What would you do?!?!

[JJamezz]

...to improve the Billszone front page?

For those that don't use the home page, what would make you start? For those that do visit, what would make you visit more often, or make the page more useful / usable for you?

What would you add, remove, or just change about the home page?

Speak up!

:movie:

[Bone]

Maybe a new layout? I don't know.

[shelby]

The updates you have made are great. i think it looks sweet!

i would like to see a preview of threads in the BillsZone, with the idea of encouraging visitors to post in the forum.... but we'd have to make sure they were decent threads, rather than some of the nonsense that's been posted recently.

My only complaint is it's slow to load on my dsl, but that's not your fault.

[Devin]

I think it looks great.

I am not sure what we could add to make it better, there is a ton of info there already.

It would be cool if we had a BZ video section.

[G. Host]

1. Use whole width of page based upon user's browser settings
2. Don't waste so much space under 3rd column - put something there or reorganize
3. Make it easier for readers to submit news
4. Have a low graphics option for front page. Too busy!
5. If possible incorporate "personalized" front page (You would need to be logged in first) like Google does.

[JJamezz]

Thanks! Keep them coming.

Mitch - definitely - while it won't be as big of a change as from the last version of the site a few years back, it will be different

Shelby - yes, the 'latest threads' preview is on my list. The reason we had to remove it was because it was causing some kind of problems, I don't remember if it was because of the forums software upgrade or what.. but by now there should be a workaround.

Devin - it'd be great to post videos, but thats what got us in trouble the first time. As far as the ton of info, actually I think thats part of the problem, one of my main goals is to remove some things that aren't necessary. The archives of non-billszone written news stories for instance is probably gonna go.

G. Host - Good suggestions. #1 - Probably not going to happen because of the level of control I like to have over where everything is placed - I use a lot of absolute positioning in css, which some would say is not good practice, but it allows me to easily get the exact look I want. #2 - Definitely agree - there are reasons why its lopsided now, due to some of the ads, but this will be addressed. Actually, the plan is to make the page MUCH shorter, with less stories & scrolling on the main page. #3 - Interesting idea, I will look into that. Not exactly sure how to implement it with the current news system, but I'm pretty sure it can be done. #4 - Yes, had not thought of that, but a very good idea. #5 - yes, that was part of the design of the current page, but I never got around to implementing it.

[JJamezz]

Please keep the ideas coming - while I don't have any time frame for a new front page (I literally just started thinking about it a few days ago), for anyone that uses the site, this is your opportunity to have a hand in designing it the way you would like it to be.

[Michael82]

I think that we could use some more writers to create some original pieces. I believe that there are many posters who write some very good posts and take time writing it and I would love to see some of them write articles for the site. Jan Riemers and Lifetime Bills Fan are two of the main ones I could think of. I think that we do a great job of keeping everyone updated with the latest news, but we need some more originals. I'm not good at these, except for the training camp reports and the gameday grades (when I actually do them). But when we have them up there, it definitely helps.

Props go to Dozer, Draft Boy, R. Rich and all the others who have worked their ass off to write the Draft Guide pieces. :up:

[Michael82]

Oh and I do like the design of the front page, the top banner and the games underneath look sweet. Plus I like the left hand column with all the links. I do think that there is a lot of unused room though and sometimes it seems like it's all squished together.

[Scumbag College]

I know if you point on a thread, you can see the first couple lines of it. Is there anyway to see the last post?

I love this site by the way! Don't make it too much better, because then I wouldn't get anything at all done!

[TheGhostofJimKelly]

I hate to say it but I hardly every go to the front home page. Hardly might not be the right word, maybe I go there sometimes. If I were to give an opinion of it I would say it is just to busy. There is so much information jammed onto the page. I guess I would say to lose some of the items there. The writing is small. I know you need to raise money for the site, but damn, there is a lot of advertising on it.

[JJamezz]

Mikey - I agree about the originals, and I have a couple of ideas for that, the main one being copying bb.com's user blog system.. I think that was a great idea, and is sort of a middle ground between a full fledged article and a forum post.

As for the unused space, unfortunately that's a product of people using older / smaller monitors. You have to design around what resolution most people are using, and at the time it was still 800x600, so people like us using 1280 width end up with some dead space.. I have to check, but now I'm sure the most common resolution is 1024, so a new page would be wider & more spacious.

Also, one of main goals (if not THE main one) is to make it much easier to post the daily news stories, or ideally automate that altogether. I've got a lot of learning to do to make that happen..

BTW, you ARE good at writing.. And if its something you enjoy doing, DO IT, don't worry about how 'good' you think you are - I'm a little older than you, trust me, I've learned the hard way.

Scumbag - great idea - it'd probably be better to have both - maybe the first post shows when you hover over the thread title, and the last post shows when you hover over the Go to Last Post graphic (that little circular blue arrow).

[JJamezz]

Ghost - The original site didn't have much available as far as archiving, searching, etc., so when it was redesigned, I probably went a little overboard with all of that. But then most NFL team sites are even busier, so its tough to say. But I agree completely, one of the biggest goals is simplify and pare it down.

As for the ads, its not something within our control anymore - since we switched providers, those ads are the price we now pay for our web hosting. Believe me, nobody was more upset about it than me - the page was never with ads in mind - next time it will be, so hopefully they'll be a little less obtrusive..

[Devin]

You know what would be cool?

To have a Bills version of Wikipedia. That would be an awesome reference tool. Like a database of all things Bills we can contribute to. There is a script to run it basically all you need to do is customize it to us. I saw it while looking for a vbulletin hack some time ago. I am constantly looking all around the web for bills stuff it would be nice to have a central place to look.

Another idea might be to have an official Billszone.com RSS feed for original content and breaking news.

Personally I like the front page as is, apart maybe not having it fixed and making it stretch the whole page and taking out a few excesses. Maybe instead of making the links all visible create a "Linkworthy" section or something to unclutter it a little.

[zone]

Bring back the latest thread post window. I know you had problems with it, but it was the best!

[Bone]

The scroll box thing for sigs etc gets a little anoying so if you could make change that.

[jamze132]

I love the RSS feed idea. That would be great for those of us who are stationed overseas when the time diference is like 6 hours. Sometimes I don't always have time to log in, wait for the Billszone to load (I think the front page is way too cluttered), and then look through the news and forums for anything new.

I would say the best thing on the homepage that could be improved would be the updating of it daily. I know there are time constraints for those who are running it but it's nice to log on to website i enjoy visiting and not see a poll for who will win the Super Bowl the previous season, or to see incomplete records for the AFC East. But I'm just picky. LOL

[shelby]

It's been updated, jamez.:up:

Mitch, you have the option of turning sigs off altogether if you choose stealth mode in the very bottom left drop down box.

[Typ0]

I think mikey is really on to something to help the front page. I have always said (and been met with much resistance) that the meat and potatoes of this site is the message boards. It's not due to any design issues but because of the constantly changing content. If people are interested they just watch the boards...all the important news is posted and talked about. So there really isn't a lot of reasons for the people who like the banter (that's all of us) to go to the front page. Doing what mike said aggressively would create some consistently rolling new content. Plus, people could spruce up the posts and add images and what not (perhaps we have an author and byline source here) and the rest of us would be interested in what was done with the content.

Any approach you take, the key to the front page is going to be content. Unfortunately it's also what makes it quite a daunting task.

[Marvelous]

Honestly i have only been to the main page 2 orr 3 times...I Can name a few things i like to read or have links to etc..
-AFC east page Like a allafc east draft page with Bio's of the divsions rookies & a chart of the diisions offseason move etc..I dunno..Just throwng a idea out there..

-Bills history..Like all time draft,rostrs,staff etc..

--Hope i didn't misunderstand the thread title abot ideas for the homepage since i'm not very familiar with it now. :couch:

-Regardless of the main a i love ths site!!!

[JJamezz]

Devin - I like the Wikipedia idea - funny, I recently saw that finheaven has set up wiki page, so the thought was on my mind too. It's a cool idea.

There actually is an rss feed on the front page, but I never put a link up - I think I posted a thread a long time back (like a couple of years ago) about it, and nobody seemed interested, but a lot more people use rss now. I think the current feed may include all the news on the front page, not sure, but in the new version I would make a feed for just our original stuff.


zone - if there's a way to put the latest forum posts back that isn't such a drain on resources, and I'm quite sure there is by now, it will be done. I liked it a lot too!

mitch - I don't particularly like the scrolling sigs either, but long sigs with a bunch of pics in them suck even more. There may be another way to limit the sigs, I don't know.

jamze - as I mentioned, one of the biggest things will be simplifying, so it will definitely feel less cluttered. We've been fortunate to have had Phil updating the news religiously every day (and others too) - that's not something many people have the devotion to do - I certainly don't.. I'd much rather simplify and automate things as much as possible - the less that has to be done manually, the better.

Typ0 - Well, I agree to a point. I think there are many people who don't use the forum, or other forums, for whatever reason - maybe they don't like signing up, I don't know, and choose to look at the front page instead. Anyway, in my response to Mikey, I mentioned that I'd had some of the same thoughts, and what came to my mind was trying to implement some sort of blog system like they did over on bb.com, but ours would be tied to the front page. Much easier to talk about than actually put into practice or course.. but its doable.

Marvelous - thanks for the input! Just want to point out that Dozer created an EXTENSIVE Bills History section that is linked on the front page, if you haven't checked it out, its awesome.

[Devin]

Devin - I like the Wikipedia idea - funny, I recently saw that finheaven has set up wiki page, so the thought was on my mind too. It's a cool idea.

There actually is an rss feed on the front page, but I never put a link up - I think I posted a thread a long time back (like a couple of years ago) about it, and nobody seemed interested, but a lot more people use rss now. I think the current feed may include all the news on the front page, not sure, but in the new version I would make a feed for just our original stuff.


Thats cool man, I never visit finhell anymore so I had to check it out.

A friend of mine did this for a car site it was pretty cool, im sure we could come up with a scheme of some sort and all of us making a few entries a week could fill that bad boy in no time!

[Mr. Miyagi]

How about printable versions of the zone original articles? Right now they don't print so well, cut off on the right outside of margin.

[Devin]

How about the ability to leave comments on front page articles? That might inspire a little more interest.

[lordofgun]

I'd like to have the forums generate the front page...posts, news stories, etc. would all be generated by the forums. It would be easier for the newsgatherers to just come to the forums to paste in the articles and I know a lot of people would be more likely to do so.

[jimmifli]

What would you do?!?!

Less moderating.

[Neggie Nancy]

1- Link to other sites.. Nominate a good writer to correspond with other sites.

2- Put up pics of BZ hot chick members!

3- Absolutey more original content.

Gimme some time.. I got a ton of "original" concepts from magazine days. Totally unique.

[Gunzlingr]

I would ban all aliases from the the billszone. This would cut down one trolls who hide behind alternate usernames.

[Mr. Miyagi]

I would ban all aliases from the the billszone. This would cut down one trolls who hide behind alternate usernames.
As opposed to real people who hide behind their message board names? :laughter:

[Gunzlingr]

As opposed to real people who hide behind their message board names? :laughter:

I am just saying letting people post under aliases causes problems. Remember Philosophical Troll? He had about 4 aliases, so you banned one, he would use another. People will post under an alias to be an ahole, so they don't give their regular username a bad rap. Just like you could use an alias to stir up crap, and get banned, and no one other than mods would know it was Mr. Miyagi.

[gr8slayer]

First I would like to ask BAM and JJ to get off their lazy asses, stop their lives and wives, and make my god damned P.O.T.Y. film.

Other than that I would personally like to see a new layout, aside from that everything is perfect!

[Dozerdog]

I am just saying letting people post under aliases causes problems. Remember Philosophical Troll? He had about 4 aliases, so you banned one, he would use another. People will post under an alias to be an ahole, so they don't give their regular username a bad rap. Just like you could use an alias to stir up crap, and get banned, and no one other than mods would know it was Mr. Miyagi.
Col Sanders? What a jerk that guy was

[Statman]

How about sending an e-mail to daily readers instead of polling a handful of posters in the forums many of whom likely don't even spend much time on the front page.

[gr8slayer]

I am just saying letting people post under aliases causes problems. Remember Philosophical Troll? He had about 4 aliases, so you banned one, he would use another. People will post under an alias to be an ahole, so they don't give their regular username a bad rap. Just like you could use an alias to stir up crap, and get banned, and no one other than mods would know it was Mr. Miyagi.
Could just ban the I.P. instead of the name :idunno: