skin

LOL You're in trouble now...