Site needs a major overhaul

[Beau Tie]

I love the site, and the content. However, it needs a more modern layout. As it stands now, it's cluttered, images on the front page are inconsistently sized, justified, etc. The layout is hard to follow, the super news ticker also needs a more prominent display. It's one of my favorite sites on the web, and one of the worst layouts on the web in my experience.

The staff, content, and members are all great however. Keep up the great work. How about a site redo though.

[FenwickHockey65]

The super news ticker doesn't even show up on my computer. On both my computers to be exact. It just gives me an error message at the top of the page.

[crooner214]

The Super News Ticker doesn't work for me, either. I would love to use it!

[goblue]

It depends on what you're looking for....

For usability - I'd give the site a B, the superticker doesn't work for me either - but overall, it functions well.

Other things keeping it from an A - you can't customize your "home" page. It would be amazing if when you automatically logged in you saw links to the last 5 threads you posted in, or other user modifiable features.

For pure aesthetics, I'd give the site a D - like others have said, things aren't consistent, lots of clutter - redundant or not frequently (if ever) used links everywhere.

[t-rex]

I don't find anything wrong with the site at all. Although on that red site selector bar, "home" needs to be at the far left where we find it on most other sites.

I'd like to see chat return though, so I can make GMCSonoma nervous, annoy Buick61 by calling his orientation into question (jokingly of course), and of course my long chinwags with either CEMAXC or BigalsZ28 at 3am, when I was up tending to a crying baby and poopy diapers. I've always wondered why baby-less people would be up at that hour!

And maybe improve the search function. I recently posted a news piece I thought was "new" but was 2 years old! I searched beforehand to make sure it wasn't old news, but none of the keywords I entered showed any results. So I looked dumb posting something so old!

[Branden]

I don't think the site is that "terrible". You have to keep in mind..we don't have a full time websign staff like some other major new outlets do. Also, when a site gets this big..every time you change one thing...it breaks something else.

As for the superticker..I just need to delete the link..it bogs the server. As for chat..every time we jump through the hoops it takes to get it working..some code vulnerability pops up and we have to kill it. I am guessing this is why many large auto forums also do not have chat.

That being said..I visit several sites every day that are much larger and nothing more than forums. You type in the url..and you are right at the forum home page. No chat, no "super ticker"...no nothing...just a forum....and it is the exact same forum software we run. People seem fine with this layout on those sites...so I don't understand why on this site..is "so hard to follow" and not "modern". We all use the same underlying software. I see this site in the same light as a corvetteforum.com, camaroz28.com, or ls1tech.com. In that I mean a large member driven community but focused on GM news instead of Corvettes,Camaro's or a motor. If you are expecting a competitor to say Autoblog, or Edmonds Inside line...that would take much more resources than this site generates.

I do think a redesign is due...and it is something that is certainly being looked at. The one thing to remember though..is if you expect things to be "different" than a more polished version of what we already have...it will require a lot of work, and customer coding of vBulliten. I am not against that at all..but it is not something that is simple or fast. As for the redesign, I think I have an idea which direction we will go...and it will be a bit different...but we will also take our time and make sure it is fully baked before hand.

[GMCSonoma]

Originally Posted by t-rex

I'd like to see chat return though, so I can make GMCSonoma nervous,

With the amount of blue language that was in chat...you bet I was nervous...not knowing if kids under 18 were frequenting in there or not...

[goblue]

Originally Posted by Branden

I don't think the site is that "terrible". You have to keep in mind..we don't have a full time websign staff like some other major new outlets do. Also, when a site gets this big..every time you change one thing...it breaks something else.

As for the superticker..I just need to delete the link..it bogs the server. As for chat..every time we jump through the hoops it takes to get it working..some code vulnerability pops up and we have to kill it. I am guessing this is why many large auto forums also do not have chat.

That being said..I visit several sites every day that are much larger and nothing more than forums. You type in the url..and you are right at the forum home page. No chat, no "super ticker"...no nothing...just a forum....and it is the exact same forum software we run. People seem fine with this layout on those sites...so I don't understand why on this site..is "so hard to follow" and not "modern". We all use the same underlying software. I see this site in the same light as a corvetteforum.com, camaroz28.com, or ls1tech.com. In that I mean a large member driven community but focused on GM news instead of Corvettes,Camaro's or a motor. If you are expecting a competitor to say Autoblog, or Edmonds Inside line...that would take much more resources than this site generates.

I do think a redesign is due...and it is something that is certainly being looked at. The one thing to remember though..is if you expect things to be "different" than a more polished version of what we already have...it will require a lot of work, and customer coding of vBulliten. I am not against that at all..but it is not something that is simple or fast. As for the redesign, I think I have an idea which direction we will go...and it will be a bit different...but we will also take our time and make sure it is fully baked before hand.

That all sounds very reasonable. Like I said, its an above average user experience, and thats much more important than aesthetics

[plane]

I know that I speak for everyone here when I say that there is entirely too much GM on this site.
GM this, GM that, come on.

We need more level 1 members.
And a couple of scion forums.
Ban each and every "Let's laugh at the pitiful Tunda" thread.
It's just not fair to pick on such a poor excuse for a full-size pickup.
Only allow mgescuro up to 3 heavily censored comments in each Cadillac thread.
Add a rubber chicken or two to the avatars for the Ford Guys.


Maybe a big flashing warning avatar frame for all the guys from Australia.
Establish a very solemn guitarlix memorial using the artwork from the Dumb and Dumber DVD cover.
Or was that Lazerwizard?
Free Beer Thursday at GMC Sonoma's house?
And yeah, double everyone's membership rates while we are at it.

Brandon, no need to thank me.
Get that stuff in the works and pretty soon you'll be right up there with google and yahoo.
You read it here first.

[rhvfd10]

LOL Plane...

Really I enjoy this site and all who take part in it greatly. Whatever Branden and Skie and all the other mods come up with is fine with me.

[GMCSonoma]

Originally Posted by plane

I know that I speak for everyone here when I say that there is entirely too much GM on this site.
GM this, GM that, come on.

We need more level 1 members.
And a couple of scion forums.
Ban each and every "Let's laugh at the pitiful Tunda" thread.
It's just not fair to pick on such a poor excuse for a full-size pickup.
Only allow mgescuro up to 3 heavily censored comments in each Cadillac thread.
Add a rubber chicken or two to the avatars for the Ford Guys.


Maybe a big flashing warning avatar frame for all the guys from Australia.
Establish a very solemn guitarlix memorial using the artwork from the Dumb and Dumber DVD cover.
Or was that Lazerwizard?
Free Beer Thursday at GMC Sonoma's house?
And yeah, double everyone's membership rates while we are at it.

Brandon, no need to thank me.
Get that stuff in the works and pretty soon you'll be right up there with google and yahoo.
You read it here first.

I won't ban you if you help me with this year's country club dues...
until then, no soup for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ctaylorzl1]

We awoke Branden! Whenever he posts its like a miracle, a booming voice comming down from auto forum heaven, giving some kind of divine GMi knowledge.

As for me I think the site is fine, I dont see any real problem with it not being as "polished" as other sites. The only thing I would mabey like to see was a cooler, more customizeable user homepage. But other than that, its a great site. (Mabey a better thread/post search, or mabey a button that shocks Buick61 when he goes overboard gushing about non-GM products)

[Odin]

I for one would like to say thanks for the forums, gives me my gm fix, and really isn't that bad. I dont visit the front page that much, but for a free forum, I think this is great.

[Beau Tie]

Originally Posted by Branden

I don't think the site is that "terrible". You have to keep in mind..we don't have a full time websign staff like some other major new outlets do. Also, when a site gets this big..every time you change one thing...it breaks something else.

As for the superticker..I just need to delete the link..it bogs the server. As for chat..every time we jump through the hoops it takes to get it working..some code vulnerability pops up and we have to kill it. I am guessing this is why many large auto forums also do not have chat.

That being said..I visit several sites every day that are much larger and nothing more than forums. You type in the url..and you are right at the forum home page. No chat, no "super ticker"...no nothing...just a forum....and it is the exact same forum software we run. People seem fine with this layout on those sites...so I don't understand why on this site..is "so hard to follow" and not "modern". We all use the same underlying software. I see this site in the same light as a corvetteforum.com, camaroz28.com, or ls1tech.com. In that I mean a large member driven community but focused on GM news instead of Corvettes,Camaro's or a motor. If you are expecting a competitor to say Autoblog, or Edmonds Inside line...that would take much more resources than this site generates.

I do think a redesign is due...and it is something that is certainly being looked at. The one thing to remember though..is if you expect things to be "different" than a more polished version of what we already have...it will require a lot of work, and customer coding of vBulliten. I am not against that at all..but it is not something that is simple or fast. As for the redesign, I think I have an idea which direction we will go...and it will be a bit different...but we will also take our time and make sure it is fully baked before hand.

Let me say for the record that it was not I that said the site was "terrible", just in case someone made that impression. With that said, I am glad you are looking at updating the site. I don't expect Autoblog/Edmunds quality (heck, I don't EXPECT anything for a free website), I am just hoping for more consistency on the main page, more fluid layout, and easy on the eyes.

Thank you GMI staff for replying and listening.

[Buick61]

Two mentions in one thread? I feel like Jesus at the Grammys!