PDA

View Full Version : Your site needs YOU



Conrad
08-11-2009, 13:11
Over in suggestions box (http://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=7) we are chatting about a new home page. With some excellent suggestions coming into it. The latest one has got me intrigued though and I was wondering what everyone thought.

Farway has very sensibly suggested we should be making the links more visible on the page. (http://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?p=2349#post2349)

And has earnt a tirade off me about him not understanding the art. (http://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?p=2350#post2350)

I was wondering which page people think is right for the site, and why?

I personally think both views are valid and have no idea where the balance actually lies, and also think it is important to appreciate that Farway is suggesting that people newer to the net will find it more difficult (and is right).

So demos of both versions:

Page I originally designed (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/test/home2.php).

Page with higher visibility links (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/test/home3.php).

oldboots
08-11-2009, 14:21
Not being an arty type and as a bit of style free engineer I hesitate to comment but the blue underline while basic and crude is much clearer. Having said that I think a different background colour might help; the light grey with a lighter text is a bit hard to see. Have you tried light text colours on a dark background, like the Green/White mix on the top menus? Your corporate palete looks to be green, orange and mud if I may say so :p

Conrad
08-11-2009, 15:05
I'm not an arty type, and that is a big part of the problem, I personally don't think things should be made distractingly obvious though. Unless they should be distractingly obvious.

In general on a web page dark writing on light background is the way to go, this is allegedly more relaxing on the eyes, but also better when a computer tries to literally print a page, and when it is part loaded. The worst examples of this are white writing on black background. I should actually probably try making the foreground boxes white now, they were only discoloured as they were originally on a white background and I wanted them to stand out.

The Pubs Galore palette is basically green, orange and mud. It was chosen to try and be evocative of classic pubs back when we did it, and it is part of the personality now so here to stay :).

Soup Dragon
09-11-2009, 09:33
Hi Conrad - i looked at both and preferred the high-vis. It was nice to see that the POTD did in fact change everytime you went into the page, rather than every day. I took a number of clicks before i got a review up - OB had 3 in that time - me? jealous? noooooooo

As you know, i have made a few suggestions in the past and will continue to do so. You and Dave know how complicated/possible it is achieve, not me, so i dont worry too much about whether you do, or dont take them on board.

We live in an age. where it seems, you have to do everything for people. If a new user is interested, they will take 5 mins to learn how to navigate the site. It is your mission to build the perfect website, mine to have twigs (with lights on) removed from every pub; i fear neither of us will achieve it!

oldboots
09-11-2009, 09:42
It was nice to see that the POTD did in fact change everytime you went into the page, rather than every day. I took a number of clicks before i got a review up - OB had 3 in that time - me? jealous? noooooooo


I liked that bit too but maybe it's not that random, I put a lot of Liverpool reviews on yesterday so maybe it just takes the newest with pictures

Soup Dragon
09-11-2009, 09:51
I liked that bit too but maybe it's not that random, I put a lot of Liverpool reviews on yesterday so maybe it just takes the newest with pictures

Possible, both mine were Chester reviews, which i am still putting on, as well as 10 or so from Brum on Saturday.

Conrad
09-11-2009, 11:21
The pub of the day randomiser looks for the following.
- Pub is open
- Pub has a picture (of any age)
- Pub has a review less than 30 days old and over 150 characters long.

Once it has all those pubs it picks one at random, the only bias I can think of within those results is if for instance both Soup Dragon and Oldboots had reviewed it in the last 30 days then it would be twice as likely to come up but would only show the latest review, I can eliminate even that bias quite quickly though.

On this basis the top 5 reviewers of the last 30 days are:
oldboots - 206
Soup Dragon - 68
danny o'reavy - 17
arwkrite - 15
Mick Boyes - 11

Ok, that was incredibly lucky :), by those stats oldboots should appear roughly 3 times for each Soup Dragon appearance.

I chose the 30 days as I felt it was better to have a current review.

Soup Dragon, on another thread you appeared to firmly be against the random pub idea, is there a way you would find it useful?

Soup Dragon
09-11-2009, 11:25
Soup Dragon, on another thread you appeared to firmly be against the random pub idea, is there a way you would find it useful?

I think, from other sites, i found it to be completely London based, which means nothing to me - but if it changes everytime you log in (so its no longer pub of the day, just a random pub) then it gives greater coverage and it gives good examples of the kind of reviews you are looking for - so it has a value! if that makes sense?

Conrad
09-11-2009, 11:40
Ok, that is interesting, I was planning to pull it back to just being the same one for a day, but it is actually easier to leave it completely random for me. Will have to see how well it all slots together in the end.

Interested to hear you justify it by demonstrating a review, to be honest I had been struggling to see the point of it :). Now I have a better excuse than people seem to like it.

Soup Dragon
10-11-2009, 17:18
Good to see Oggy voting with his arm!:glass:

Oggwyn Trench
11-11-2009, 14:16
Good to see Oggy voting with his arm!:glass:

Its like the old saying "those who talk about sex the most are the ones who never get it "


Forgot , did i mention this gorgeoes blonde i met the other night ? well ......

Farway
11-11-2009, 15:55
Forgot , did i mention this gorgeoes blonde i met the other night ? well ......

Was she the one eight pints beautiful?

Soup Dragon
11-11-2009, 16:09
Its like the old saying "those who talk about sex the most are the ones who never get it "


Forgot , did i mention this gorgeoes blonde i met the other night ? well ......

A Slater's Dizzy blonde - or are you actually taking about a real woman!!!!

Conrad
11-11-2009, 16:17
I just bothered to look at the poll results, Ogwyn is the only one with any sense, the rest of you have opinions but no taste :moremad:

Anyway, back to coloring in and underlining all the links on my monitor ;)

Oggwyn Trench
11-11-2009, 18:24
A Slater's Dizzy blonde - or are you actually taking about a real woman!!!!

Not tried Dizzy Blonde yet but have tried Owzat and Summer Stunner which was gorgeous .
The woman was metaphorical ;)

Soup Dragon
11-11-2009, 18:27
Not tried Dizzy Blonde yet but have tried Owzat and Summer Stunner which was gorgeous .
The woman was metaphorical ;)

Slaters also do a Top Totty, the closest i will get to one;)

arwkrite
11-11-2009, 22:46
Let us not forget Dorothy Goodbody from Wye Valley way,for those who appreciate a lady with a fuller figure.:)

Eddie86
12-11-2009, 10:59
Keep an eye out for her Stout - it's normally available this time of year. A couple of years ago her ruby was available - stunning beer. Country Ale is a good winter warmer as well actually...

arwkrite
12-11-2009, 12:01
My experience at the 'Spoons Festival with stouts has not proved positive but I will certainly give it a try if I come across it.

Soup Dragon
12-11-2009, 12:42
Titanic Stout - thats class Mr A, even at a Spoons!

trainman
20-01-2010, 09:01
Not really the correct thread, but the first I found regarding site layout/functionality so here goes...
When looking at a list of forum topics the double down-arrow suggests 'go to first new post'; could you please advise the system logic behind that? I can't work out what post it actually picks up, and would think that going to last (most recent) post in a long thread would be more helpful, allowing a user to track back (if necessary).



It is your mission to build the perfect website, mine to have twigs (with lights on) removed from every pub;
Couldn't leave this thread without asking what that mission is about SD...?


A Slater's Dizzy blonde...
Isn't that Robinsons Dizzy Blonde? Slaters has blonde representation on the Top Totty pumpclip (on last night in t'Traf, funnily enough - I don't like it, summat about the brewery), but I don't recall them making a beer of that name?

oldboots
20-01-2010, 09:57
:twigs::twigs::twigs:I'll leave Soupy to explain his obsession(s) but this should help :twigs::twigs::twigs:

http://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?689-Litte-Xmas-Present-for-Soupy/page2

and specially for Soupy


129

trainman
20-01-2010, 10:16
When looking at a list of forum topics the double down-arrow suggests 'go to first new post'; could you please advise the system logic behind that? I can't work out what post it actually picks up, and would think that going to last (most recent) post in a long thread would be more helpful, allowing a user to track back (if necessary).

1) I have now found the PG 'technical' forum, where this should have been posted.
2) I have now noticed the double right-arrow which does, indeed, take one to the last post.
3) D'oh!!!
4) Ah well, at least it threw me into the strange world of twigs, and dizzy blondes!

oldboots
20-01-2010, 10:19
Isn't that Robinsons Dizzy Blonde? Slaters has blonde representation on the Top Totty pumpclip (on last night in t'Traf, funnily enough - I don't like it, summat about the brewery), but I don't recall them making a beer of that name?

Beermad (http://www.beermad.org.uk) lists six beers called Dizzy Blonde, but none from Slaters (whose beers don't seem to like leaving Staffordshire I've found).

trainman
20-01-2010, 10:26
:twigs::twigs::twigs:I'll leave Soupy to explain his obsession(s) but this should help :twigs::twigs::twigs:
and specially for Soupy
129
Ah, I'm starting to get it. My preferred style of drinkery would have burning logs/coals, rather than glowing (electric) twigs.