Comment on site design (updates)

That's a nice feature having the recent forum posts showing on the main page.
However, I'm really missing not having the previous updates on the main page, as the sequence of the updating is now split between two pages. It doesn't flow so well.
The story lists (Recent Pop, Newest Stories) are also a page further away, needing to go to a menu page instead of previous being selectable from the main page.
Both these changes have the effect of 'hiding' the stories. Ok, it's trivial and not the end of the world. That's just my opinion. Thanks for the great work!

Not just forum posts, I may add some update info for the dungeon, when we get more activities there. I am still thinking a way to avoid crowding everything in one page. Might add a front page and point people to various places.

For the story list, I will add a sub popup menu soon. I just need to find a piece of good code that is compatible with most browsers.

Ok, I've been patient, but after a month of the new site design I've observed that new stories are getting less reviews because they remain on the news page for only 1 update.

Less feedback for authors means that some may not post again, and that's bad for the site.

Please can we have our previous updates back on the news page.

:) Thanks Jinn :)

Any chance of options on presenting the stories ?

As a designer as well as a writer, I have found that using red text on a black background suits the genre very well, and is easier to read on the screen. I mean, it may be me, but I would be reluctant to post it and loose that control, it wouldn't have the same feeling for me. Fonts are also important, why not leave it to the authors ?

There is so much superb stuff here, best wishes with trying for a more interesting feel in the layout. With upwards of 2000 stories I can see that getting people to the one they want is getting a nightmare!

First, ackalon, welcome to the site.

Nice to see you getting involved, but ...

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Originally posted by ackalon
...As a designer as well as a writer, I have found that using red text on a black background suits the genre very well, and is easier to read on the screen...

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red on black is NOT easy on eyes! black on slightly yellowish is!
we can discuss the preferences until one of us turns black or red but - sorry dear - ouch!

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... With upwards of 2000 stories I can see that getting people to the one they want is getting a nightmare!

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you hit it right on! well if possible - there could be nice to see stories represented as author would prefer it - i just believe it would be way to much overhead.

anyway - i will leave this one to Jinn, and to you ackalon, again welcome

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Originally posted by Jinn
I just need to find a piece of good code that is compatible with most browsers.

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It is so nice to hear somebody say that. Why don't more webmasters acknowledge that browsers other than the horrible IE exist? why?

i appreciate that you do.


Opera is good for the soul, you know. it probably cures cancer, too. its that good!


i'll quit my rambling now.

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Originally posted by Tiny45
It is so nice to hear somebody say that. Why don't more webmasters acknowledge that browsers other than the horrible IE exist? why?

i appreciate that you do.


Opera is good for the soul, you know. it probably cures cancer, too. its that good!


i'll quit my rambling now.

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You non-conformist! Why don't you just submit your soul to the darkside that is Microsoft? All your friends are doing it....

haha, jk of course

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Originally posted by Tiny45
Opera is good for the soul, you know. it probably cures cancer, too. its that good!

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Apparently Red Faction 2 causes Leprosy though, and I'll give a cookie to someone who can tell me where that's from :)

Colours... perhaps a cookie setting that changes the colours of the plain text pages? That way, everyone is happy!

As for updates... my next chapter missed this update! *frowns*

LD

ackalon, as you can see, there is already disagreement on the colors. Then think about tens of thousands of different readers who all have their own color preferences... I try to make the color scheme very common so that most people will accept or at least tolerate it. Of course, a more sophisticated system can allow readers to choose their own color theme. Unfortunately, this system was originally designed for such flexibility. I would like to change that but it will involve a lot of coding work and I can't say when you can expect for features like that.

Talking about fonts, the web browsers don't support that many different fonts by default like Word, for example. So even if you choose a nice font, most readers won't see it at all, or they have to "download" and "install" something to support that font, which I believe many readers don't like. So for now, author can use different colors, styles (italic, bold, underline) and sizes, but not many choices of fonts.

I am also struggling with ideas about how to present the 2000+ stories and make it easy for readers to find. If anyone has any thoughts on this, feel free to email me.

Once again, welcome aboard, ackalon, and hopefully we will see your stories sometime.

...can you perhaps decouple the main website from the forums somewhat?
Reason being, viewing the main page also logs you into the forums. If you don't want to view the forums, it will still clear the new posts list when you leave the site. I might pop in during the day to check if my story has been updated, and then find in the afternoon that the forums have been reset and I have to try and work out which threads have been updated.
Perhaps a flag that gets set when you visit the forum section, which lets it know to clear the new post list when you log out/timeout?

Actually, the whole 'new posts' thing doesn't work very well. If a new post comes in while you're looking at the previous new posts, it 'wipes the slate' and only the one that came in while you were on-site still registers. And this happens even if the new post was made by you! I have no idea how that could be rectified.

(Edited) Well, it hasn't wiped it clean today. Twice it's retained the other new messages in memory after I've posted. Must be a phantom problem. (And I see there's a new smiley!:[ )

Isn't editing better than posting twice?

I do notice, though, that when messages are edited they don't show up as 'new' and notifications aren't sent. This means that corrections don't circulate as widely as the original mistaken posts.

How like the local paper!

My smilie is up! Yay!

Now, I really can get vampy on everyone's ass. LOL

:[

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Originally posted by Lord Douche
...can you perhaps decouple the main website from the forums somewhat?
Reason being, viewing the main page also logs you into the forums. If you don't want to view the forums, it will still clear the new posts list when you leave the site. I might pop in during the day to check if my story has been updated, and then find in the afternoon that the forums have been reset and I have to try and work out which threads have been updated.
Perhaps a flag that gets set when you visit the forum section, which lets it know to clear the new post list when you log out/timeout?

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I made some changes. Now only the review pages are coupled with the forums. So if you don't read any reviews, you will be ok :)

So, no more hundreds of people in the forums anymore. Drat it all!

Made it look good, numerically, anyway.

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I am also struggling with ideas about how to present the 2000+ stories and make it easy for readers to find. If anyone has any thoughts on this, feel free to email me.

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My other suggestion in the first post, (which was actually a request for a reinstatement of a feature) is still relevant. Can't we have those story list links placed on the main page? There's plenty of room in the left hand column.

Another suggestion: Pre-filtered Lists - For example, stories featuring Spanking, Slavery, Rape, Scat (Yuck!), etc. Those that constitute a distinct sub-genre. You'd have to define a default order, 'Most Recent' seems logical.

Is it possible or of interest, to create a "Critics Corner" of sorts where members could write short reviews and/or opinions about adult products they have used including books, movies or "toys". There is a ton of product out there, some of which is crap. i for one would love to hear others opinions on such stuff before i spend my money.

Another idea i have is perhap creating a "Swap Meet" for members who would like to swap/exchange (to sell might be illegal?) books or movies with other members. i have a few books and vids i would love to trade for something new to read or watch and i bet i am not the only one.

just a thought to make you go hhmmm,
kym:)

I like both of those ideas. There might even be places to put those things here in the forums. I'm not sure what would bring the most traffic and interest to the area, though. Would placing threads in the forums be as noticable as, say, giving them an area all their own somewhere on the site?

Sounds like a job for Jinn.

Thank You for your positive feedback. i must admit i havent a clue how to make it happen or which would be best, thread virses a new place of its own. i gladly leave that to those with the "computer" skills i lack. However, threads would work well only if they had their own heading simular to the "Comments and Suggestions" heading. Example: Heading- "Critics Review" (or whatever you choose to call it) would be for members to voice opinions and reviews of adult books, movies or other products. Example: member Joe, wants to share a review of a movie, he goes to "Critics Review" than creates a thread "movie review: Bambie buys Bimbo" and writes his review. Now other members can read, and even share their opinion about that movie on that thread. Each new item reviewed would need its own thread under that main heading. Same could go for the swap meet idea i shared. i think that would keep thoughts orginized, making it easier for the rest of us to follow the discussion. Is that possible or does it even make sense? As i said, i leave it to you. And jinn, if this falls to you and adds to your already heavy load, i am sorry:eek:

still a newbie
kym

I like the new menu arrangement. It makes navigating the site much quicker.

But Jinn, are you planning to put it on the other pages? I hope so. Keep up the great work! :)