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Nate
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 Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2006 2:40 am Post subject: Woah! What Happened To The Front Page? |
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As I'm sure you noticed, or are in the process of noticing, the front page looks very different. From now on, "Squills" will be displayed on the front page. This makes it much easier to post writing opportunities, get the word out about events, and to build "community spirit" here at YWS. Plus, you'll get info on writing tips and goings on here in the forums.
So what happened to everything else? It's still here, and if you go to "My YWS," which you'll find at the top of every page, you'll see that the My YWS page is almost exactly the same as the old front page. But in addition to that, the My YWS page makes it a lot simpler to edit your profile, to watch your "watched topics," and to view your portfolio. I may even add more to it in the coming weeks.
So if you're looking for recent stories and poems, head on over to "My YWS" since it's all still there. By the way, I'm still interested in getting feedback about this change, and what can be done to improve it. |
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Dream Deep
archanděl
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| Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2006 2:43 am Post subject: |
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| Holy Snot! AHHHH! Change it back!!! *runs* |
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Griffinkeeper
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| Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2006 2:43 am Post subject: |
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I thought it might look weird, but oddly enough it passed well.
Now, it is time to write something worthy of it!
...After dinner and homework. |
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Nate
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| Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2006 2:45 am Post subject: |
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| Dream Deep wrote: |
| Holy Snot! AHHHH! Change it back!!! *runs* |
Did you read the post? Go to My YWS for the old page. |
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Dream Deep
archanděl
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| Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2006 2:47 am Post subject: |
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Yeah I went there. Even so. Yeesh. O.O
See, this precise format is the reason why I haven't joined a lot of writing sites. They all look like this. Which is very discouraging to a prospective member. They walk in, expecting to find the writerly, clean, organized feel of the old home page and they're confronted with the site blog, a bunch of people that don't know talking and joking and spreading news and having a good time and frankly it's discouraging. And intimidating.
And we always want new members, dont' we?  |
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ladydark
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| Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2006 3:18 am Post subject: |
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I agree with Dream. I came on, and I was like .. what happened?? It was so nice, and clean before, hey look someone posted a new story! -reads-. But now, its the admins whom we barely know. Its fairly annoying not to be able to see the newest stories. I mean, like.. come on. It's fairly, unnerving, and if people want to read squills, they can go to it. But the literary boards are so many and so confusing. You cant really tell whats a new story, and whats just an old story continuing on.
What Is YWS? A place where admins chock up the front pages with blogs of announcments? Or is it a place where young writers can come and show there stuff! Show what they have on the front page! Not just a bunch of rambling admins with news that people can look at if they want. If there is some major news, then post it up and have people notice. But dont chock up the entire freakin front page with boring annoucments. You want YWS to bring in writers, then let the writers show their stuff, in front. Out to bat.
Old way is better way, YWS has changed alot, but the front page shouldnt. Its nice the way it was, yes its in My YWS now, but.. really. Why? What was wrong with the old way? I dont like this new way, change has happened a lot, at least keep something Old around. The old front page is better, and its a solid connection to the YWS this place used to be. The new changes are good, but some things Need to stay the same. |
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Cameron
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| Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2006 3:36 am Post subject: |
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| I am a fairly new member to YWS and I have to say that this new format is extremely intimidating to someone who is just learning how to maneuver around the site. It's very dispiriting and if I hadn’t already become fond of the site I’d almost be dissuaded from continuing. |
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Snoink
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| Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2006 4:14 am Post subject: |
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| I miss the stick figures... XD |
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Poor Imp
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| Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2006 4:27 am Post subject: |
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| ladydark wrote: |
What Is YWS? A place where admins chock up the front pages with blogs of announcments? Or is it a place where young writers can come and show there stuff! Show what they have on the front page! Not just a bunch of rambling admins with news that people can look at if they want. If there is some major news, then post it up and have people notice. But dont chock up the entire freakin front page with boring annoucments. You want YWS to bring in writers, then let the writers show their stuff, in front. Out to bat. |
I think Ladydark has got a point.
The focus seems skewed. Squills is noticeable enough to members who have been around; but to new members it's going to look odd, not to mention inexplicable. A lot of insiden jokes turn up there.
Having the new additions to literary on the front caught my eye when I first found YWS. That is the focus of the site, I think. I prefer it. !_!
(It feels as if the computer ought to be left-handed as well. 0o Everything on the left?) |
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Caligula's Launderette
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| Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2006 4:54 am Post subject: |
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Hmm... I am not sure what I think, but that's due to the fact that my brain is about to explode.
Now if there was a way so Squills didn't take up the whole center, or something...
I'll get back to you on this.
 CL |
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| Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2006 1:44 pm Post subject: |
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| A soon as I opened the page, I had a similar reaction to Dream Deep. I wanted to get away from the front page as fast as possible. One thing to keep in mind, Nate: People liked the simplicity of The Society Revisited, and it did not feel like any less of a community. Imp is right. The focus is very skewed. |
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ladydark
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| Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2006 2:14 pm Post subject: |
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| heh, one more thing. After I actually thought about this.. aye, first feed back was just unthinking. But anyways. Perhaps Squills could only have like, one blog on the front page. Nothing big or loud or like HEY LOOK AT ME!!!!! But something.. subtle, but there. Leave the old way as it was, just.. add a one block blog for it. Just one, not a billion people we dont know. Also, aye, whats with the left stuff? Thats just wacked. Old page Is better, but if you Must fiddle with it, one block of blog, not the whole freakin page. |
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Rei
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| Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2006 2:22 pm Post subject: |
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| ladydark has a point. I think she's very right about that. If you want to have more people looking at Squills, perhaps have the most recent entry at the top, and then have the rest of the page be for literary posts. |
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Nate
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| Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2006 3:01 pm Post subject: |
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If you want the old page, just click on My YWS. Or, go here:
http://www.youngwriterssociety.com/portal.php
Although that link isn't on the menu. It's just a backup.
What I'm doing now is waiting for the data to come in on the change. That is, I'm watching for two things:
1. The front page had a 25% exit rate; meaning of the people who viewed, 25% left the site. It's normal for the front page to have the highest exit rate, but 25% is really high. If that number goes up because of the new change though, it'll be switched back. If it goes down, then it'll probably stay.
2. I'm watching also to see how long people stay on the front page. On average, people looked at the front page for a little over a minute. If that amount of time goes up, it'll probably stay.
There's also another couple of ways that I'm going to be testing to see how people react to the change. While feedback is one part of that, so far I've only heard from 9 people about it. I'll be using the feedback to make design changes, but the decision on whether or not to keep the new change will be based on other factors.
In any case, the decision to stick or not stick with change will be made in a little less than two weeks from now. Since I have a day off on September 4 (Labor Day), I'll probably make the decision late that day. |
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Prosithion
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| Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2006 11:26 pm Post subject: |
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| WOW!!!!!! Nate, what happened. I agree with DD. No offense to your hard work and all, but this sucks. It's basically turned YWs from a writing website to a big blog with writing as an excuse for existence. sorry if I sound rude, but this doesn't work. |
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