Errr...wtfbbq?

OK... So no-one likes the template then

Personally I thought it would be better to simplify things and just move to something more text based. Looks like I was wrong and that is not what the members here wanted. But at the end of the day, a design does not make a site... The content and it member's does, and no matter what I have done since taking over, I have found it very hard to encourage any activity from our established member base... All I have managed to do it get more members and make the site more busy.

Most of the time text-based stuff is great, say, for a e-commerce web site or a professional business web site.

But, this is a Photoshop web site for designers (or aspiring designers). There is a certain expectation that people will be "wowed" when they come here.

And getting interaction from previous members is going to be quite difficult. We lost our leader, and most of what we liked about this site when we started coming here literally years ago. Hell, since I've joined this site, I've gotten married, bought a house, sold a house, got divorced, went bankrupt, moved 4 times, had like 4 jobs, switched from PC to Mac, etc.

Then you have people like MSZ that started visiting this site when they were still wearing diapers, and now they are driving cars and talking to girls. And others that started as photoshop newbs, and are now running their own design companies, or working for huge design firms in New York and other cities. These people aren't going to hugely excited about a new owner taking over, and the site going in a new direction. So just worry about getting new members in here, which you are already doing a good job of, as you say.

Don't take critique personal, Rich. It's what we do. We critique each others' work, we say what we like, we say what we think sucks--and it's never a personal attack (almost never).

We are people who love using photoshop. I personally don't have a problem with lots of text on a website... it's what pushes Google ranking and get hits. However, what you're hearing from the people who have been here for 5 or more years is there is nothing on the front page that shows any photoshop skill. Well, one little TP logo with a dime-store glass tutorial applied.

Many of us chose this site and this community at first because of one of two things, well, maybe three. (1) Pank's kick-butt whiz bang front-end (it was hugely pirated and got him published in Masters of Photoshop)--but that's old news now, and we need new (2) The active, vibrant, fun forums--well, enough said about this already (3) The awesome tutorials--tutorials are great for traffic, but with the pleothora of tutorial aggregators and leech sites, it's hard to draw users into the community with only tutorials.

I think everyone here knows that this is a business for you Rich. And we will either respect your sovereignty, or we should hit the road. However, if you want the input of those long in tooth here (even if you don't) we'll share it. :D

Item (2) is largely in our court. If we contribute, it will grow. Item (3) you are addressing. Item (1) I guess is the bone of contention.

It's OK, I don't take it personally, but granted, I can get a bit defensive at times.

Anyway... Hopefully I'll be able to post something over the next few days which should help us to take the site in the direction most of you are wanting to go in.

My problem is I only have 50% of the skills needed to run this site (webmastering experience, marketing etc...), my PS skills are basic... I actually only got it installed on my PC about two months ago... Hmmm.... Should I have admitted that!

The other problem I have my finger in too many pies, so I cannot spend the time needed to take this site to the next level on my own, so basically over the next few days, Ill be able to say... right OK, X is happening, or, well guys, it looks like I'll be carryying on on my own and concentrating on the marketing of the site etc...

Please subscribe to this thread, if you are interested and I will update in due course.

Thanks for the shout Derek, lmfao. I don't think it was quite diapers, but close enough. It's been about 5 years. That's a lot for someone of my age. That's a lot for anyone to spend on one specific forum.

I really can't say anything more that hasn't been said on this topic and I don't want to be redundant. As to Rich's decion, about the future of this site and what not, I can honestly say, I'm nervous.

There is a certain expectation that people will be "wowed" when they come here.

See now I don't fully agree here. As nice as it would be to be the best site out there, the truth is were a tutorial site aimed at n00bs. Most people that find this site are after information rather than eye candy, so imo usability wins.

At the same time, im not defending text-based. For a text based site you have to do 2 things, 1) design the site, 2) design the text and we've only done one.

Honestly, I dont know where I belong in all the debate. I think simplicity fits our purpose, yet my name isnt attached to a "wow" design. Instead im the originator of the dime-store glass logo.

I also think were suffering from side effects of the "tubes". Everyone drooled over those, and I dont see a way of topping them....other than adding a another huge graphic to the front page.

Sorry, Rodder, I didn't mean that to be a 'jab' at you. I put dime-store glass effects in my designs all the time :eek:

http://www.playersreview.com <<< case in point

Rich, I guess if you would change the forumskin to a neat, working one... we all would be much happier too!

I used one of the old templates, but I got weird errors sometimes.
So now I'm sort of forced to use the orange one, which hurts my eyes. The orange is too harsh, takes away from the content in the messages.

I use the Air skin and it still works fine.

Well looks like we could have some good news... We're still talking about it but hopefully we'll be adding a very talented artist/designer to the team to help me run this site.

As I said, we are still talking, so nothing is definite, but hopefully we'll be looking at a full redesign of the site and forum (it won't be as hard this time as we have already databased everything) and a steady stream of new content, plus some extra help answering questions that come up on the forums. We are also talking about other directions to lead the site in, and he is actually someone who really knows about Photoshop, design and artistry, so if he does become involved it will be cool.