Board and Site Suggestions and Design Thread

[David G.]

There are a few things I would like to change about this board, but don't have the skills. If you do, please help!

• We need a cool logo. Something related to Spring Awakening, containing "The Guilty Ones." Unfortunately, I am absolutely terrible with Photoshop - thus this purely text-based layout.
• I'd like this forum to employ it's own, Spring Awakening-esque theme, including SA colors, icons, and the logo mentioned above. Unfortunately again, I'm terrible with CSS and application skinning. If anybody has any experience with this stuff, feel free to look up Simple Machines theming and work on a theme for the board. Until then, we'll be stuck with the default, as all of the other ones I tried were worse.
• I would love the site to come up near the top in Google searches for "Spring Awakening," "Spring Awakening fans," and any other keywords we think are important. I don't know much about HTML any more (I learned it 10 years ago, I'm a bit out of date) - what should I do to increase our Googleability?

[David G.]

• Finish the FAQ
• Finish adding pictures - publicity stills, head shots, opening night pics - to the gallery
• Add reviews an newspaper articles to Real World - Done!
• Add links to myspace, facebook, official site, (elsewhere?) on Guilty Links - Done!
• Post information about upcoming TV shows, podcasts, and events in Real World

If you think I should add anything else, post it below. You can add pictures and information (other than links) yourself, however! Add pictures in the Gallery above, and just post information about stuff in the other threads.

[David G.]

At the moment, my primary domain http://www.theguiltyones.org simply redirects to this board. However, there has been talk of wanting a more "normal" fan site, with lyrics, news bulletins, cast info, and all that jazz.

I personally am not a web designer / maintainer, but I would love to donate the hosting and possibly the domain for such a site, if someone or several someones want to volunteer to build it / be in charge. Please use this thread to discuss it! Content suggestions, design suggestions, and so forth. It could be really cool!

[David G.]

Hey guys. Below, I have put some questions that I'd love to see discussed in the community. I don't have the need or right to make decisions - put in your thoughts, so we can build the board by a group effort!

• Do we like this structure? Mostly, I mean the setup with a limited number of threads, instead of the more "traditional" bulletin board where users create topics. The intention is to promote multi-faceted conversaton and community - I've seen this structure work very successfully before, but then, I've also seen very successful boards of the other style. Weigh in! It would be very easy at this point to switch formats.
• If we decide to stay with this same structure, do we need any additional threads? Should we combine some of the threads? Can we clarify the titles?
• What should get added or changed in the FAQ? I just threw it together - hopefully the community can help flesh it out. You can discuss that here or in the FAQ thread directly.
• How many moderators should we have? And what, exactly, should a moderator's job be? I envision a group of people that generally encourage people to post in correct threads, follow any rules we create, delete offensive or spam posts, and have the power to ban users in extreme circumstances. Should they have other powers?

That should be enough food for thought, for now. Let's get this conversation started!

[SpringJackie]

As far as google goes...whoever works for the Eugene O'Neill Theatre advertising department can purchase keywords through Google. (I work in online advertising lol)

But as far as the natural search goes...I'll have to dig that research up for ya.

[David G.]

Thanks, Jackie! Let me know what you find out.

I'm sitting at my grandparents house, and it looks like I'll be here for a few days, with nothing much to do. So I'm playing around with a program called Joomla! that's designed to help make pretty web pages, and easily add and manage content. It's fun! Has anybody ever used it before?

Anyway, I was able to set up a basic framework for a possible Guilty Ones site at http://joomla.theguiltyones.org . Check it out! If you all like it, maybe some people can help me put up some good content - Joomla makes it easy for more than one person to contribute. Email me if you're interested in helping out!

[The Masked Man]

I love the look of the joomla site!  And it's a lot easier to navigate.

[Spring_and_Summer]

agreed- its very SA- i love the typeface! im not very skilled with that sort of thing, but if i can help let me know

[SA Junkie]

I'm actually very content with this for now. It's just a forum, no need for fancy headlines and such!

Simple, I like it that way!

[cderoche]

Now seeing how this works, I would like to sticky some more topics, and release the permission for people to post their own topics. We keep moderators keeping things organized...generally. That way we promote people starting up new convos, and of their own nature. But, we don't lose the order of have the few topics (like the ones we have up now).

For instance, we keep things like the review, rocking out, and face to face topics stickied, and let people start to post their own topics. That way, those convos stays on top but everybody gets to do their thing.

[David G.]

*Nods* By all means, let's try it. We should add entries to the FAQ / Rules stating that threads should only be created if they really don't fit elsewhere, though, maybe?

[JustWatchMe (Cati)]

I definitely like the joomla site. Could you possibly put something like the main page of this site (with the threads for talk and polls) on the bottom of the main page of that site though. It minght be easier to find than just the small forum link.

[David G.]

Hmm. That's an interesting idea, JustWatchMe... a separate menu, at the bottom, with links to specific sections of the forum. I like it.

[JustWatchMe (Cati)]

An idea for another topic
Maybe this is just relevant to me, but how about a section for discussion of the Frank Wedekind play for anyone who's read it and seen the show

[cderoche]

An idea for another topic
Maybe this is just relevant to me, but how about a section for discussion of the Frank Wedekind play for anyone who's read it and seen the show

Thats a wonderful idea!

[Gemini]

An idea for another topic
Maybe this is just relevant to me, but how about a section for discussion of the Frank Wedekind play for anyone who's read it and seen the show

Thats a wonderful idea!

YAY Wedekind.  I read it.  Twas good/interesting.  We should def have a discussion.

[Samantha]

I read the play too!

[LaurenPLover]

I really like the layout for the forums right now- they're really simple, and easy to use, and I like the colors and everything!
But above you mentioned about making a cool logo or design for the site, containing like "SPRING AWAKENING" and THE GUILTY ONES
Well, I'm a big Photoshop person, so if you want me to attempt to make some cool logo or something for the site, just let me know 

Great job on this site, tho, I love it!

[David G.]

Thanks, Lauren! I've actually made a logo that I like (you can see it at our not-quite-ready-for-primetime-but-getting-better "main" site here: http://joomla.theguiltyones.org). I just haven't yet figured out the best way to incorporate it into the forums, since it really wants a black theme, and none of the black themes I've found look good.

If you want to make a cool collage or something that would look good with these colors, by all means do!

[LaurenPLover]

wow, that is a VERY cool logo! 
really, that is a lot better than anything i could do   

but yeah, maybe ill make a collage or something as you said in my spare time. thank you! 

[x0mydogcantalk0x]

I honestly like the other kind of forum set up better.  It feels more organized to me, and is a lot easier to follow discussions.

[cderoche]

I honestly like the other kind of forum set up better.  It feels more organized to me, and is a lot easier to follow discussions.

What kind of other forum are you talking about? We are always interested in bettering our site! Thanks for your suggestions!

[JonTheFox]

well just to be brutally honest in the spirit of melchior, I personally don't like the style of just a few huge threads.  I think we would have more discussion on here if we had more topics, and containing myriad topics in a handful of threads can be very disorganized/confusing/hard to follow.  Plus, it discourages a lot of discussion since many people may have a thought on one or more topics in the thread at hand but forget it by the time they get to the end of the thread and only comment on the most recently discussed topic.  It's also just plain difficult to catch up on discussions of various topics since I'm obsessive and feel the need to read through every page and receive any discussion on the topic before replying, or sometimes I don't do that when I'm lazy and then get paranoid that my questions/comments have been posted before.

Hmm so yeah I'd be a strong advocate for using a traditional forum style..however I really enjoy interacting with other SA enthusiasts regardless!  It makes my days at work much more enjoyable

[cderoche]

well just to be brutally honest in the spirit of melchior, I personally don't like the style of just a few huge threads.  I think we would have more discussion on here if we had more topics, and containing myriad topics in a handful of threads can be very disorganized/confusing/hard to follow.  Plus, it discourages a lot of discussion since many people may have a thought on one or more topics in the thread at hand but forget it by the time they get to the end of the thread and only comment on the most recently discussed topic.  It's also just plain difficult to catch up on discussions of various topics since I'm obsessive and feel the need to read through every page and receive any discussion on the topic before replying, or sometimes I don't do that when I'm lazy and then get paranoid that my questions/comments have been posted before.

Hmm so yeah I'd be a strong advocate for using a traditional forum style..however I really enjoy interacting with other SA enthusiasts regardless!  It makes my days at work much more enjoyable

Believe it or not this site is still under major construction. We are still working on design and colors and the setup. Very soon some big changes will be made. I'd love to hear your input on it, so keep posting as you see changes. Your opinion is respected and encouraged.

Thanks for your active part in the guitly ones forum!

[JonTheFox]

thanks chris, will do, and my pleasure!