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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 6,760
Hard-core CEG'er
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Hard-core CEG'er
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 6,760 |
Personnaly, I think the who site should be 'revamped.' As I have said in another thread, the site's looks are as I recall when I registered back in Oct '00. They were boring then, and are still boring today. I know CEG is going for the 'simplistic' look, but I think that even simplistic could use a revamping every now and then. I wish that we could get FCO's webdesign and combine that with CEGs information, then I think the site would benefit greatly. With that re-vamping, add a trader feedback option to one's profile (ala SVT Performance). I also think the number of moderators should be increased, just to help police the sections of the site more effectively.
I have always thought the CONTENT to the site has excelled, but that the FORMAT and LOOKS of the site have always lacked.
my last would be the search feature. Make it able to search more than one forum at a time. We harp on search, yet it is indeed a huge PITA on this site.
Ryan
Trollin!
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 21,197
I have no life
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I have no life
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 21,197 |
If we could update our own profiles and add pics. I have a few pics that I host for the benefit of others. Would be nice to not pay for hosting my stuff off site when we are paying to keep the CEG running. The site is most definately dated. I agree with everything that has been said. Don't need fancy avatars but it would be cool. Just some expressins of our personality. Can still load fast. Just keep the pics out of sigs.
-'96 SE MTX 3L
-'98 SVT 1,173 of 6,535
-'05 Mazda 6s, loaded, g/f's ride
-Need a 96-00 manual on CD? PM or email me
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 4,149
Hard-core CEG'er
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Hard-core CEG'er
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 4,149 |
yes:
revamped search, x100000
buy/sell feedback forum
small avatar
1 combined duratec forum (traffic in performance and maintenace doesn't warrant two forums)
1 combined zetec forum
no:
sig pics
hiding post count (WTF?)
single "how-to" forum
"other car" forum; hello-- common interests!
In general I'm skeptical of creating yet more forums. This is an aging car and we need to be less specific in structure or some forums will look like a ghost town.
-- 1999 SVT #220 --
In retrospect, it was all downhill from here. RIP, CEG.
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 4,155
Hard-core CEG\'er
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Hard-core CEG\'er
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 4,155 |
Nothing like FCOs layout. The guy that made the banner is alright   jp but the layout of the site I think s anti-simple. Why not have an introductory page with a 56k/broadband option? I know avatars are annoying, they aren't necessary imo. The broadband version in my eyes would be a 56k version on Steroids; same layout just built in Flash for a "smooth" graphical look. If the idea kicks around, I volunteer.
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 7,431
Hard-core CEG'er
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Hard-core CEG'er
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 7,431 |
I mentioned a few of my desires in the CEG Finances topic stickied above.
Some more:
- As it stands we have some FAQs in the forums, some FAQs in the main site, and some in both the forums and the main site (example: hazing headlights). All FAQs should be moved to the forums IMHO so we don't have to deal with duplicate organization like this. I like the idea of keeping the FAQs themselves in the boards, but keeping an index of the FAQs on the main site where they are easily accessible rather than indexed in various stickies in different forums. I like having a main site still; there are many enthusiast websites that don't and it becomes a pain to find commonly-known information. All said and done it's a whole lot more organized than it's ever been before (thanks GTO Pete for the hard work!) but the main site FAQs are still hanging out in left field.
- Main site looks, feels and is dated. Old profiles are gone, and I'd like to see the Registry better integrated with the forums (for example: click a person's user name and you can view their car profile). SZ02 is referred to as a "coming meet" and you can still pay $45 to register for it. The neceg.org site of 2003 isn't even mentioned (even though it's gone now) -- rather, a dead link to a really old NECEG Geocities site exists. Most links are dead or outdated like this. The entire main site needs an overhaul.
- search, search, search! Current faults: the defaults are set to "search by phrase" and "within the last week." Far too many newbies (and some veterans) say they've searched but didn't find anything -- and I'll be willing to bet it's because they didn't change these settings. It's not something an average person looks at when searching. Secondly, I'd like to see search all forums back online (it's been what, three years now and no visible efforts made to fix this?), or at the very least, search by forum region (General, Modifications, Branches).
- Classifieds forum. Something easily managed, particularly if the "report to moderator" button could be used on them when posts go awry.
- More site admins. People who maintain the main site, approve profiles, oversee / able to moderate all forums, things like that. I've no doubt that several of the moderators deserve to be admins.
I'll likely think of more later.
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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 5,600
Addicted CEG\'er
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Addicted CEG\'er
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 5,600 |
Everyone has had pretty good suggestions.
Im down for avatars, I would limit them to 100x100 though, or maybe 150x150. I HATE sig. pics though, they make forums so cluttered and annoying. Some forums are so bad you can tell where the posts start and the sigs. end.
#4559 of 6535 born on Feb 17, 1998
Black 1998.5 CSVT
FOR SALE [cleaning house]: SVT rear swaybar. Reasonable offer and its yours!
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,786
Hard-core CEG\'er
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Hard-core CEG\'er
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,786 |
Originally posted by KingpinSVT:
Everyone has had pretty good suggestions.
Im down for avatars, I would limit them to 100x100 though, or maybe 150x150. I HATE sig. pics though, they make forums so cluttered and annoying. Some forums are so bad you can tell where the posts start and the sigs. end.
Yeah, no animated crap either.
-Auto Mak or-
-Experiment or
-Station Wagon or-
-Computeriz or-
I have a foot that is bigger than a foot.
SuperChipFOR SALE
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Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 4,714
Scourge of the Master Debaters
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Scourge of the Master Debaters
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 4,714 |
Originally posted by 98 SE:
As it stands we have some FAQs in the forums, some FAQs in the main site, and some in both the forums and the main site (example: hazing headlights). All FAQs should be moved to the forums IMHO so we don't have to deal with duplicate organization like this.
I argue for the opposite. Move the clutter of threads to the main site. Lance has said in the past that the website was supposed to be a repository for useful information, and the forums were just a replacement for the mailing list (which I was never a part of). He has put a lot of time and energy into coding the other sections of the website, and moving everything into the forums will just make contour.org a forum and nothing more, which is exactly the opposite of why it was supposed to exist.
Beer is my Gatorade.
Hooray Beer.
'98 "Sport" Pacific Green
'98 E0 SVT Silver Frost
Pictures
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Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 7,025
Hard-core CEG'er
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Hard-core CEG'er
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 7,025 |
be more relaxed on the forum rules. Its gotten to the piont where we cant even post pics of girls on this site regardless of whether shes fully clothed or not.
Jim Hahn
1996 T-Red Contour SE Reborn 4/6/04
3.0L swap and Arizona Dyno Chip Turbo Kit
364 whp, 410 wtq @ 4,700 rpm
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 5,975
Hard-core CEG'er
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OP
Hard-core CEG'er
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 5,975 |
Originally posted by hetfield:
Originally posted by 98 SE:
As it stands we have some FAQs in the forums, some FAQs in the main site, and some in both the forums and the main site (example: hazing headlights). All FAQs should be moved to the forums IMHO so we don't have to deal with duplicate organization like this.
I argue for the opposite. Move the clutter of threads to the main site. Lance has said in the past that the website was supposed to be a repository for useful information, and the forums were just a replacement for the mailing list (which I was never a part of). He has put a lot of time and energy into coding the other sections of the website, and moving everything into the forums will just make contour.org a forum and nothing more, which is exactly the opposite of why it was supposed to exist.
In theory, yes, that would work, but based on the way things have been done it wont work.
AFAIK, the main site can be modified by Lance only. This creates problems.
1. When a new FAQ is created, who is going to put it on the main site? Lance? Not likely.
2. When FAQs / How-tos need to be updated, who is going to put it on the main site? Lance? Not likely.
3. Who actually goes to the main site? Very few.
4. Look at the "Read before posting" stickies I have created. Yet people still ask the same questions. Having them on the main site only increases those kinds of posts. Then the Nazis come out and the flaming begins. We already have enough of that.
5. Without the Stickies / FAQs in the modification forums, how much discussion will there be? It's already very low. The "forums" would be nothing more than Common Interests and Pics & Videos.
6. It doesn't make sense to have CEG split into 2 areas - main site and forums when everything on the main site could easily be on the forums.
7. What was intended 4-5 years ago doesn't mean it's the best method or in the best interest of CEG.
8. Lance has said himself that he doesn't have a lot of time. It's obvious he doesn't. Unless he provides moderators the ability to change and add to the main site, it's senseless to move everything over there as you have suggested.
9. Yes, he has put a lot of time into the main site and it is appreciated. But that's no reason to keep it. He doesn't have time, so let those who do have the time manage it.
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