Board Alternatives -- Comments and Voting

[TheConfessor]

Eyegor is apparently trying to conduct a survey of where people want to hang out from now on. He posted it on the other alternative boards, but I don't see it here. Maybe I missed it. Anyway, for those who want to be counted, here's what he posted:

Send your preference to saveourbored@gmail.com

Just to recap, here are the main contenders that I know about:

http://www.grandslamshow.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=4
http://boards.fool.com/Messages.asp?bid=118553
https://millionaire.forumotion.com/index.htm
http://forums.go.com/disney/abcfamily/forum?start=0&forumID=127
http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/WWTBAM_Regulars/

I have posted on all of these. Here are my initial thoughts. Please feel free to add your own comments.

I generally prefer whatever is familiar, intuitive, simple, and easy to use. That's probably why I lean toward the forum at the Grand Slam site. It is familiar and comfortable to me because it is just like the format I've been using at the Ken Jennings blog message board for the past year. It does a good job and is very easy to navigate.

The megabb board is similar and seems to be building momentum among users. My biggest problem with it is that it was set up with several categories and sub categories that require users to look in many different places to find new posts and to decide which place is the best place to post a new topic. I think this is confusing and counterproductive. It would be best to just have one main category where people post whatever they want. There might be exceptions -- maybe it would make sense to have a separate forum for transcripts or for FNGD, but the jury is out on that. On the Ken Jennings board, there is one main forum and three very specific separate forums, used exclusively for board administration, weekly trivia quiz results, and questions about Ken's book, Brainiac. This seems to work well.

The Motley Fool board seems to be very lacking in function and ease of navigation. It also seems strange to be a game show squatter on an investment web site.

The ABC Family board has some familiar features and is kind of a retro reminder of the good old days, but who's to say they won't come along and pull the plug on us there? We need to be somewhere where we can control our own destiny.

The Yahoo Groups board still has a few good people keeping it limping along, but most people have expressed frustration with its sluggish response times, which make it difficult to communicate in real time.

A general concern for any of these boards is how they stay in business and what their life expectancy is. I don't understand how a message board with no advertising makes money. Can someone explain that?

Another question is how visible each of these boards would be to the public. Will any or all of these boards come up in the results if someone Googles "WWTBAM" or "hot seat" or "Vieira"? Do people want new blood to easily find us, or do most people prefer to be an underground society?

[Rexer25]

What must one do to post on Bobseveral#s bored? Everytime I try, the MF (what an appropriate abbreviation) wants me to fill out a survey. Do I hafta, or is there a way aound it.

[BackInTex]

I think that board is sponsored by Kirby.

[Rexer25]

I think that board is sponsored by Kirby.

I ought to be in already, then! I think two hours out of my wife's week is equivalent to posting rights.

[Bob Juch]

TheConfessor doesn't like all the topics here.

I think that's one of the best features!

What do you folks think?

[MarleysGh0st]

TheConfessor doesn't like all the topics here.

I think that's one of the best features!

What do you folks think?

I confess that I suggested the multi-topic format to you, but that's not the way I use it. I try to read everything, so I want a page where I can read it all in one easy window. The flat view with previews that we had on the TUB was great. What we need are options to give everyone their personal choice of how to view the messages--sorted by category or all together, whatever...

Do you read the Slashdot boards, Bob? http://slashdot.org/ They essentially have all their threads in on one page (with a summary of the article and links to display more, including the many, many comments they get) with graphic icons that identify the subject category. They also have a nice, sophisticated "modding" system that lets moderators mod up or down posts as insighful, funny, etc.

Sophistication and lots of bells and whistles are nice, but I'm leaning towards Ed's view that a simple to use interface may be best.

And NO ANIMATED ICONS!

[TheCalvinator24]

On first glance, I prefer the grandslam site to this one.

Both, however, have the advantage that our filtering software at work doesn't recognize them as "Message Boards or Groups."

Yet.

[peacock2121]

I'm partial to a place where it is easy to bug the crap outta marley.

[SportsFan68]

I like it here, and that's how I'll vote.

As for the one vs. many topics except for Transcripts and FNGD, that's easily enough fixed -- everybody just pick one and go with it. If you like multiple topics, it's easy to see which ones you haven't read the new posts in yet because of the different colors.

As for the animated icons, usage will gradually fade as we get used to them.

Right now I'm wishing for a baseball icon.
GO ROCKIES!!!

[SportsFan68]

As for the animated icons, usage will gradually fade as we get used to them.

.... but never quite disappear.

And I wish Fern would come around......

[SportsFan68]

I'm also looking forward to a Special BiT wallpaper.

[eyégor]

Wow! Was it tough for me to get in here!

Thanks for Ed for posting the survey info over here for me.

A little more info on the ABC entry.

Disney Internet Group still appears to have 209 old style boreds active. Of those-
154 have been active in 2007
78 have been active in the last 10 days
34 have been active in the last 24 hours
17 have been active today, 10/3/07

Given this info, I don't think they will be taking them down just because we use them , as they did the backboards from the morlock wars.

[Bob Juch]

Wow! Was it tough for me to get in here!

I don't know why you had so much trouble. Your email address wasn't in use like it said.

[eyégor]

Don't know what I did, but I'm in now.

[BackInTex]

I'm also looking forward to a Special BiT wallpaper.

Yeah, me, too. I started to get setup last night but my wife kept coming into the office. I'm suppose to be doing other stuff, so I couldn't really get started.

[SportsFan68]

I started to get setup last night but my wife kept coming into the office. I'm suppose to be doing other stuff, so I couldn't really get started.

BUSTED!

[peacock2121]

I love Rexer's thingie.

[kayrharris]

I feel like a family that's been split up by moving to different cities,

We're missing all the fun with Minnie & Beast over at the Disney Bored. LB also posted some on Bob### bored.

It's making my head hurt running to four different boreds trying to see if I missed something. Does anyone know when the voting is closed and a decision will be made?

OK, I'm finished whining now.

[MarleysGh0st]

It's making my head hurt running to four different boreds trying to see if I missed something. Does anyone know when the voting is closed and a decision will be made?

I don't know. Eyegor hasn't given us any feedback, yet.

It appears that he's just going to close the voting at some point and announce the results, but I think a more detailed debate about the pros and cons of each of the choices might be better for forming a consensus. TheConfessor posted a good start to that discussion.

[TheCalvinator24]

I forgot to check out the Disney Bored last night. Can't access them from work. Right now, I'd lean toward the grandslam or here just because I can get to them from work (for now).

[peacock2121]

I like the thingies here.

I vote for here.

[TheCalvinator24]

I just noted that I've exhibited more vebositude here than pea has.

No, that isn't a challenge.

[MarleysGh0st]

I wonder if beast has tried this site and clicked on the Memberlist link--that lists every member here and includes their post counts.

If only it would sort the list, he'd have no work left to do at all!

[Bob Juch]

I wonder if beast has tried this site and clicked on the Memberlist link--that lists every member here and includes their post counts.

If only it would sort the list, he'd have no work left to do at all!

Ah! But it does sort by member name. It even can sort by number of posts.

Look at the header for the list.

[MarleysGh0st]

Ah! But it does sort by member name. It even can sort by number of posts.

Look at the header for the list.

My gosh, you're right! I wasn't paying enough attention.

Either that feature would win beast's vote immediately or it would convince him to oppose it with all his might--wouldn't want to make his counting job too easy!

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