Originally Posted by Encore4More

i think we need to redo our whole ComputerForum colors them and make it more bubbly!!!

Originally Posted by Encore4More

or just a little more modern looking... mebbe since it is a computer forum, we could have it a little Vista-ish? or XP-ish? as in the look/theme...

or i little more modern... kinda like ipodwizard.net... i think they are using the same general layout as us, just differenct icons and colors... i don't really like our icons... they look like they are from the windows 2000 era
but that is just MO

Originally Posted by 34erd

I like it perfectly well... its really clean.

Whats wrong with that? Windows 2000 rocked, lol.

Originally Posted by Encore4More

ok, i've been to a bunch of forums... and CF is really boring... (no offence IAN)

if we do some of these, we could really put the bar up for the standard for computer forums... ( i can see techforums thinking... uh-oh... doom )

like there are just little things we could do... most of this stuff i picked up from ipodwizard.net... and i beleive they use the same setup as us baisically...

SIGNATURES!!!lol... most forums let their members put small picutures in their signature!!! c'mon, we could do that!

Gif avatars... that could be like a special privilage to members that can be trusted not to dishonor that privilage...

Computer Forum Home Page:
If your a member:
on the Right of page: USER CP
Center Of Page: something that like could automaticly update news from computer news website... in the middle of news could be a big bubbly looking link that you CAN't miss, that says: ENTER THE FORUMS
Top of page: Advertisement and advertisement on the mottem (i.e. newegg advertisements on top of page, red bull advertisements on bottom of page )
somewhere on the page there could be links to: stickies, commonly asked questions (make sure that is very visible so people don't start posting without seeing if it has already been asked), and currently hot threads...

a very clean vista-ish looking theme... a theme with "appealing" or "attracting" colors... more clean-cut (but still bubbly), modern icons (we could get some of the CF members that are more skilled in this to help in making this new theme...) not so professional that it would scare people away, but not so unprofessional that it would scare people away (if you know what i mean)


then when u click enter the forums you will see what looks like the current homepage (just whith the new theme w/ the new icons)

make the off topic section so that it doesn't up your post count... (so people can post more conversation and keep a community here without just wanting to up their post counts...)


oh and are we using pre-made theme or premade icons and stuff??

- caleb

tell me if you want me to post more of my ideas... this i wat should be done IMO

Originally Posted by Encore4More

i wus thinking something like that windows start bar... except witht the vista theme/startbar...

Originally Posted by 4W4K3

Your ideas are good, but only for certain types of forums I think.

.gif images take a long time to load, compared to .jpeg's and the like. That means people on slow connectiosn would have to wait longer, and it might discourage them from coming on the forums.

same with signatures. the more graphics on the page, the longer it takes to load. it's no problem for us DSL/Cable guys on fast machines. But for people on slower connections, or even faster connections with incredibly slow PC's (like me) the images and fancy graphics make the loading time crawl.

Originally Posted by Encore4More

i am not graphically talented so this is my idea, you guys would have to draw it out (if you like it)





also that could be used as the sidebar on my idea of the CF homepage...


also idk about you guys but i am on CF 24/7 (almost) and i wouldn't minde CF having something like a windows CF desktop (like google desktop) or CF sidebar...


yes slow forums could cause ppl to stay away, but so would boring forums... (no offence anyone... i love CF)...
and more people liek apealing colors than slow computers... ok, look at the PC in my signature... that runs some of the more graphicly styled forums more than fine...

i have been to forums with images in the sig, and it opens fine... and the majority of people nowadays that would come to CF the way it is now prolly have Cable/DSL anyway! i think as technology advanced... so should internet pages (i.e. computer forum)

Originally Posted by jbrown456

That is like the best idea I have heard so far.

Originally Posted by jbrown456

Your idea of using somthing like this:



Here:




Is a good idea.

What about the vista sidebar?



I have the psd too, if anyone wants it:
http://www.freewebs.com/computerforumlogo/sidebar.psd

Originally Posted by jbrown456

Yeah, that is the vista sidebar. I just made it with the links in it for the user cp:

Originally Posted by Encore4More

thats good!!!

fix this in the search tho:

Originally Posted by jbrown456

Well, here is a start:



That is the sidebar in action. Now, just trying to think of the top section, and, the actual subject here, the logo. lol

EDIT: Dragon, the psd should work now.

Originally Posted by dragon2309

i have to agree that does look damn swish, but also damn outta place at the moment, and this has been raise several timwes before, ian does not want it changed in such a majoy way. Read the title of this topic, then look at what your suggesting.

draogn

Originally Posted by jbrown456

Here is the 2nd version of the psd if you want it though:
http://www.freewebs.com/computerforumlogo/sidebar2.psd

EDIT: My photoshop layers are messy in that psd, so, if you want to use it, go ahead, but have fun sorting it.

Originally Posted by kobaj

Just my opinion, dont go ALL vista (too much black is a bad thing.)

Originally Posted by Encore4More

know, er were just thinking a vista-ish theme... and are u racist?

jk

Originally Posted by kobaj

Just my opinion, dont go ALL vista (too much black is a bad thing.)