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Review request: This site
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Mon, 20 Aug 2012 08:05:16
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We've been going quite a while now, and haven't had a lot of updates lately, so you've gotten a chance to get nice and familiar with the setting around here.  So I'm looking for what's working and what's not.  Sure there's the suggestions thread, but sometimes it's better to bring things to the forefront.

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Mon, 20 Aug 2012 11:48:03
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The search box, I would like it to show dates for the stories and list them in order of oldest-newest or vice versa. And be able to sort the results with filters like we have those boxes in the updates which specifies if its news, editorial etc. and what platform? Would be cool if you could use those parameters to filter the search.

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Mon, 20 Aug 2012 13:09:56
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I'm thinking about how interested people might be in trying to get an editorial side to the side. We'd actually have an advantage over many niche sites because we've already got a very strong community. I know Vader has expressed interest in this in the past. I doubt it's really feasible, as it'd require a fair bit of time and effort for the people involved.

More importantly I want to be able to quote comments on reviews! (I think that might be what you're going to do anyway, Yoda?) Really I'd like them to just be like the forum proper, with the review and score in the OP.

Edited: Mon, 20 Aug 2012 13:11:25

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Mon, 20 Aug 2012 21:29:36
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I've dumped all my suggestions over there.

I know we have the custom skins tool, but the site's appearance could probably stand a re-boot, if we had someone in our community who knew how to do such things (provide usable art assets) without breaking the current function.

Given my past in this kind of design, I'm reluctant to even offer this one up because I know the natural reaction for most people will be to freak out and insist things go back to the old way.

=-=

Foolz, what would editorial require? Like writing a couple of articles a day, basically expanding on the aggregating a bit?  And to what end? I'm sure it could end up with free games for a set number of reviewers, but I doubt our hit rate is high enough for publisher acknowledgement on that front.

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Tue, 21 Aug 2012 01:09:03
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^ Could you elaborate on a design update?  What are you looking at inparticular, and what goals?  For example, modernizing because aspects feel dated.
Edited: Tue, 21 Aug 2012 01:09:13

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Tue, 21 Aug 2012 02:04:52
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Nothing in particular so far as I am concerned. I've just observed sites refreshing their look every few years.

It's a pointless endeavor though, forget I mrntioned it.

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Tue, 21 Aug 2012 03:22:02
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One thing that annoys me is if I leave a page open for an extended period of time, when I return I have to refresh before I can post as I receive a mismatched security credentials error. I'm actually not sure if this is a mistake, or security protocol. If it's a mistake i'll send you the relevant details Yoda. If not, is there any way to handle security differently? It's a minor annoyance, but it is still an annoyance.

aspro said:
y.

=-=

Foolz, what would editorial require? Like writing a couple of articles a day, basically expanding on the aggregating a bit?  And to what end? I'm sure it could end up with free games for a set number of reviewers, but I doubt our hit rate is high enough for publisher acknowledgement on that front.

Basically on both points. I don't really see much point in it either; the end does not justify the amount of work in the means. Nyaa But this the random lofty suggestion thread, so why not?

Though it would also mean (due to our incrase in consumer, as opposed to community, users) that more people would listen to the podcast and...perhaps even comment! I see you're now on board, Aspro!

Edited: Tue, 21 Aug 2012 03:25:07

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Tue, 21 Aug 2012 05:23:29
+1
It's a security thing, but the behaviour can vary a little.  I think I just need to set a specific, longer timeout on the session.  What's happening is basically, when you sign in, you get given that "security token" which is just a random string.  This is so nobody post as you if you visit a bad part of the Internets.

When you close your browser, reopen and come back to the site, a cookie remembers you and reinitiates the login process.  This gives you a new security token.

What's happening, then, is that you leave your computer there, your session times out (equivalent to closing your browser) and the cookie is used to reinitiate your login.  A session timeout prevents you from forgetting you're logged in, and somebody else coming in and using the same computer on your behalf, but that's not really something I've intentionally been worrying about.

EDIT: And I've extended the session lifetime (theoretically) to a day.  You'll have to tell me if the issue keeps up.
Edited: Tue, 21 Aug 2012 05:28:53

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Tue, 21 Aug 2012 05:39:01
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Thanks Yoda, I'll let you know if it keeps happening! Happy

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Tue, 21 Aug 2012 07:13:27

Currently on reviews page each review is highlighted in the same way that threads on the main forum are highlighted when there are no posts. However even when I have read all the comments on the reviews, they remain highlighted. It'd be good if it functioned the same as the normal forum, as then I'd easily be able to tell if there are new comments or not.

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Tue, 21 Aug 2012 10:02:52

I like that the site works, functionally virtually all of the time. So many sites bog things down in presensation and flash and nonsense and the site goes to crap. With regards to this place it could be injected with some more personality with some banners, maybe use popular character artwork just to spruce things up. You know, making it look more like a gaming site, have master chief and mario or whatever somewhere on the page.

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Tue, 21 Aug 2012 10:07:53

We've got the Gopher, GG. Gopher>>>MC and Mario.

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Tue, 21 Aug 2012 16:46:01
gamingeek said:

I like that the site works, functionally virtually all of the time. So many sites bog things down in presensation and flash and nonsense and the site goes to crap. With regards to this place it could be injected with some more personality with some banners, maybe use popular character artwork just to spruce things up. You know, making it look more like a gaming site, have master chief and mario or whatever somewhere on the page.

Other sites focus too much on presentation -- let's focus more on presentation! Nyaa Game characters and implementing direct references to characters was avoided because we don't have the rights to use them, even if we could probably get away with it, too, if it weren't for those meddling kids and their dog.

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Tue, 21 Aug 2012 17:04:54
Maybe the VGPRESS mascot can be used more?  Did you design him, Yoda?
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Tue, 21 Aug 2012 21:44:55
Foolz said:

Currently on reviews page each review is highlighted in the same way that threads on the main forum are highlighted when there are no posts. However even when I have read all the comments on the reviews, they remain highlighted. It'd be good if it functioned the same as the normal forum, as then I'd easily be able to tell if there are new comments or not.

Yup, aware of this before I even put it live.  The unread comments is something that certainly should be doable without a great deal of effort, it just wasn't worth delaying for it.

Reviews as a forum topic has taken this long to integrate because they don't fit directly into the forum model like blogs do.  Something I can do is reformat the comments to the forum style.  However, the reason reviews were formatted in the way they were, with the comments to the right side isn't because of the comments, but because of the reviews.  A thinner column is easier to read extended lengths of texts.  What is the preference to everyone between the two?

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Tue, 21 Aug 2012 22:30:42
+1

I'd like the use of @name mention notifications.

Example:

@Yodariquo I'd like the use of '@name' mention notifications to turn up in my PM box.

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Tue, 21 Aug 2012 22:42:40
I think the idea of that, combined with quoting

@aspro said:

I'd like the use of @name mention notifications.

Example:

@Yodariquo I'd like the use of '@name' mention notifications to turn up in my PM box.

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Tue, 21 Aug 2012 22:44:51

Sounds good, but istead of "at" I vote we use "dat."

For example:

dat Yorda's got a nice ass!

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Tue, 21 Aug 2012 22:50:09
Yodariquo said:
I think the idea of that, combined with quoting

@aspro said:

I'd like the use of @name mention notifications.

Example:

@Yodariquo I'd like the use of '@name' mention notifications to turn up in my PM box.



Excellent.

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Wed, 22 Aug 2012 03:05:00

@+quoting seems like an everyone wins solution!

Anyway, I'm used to scrolling to the bottom of a long article/review to read the comments so due to the easier format of the forum, I wouldn't mind the extended scrolling time required to get to the comments.

Should we do a poll on this?

Which leads into...the ability to add polls to threads and blogs! That would be rad. (Unless we can already, and I've just never noticed.) LOL

Edited: Wed, 22 Aug 2012 03:06:05

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