Be as mean as you like!

[Martee]

Well, seriously, be as mean or as constructive as you like. I'm not going to hark at you for saying its a rubbish forum. I just want feedback as it is my first foray into the forum world!

Here's the link, have at it. - http://studenthangout.org/index.php
I will say, half of the posts were from a database merge. 🙂

 

[Shahrier]

Well, it's terribly long, and a forum should be short, not too short, though. I would suggest you merge some categories together.

 

[Poopy Head]

Could you show me an example?

 

[Shahrier]

Is that directed to me?

 

[Poopy Head]

No, I'm talking to Haze.

 

[Martee]

Well, it's terribly long, and a forum should be short, not too short, though. I would suggest you merge some categories together.

Any particular ones? I was modelling the categories on similar big student sites which have ALOT more than mine haha.<br /><br />-- 01 Nov 2011, 21:37 --<br /><br />

No, I'm talking to Haze.

An example of what exactly friend?

 

[Poopy Head]

Someone being mean, sir.

 

[Martee]

Ah you know what I mean lol, basically flaming the heck out of a site without giving anything constructive on how to improve it. 😛

I do hope this has allayed your thoughts my good sir. *swivels cane*

 

[Shahrier]

Well, it's terribly long, and a forum should be short, not too short, though. I would suggest you merge some categories together.

Any particular ones? I was modelling the categories on similar big student sites which have ALOT more than mine haha.

-- 01 Nov 2011, 21:37 --

No, I'm talking to Haze.

An example of what exactly friend?

Since it's a student site, I guess you need specific topics.. My only question is, how are you going to get students in need of help to join your site?

 

[Martee]

Since it's a student site, I guess you need specific topics.. My only question is, how are you going to get students in need of help to join your site?

Well, obviously. That will be one of my problems, although I have started on some things. One of them being getting my current college involved in the project. I have been speaking to various teachers and have actually demoed the forum to one of my classes and received some good feedback. Its a new forum anyway so I;m more focusing on the content than the advertisement and marketing currently. I'm still picking up SEO and of course, will be putting it to use in due course.

 

[Martee]

Been alot of changes, tell us what you think!

 

[Geoffrey]

1) Make your portal's latest post block (or whatever it is making that post show up) only show a max number of characters and maybe add 1 or 2 more latest posts in there since you'll have room.

2) Your layout is really bugging me. Study Discussion is a bit too crowded, perhaps look into combining some or making some sub forums of one main forum. Student News and Blog Posts are both in categories by themselves, which doesn't look that great at all imo. Move them into an existing category or something, it'll help your layout a lot.

3) Your forum stats shows too many new things. Cut it down to 5 for each section and you've got plenty, honestly. It stretches your layout even more like this and isn't good.

 

[Martee]

Thanks for the post, my turn 😛

1) I agree that is something I want to do, me and tech guy did try last night but we got a bit too busy doing other stuff on the forums. But that is something I do want to do, I agree the length is bloody annoying 😛

2) The Study Discussion is modelled on another succsessful forum of the niche, I did move it around a bit as I am not a straight-out copycat in that way. Although, I will look at making some changes, I just thought it was ok for now;
As for Blog Posts, that is where the threads that show up on the portal page go into. I'd make it hidden from view, but I don't know how that would affect commenting on it. I'll give that a try later on.

3) I've implemented that change, thank you for the suggestion and your honesty in all the comments.

Keep 'em coming, I love getting an ear-bashing 😛

1) Make your portal's latest post block (or whatever it is making that post show up) only show a max number of characters and maybe add 1 or 2 more latest posts in there since you'll have room.

2) Your layout is really bugging me. Study Discussion is a bit too crowded, perhaps look into combining some or making some sub forums of one main forum. Student News and Blog Posts are both in categories by themselves, which doesn't look that great at all imo. Move them into an existing category or something, it'll help your layout a lot.

3) Your forum stats shows too many new things. Cut it down to 5 for each section and you've got plenty, honestly. It stretches your layout even more like this and isn't good.

 

[Geoffrey]

I don't know how your forum software works at all or how you have it set up exactly, but you should be able to hide the forum from view on the index yet still have it be readable by all members/guests so it can be seen on your portal.

 

[Martee]

I don't know how your forum software works at all or how you have it set up exactly, but you should be able to hide the forum from view on the index yet still have it be readable by all members/guests so it can be seen on your portal.

Well, I've been digging around. I've managed to make it so Registered users cannot see it on the index yet see it on the homepage. But when I applied the same permissions to everyone else, they couldnt see it on the homepage! Werid ...anyway, that'll be a fun task when I get home won't it.

 

[David]

It's way too broad of a topic. I mean, you would expect to focus on a national or state curriculum of subjects rather than a broad, international focus.

The stuff which I was taught would differ from the stuff you were taught so there will be confusion and inherently, the topics would be confusing.

And because there will be confusion, is it geared towards secondary education or tertiary education or even just primary education?

Much more planning is required.

 

[Martee]

Education in general really. Obviously being British I named the subjects after what they would be called over here. Honestly, I don't care who comes to my site, I'd prefer it to be international but I'm not after a bulging, gigantic forum rather a small, community of students.

Obviously, I know I could gear the names of the topics towards more general, all-over international names but honestly, I wouldn't have a clue what they were called.

Thank you for your comments though, all is taken into consideration. 🙂

 

[Carson]

The style is nice looking, however is a little bit bulky. It'd be nice if you could take down some of the paddings and condense some of the rows to fit more into a window. The header takes almost half of the display.

On another end, I would try to add some unique elements to your forum to draw people in. Perhaps you could do a contest or something with some small prize?

 

[Martee]

The style is nice looking, however is a little bit bulky. It'd be nice if you could take down some of the paddings and condense some of the rows to fit more into a window. The header takes almost half of the display.

On another end, I would try to add some unique elements to your forum to draw people in. Perhaps you could do a contest or something with some small prize?

Well, the header/rows look fine to me on my screen friend, maybe it just may be your screen. Either that, or I am misinterpreting wht you are saying!

As for the contenst, I am thinking of doing one it is just merely getting the money or prizes to do so. That and I don't want a bunch of people signing up just to win some cash, I don't want stragglers 😛