Comments Sought On YWS

For the past couple months I've been going back and forth on doing a full update for YWS. In fact, I don't mean update so much as a completely new YWS. The programming YWS is running on is old and will be completely outdated by the end of this year. However, no one else besides myself sees that. You wouldn't even know if I hadn't just told you.

So, my question is, does YWS appear outdated to you when you visit it? If people don't think it appears outdated, then it's a useless exercise for me to bother completely overhauling YWS. But if enough people do, it may be worthwhile. Personally, I don't think it does, but then again, I am biased...

And since I haven't done one of these in a while, what are your general thoughts about YWS? As I've said before, comments that are nothing but praise are appreciated, but not terribly helpful (YWS ain't perfect folks). So even if you love the site, let me know what you would like improved. And if you are one of the few who hate this site (but visit it anyway?), then let me know why you hate it.

Of course, do keep in mind that some wished for improvements are going to be impossible, but please say them anyway. Just don't be unrealistic! (ex. "I want twenty reviews for every story posted" is ludicrous).

Well I personally love this site and the people on it. I think the system works pretty well, and it's never seemed outdated to me. But then again I am not exactly technology friendly, so I wouldn't know outdated if it bit me in the rear.

I was looking at somebody surf the web on their favorite online forum, and I said, "Is that an old site?" Because the forums looked so old and clunky it was unbelievable. He just turned to me and looked surprised.

Apparently, he was on a new site.

In any case, this is one of the uppiest sites I've ever been on. I giggle whenever you moan about it being so old. Just thought you should know.

I think it's pretty cool. What would make it better would be a "Random Story" button that would take you to a random story or poem for you to crit. It'll be greatly appreciated for people like myself who are always looking for something to crit, but don't know what to crit.

To reiterate Snoink, I can't say I've run into a site much more novel or neatly formatted as YWS. There's nothing at all archaic about it--it's useful without being bland. Oy, I suppose if it were a flash site, it would be, doubtless, flashier. ^_^

But I can't imagine it being considered old-fashioned, or even confused or inept. Naturally, on top of its workings, so to speak, it has a community that works with it brilliantly. ^_^









IMP

I don't think that YWS is outdated at all. I've seen plenty outdated ones, YWS seems to be pretty much on top of things. (Though considering this age, anything that's a year old could count as "out-dated"...)

There was a few things I would have said that were out-dated when I first joined the site almost a year ago, but now I have to say that nothing really is! *tries to think very hard, but it's late* I'm sure I can come up with at least one suggestion, though!-_-

~Timea

I think it's good. I get it, and everybody else seems to get it. It's easy to navigate and makes sense, so I don't think you need to change anything. Although I do like the Random Story thing that Flemzo suggested.

Nope! I think YWS is perfect (and I'm not biased either ).

Seriously, though, it looks very clean and professional, it's easy to navigate, and it always loads very quickly for me, even though I'm on IE, which you all seem to hate.

Hmm, I would like one new thing don't know if ya can do it. Basically it's creating a mass pm thing for storybook forum. Like if no one posting the leader of the storybook can send mass pm asking why? Just a suggestion.

Also not much a fan of the chat, it can never keep ya in that long.

But other than all that. All the rest is good.

I can't say I've run into a site much more novel or neatly formatted as YWS.

A serious ditto from me--it's wonderful! I don't know much about webdesign, but I've always found YWS easy to use, simple to navigate, and enjoyable to be a part of. I think a random story button would be cool, or a way to search the Literary forum for the kind of story we'd like to read/crit, but that's all. I would like to say that they way you (Nate) bend over backwards to make this site awesome and are constantly updating and improving it--well, as long as you and your love of YWS are around, it'll never seem out-of-date.

Like Imp said, YWS may not be flashy, but it serves it's purpose well. Humble, maybe, but all-inlcusive. Take a look at our sister site, TW. We seem to eons ahead of them. YWS works smoothly, it has a friendly environment, and it has a neatly planned lay-out.

Great job, Nate. I'd be satisfied if you never changed a thing.

-Kylan

I've never thought YWS outdates and generally I don't have any suggestions. True, the site isn't perfect. I'd love a short-cuts section that members could personalise with links to the forums/ user-groups they visit most frequently but it's not necessary and quite honestly, probably not worth the trouble.

The site is prefectly imperfect, Nate xx

I've seen other similar sites (subject-wise) that look far more out-dated than YWS. It's the snazziest forum on the web!

Nate, you're crazy. This site is amazing - have you seen the text on here? *Hugs font* I love it!

One suggestion, though: is there any way you could add a button on our works where the owner can say that they're not looking for more critiques? I know you can ask a mod to lock it, but I don't want to bother them. It's just I have some really old work, and I don't want people reviewing it anymore, as it is not a reflection of my work. (This just happened to you, Nate. That story you posted for some kid named Will?) That way, while browsing the pages, there'd be a heads up that the author doesn't want anymore critiques, and you won't have to waste valuable time opening the page. ;P

Just a thought.

~JFW1415

I'm not exactly an expert on such things, but to mw YWS has never seemed out of date. I get around well and the format doesn't seem clunky or anything. I think it's pretty neat actually.

I don't have any good suggestions, though I kind of like Flemzo's idea about the 'Random Story/ Poem Button'.
Or maybe pieces that haven't been critiqued yet can be marked? (I'm not so sure about this though, since the pieces that are new are marked and usually there aren't too many pieces that stay uncritiqued for too long.)
Just an idea.

On YWS in general: Just plain amazing

All the best,
~Kalliope