Errr...wtfbbq?

Now, I only come back for a visit once every other week or so and if there isn't a post on the forums that interests me all that much, I kinda slip on through and say nothing, send a few PM's and go back to my hermitage.

I just wanted to toss out some feedback, even if it's not wanted.

My first impression of the new layout of teamps.com was "Did the guy not pay the bills or something?". Seriously, the front page looks like one of those pages you get when someone decides they don't want to pay for their domain anymore and it comes up with one of those extra special search engines.

There was gigantic advertising all over the place. I finally found the content. A wee little box down on the lower left-hand side. So I was relieved. *shrug* Just thought I'd point that out.

Other than my misc. ramblings...How goes it everyone?

Well the template's fubar-ed and we don't have anything to feature, so that space was replaced by ads.

In other news, the forum has finally died. Adv PS help and Web showcase are sad sights, Misc is now a help forum, and everything else is non-existent including members like myself....this being my first post of the new year.

As to what im up to, I visit a lot but close the window quickly as nothing has changed. Most of my time is spent on google studying art/design......and playing with pixel art.

Now who said something about a bbq? Are there marshmallows involved?

I come here out of habit, check the Misc. forum for posts by old members like this one, and that's about it. Le sigh.

Well the forum is what you make of it... If people have not much to say... There is little I can do...

... I have tried to make the site more interesting with community image projects and competitions for best tutorials, but the community on this site has no interest, so despite trying, and members giving their feedback on what should be on the site, there is very little involvement from them when initiatives are brought online, so there is no point in me spending time in this area. Rodder has been really helpful by providing our template, and Dan too.

TPS on the whole is doing very well and we are actually busier than when Pank owned the site, its just there is little forum chatter... but believe me there are lots of site hits.

Not questioning how busy you are. Was concerned about the teamps.com main page being awkward to navigate or find anything.

I like the incorporation of the style switcher for it, but it's just way too busy with all the advertisements pushing all of the content down past the bottom of the browser window. That's what concerned me until I found the link for the forums. Thought you'd given up on the site and the community had gone to peices.

edit:

holy crap!

Ok, so I was looking at the post from rodder and wondering exactly what he meant by the showcase section having gone to the dogs.

http://forum.teamphotoshop.com/showthread.php?t=25004

Since when is posting "critique my site" posts about sites that cater to warez/software piracy allowed here?

You are entitled to your opinion. The design works for me and I'm very happy with it. But thanks for your comments.

I assume you are talking about the Extreme Speed ad, well that space was initially designed for the community image project, but nobody was interested.

We'll probably be showcasing tutorials there, or using the space to promote our other sites. Maybe you have a small screen res, because I can see loads of the page below that space.

[QUOTE=Rich]...but the community on this site has no interest...

TPS on the whole is doing very well and we are actually busier than when Pank owned the site, its just there is little forum chatter... but believe me there are lots of site hits.[/QUOTE]

Rich, I think the problem is that there is no community behind TeamPS anymore. TeamPS used to be almost all community, now it sounds like it is almsot all site. I think a balance needs to be found. The people you mainly see posting anything worth reading on these forums are people that didn't leave after the community fell apart. (The community was starting to fall apart well before Pank sold this site, it was something Pank was struggling with I believe.) The only reason I'm here, I have to agree with Derek on, it's habbitual, but each time I visit I find it more and more depressing. TeamPS used to be my favorite place on the internet, but it simply seems all the people from the community took information of who they wanted to talk to and gradually took all conversation away from the forums. We need something to bring it back, we need something to merge the community and the site. Sadly, I can't propose what that should be.

I still think the best way is what was discussed months ago, start over. Then again, I think we might just have to realize, the community is gone.

There were a lot of thoughts in there, a lot of which I didn't finish, if you want me to ramble mroe about something just say something. Knowing my habbits, I'll be back here tomorrow.

Hey msz,

I have to agree with you totally... There is very little interest in the forums, or rarely anything interesting to reply to. I must shoulder a lot of the responsibility here as the buck stops with me.

I have reworked the site and added things like free image hosting, but alas, nobody wants to use it. It just seems that every community related thing I have added just goes nowhere, so I have concentrated on marketing the main site.

There are a lot of newbies appearing on the site after finding our tutorials, but often they just need help then go, as there is nothing else interesting.

Rich

There are a lot of newbies appearing on the site after finding our tutorials, but often they just need help then go, as there is nothing else interesting.

Interest really has nothing to do with it. It's the newb way of life, (get quick fix/thank no one/never come back) thats the problem. Most of them are leeches. We actually used to be very tolerant of them. A lot of members that didnt post much anywhere else, posted in the help sections. A few of us even took the extra step to upload files or write steps/tuts for ppl. In the end, we never heard back from them again......not even a reply...nevermind a thank you.

free image hosting

2 problems with this -
1 : Most members here pay for hosting, or share with someone who pays.
2 : Even though they're broke and love free features......newbs don't stay.

Its not a bad idea......but the half of the user base who'd use it, didnt have much invested in the forum and have no regrets about jumping ship when things slow down.

The people you mainly see posting anything worth reading on these forums are people that didn't leave after the community fell apart. (The community was starting to fall apart well before Pank sold this site, it was something Pank was struggling with I believe.) The only reason I'm here, I have to agree with Derek on

Agreed. The real downfall was a year before the sale, the '04 "summer slump".....which was more denial than slump imo. I dont think it really hit home until after the nov. elections.


As to starting over, unless its true 3rd time's a charm, were out of luck. At the end of the day we'd be starting over for an absent userbase.

[QUOTE=Rodder454]Interest really has nothing to do with it. It's the newb way of life, (get quick fix/thank no one/never come back) thats the problem. Most of them are leeches. We actually used to be very tolerant of them. A lot of members that didnt post much anywhere else, posted in the help sections. A few of us even took the extra step to upload files or write steps/tuts for ppl. In the end, we never heard back from them again......not even a reply...nevermind a thank you.[/QUOTE]

Yes, this is true, and very annoying for anyone that takes time to reply to the newbies. I experience this a lot too, when peopl email me for help etc... on the other sites I run.

[QUOTE=Rodder454]
2 problems with this -
1 : Most members here pay for hosting, or share with someone who pays.
2 : Even though they're broke and love free features......newbs don't stay.

Its not a bad idea......but the half of the user base who'd use it, didnt have much invested in the forum and have no regrets about jumping ship when things slow down.
[/QUOTE]
OK, good points. Looks like the gallery may just never get used!

[QUOTE=Rodder454]As to starting over, unless its true 3rd time's a charm, were out of luck. At the end of the day we'd be starting over for an absent userbase.[/QUOTE]

No plans to start over again, as redoing the site into a database and applying your design took enough time the first time around.

I still think I need to build the site with fresh content. This means tutorials and ideally downloads such as brushes... I have tried going down the compeitition route, but got zero entries and have tried to find people to write them for cash, but often people just write for their own site, so ran into another brick wall.