Introducing the New B&B Front Page

[Nick]

In an effort to improve your experience at Badger & Blade, we have recently upgraded the Front Page to a new system that will allow us to post articles and announcements in an easier to read format. Keep an eye out, because more improvements are scheduled for the near future, including regular feature articles, the ability for members to submit articles to be posted on the Front Page, as well as other site enhancements. Your browsing experience should also be seamless between the forum and the new front page system. With your current forum log-in, you will be able to reply to front page articles, as well as submit article and new content recommendations.

With this front page upgrade came a slew of maintenance upgrades to the back end software as well. If you notice any irregularities when it comes to posting or interacting on the site, please mention them here, in the Site Feedback forum, or via Private Message to me.

Thanks for your patience during the site outage. We hope you enjoy the improvements.

-Nick

[Hobbesoxon]

Niiiiice. The first bite is taken with the eye!


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

[rtaylor61]

We have a front page?:eek::biggrin::lol:

Randy

[neilxvx]

Very nice and fancy. More navigable and easy to read. The articles by users idea sounds neat. Kudos.

[indykramer]

Very Nice i like the new look.

[papasmurf]

We have a front page?:eek::biggrin::lol:

Randy

Thats what I was thinking I have the forums bookmarked and just check the other things as needed


Nick

[jlander]

Really don't care for the changes. No log in option for one. I'll just move my bookmark to the forums now and skip the front page.

[Handy]

Really don't care for the changes. No log in option for one. I'll just move my bookmark to the forums now and skip the front page.

Agreed. Should have a log in option on the front page, have the most recent posts on the forums, and have forum stats (# of new post, members online...etc.)

[castlecraver]

Guys I think it will be a lot more appealing once they get featured articles up... I initially didn't care for the new look, but I think it'll be better for the overall site in that it's not just a shapshot look at the forums and will actually have featured content.

[RichGem]

Agreed. Should have a log in option on the front page, have the most recent posts on the forums, and have forum stats (# of new post, members online...etc.)

looks nice, but the old way seems more efficient and I gotta +1 about the login option. Please either add a log in box to the new front page (which would then take me to the forums) or I guess I'll just have to adjust my bookmarks. Since I still access at times via dial up, I really don't need to have to wait for one more page to load to get where I want to be.

[KenS]

The "New improved" front page looks nice enough, but I really liked having the direct link which also showed the number of new posts since last checking. I do like the nice large fonts on the thread links though..
Ken.

[scoopster]

The "New improved" front page looks nice enough, but I really liked having the direct link which also showed the number of new posts since last checking. I do like the nice large fonts on the thread links though..
Ken.
+1. I am going to the New Posts link in the forums page to get the newest posts since my last visit but I liked seeing how many that was. Don't know why, it doesn't change how I use browse the forums.

[joel]

One thing to keep in mind... it's not even CLOSE to finished. Everything (pretty much) you loved about the front page will be there - plus a HECK of a lot more! Gotta give us a week or so though - as there is just two of us, and we'll be bangin' away this week to get a bunch of content and features up.

I'm quite confident you'll REALLY like it. The previous front page wasn't all that usable and didn't give much - if any info to a first time user. I think the new front page will be a heck of a lot more fun/interesting! :biggrin:

[scoopster]

One thing to keep in mind... it's not even CLOSE to finished. Everything (pretty much) you loved about the front page will be there - plus a HECK of a lot more! Gotta give us a week or so though - as there is just two of us, and we'll be bangin' away this week to get a bunch of content and features up.

I'm quite confident you'll REALLY like it. The previous front page wasn't all that usable and didn't give much - if any info to a first time user. I think the new front page will be a heck of a lot more fun/interesting! :biggrin:
Joel, Thanks for re-iterating that this is a work in progress. I was assuming it was as complete as the previous home page.

[jlander]

I have no doubt that it will evolve. Just my first impression when I logged in this morning. I'll get over it. :biggrin:

I'm one of those that doesn't respond well to sudden change good or bad. :w00t:

[miza_b]

So, is the overall idea to kind of make the front into a pseudo-blog, with a forum for members?

I realized when I saw it, that it wasn't a finished product. I don't really care for the GIANT rss button at the top. Is that really necessary? I think if someone wants to use that, they will be able to find the button on the bottom of the page. It seems to take away from the rest of the page. I really like the rest of it. It would be cool to have a good shaving blog on the front page. Thanks guys for your hard work.

[Limey]

We have a front page?:eek::biggrin::lol:

Randy

That's about where I am. I'll have to check it out.

[D'Brie]

Thank you Nick and B&B Team. :smile:

[bigmo]

Nice design for the front page, I like it.

[rabidpotatochip]

I usually go straight to the forums so I did a double-take when this futuristic new template popped up.

I actually had to make sure I typed the address right.

[frogman18]

I like it, looks good.:thumbup1:

[ouch]

One thing to keep in mind... it's not even CLOSE to finished. Everything (pretty much) you loved about the front page will be there - plus a HECK of a lot more! Gotta give us a week or so though - as there is just two of us, and we'll be bangin' away this week to get a bunch of content and features up.

I'm quite confident you'll REALLY like it. The previous front page wasn't all that usable and didn't give much - if any info to a first time user. I think the new front page will be a heck of a lot more fun/interesting! :biggrin:

I knew if I waited long enough, I'd get it in writing.

[2bits]

I'll find my way about in time.
Everything is still there - just a page down (or so).

Well done.

[iron maiden]

nice job, Nick....looks really good:biggrin:

[letterk]

I knew if I waited long enough, I'd get it in writing.

:lol:

[rabidpotatochip]

I knew if I waited long enough, I'd get it in writing.

:lol:

But was it really necessary to increase the font size? :tongue:

I guess it's good that it's just two of them though...

[jlander]

One thing to keep in mind... it's not even CLOSE to finished. Everything (pretty much) you loved about the front page will be there - plus a HECK of a lot more! Gotta give us a week or so though - as there is just two of us, and we'll be bangin' away this week to get a bunch of content and features up.

I'm quite confident you'll REALLY like it. The previous front page wasn't all that usable and didn't give much - if any info to a first time user. I think the new front page will be a heck of a lot more fun/interesting! :biggrin:

That's a little TOO much information!! :biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin:

[joel]

:001_rolle Who let the pre-schoolers in!

[JBHoren]

There's nothing "suggestive" -- where's the fun in that?

You can't wrap fish 'n chips in it, and you can't use it to line the bottom of the bird's cage, so at least give us something sexy. Hell, if it's good enough for the Brits (and I have heard that our own Dr. Simon reads the tabloids), then it oughta be good enough for us. And some flashy banner-adverts, as well; promising 1/4-hollow 6/8" NOS blades, with fetching figural scales... you know what I'm talking about. D'ya think I contributed all that money, just so I could upload some !@#$% photos of my SOTD setup??!

[Soccer Hawk]

Excellent Work:thumbup1:

[daveesq]

Very nice, and I'm happy to hear that it's a work-in-progress. My question, though, is this: will the forums be updated as well in terms of looks, such that there is greater consistency between the two styles? I'm mainly looking at the "tab" graphics, but font and colors are part of the question as well.

[rabidpotatochip]

Ok, I've had some time to stare at the new design and generally I think it's good. There is one thing, however, that bugs me... that RSS feed button in the top-right is a little massive and doesn't fit the color scheme too well. I'd like to suggest either shrinking it or bringing it in line with the soothing blue scheme the rest of the site has rather than panic button orange. :wink:

[letterk]

Ok, I've had some time to stare at the new design and generally I think it's good. There is one thing, however, that bugs me... that RSS feed button in the top-right is a little massive and doesn't fit the color scheme too well. I'd like to suggest either shrinking it or bringing it in line with the soothing blue scheme the rest of the site has rather than panic button orange. :wink:

The RSS icon is sort of the industry standard. Maybe we need more orange elsewhere on the page to balance it out.

[rabidpotatochip]

The RSS icon is sort of the industry standard. Maybe we need more orange elsewhere on the page to balance it out.

The icon, yes, but it comes in different colors (http://www.newsniche.com/color-rss-icons.php). Basically, if it exists people have customized it. :biggrin:

[Nick]

Thanks for all the ideas so far guys. Just to answer some of the more prevalent ones:

1. I am actively working on recovering some of the useful forum functions that were on the previous front page, like a log in, and a new posts link. Showing the last X posts might be a little tricky, but I'm looking into it too.

2. Yes the RSS icon is horrid, and yes, it will be changed. :tongue_sm

3. Will the forum skin be updated too? That's a tough one. There was a push for a snazzier looking forum template about a year ago that was pretty resolutely poopooed.

4. You most certainly can line a bird-cage with the front page, it just seems like a waste of a perfectly good LCD screen!

5. One of these days Jay!!! :letterk2:

6. It's not perfect yet, but it's a start. I have to admit, I'm a little surprised by how many people actually start their visit here by going to the front page. I always saw it as pretty worthless and always went straight to the forums. :biggrin:

Thanks again for the input guys.

-Nick

[rabidpotatochip]

Thanks for all the ideas so far guys. Just to answer some of the more prevalent ones:

1. I am actively working on recovering some of the useful forum functions that were on the previous front page, like a log in, and a new posts link. Showing the last X posts might be a little tricky, but I'm looking into it too.

2. Yes the RSS icon is horrid, and yes, it will be changed. :tongue_sm

3. Will the forum skin be updated too? That's a tough one. There was a push for a snazzier looking forum template about a year ago that was pretty resolutely poopooed.

4. You most certainly can line a bird-cage with the front page, it just seems like a waste of a perfectly good LCD screen!

5. One of these days Jay!!! :letterk2:

6. It's not perfect yet, but it's a start. I have to admit, I'm a little surprised by how many people actually start their visit here by going to the front page. I always saw it as pretty worthless and always went straight to the forums. :biggrin:

Thanks again for the input guys.

-Nick

Well, I'm happy. Thanks. :biggrin:

[Tiggercat]

I really miss the ten most recent posts list. :frown:

[Wil]

Yup- the ten most recent- I could usually just refresh my screen page and get the most recent- but now I need to keep using the internal search by pressing New Posts- not sure how this would effect the over all server situation.

also my saved smiles have reverted to the standards... is this normal?

[Must Dash]

I think we need to see 'The 10 best lines of the day' on there. Ouch takes three, Mr Chip takes three and that leaves four for the other 6,000 of us to share.

Cheers


Jeremy

[rabidpotatochip]

I think we need to see 'The 10 best lines of the day' on there. Ouch takes three, Mr Chip takes three and that leaves four for the other 6,000 of us to share.

Cheers


Jeremy

Do I post that much? :blushing:

(Next week we can celebrate 2,000 posts :biggrin:)

[htownmmm]

Now this is a front page!!!!!!!


Shoruken!


Marty

[PTurchan]

I have no doubt that it will evolve. Just my first impression when I logged in this morning. I'll get over it. :biggrin:

I'm one of those that doesn't respond well to sudden change good or bad. :w00t:

+1 :thumbup1:

[BMWRider]

I am really happy with the new page, thank you.

[D'Brie]

Yep, works for me too! :biggrin:

[michael m]

Looks great.....how much better can you get ?