Network Criticisms

Good news! We are not done with development yet, and we could possibly go another 2 1/2 months for more updates. The reason is because I am not satisfied with the layout/looks/speed of the site. I am satisfied with the functionality though, the hardest part is done.

My goal is to get new ideas from the community in this next phase. Since the only way I can succeed with this site is by getting feedback from the community, James and Hillary will represent the community by helping me with architecting the updates. Furthermore, I need you guys to criticize the network...this should be real easy. Your job is to criticize something you dislike, and offer a solution on how to fix it. Simple enough?

Whether you don't like the skin, lack of skin integration, the design, the layout of a particular page, just communicate that to me. The only catch is, you can't criticize something unless you offer a solution, or how you would like to see it addressed. I can't promise that we will address "every" criticism, but if James, Hillary and myself feel that the criticisms and offered solutions are in the best interest of the entire community, we will keep that into consideration.

Let the criticisms begin!

My biggest critique is with the lack of integration, namely concerning settings. It is confusing that the forum settings are in one place while the network settings are in another. It would be really nice if both were in one place (it would be really nice if everything you can possibly configure on this site were in one place). Also, I feel a big disconnect with the network and the forum. I still feel like I don't have a good grasp of what the network is (maybe that's because when I began I considered YC a forum, and now we're trying to expand the purpose of the site). I don't know how to address the last part, but it's certainly tied to integration.

I'd like to remove the red box that flashes when the shoutbox refreshes. It's one thing if the shoutbox were in real time and there was a flash whenever someone entered something in it, but as it is I think the flash is a bit annoying.

Just some preliminary ideas. Hope it helps.

Integration is on the list. We plan to combine the forum and network profiles into one global profile with one location for all global settings.

Check and see if the red box that's bothering you persists, I'm pretty sure I removed it.

(for future reference... )

/* Templates/Language */

ipb.templates['ajax_loading'] = "<div id='ajax_loading'>" + ipb.lang['loading'] + "</div>";

Personally I find the homepage design to be bulky. I don't like having to scroll down to see all that information. I don't know how to improve it, but la wife o does that for a living so feel free to ask her.

Check and see if the red box that's bothering you persists, I'm pretty sure I removed it.

Yep, all gone :)

I'm with Bitterduck on the homepage.

Here's a minor one.

In uploading music, there is one entry for a "description" of the piece and no option for people who only want to upload (not get feedback on their work) to have that option.

I propose that you incorporate two fields in the upload, one for a description that appears on the user's account and a separate field for those wanting feedback from the forum. If they don't fill out the forum field, the piece doesn't create a thread. This way, there's no confusion about who wants feedback and who just wants to get their work uploaded and simply leave the link to it in their signature. It also keeps us from seeing the same description from the user page in the forum post, which helps to encourage people to ask for specific feedback they might want to know from members of the forum but wouldn't want to include in the description under their user account on the network. Make sense?

I don't know much about how far you wanted to take functionality, but it would be nice to see the flash player in the forum post. This way we don't have to screen hop in order to listen to works, they're right there in the post for people to just click on. Same with scores. That would be a nice touch to the functionality.

As far as how people will find music not posted in the feedback section of the forum, I'd love to see a section in the forum like the section I see on the network for latest music and video uploads. I'd also love to see the voting feature rank works by most viewed/heard, most popular, and currently viewing (what members are listening to most when I view this category... just like Youtube does). If we're talking features, really anything that helps internally promote members' music on the site is functionality I'll get behind.

The site is coming along quite well already. Can't wait to see how it all comes together after 10 weeks. Good stuff.

...I propose that you incorporate two fields in the upload, one for a description that appears on the user's account and a separate field for those wanting feedback from the forum. If they don't fill out the forum field, the piece doesn't create a thread. This way, there's no confusion about who wants feedback and who just wants to get their work uploaded and simply leave the link to it in their signature. It also keeps us from seeing the same description from the user page in the forum post, which helps to encourage people to ask for specific feedback they might want to know from members of the forum but wouldn't want to include in the description under their user account on the network. Make sense?

I don't know much about how far you wanted to take functionality, but it would be nice to see the flash player in the forum post. This way we don't have to screen hop in order to listen to works, they're right there in the post for people to just click on. Same with scores. That would be a nice touch to the functionality.

Definite +1 on both those points, as far as I'm concerned. Personally, I'd also like the ability to host my work myself in a place where I can independently track statistics and present the piece however I want instead of using the YC Network system and its interface/presentation, but I imagine I am a minority, so...

I'll put in some other quibbles when I've had time to think them through properly, but in the meantime I just wanted to highlight the things above. :)

Integration is my biggest concern too.

The forum offer a search functionality, not only for the uploaded works, but also for the other forum topics. I dont know how the forum texts are loaded on the network site, but I would propose to view this forum together with its abilities in a frame in the networksite. The forum then is in need of a minimal skin, without banner. The Banner is still provided by the real home page.

I hope that this solution would counteract the annoying difference in treatment of forum entries: the returns seem to disappear in entries entered in the network part of the site. Like all "<BR>"'s are filtered out...

Hope this helps

I'm sure this is on the list but, I want...

The piece page and the piece thread be totally merged, any comment made on thread appear on page an viceversa, the BB code working on the page .. ( no visible tags for images, links, even faces)

In the page, make the comment area as wide as the bar (My Profile, Setting My Dashboard ..... Video, Directory) , I find it too small, ... don't modify the gray area with the "member name" "All member's music" etc, (unless you plan to add many links that goes down to crash with comments area

.... and visit the thread to read my and our concerns about protection of the score posted by members here.

http://forum.youngco...21entry327521

I don't know... I like the site as is, except for a few things I would like:

Name changes should be easier

Shoutbox not just on the front page

Post percentages

Keep the status and profile comments

Also, I wish the archives would be shut down... it's driving me crazy!

But overall, I really like how the site is going. However, whenever I look at the old site I get sad. I don't know why, but it's just depressing to see the site that you joined and knew from July to November to be gone.

+1 to Marius and Bitterduck.

I'd like the option to host independently to be available.

I'll also add that the music network (at least when on the page of a piece) is incredibly laggy for me.

...

Name changes should be easier

...

Are you kidding? Name changes should be impossible.

...except by special arrangement via mods.

View-only options for .pdfs would be nice (like using non-printing and/or non-saving viewers), but of course we can add those features ourselves if we use something like Adobe Acrobat Pro. If view-only .pdfs are implemented I think it should only be an option, though. I'd wager that this could matter less for most people.

Another thing: My Settings > Profile > Change Profile Information contains two places to enter Location. It's been mentioned before but I wanted to make sure it's in this thread.

What does a name change do? I've tried it before and didn't notice any changes to my profile.

Another minor thing. The logo on the front page looks like a damn CHristmas tree -_-.

The logo looks like a staff wrapping itself around its clef to me.

^aka known as a christmas tree, thanks for agreeing with me.

Hahaha, I am aware of the bad logo. I will see what I can personally come up with. Also, I agree with everyone that the design has to be updated to be more representative of a modern website (not to mention it has to be integrated with the forum). I was trying to portray the feeling that the user be engulfed within a concert hall, but perhaps that image did not translate as well as I thought it would have.

These ideas are good, keep them coming. Try to avoid any "bells and whistles" ideas for now. Only necessities....and things that may help make the site more "user friendly and fun". Also, ideas that can help members connect to each other are also welcome.

^aka known as a christmas tree, thanks for agreeing with me.

:facepalm:

Lol :lol:

Try to avoid any "bells and whistles" ideas for now. Only necessities....and things that may help make the site more "user friendly and fun".

What are "bells and whistles" ideas and what are "user friendly and fun" ideas? I proposed putting the player in the forum so we didn't have to screen hop to listen to works. Is this a "bells and whistles" idea to you or a "user friendly and fun" idea?? Just curious, of course.

- AA :)

+1 to Marius and Bitterduck.

I'd like the option to host independently to be available.

We have +1 and -1 buttons on posts, you don't have to actually say it anymore.

I agree about the option to host independently. It's just personal preference, even though you'll probably never allow it.

What are "bells and whistles" ideas and what are "user friendly and fun" ideas? I proposed putting the player in the forum so we didn't have to screen hop to listen to works. Is this a "bells and whistles" idea to you or a "user friendly and fun" idea?? Just curious, of course.

- AA :)

Screen hopping to listen to works? Yeah, that IS annoying. We're supposed to browse from the network, not the forums, but still, it's annoying. If we could build in the pdf link and mp3/video player to the posts it would be supremely cool.

Speaking of video, remember how you thought people would upload performances? Maybe we could have a performance category and a performance forum, just like we have Large Ensemble, Chamber, Piano, etc. Just have one category called "performance" and all threads concerning user performances that are NOT original compositions (such as Joe Blank playing Messaien's blah piece for piano or Brahms' clarinet sonata) would go there. What you think?

We have +1 and -1 buttons on posts, you don't have to actually say it anymore.

Oh gee, I forgot, clicking a button expresses my opinion in the form of a post.

Jeez, common sense, James!

And the quote button ? only multiquote ?

Permalinks ?

Also, ideas that can help members connect to each other are also welcome.

Well I created a group and when I clicked invite friends I only could invite the ones in the friends list (was only 1 haha), why we can't invite anybody, whether they are in our friends list or not.

And the quote button ?

What about it?

It's right there *points* ...says "reply" and has a little speech balloon quote thingy.

Yah!?

Ouuuuk Mr. Jessome, now I see it (I was looking for the old button ..... )

Maybe allow paying customers to host independently? Though, of course, there's less of a reason to actually pay if you're not hosting anything here.

The best word to describe the homepage, i think, would be bloated. It could be more elegant. Multiple skins would be nice, real nice. ;- ) How about you go to the Internet Archive, look at how the old yc looked like, and make a skin based on that? It looked pretty damn nice/functional to me.

Let's try to avoid old yc...

http://web.archive.org/web/19981212034253/http://www.youngcomposers.com/