posted
Is there or could there be a place where suggestions could be made on the website/forum, or if I have a suggestion with whom can I direct them to?
Posts: 51 | Registered: Mar 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
That's an idea, but with an open thread everyone can see and add their input as to whether someone's ideas are valid or not. I was just thinking about it because I post graphic art on another website where there are forums and there are alot of cool things you can do with the forum (nothing high tech) that would be really helpfull here.
Posts: 51 | Registered: Mar 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Post your suggestions to the other side. It gets more traffic, so you're more likely to have other people chime in with their opinions, good bad and ugly.
Posts: 8355 | Registered: Apr 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
But keep in mind that if you start gathering suggestions, it might look to the management like you're trying to pressure us with numbers instead of simply suggesting something for us to consider doing. And if we have sound reasons for not doing it, privately suggesting it allows us to explain those reasons BEFORE you've developed a groundswell of opinion that will make everybody feel like we've let them down.
In other words, since this isn't a democracy (as to the running of the website) and them as pays the bills gets the final decisions, why not handle it discreetly? We'll listen. And we respond much better without someone attempting to pressure us with "But everyone seems to agree that ..."
Posts: 2005 | Registered: Jul 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
no no. I didn't mean to try to start some meaningless movement. I just know that you and the admins are always checking ou the forums so I figured this was the best (easiest) way of getting into contact about one or two things I noticed.
Posts: 51 | Registered: Mar 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
I have few complaints about Hatrack, I like it very much...except for the lame search program. And I know many share my complaint because they've said so.
Posts: 6316 | Registered: Jun 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Only thing I wish it had is a place with who posted last on each thread. It's a lot easier to see if someone replied after me if my name disappears than remembering post numbers.
posted
We're working on Search. We hate it too. But these things cost money. And there are WORSE ones that cost a lot more than the one we have.
We ARE indexing and reorganizing all the Uncle Orson Reviews stuff so things are findable by topic (movie review; book review) and by title, etc. And we're trying to get more books digitized and at least the first chapters online.
But it all takes time ...
If you have found a good website search engine, we'd be happy to hear about it.
As to Hatrack being perfect, we don't imagine that perfection on a website is even possible. But I will say that we have an extraordinarily clear, well-designed, everything-accessible-from-the-home-page, easily navigated, and content-packed site - at least for a site that has so few paid staffers.
And Hatrack IS perfect in one way: It has a lively, thriving, self-sustaining community of people who post fascinating things - even their reasons for hating everything the sponsor and reputed subject matter of the site believes in <grin>. Communities are only as good as the members who contribute to them.
Posts: 2005 | Registered: Jul 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
No, don't say that Verily! I like your posts, they're smart and funny and... Wait, you're not Verily! Umm, you're cool, Verai, I guess. Posts: 6316 | Registered: Jun 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Okay, I'm either being complimented very highly here, or lampooned mercilessly. I'll await further developments, but in the meantime, I have my own pet theory. Posts: 1814 | Registered: Jul 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Verily, Verily, I say unto you, you were Chosen for no reason except wherefor you share three letters with Verai. 'I come not to lampoon Verily, nor to praise him.'
You're both cool, don't make me rank you.
After reading Orson's great bible verse parody on the Well done thread(I especially liked "quick to bark upon the ice and upon the rock."), I should desist, but I can't stop. Maybe I should join a 12 Verse Program.
Posts: 6316 | Registered: Jun 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
I am glad you guys have thought about a new search function, Mr. and Mrs. Card. It's no big deal, just a minor annoyance to my favorite website. Posts: 6316 | Registered: Jun 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
You know, we have an awful lot of website designers and code writers and people a lot smarter about this kind of thing than I am on Hatrack. Maybe if you posted a request for input on a search engine on the other side, Mr. Card, someone would be able to help you.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Well, if someone does start discussing this on the other side, please post a link here... I don't have time to read all of _this_ side, let alone the other side too.
quote:We're working on Search. We hate it too. But these things cost money. And there are WORSE ones that cost a lot more than the one we have.
If you're talking about the UBB forum search function, the I personally think that the one that is part of PHPBB works much better. Actually, I think that PHPBB works much better than UBB, period. And it's free
quote: We ARE indexing and reorganizing all the Uncle Orson Reviews stuff so things are findable by topic (movie review; book review) and by title, etc. And we're trying to get more books digitized and at least the first chapters online.
But it all takes time ...
One thing that works really well is putting content like that into a database, which makes it easy to organize and easy to search. If you're interested, I'd even donate some time to help pull it off.
quote: If you have found a good website search engine, we'd be happy to hear about it.
If you mean for searching the whole site, I think the google site search you've already got is great. As long as your content is organized and not too many levels deep from the home page, it should keep a pretty good index. Having google's ads on the pages helps too. I'm surprised it doesn't do very well at searching the forum, though, which is unfortunate.
quote: As to Hatrack being perfect, we don't imagine that perfection on a website is even possible. But I will say that we have an extraordinarily clear, well-designed, everything-accessible-from-the-home-page, easily navigated, and content-packed site - at least for a site that has so few paid staffers.
Keep in mind that you've got a _lot_ of brownie points with a lot of your fans (myself included) for all the great work you've shared with us. I'm sure I'm not the only one who wouldn't mind giving something back. As someone suggested, a call for qualified volunteers would probably get you at least as much help as you could handle.
Posts: 52 | Registered: Mar 2005
| IP: Logged |
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
