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Conrad
09-09-2009, 17:16
Hi all,

This is a thread I have been desperate to get going for quite a while, and with a bit of chat going between 3 of us so far (hopefully more soon), now seems a good time to try it.

We are desperate to hear what you want this site to do. Our view is that for this site to be a success it needs the community (whatever that community might be) to want to come to the site and use it.

As a starter for 10 (taken out of context from this thread (http://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?t=382)):

As far as BITE is concerned, i use it a lot. It has its issues, like PG. As i am a user i guess i can say what i feel about both, i have on BITE as well. I wont be offended if it is cut out! BITE suffers from a lack of administration, this site from lack of active users. If BITE carries on the way its going, i will leave reviews of pubs, but not bother with the forum. Its sad, as there are a lot of decent people that chat on the forum, but a few are spoiling it. There is no chat here to spoil, but you may notice that i do not leave rating scores here, just comments, as BITE shows how the rating system can be corrupted. You guys have shown in one thread that you are happy to get involved in chat etc, to the point that i can already abuse your lack of beer knowledge!
It raises some interesting points that I entirely agree with.

For me our site is the technically best pure pub website out there, with maps in particular being our stand out feature. Probably our worst feature being the review system, which whilst bad is still better than the majority of other pub web sites. Our real let down is the community (as in how we work together, not the individuals), and the way we interact with it on the site. Everyone we have contributing on the site is invaluable, including the landlords who review their pubs (although once again, please mention you are the landlord in the review). Sadly we are not getting everyone chatting well enough though.

BITE for instance though has a thriving community who for me are what makes their site.

Picking out one of the points in that post we are not great believers in ratings of pubs and it amuses me to see that they are requesting ratings out of 20 on the BITE forums. I think more ratings just makes it more confusing. If/when we go properly up the ratings route we will be trying to be original and not crank it up to 11.

In the background a lot of work goes on to maintain the site that never gets visible. As examples in the last week we have had a request from one of our members asking about what had gone wrong with the site as they could not view it. Whilst we think in this instance the computer they were using is up a particular creek without a paddle it did show us that if the computer had problems with one of the pages they would end up with 50+ alert boxes effectively locking up the browser (now removed). Another user asked what is wrong with the picture upload, we think they don't have Flash installed, so I am currently trying to make it so that you don't need Flash to contribute pictures. Also I am halfway through coding an interface on the page to allow members to mark pubs as closed or open as that is probably the thing we get requested most on feedback now.

Basically I would love to hear peoples suggestions of what we have right (just to make me feel better) and wrong so that we can improve it. We are always happy to hear suggestions and equally happy to explain our thinking on why we are doing things. I don't promise not to be defensive, but we are not interested in deleting or hiding anything as long as it is relevant and not too rude.

Soup Dragon
09-09-2009, 23:55
ME and BITE and PG:-
I signed onto BITE in Dec 2007 i think, as a casual kind of user. I rated about 50 pubs, with a few lines for about 9 months (nowhere near the amount i did!). I stopped for a while, then when i did a Scarborough/Whitby trip in May 2009 i started again, with slightly better reports, and since then have rated around 300 on BITE, which i also put on this site (in process of).

I was horrified to find that when i started again there was a massive backlog of pubs awaiting to go on the site - this was cleared, but is now back to several hundred (around 800 at last estimate). Also, the lack of administration on the site means that pratts are leaving vicious comments, that should be removed, in the pub review area and in the forums. This left me annoyed.

Even when leaving my reports just on BITE, i used this site for the maps, as so many pubs were already on (you chaps got me and my mate around Bridgnorth!), but it was clear that it wasnt being used either as a forum, or a review site to any effective level. It was simply the fact the pubs were listed and shown on a contextual map. What the site also got was lots of photos - more people submitted pictures than reviews.

My frustrations mounting over BITE, i thought i could put all my reviews on this site for the pubs that i was awaiting to go on BITE, then i could copy them over when they appeared. However, this quickly became a fair's fair kind of thing, so i thought i would maintain the comments on both sites, as PG was a good tool and deserved something in return.

THOUGHTS FOR PG:-
The FIRST thing you do well is administer the site - it is a case of hours before new pubs are put on, or updates done. HOWEVER, if your traffic increases, whether you could cope with it, would have to be proved - as you say, lots goes on behind the scenes to detract from monitoring posts etc. BITE allows no help really from its regular users, something you may need to think about. Currenly BITE cannot achieve this.

The SECOND thing you do well is interact with the forums, when someone you can see has an interest - like myself. You need to do more, even if its to tell a chap that you have never tried a Wadsworth beer! Start threads and chit chat posts yourselves, keep the forum ticking - I dont want to see 2008 topics on the front page, not a good advert. BITE add current news items on - do something similar? Interaction with BITE admin is currently near non- existant.

USERS:-
I cant praise the people that send photos in high enough, but talking to other USERS here, make your comments worth putting on. If i read a one-time poster comment saying 'cr*p pub', it means nothing. Posters need to include a little detail on the pub, beer, food and service to make review actually mean anything to someone reading it. Why was it good, or bad? The better the comments the more people will be attracted to read and then leave them. It doesnt have to be super detailed - do it in four bullet points if you want. I have disagreed with other commenters - thats legal! just dont slag them off.

So PG guys, it was good getting rid of the word limit, maybe you may think of having a structure to the comments - like ebay ask if you want to say anything on postage, speed of delivery, packaging etc when you buy something through them?

Ultimately, the comments page is there to help us. BITE get loads of comments, from the sublime to the sick - as it isnt monitored well enough at the moment. As a BITE regular too, you can pick the wheat from the chaff and make an informed decision as you know who generally leaves proper comments.

I think this site has great potential and i intend to keep posting whatever and usuing the forums - Jeez, i am an archivist, i am used to being on my own! and as a Bristol City fan, so is Conrad. I will continue to use BITE as well. I dont know if this has helped, but you can always ask my honest opinion and i will give it, either here, or in PM if you want guys.

Conrad
10-09-2009, 12:06
Hi Paul,

I wont say too much about BITE, for fear I start ranting. But my impression is that BITE is run on a primarily profit motive, with community a distant second. For me one of the most horrific things being those bloody interstitial Family Guy ads. Whilst it is clearly an aim to make PG profitable, we are very focused on trying to be transparent, my best example of this is the pictures that are uploaded to our site are fully credited and users have controls that allow them to delete their images if they like, which is a pity as we would far prefer to hold on to them as they are a credit to the site. Wherever we add new features now we try and keep that transparency in.

Administration: As I pointed out on another thread we received over 900 pictures on Tuesday, all approved and we are not near our capacity to cope. Your point is entirely correct in more ways than the simple load though, we do try and check pubs before we approve them and do some vague checks on pictures assuming we are not getting too many - it would be far better if we had members who knew their areas taking on some of that from us though. With this in mind the system is designed with distributed administration in mind. In most instances we are just clicking on a link to do the work, we are not transcribing the pubs people add to our database, when you have added them we just click an approve link and it is visible to everyone on the system and there is nothing stopping us giving selected members similar rights, with a little bit of coding we could make those rights very specific as well. So we are very on board with that aspect, it is part of this whole community thing we want.

Forums: Before I get going on the defensive bit, YOU ARE RIGHT, no argument and we need to address it. When the forum was started we did use it to post out the tiny updates we were doing and I shall start doing that again. About replying to threads, to be honest, as I am not much of a drinker I frequently feel like I have nothing to add, so don't, it is likely that had you not asked directly I would not have replied to your Favourites thread (http://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?t=382) which would have been a huge mistake. More work needed at this end which we will do!

Reviews: We have a number of issues with the reviewing system and it is one of my high priority pieces of work so may appear in the next year (I am way to busy, and easily distracted :(). Firstly we need a report link on every review so that we can eradicate the bloody useless posts like 'cr*p pub' which contribute as you say nothing. We need people to be able to post more than one review so that a timeline can form, and we need to make reviews replyable to so some debate can happen. When we built the review system we had a lot of insecurity about reviewers just coming in and slagging the pub off and so took the approach of constraining it, way too much.
I love your idea about suggesting a format for the review, not something I had thought of but could really make things work a lot better.

As an aside we have a ton of ideas for the site, and tend not to mention them as we don't want to be beaten to the punchline as we are very constrained on how much time we have to develop the site. I am never sure if this is the correct approach as we could always do with input on the ideas. Whilst I am not great at chatting about beers I am fascinated to chat about the running of the site, and in general I would rather it were done in public so that we get as much early input as possible to all we are doing from the people who will use it.

Thanks for all that input, never be shy of giving us more,

Conrad

Soup Dragon
10-09-2009, 12:24
No probs, Squire - i was simply going for the record for the fastest 50 posts on PG - and bless my soul, i have just got there!:D

Conrad
10-09-2009, 12:35
Congratulations, you qualify to view our super private exclusive forum.

Sadly as I have less than 50 posts, I fear you will be talking to yourself ;)

Soup Dragon
10-09-2009, 12:52
Congratulations, you qualify to view our super private exclusive forum.

Sadly as I have less than 50 posts, I fear you will be talking to yourself ;)

Great, at least i will be assured of good conversation:p

Also, there is plenty of room for threads on ANY topic - doesnt have to be drink, or pub related - we spend half the time on here fitting in Blackadder quotes and talking about your favourite team, the Rovers.

I have seen a few posts asking about family history/old pub information

Filo
11-09-2009, 10:19
Hi,

If I could just throw my two peneth worth in.

I like the time line idea allowing a user to make multiple reviews. With that facility, in years to come, Pubs Galore might become the diffininive online history of British Pubs in the 21st century. I also like the idea of having a format which will prompt users to put the appropriate information in.

The rating system could be perhaps a little less general. In other words in some pubs the ale can be good, but the food poor so its ale deserves a better rating than the food. Bagdale Hall for example is probably the finest place to eat traditional english food in Whitby, but I wouldnt want to go their just for a beer, the only option being John Smiths Smoothflow.

I always remember when I was an apprentice at Thornaby MPD, it was customary for all the staff to go to the Harewood Arms at the top Stockton Road after work on early shift Sundays. It was the most delapidated pub I've ever been in, no food, no music, no women, (under the age of 70), but the ale was hand drawn and kept in perfect condition. With the rating system as it is I would go for 1 star. But wouldnt it be better If I could give the ale 4 stars and everything else 1 star each, (although I wouldnt expect to rate the women:))?

Sadly the Harewood arms along with the Bon Lea were demolished to make way for A66 widening.

Anyway just some thoughts,

Regards,

Filo

Soup Dragon
11-09-2009, 10:36
Hi filo

You were at Thornaby - takes me back to choo choo days in the 70s when as a kid i was a spotter. I have grown up now - do pubs instead - my whitby ones are up now i think. Got Scarboro and Filey to do, but these were from my first days of posting and a little less informative - wait till you see Shakespeare Inn (Scarboro)

Yes, i agree with the timeline facility - as pubs change hands quickly and it does give a 'history' - a gaffer will always complain if a review is no longer anything to do with 'his/her' pub, but the argument can be made now.

Ratings are just a pain i think. Subjective - better i think just to leave comments on good/bad points - and yes, i have left the odd one for a gorgeous barmaid - after all, archivists are human too!

Conrad
11-09-2009, 12:59
Hi Filo,

Good to have your thoughts!

First things first, it would be great if you contributed to the Favourites thread (http://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?t=382), which is currently losing course swiftly and could do with an injection of on topic information. Also it would give you an opportunity to mention some of your projects where they will get seen by people reading the forum!

I think the timelines thing is very important for all the reasons you and Paul are saying, and as alluded to in another thread we need something similar for pictures, and also pub names. We will get to all those, if I am honest the hardest part for me at the moment is visualising how to make it all work on the screen. To back this up with an example we do occasionally get landlords contacting us to insist we remove out of date photos of their pubs - at the moment we hide them when this happens with an eye to re-showing them when we have more of a timeline available.

Ratings, I actually agree with both of you. I don't want to suggest too many of my thoughts at the moment as I am a ways off actually being able to do the development. But to put it into broad brush strokes, number ratings are useless, far better to give it a verbal scale and we should be able to suggest whether a pub prefers certain clients. So we should have a system that lets a user know that a pub serves great food but no real ale, or real ales but you better only want a sarny with crisps on the side, or even excels at both.

And finally in a cat amongst the pigeons moment, FILO have you checked your namesakes review page (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/29832/) recently? I promise we will allow replies eventually!

Conrad

Filo
12-09-2009, 11:10
Hello Conrad,

Thanks for your reply.

As for the namesake review page I have re-arranged the comments section with additional info to off set the slightly negative review submitted. Having said that, between you and I, I dont like Tetley's much either, although Camra obviously do since the 2010 Good beer guide includes the namesake again :D.

I'll have a look at the Favourites thread and see what I can do. One of my little projects as you know, is a new 24 hour Internet radio radio programme called Whitby Radio. Although depending how you log on it is also Manymore Radio which my brother runs in Birmingham. Now its up and running and getting many more listeners around the world than we expected we have been trying to find ways to cover our costs. They are actually quite small, but it would be nice to recover more. So the first idea was to offer a free webpage service to pubs that didnt have one, (because of the cost), bit like the filo site, www.firstinlastoutpub.co.uk . This makes a little money from google adverts and since they got in the good beer guide it has taken off quite nicely. Then I thought about advertising pubs on the radio for free (small donation requested obviously). But the problem is contacting the pubs for both ideas in the first place. eg more expense, and were not in that league :(

Would that sort of (advertising) be suitable on the Favourites Thread? Or perhaps its a service you could offer your users? just a little logo for free adverts and webpages perhaps?

Anyway my little brain seems to be working overtime.

Regards,

Filo
whitbyradio.manymore.com

Conrad
12-09-2009, 11:34
Hi Filo,

Not sure what you are asking re advertising. So I will give a broad answer and hopefully get what you are after.

In terms of paid advertising, at the moment we are using Google Ads alone on the main site. We may I guess add them to the forums at some point, but we have to be careful to not alienate people, so the forums would have to be a lot more lively to tempt us into that. The only other form of advertising I think that is likely to tempt us is sensible banners, so Guinness if you are reading this, a nice £1,000,000 banner ad campaign would be welcomed!

In terms of promotion (what I will call uncharged advertising here). As long as you can find a link to pubs then we are realitively relaxed about posting it on the forums. I would say that how relaxed we are is proportional to how visibly you contribute non promotional material to the site, and you have long been a valued contributor to the site so we are very relaxed about you promoting your projects on the forum, preferably with a pub slant ;). I should say this isn't really that altruistic either as any life in the forums is good for the site as has been pointed out a few times.

Long term I am sure this will all evolve and in a lot of ways the community that grows here will dictate that evolution, but it is my hope that it will stick vaguely to the guidelines above.

Conrad

ps. Dave may be along to correct me in a minute as normally I would get him to check this sort of post before I clicked submit.

Filo
12-09-2009, 12:28
Hi Conrad,

I'll sort something out on "Your Favourites" Tomorrow when its less busy here at work.

What I was thinking of was, that all of the sites I have created so far have your logo on it, with a direct link to the appropriate page on your site, for example have alook at:

www.scarborough.manymore.net

note the links at the top of the page which link to the location sites, each of which has a link to your site. there are many more location webpages to come yet and each one will have a link to PG. If you had a tiny option for pubs to contact me with a view to getting a website created for free then each one taken up would mean a new advert & link to Pubs galore.:cool:

As for the radio it would mean that any acceptance of adverts would also say how to find the info on Pubs galore eg "....and for more information about The Slaughtered Lamb go to www.pubsgalore.com".

Good Plan eh? :D

Regards,

Filo

Conrad
12-09-2009, 20:16
Hi Filo,

The idea is a sound one, sadly it ties in to part of how we are hoping to open up some revenue on the core site in the future (and I know that is vague, but we are some way off being able to do all we want to on that one, PM me if you want more detail).

Within that we are happy for you to promote in the forums, we do view them as far more relaxed than the core site. And we are never planning to charge to add links to the pub pages as we want to remain as authoritative as possible a source on pubs.

Sorry to be overall negative :(, I hate not helping out our members as much as possible,

Conrad

Farway
15-09-2009, 13:52
My two penn'orth fwiw

I used to contribute to BITE, in fact you will find some identical pictures of mine on PG

However, when BITE introduced pop up ads that nagged away I stopped as it became just annoying

If you do have ads, please please just leave them as text or banners, no flash, pop ups, movies etc

And now I will have to start reading the forums more, it was a bit like wandering in the Sahara, thanks Historian, who I assume has just gone on hols to Devon given new pub postings en route

Soup Dragon
15-09-2009, 14:25
Hi Farway

Welcome to the forums

I agree about those pop up ads, as well

Yes, Squire, was it that obvious i have just been away? - got about 10 or so left - Lyme Regis being one area - great time and hope they are useful, even if you may not agree with all thats said.

Conrad
15-09-2009, 14:48
Hi Farway,

We do sadly plan on showing more ads as the site does need revenue. The trick is not to cross the line though, we have no plans to run pop-ups (or micro-sites as I discovered they are trying to rebrand to), interstitials (where you can't continue on till you have read the ad), or oversized ads. So at the moment we have the skyscraper on the right, and it would be very easy to slot a banner in at the top. Currently not averse to running Flash ads in a space that size or anything glitsy, but I would say it would have to be in context, so I am not keen to run campaigns for computer games, but happy enough to show a alcohol related ad.

Hope that is not too disheartening,

Conrad

Dave M
16-09-2009, 13:06
thanks Historian, who I assume has just gone on hols to Devon given new pub postings en route

It made me smile that we managed to sort out the Branscombe / Masons Arms (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/67215/) confusion just before Paul (Historian) got there. He does seem to enjoy pointing out the cock ups on the site! ;)

After being reminded of the place for the second time in a couple of weeks it got me thinking as to how I knew of the place despite never having been there. The lead singer of The Strawbs (who played at this years Great British Beer Festival) wrote the song 'A Glimpse of Heaven' which he often points out was about Branscombe, where he lived for a while - maybe he was referring to the pubs!

Farway
16-09-2009, 13:18
It made me smile that we managed to sort out the Branscombe / Masons Arms (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/67215/) confusion just before Paul (Historian) got there. He does seem to enjoy pointing out the cock ups on the site! ;)

After being reminded of the place for the second time in a couple of weeks it got me thinking as to how I knew of the place despite never having been there. The lead singer of The Strawbs (who played at this years Great British Beer Festival) wrote the song 'A Glimpse of Heaven' which he often points out was about Branscombe, where he lived for a while - maybe he was referring to the pubs!

I suspect the Branscombe knowledge may have come from the recent [2008?] wreck off the coast & pictures of folk breaking open containers & wheeling BMW bikes etc away

For those who know the area taking salvage from the beach to civilisation is no mean task, single track road for miles, and that is before you even reach Branscombe Village, home of the Masons Arms

PS for Historian -Your review ref Masons Arms and comment on picture ref pub on left behind trees, it on the right behind the trees, you can just about make out the sign, and I can tell the Fountain is even more quaint, old uneven flagstone floor, probably original

Dave M
16-09-2009, 13:35
I suspect the Branscombe knowledge may have come from the recent [2008?] wreck off the coast & pictures of folk breaking open containers & wheeling BMW bikes etc away

Ah yes of course, that was headline news for several days, can't believe I'd forgotten where it happened. If someone had just asked me where that happened I would've guessed at somewhere along the Dorset coast between Weymouth & Swanage.

Soup Dragon
16-09-2009, 13:39
I suspect the Branscombe knowledge may have come from the recent [2008?] wreck off the coast & pictures of folk breaking open containers & wheeling BMW bikes etc away

For those who know the area taking salvage from the beach to civilisation is no mean task, single track road for miles, and that is before you even reach Branscombe Village, home of the Masons Arms

PS for Historian -Your review ref Masons Arms and comment on picture ref pub on left behind trees, it on the right behind the trees, you can just about make out the sign, and I can tell the Fountain is even more quaint, old uneven flagstone floor, probably original

Yes, mate - there are no trees on the left - but when i visited, i came from the other direction

Think i will get away with that?:D

Soup Dragon
18-09-2009, 12:27
Hi PG chaps

Couple more things have come to mind -

can you give more space to recent recommendations? (you can cut the part you show to a few lines)

yes, more than three scales of posting levels are required i think and 100 as tops will be too low - sadly, i think you will end up still with more generic terms, but will have a think

Dave M
18-09-2009, 12:37
Hi PG chaps

Couple more things have come to mind -

can you give more space to recent recommendations? (you can cut the part you show to a few lines)

Are you thinking in terms of showing more than just the latest two? It is a good point, when we originally introduced that we were probably only getting about two a day!

Soup Dragon
18-09-2009, 14:55
Are you thinking in terms of showing more than just the latest two? It is a good point, when we originally introduced that we were probably only getting about two a day!

yes, mate - i have done all the ones i want to transfer over, which means i still have loads i want to redo - as originally they were a few lines - a lot of local pubs - accordingly, it looks like i havent done all the cheslyn hay pubs - which of course i have and just to make sure, i am meeting an old mate on sunday in three of them! Essington tonight!

Dave M
18-09-2009, 16:37
Ok I will have a chat with Conrad about that recommendations stuff next week.

Sounds like you have a good weekend lined up - and all to help potential visitors to the West Midlands decide where to have a drink. Your dedication to the cause is admirable! :D

Soup Dragon
18-09-2009, 16:45
Watch your language, Squire - Staffordshire

I start on the West Mids next week!:p

Another thought - on the maps - what chance of having the ability to scroll the map, up down, left, right etc - at the moment you have to click on another pub closer to the edge of the map in the direction you want to go?

Dave M
18-09-2009, 16:57
Oooops. Apologies for that, clearly I meant to say Staffordshire. <cough>

I believe you can scroll the maps around. If you click and hold the mouse somewhere on the map (but not on a pub marker) you can then drag the map around as much as you like.

Soup Dragon
18-09-2009, 18:57
Oooooh! you live and learn, Sonny Jim!

cheers:)

Dave M
19-09-2009, 00:32
I guess we need to make it clearer that it's possible to do that.

Good job you asked about it! :D

Conrad
21-09-2009, 12:27
Just to move a couple of the suggestions into new threads.

Historian asked about showing more recommendations. If I am understanding this you are asking for more than 2 recommendations to be shown on the Home page (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/), County page (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/counties/staffordshire/) & Town page (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/towns/cannock/staffordshire/)?

We have currently constrained it to 2 reviews as it is meant to be a taster of the pages, then you drill down for more information, the risk I think is that if you show too many of the reviews then the casual user doesn't realise if you scroll down you see more information on other things.

Changing it is fairly easy (I change a number in code) and could be done in minutes, so not really any effort on my part, can you let me know how it helps though? So that I can make sure it is appropriate.

Also the suggestion about arrows on the map. From memory they are quite easy to add, and I will give that some thought. My old issue is that the map is so small any more clutter is just clutter, but on the other hand clearly it needs more sign-posting. When the maps are redone we will make them bigger as we now have more of the screen to play with on the new design.

Conrad

Soup Dragon
21-09-2009, 14:53
Yes, mate - also, a regular could submit 25 reviews one after the other, but only one would appear - the other review seems to have to belong to a different reviewer - am i right?

Conrad
21-09-2009, 15:04
Yep, it is a promotional thing, so will try and show we have more than 1 reviewer;).

As things stand if I change the number to 4, it will try and find 4 different reviewers and show them in those slots, then if there are less than 4 reviewers it will show more than 1 of the most recent reviewer (I think that is right from memory).

It doesn't sound like that is what you want though?

I guess my confusion is I am wondering how you would use this, is it to make the page look like it has more activity, to make it easier for you to see what you have done, something else?

Sorry, I am happy to make changes, just not sure I get this one:(.

Soup Dragon
21-09-2009, 15:09
Yep, it is a promotional thing, so will try and show we have more than 1 reviewer;).

As things stand if I change the number to 4, it will try and find 4 different reviewers and show them in those slots, then if there are less than 4 reviewers it will show more than 1 of the most recent reviewer (I think that is right from memory).

It doesn't sound like that is what you want though?

I guess my confusion is I am wondering how you would use this, is it to make the page look like it has more activity, to make it easier for you to see what you have done, something else?

Sorry, I am happy to make changes, just not sure I get this one:(.

it shows activity and hopefully, good examples of reviews rather than one-liners. You may want to add a link, where a reader can jump to to see, say, the last 10/15 reviews.

Conrad
21-09-2009, 15:26
it shows activity and hopefully, good examples of reviews rather than one-liners. You may want to add a link, where a reader can jump to to see, say, the last 10/15 reviews.

You have suggested where I was going. So still show x reviews (did you think more than 2 would be better?) And then under them click to show a page with the last 15 reviews in that region and nothing else?

As an aside, it is some thing different but have you seen the site reports (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/reports/activity.php?day=20&month=9&year=2009&recommendation=on) stuff?

Soup Dragon
21-09-2009, 16:24
You have suggested where I was going. So still show x reviews (did you think more than 2 would be better?) And then under them click to show a page with the last 15 reviews in that region and nothing else?

As an aside, it is some thing different but have you seen the site reports (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/reports/activity.php?day=20&month=9&year=2009&recommendation=on) stuff?

If you had a link to the site report - showing all that day's activity that would be fine - or the last 20 reviews, that would be fine, then have the 5 most recent, on the opening page - if that makes sense?

Conrad
21-09-2009, 16:52
Ok, agree with you about latest 5 on the home page, and a link off to the site report (in fact we need the same with pictures and added pubs as well).

I think I would find 5 on the town and county pages a little overwhelming, did you think they needed changing as well?

Soup Dragon
21-09-2009, 22:54
Ok, agree with you about latest 5 on the home page, and a link off to the site report (in fact we need the same with pictures and added pubs as well).

I think I would find 5 on the town and county pages a little overwhelming, did you think they needed changing as well?

Not really, the main page would suffice i think - other regs may have a different opinion though

Conrad
22-09-2009, 14:04
Well as the displayed recommendations was a fairly simple change I have just made it. I need to look like I am at least doing something

Soup Dragon
22-09-2009, 14:09
Forum Dictator, glad to see you keep a check on reality!

The funny thing is, we have the exact same picture of Kermit up at work, i see it all the time, and of course it reminds me of you - but it did before you adopted it as you avatar:D

aleandhearty
23-09-2009, 16:39
This is a thread I have been desperate to get going for quite a while, and with a bit of chat going between 3 of us so far (hopefully more soon), now seems a good time to try it.

We are desperate to hear what you want this site to do. Our view is that for this site to be a success it needs the community (whatever that community might be) to want to come to the site and use

Basically I would love to hear peoples suggestions of what we have right (just to make me feel better) and wrong so that we can improve it.

Hello everyone. This is my first post on PG, although I have been a regular contributor to BITE for the past two years. I already recognise two users in 'historian' and 'arkwrite' and I hope that number increases.

Obviously, I need to feel my way into the site, over the coming weeks, before commenting, although I have one or two thoughts already. It's good to be here and I'm looking forward to contributing ASAP.

Filo
23-09-2009, 16:53
Hello, aleandhearty,

Good to have you on board.

Regards,

Filo. :)

Conrad
23-09-2009, 16:54
Hi aleandhearty,

Fantastic to have you on board, we hope you stick around and we would love to hear any thoughts.

I am aware that a lot of PG is quite confusing and has no instructions, so if you have any queries about what anything does, or is something there, feel free to just ask. At the very least it is informative to us to see what people are trying to do and what may be confusing.

Conrad

Farway
24-09-2009, 18:21
Nice to see the click for all days reviews, just did it and see Richard Arkwrite has been stomping around my neck of the woods down in Sarf Hampshire

I know you mentioned same for pictures & listings, I commend this to the House

Conrad
24-09-2009, 22:51
It should be easy enough to add, I will check tomorrow.

You can check it currently by changing the checkboxes at the top and clicking submit when you are looking at today's reviews. But we should do the shortcuts from the frontpage to make it easier.

Here, here, and thanks for the suggestion.

Conrad
25-09-2009, 15:43
Front page changed, doubled the amount of new pubs and new pictures and added those link.

Let me know if you see any problems with that,

Conrad

Farway
25-09-2009, 16:13
Thanks, seems to work fine

Soup Dragon
30-09-2009, 16:14
Hi Conrad, how are you getting on with the ability for a user to make multiple reviews of the same pub?

Conrad
30-09-2009, 16:22
Not even looked at it yet.

Order of priority is:

Twitter
User interface for opening/closing pubs
User interface for correcting address
Rewrite whole review system
Amount of time I am finding at the moment, I doubt I will look at it before Christmas :(

Soup Dragon
30-09-2009, 16:28
no probs, Squire - at least i understand what needs to be done first and timescales etc. I will just add it on to the existing reports then, rather than get a short term alias

Conrad
30-09-2009, 16:35
Thats alright, feel free to hassle me, keeps me motivated to get on and do things.

Soup Dragon
30-09-2009, 16:37
OK, Conrad, how long before muliple postings for the same pub:p

Conrad
30-09-2009, 16:38
Depends how long I spend answering dumb questions :p.

Soup Dragon
30-09-2009, 16:39
i will not mention the word 'muppet'

i will not mention the word 'muppet'

i will not mention the word 'muppet'

i will not mention the word 'muppet'

:p:p:p:p

Tilly-Miss
07-02-2010, 11:49
Very interesting

Conrad
07-02-2010, 14:42
A timely bump for this thread actually. it is interesting to see how much things have progressed in these months. Definitely a sign that I need to pull my finger out and start getting some new features released.

runningdog
10-02-2010, 12:02
This another thread I'd missed 'til now, it's made interesting reading. I think you understimate yourselves, you've already got a good site. However, I think you are in rare, if not unique, position. Most sites grow slowly with folk feeling their way as they go.
PuG has suddenly become supercharged. Have to go for a while, will finish this post later, rather than get timed out...TTFN
Right, now , this is me finishing me post.
As I said, most sites grow slowly, this one has had a sort of Darwin moment. I don't know how many have come in from the cold in the last fortnight or so, somewhere between 20 to 50 is my guess. All, or at least most, are experienced posters on both main site and the forums. These are people, speaking for the very least myself, who feel they have been undervalued and ignored elsewhere. You are indeed lucky to have us, but, without your open attiude, few of us would be here. Good luck to us all, I see a bright future, one where BitE is rarely mentioned, and then, with a fleeting sense of regret....Bring on the Beast that is PUbs Galore..........

Gann
10-02-2010, 12:14
This another thread I'd missed 'til now, it's made interesting reading. I think you understimate yourselves, you've already got a good site. However, I think you are in rare, if not unique, position. Most sites grow slowly with folk feeling their way as they go.
PuG has suddenly become supercharged. Have to go for a while, will finish this post later, rather than get timed out...TTFN

Yep me too...

The more I play with PuG the more I like it. Very impressed with the New Pub entry system where you are able to post all the info in one go and then magically it all appears the next day. That hasn't happened to me for a long while...

Anyway like RD will say more later but have to shoot for the moment as I have to go and play 5 - Aside..... I mean chase a ball about whilst being roasted for pace by younger guns...

Conrad
10-02-2010, 14:59
I think the site is really good too, and it is fantastic having so many more contributions coming in at the moment. I think it can be better though :)

So keep letting us know how.

Rex_Rattus
10-02-2010, 16:22
For all my banging on about postcodes and ratings, I too think that this is an excellent site. Without wishing to sound sycophantic and thus incurring the wrath of a troll in Another Place, this seems largely due to the effort you are putting into making it even better.

However, when I first viewed the forums I was somewhat perturbed to note that there were numerous teetotallers getting involved, supposedly, as I presumed, misguided prohibitionists trying to derail our simple pleasure of drinking ale. Then I noticed some names I recognised and I wasn't so sure. Trainman? Maldenman? teetotal? Didn't sound right to me somehow. And it got worse! As soon as made a posting I was accused of being teetotal myself! Now, I haven't been teetotal for 50 years, thus accusing me of being a teetotaler was a vile calumny. Now it seems that I am something called a "spritzer swallower". I haven't swallowed a spritzer (whatever that might be) in my life. I look forward to the day when I get promoted to something more appropriate - I'm not sure about "glass half full", but "real ale drinker" sounds pretty good to me. I suppose I shall just have to continue to work at it.

Conrad
10-02-2010, 16:42
For all my banging on about postcodes and ratings,
How would we be able to improve it if people don't tell us? Until you start calling me names I try to treat it all as informative.

As to the titles they have been surprisingly effective in promoting posts :)

Maldenman
10-02-2010, 16:45
. Now it seems that I am something called a "spritzer swallower". I haven't swallowed a spritzer (whatever that might be) in my life.

Who are you kidding Rex, I'm sure I saw you sneak a quick white wine & soda in the other night!

Rex_Rattus
10-02-2010, 22:11
Who are you kidding Rex, I'm sure I saw you sneak a quick white wine & soda in the other night!

I think you'll find I had a blonde...............ale that is!

arwkrite
11-02-2010, 09:29
As we are accused of being everything from BOFs , ShedHeads and Back Stabbing Control Freaks then Pubsgalore seems a friendly enough meeting place for quite a disparate group of people.For whatever reason it is that we visit pubs and wish to comment about them and our experiences we at least feel our in put is appreciated. Far from being wreckers I have found the members to be sincere in their wish to improve and contribute to both the site and the forums. I have contributed to a number of different forums in small ways, I am not the Mover and Shaker type, and it can be a disapointment when one completely changes in character.
People feel happier if they know that the society they are part of appreciates them .( How many of you know the bitter taste of redundancy, betrayal or divorce. Please don't answer that but will know what I mean.)
Let us all make this a happy place, full of friends who respect their mates and what they have to say and dedicated all sorts of pubs and drinks. Keep open minds to new ways while at the same time honouring age old traditions.

After re-reading that I had better check I did not double up on my Happy Pill this morning.!