risaxis BANNED
New ideas for mike to see
498 Replies
Overtoad
@the_steve: If you don't appreciate the inside jokes or the schemes, then you likely don't listen to the podcast, or your looking for something more regular. Either way, I don't think that this is the site for you. I - for one - like the informality of all this; I find it a lot more personal. I get a kick everytime the Applejack/Fluttershy challenge pops up, and when a WTB page offers to let me "friend zone" someone.
the_steve
@Overtoad: That's precisely the thing that bothers me. I DO listen to the podcast. I started listening around the time that episode 40 came out, and I started by going all the way back to 1 and listening to all of them. I haven't missed a single episode. But there's a *major* difference between using an inside joke on a CHAT thread, and using it as a basis for a design scheme.
But let's take the rating system as a good example. Because I'm also a big fan of My Little Pony, I immediately recognized Applejack's and Fluttershy's cutie marks. But I like all of the ponies, so they don't necessarily signify anything to me. And when I first encountered them, I thought "Well Ray likes Applejack, and Mike likes Fluttershy...so how the fuck does this work?" I think you'll agree that, if you're expecting a yes/no question, then having an answer set that reads "Ray" and "Mike" doesn't indicate anything useful.
Instead, it took some time for me to realize that, rather than being a website that's reflective of the IB Podcast, or of the IB crew, it's wholly reflective of one individual - Mike. And this extends not just to the rating system, but to the entire site design; everything is done, not because it's best for the community, but because Mike finds it amusing.
Imagine a similar hypothetical on another site. Imagine that the next time you wanted to change your privacy settings on Facebook, a popup challenged you to select which, of two given options, was Mark Zuckerberg's favourite food. Not only would you not know the information, but once you found out, wouldn't you be angry? Wouldn't you think that that's an incredibly self-centered way to design a site?
I love the IB Podcast, and so far the community here seems really great, and I'm looking forward to getting more engaged in it. And so I find it frustrating that the mechanism that's supposed to bring us together - a website - is making that process harder.
Overtoad
@the_steve: I don'think that anyone's expecting this website to go much of anywhere, so it's a niche. Mike imposing his Overlord ego ("ego" used in the literal definition, not the insulting one) onto the design is a quirk, which I appreciate. It's all part of the fun that makes this site unique.
I understand your argument, but I don't feel that Mike should be held accountable for regularity as long as he's just working jokes into the site.
Also, there's one thread that's a rainbow.
the_steve
Look at the download numbers on the Podcast. Look at how easily the IB panel fills up large rooms at RTX. How long do you really think it's going to be before they start selling merch, doing cons? This thing is on the upswing, and yet the site design would have you believe that no more than a few hundred people listen to it at all.
Mike OVERLORD
@the_steve:
Absolutely correct. I usually challenge myself to see if I can build something, then put it on here to have it tested and see if it works. This is not supposed to be a full-fledged social networking site. This is a small niche website for an audio podcast.
Most websites today are too user friendly and fucking lame. They hold your hand way too much. For example; no password recovery system on here. Why? It's not that hard to remember your password. Especially if your browser can do it for you!
1. Like I stated earlier, this is a niche website, therefore most of the features will reflect that. Ratings being one of them.
2. I don't know about you, but usually websites have the same colour scheme throughout the entire website. So yes, the same colour is everywhere. Orange is the "official" colour of IB. Do you know what compliments orange? Dark colours such as black and dark grey.
3. There is no such thing as an inappropriate question. OK, well maybe that's not true, but usually those are just archived and not answered.
4. OK.
5. Second guessing yourself is bad. Be confident with your decisions in life.
6. Sometimes people misclick. Come on, you should like this! It's user-friendly!
7. That's boring.
8. What's specifically wrong with it? (Aside from the fact that image tiles break the next line down. I'm going to fix that eventually).
9. Niche site. Plus they're truly not your friend unless they're willing to take your penis in one of their holes. Or vice versa.
DashingRainbow
@the_steve:
I don't agree with the changes you proposed (except for 8, the layout was better before) but the rest of the stuff is what makes the website different and funner. Also your completely right the site is 100% focused on Mike's enjoyment and not on user accesibilty. the whole site is based off of what Mike wants and likes and he is the only moderator so what he thinks is acceptable is accepted (he named himself overloard for fuck's sake). Any changes he makes we put up with cause he made the site we all used to meet each other (srsly you should have been here on april fools, it was bullshit) but like Mike said the site is very niche bacause they have a niche audience, If you don't like what Mike's done with his site maybe it's not for you.
the_steve
@Mike: I'm going to respond to several of your points, Mike, but before I do, I want to say that I do appreciate that you didn't ban me for offering criticism.
1) I get that this is a niche website, and I don't have a problem with it. What I don't think I'm communicating is that if the niche market is "regular listeners of the Podcast," then this isn't effectively marketing to the niche. Instead, it seems like the niche market is "consumers of all of Mike Kroon's internet content," which is a different market. There may be overlap between those two, but they are markedly different; and the name and stated purpose of this site leads an average person to believe that this is about the former, not the latter. If that's not the case, then maybe the site should be changed to something else...like mikecast.com or something.
2) Orange may be the official color of the Internet Box, although I'm not sure why, since it's not in the logo. Nevertheless, by pixel count, orange is never more than a very small minority of the colors on the screen on this site. I don't disagree that dark colors complement orange, but you've chosen too few colors for the scheme, and they're all too similar; as a result, the site has a decidedly monochromatic look. And you know what else goes well with orange? White. But the only white on the site is the text color, and that's necessitated by the color of the background on which the text is set. There's no decorative light coloring at all.
(skipping 3 and 4)
5. I'll grant you that the point I was making might not have been perfectly clear, so let me correct that by restating my point in such unequivocal terms that my meaning cannot possibly be misunderstood: If you are unfamiliar with the rating system, AND you fuck up in rating a question, then there's no way to undo your mistake. If I can't convince you to adopt a rating system that's more transparent, then at least have the courtesy to extend to new users features (like changing your rating choice) that allow them to become acquainted with the system. As it is, you punish people for not only not having heard of your aversion to Applejack, but ALSO for not thinking like you do in associating Applejack's cutie mark with negativity.
(skipping 6 and 7)
8. It's a poor design choice for a message board. The index of a message board, like the ToC of a book, is intended to be easily readable at a glance. Metro is fine, I suppose, for a collection of applications, each of which has their own recognizable logo. But, for instance, a discussion thread on chemical weapons usage in Syria does NOT have its own logo. It's such an odd choice that it seems like the implementation of a whim on your part, rather than a response to the concerns of the community about the usability of the site. Am I right?
9) I don't know what WTB means. I'm not upset by that; but I am upset by having this obscure reference wholly mask the purpose of a core site functionality. This goes back to the same point I was trying to make in #1 above: If you have to use a reference, then it makes more sense for it to be a reference to something that an average IB listener will understand immediately. Having listened to 97 episodes offers me no clue as to what WTB is. Alternatively, if you want to continue to employ references that are alien to the IB audience, but may be well understood by, for instance, viewers of the MikeCast, then rename the site.
M4xwell Insanitarium
How about a 'thread' count on your personal profiles (to see how many you have made) AND you can press it to find certain threads you made that you have forgotten before (to make searches easier for certain topics, especially ones the user makes themselves.)
risaxis BANNED
How about the new way to have a flow of bits is that we each have ten bits and we give them away but we can't take them away from each other. Also sorry if my grammer is shit, the keyboard I'm using in the UK is weird as fuck.
risaxis BANNED
Also is the livefeed working for you because it's not for me but it could be this shitty internet cafe internet.
risaxis BANNED
@Redblood801: I like this idea or you could make an entire theme for the website and make it based off them on their birthday.
@SpongeyGString: This is a good idea but let's not make it too easy for the newfags. Let them learn the ropes on their own.
@VoodooSoup: I need this desperatley for when I'm on my phone or the shitty UK intrernet that's literally running on windows 98.
SpongeyGString Akari~n!
I finally read through the whole thing. Here's some advice for you, risaxis (the person with the lowest suggestion/implemented ratio, at an amazing fuckton/0), actually put some thought into them, rather than just writing every single shitty idea you think of. Also, actually make some good suggestions yourself before you start reviewing other peoples. Being the one who created/made the most posts in this thread does not mean you are the one who has contributed the most.
SpongeyGString Akari~n!
@SpongeyGString: *"lowest suggestion/implemented" should say "worst suggestion/implemented" and if I edit it the spacing will go all wacky, so for the good of people reading it I shan't.
aWSOMN360
@the_steve: Its not for viewers of the mike cast, its for users of CHAT, which in all honesty is completely different from I.B in general, the only reason its here is because make made it here and it grew to what it is today. If you use CHAT you would know what WTB means, and if you dont then it wouldnt matter to you.
M4xwell Insanitarium
On your personal page, the month/date/year for when you created/got on your account.
SpongeyGString Akari~n!
Average rating should be viewable on your private stats, rather than just on the top posters page.
risaxis BANNED
@SpongeyGString:You should suggest all ideas (even the ones that aren't the most logical ones) because You have to throw it at the wall for the shit to stick.
risaxis BANNED
the gta V thing is really funny. I like. Maybe something similar for the next halo. suggestion.
risaxis BANNED
on November 15 (space jam's release date) can we have the logo be space jammed themed and also have the site use the amazing font that is in the space jam logo.
TheXRayFactor Based Deak
I'm not sure whether that was intended or not, but you can still see the actual avatars in the livefeed (instead of only gta V avatars)
risaxis BANNED
I think we should do something similar to the GTA V thing for the new halo. OR even xbox one. Just a suggestion.
risaxis BANNED
For some reason I can't view my most popular thread. This is broken for me and i'm not sure if it works for everybody else.
Mike OVERLORD
Your CHAT activity is now tracked. You can also get to it by clicking on the CHAT posts tile from your profile. If you want to view another person's activity, click on their average posts per day tile from their profile.
Mike OVERLORD
@Plastic Soul:
Hmm the validation should have not allowed a space. I think I fixed that for future accounts now. I'll also remove the space from your username so you can use the sign in form properly.
risaxis BANNED
There are too many threads. How about only one thread can be created a day to stop all the crap threads?
risaxis BANNED
@VoodooSoup:computers have a page down button and a end button. If you want to go to the top you could hit home but for people who don't have that there's a nifty arrow.
risaxis BANNED
I like the new design. It's so top!
risaxis BANNED
YAY the website is fixed! Now suggest more shit!
risaxis BANNED
Bring back the livefeed.
TheXRayFactor Based Deak
@risaxis:
I support that motion
@SpongeyGString:
I definitely support that motion as well
BlackFag BANNED
porn
risaxis BANNED
username to be in rainbow instead of orange.
Baby_Sandwiches
Fix the questions, please! I've been preaching it for the past week now hoping Mike will see it!
M4xwell Insanitarium
@Mike: temp-lock: be a master troll/arsehole to your friends by locking their account for 24-48 hours: 125 bits.
risaxis BANNED
@M4xwell:or allow a vot for excecuting. Such as 10 votes for death is excecution for a member and they get account banned but not ip banned.
M4xwell Insanitarium
@risaxis: Hate to say this, but if your plan goes to fruition, i know a bundle of people who'd have your name on a spear.
MLP_JoshF
@Mike: Cheaper prices. Unless you start giving out free bits, like in your 30K Twitter Followers thread, all the time, then I doubt anyone will be able to afford any of the options anytime soon.
risaxis BANNED
or like a title that you can put next to your name but it wouldnt glow or anything cool but like one in small text gor example:
KorporalKitty PAM
@Mike:Become a featured user for a day/ have your profile put on the front page of the site? for 60 bits
Da4skinFantom
I lost an account because I forgot the username, couldn't sign in with my email. I created another fucking email so I could have another account.
risaxis BANNED
Hey speaking of Avatars, why can't I change mine?
MLP_JoshF
@risaxis: You can only have 3 at one time. If you want to add another one, you're going to have to delete some of your saved profile pics.
SpongeyGString Akari~n!
@VoodooSoup: This is not supposed to be a full-fledged social networking site. This is a small niche website for an audio podcast.
risaxis BANNED
I likw the snow.
Kenshi
Don't know if this has already been suggested but what about a preview thing on the post you're about to make, just to make sure it looks the way you want to. And yes I know we can edit them ONCE but I just want to make sure before I post it, and I would also like a delete post button, for those times when I mess up after the edit >.>
risaxis BANNED
However it would be cool to see a listof all the users and their profile pics and see how many accounts there are and how many are actually on chat or just do questions or make accounts for the funz of it.
Chenzo ( ͡° ͜ʖ
@Korporal_kitty: Mike would probably argue that people should proofread their posts before actually posting without the need of some extra feature. Then again, I'm not him so take that for what it's worth.
TheXRayFactor Based Deak
@Chenzo:
To be fair, it's not like anyone here is going to create a table on bbcode (that is, if you can even do that here), so I wouldn't say it is really needed...
risaxis BANNED
my suggestion is bring pony database back.
KorporalKitty PAM
@risaxis: Just find the videos yourself, or buy them off iTunes if you like ponies so much.
KorporalKitty PAM
@risaxis:A suggestion for this site is for mike to bring back another site, seems valid to me.
risaxis BANNED
I like the front page, but I don't understand it too well. If there could be a way where every episode has a different page from the fan art part of the FB that'd be cool
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