Your Website DSC.com
 

Hello

I have been thinking if the DSC members are happy with there website, I personally like the layout, But think some things need updating, such as the search engine and some form of categorizing old and like questions.

These are only my opions and thought the Web Team might find the input helpful, as we can all gain from the outcome I hope. I would also like to add I think the Webteam do a great job and I hope this does not upset anybody as its not ment too. (thats me covered:D)

regards

TopiToo

[Edited on 15-07-1968 by TopiToo]

Good post Topi Too:)

Forum pages are great, however - the main site desperately needs updating, as any person 'new' to the site, will find that the meets etc section are desperately out of date.
Ideally the write ups from these, should be archived, and if not time to add updated info, should just provide links to the forum page for rideouts & meets.

Just my 2penn'orth:)

C

Happy overall same comments as Charlotte above. The forum is always evolving but the main site itself seems to be lagging behind a wee bit.

One thing i have noticed of late is that i often get an error message when i try to view the sites at busy periods saying it is oversubscribed.

It is all you Southern lot getting on first instead of working for a living like the rest of us:D

The MT probably have the problem in hand and are aware as i know a few others have mentioned it as well.

What are the plans for sorting it?

Regards

ScottyB

This is a bloody good site :cool:

It is always hard keeping websites upto date especially when we have no full time computer experts getting paid to keep it upto date.

I know from being admin on southwestbikers.com how much time and effort it takes to keep forums running, So a big thankyou to the web team.

The errors that we are all having are down to the PHP code and it all takes time to rewrite it so bare with them guys, I am sure it will be sorted soon.

Anyway Thanks again to the WEB team, I will raise a mug of coffee for 2006 :cool:

Age

Totally agree

Phil:D:D

Best forum on the WWW.

If you could change one thing then could you make the logo smaller as the view panel of the message board could be bigger but thats my opinion and i am just one person in Wigan.

:cool:

I've got to aggree with TopiToo, i'd personaly like to see more content on the front page as it's not very often I feel there is a need to visit it.

Apart from that keep up the good work webteam.

I know the webteam are aware of the main site being dated, especially the Meet Us section as I have emailed them several times about it (so I'm sure they are working on it!?). New visitors will not go to the message board, but will look at the menu bar to see what's going on, unfortunately they will be disappointed as it appears nothing is, leave the site, not join the club and never return!!

A quick solution as CK said is to just archive all but the regional meeting details and put a link to the message board Ride-Out section.

Just my opinion. I'll get me coat:(

This board DEFINATELY needs a techinical archive.

I know some will say just do a search...but that just seems a long way about getting the info, abnd even then, if the piece you are looking for may be a little one liner in a big long thread you have no chance of finding it.

How often do some real jems of info come up on here, only for them to be forgotton about, and then asked a few months later.

Its not difficult to achieve...it just needs a locked section, with one or two moderators with a bit of techinical know how, who can just look at threads as and when they come up, and if thought useful and they should be copied to the archive (quite happy to volunteer for this). And I'm talking real gems of info here...not threads about which tyres are best or which chip for my blah blah blah. Things like Shazaams posts on regulators and how to overcome the problems, or chain and sprocket combo's...these are always being refered to time and time again.

I understand this was started some time ago, with the old threads being sorted to an archive if thought 'good enough'...but it seems to have not materialised?

Other sites I visit have them and they are priceless after time.

[Edited on 11-12-2005 by Harv748]

[Edited on 11-12-2005 by Harv748]

I like this site but all good sites evolve and are continually updated. It has been crashing a lot recentlty as we all know.

Someone does a great job behind the scenes.

I voted no i would like changes to fix the crashing.

Sort of agree, but would this cut down on new posts which may put a different point of view, or prevent updates of existing posts ?

Just being devils advocate:D

Hello

Intresting comments, I was not aware that the web site was manage internally. maybe somebody could mention this at the AGM?

Have to agree with YMFB "I like this site but all good sites evolve and are continually updated"

and YES it is a great site I was not disputing that! But for me the search engine is pants and as Harv 748 states "How often do some real jems of info come up on here, only for them to be forgotton about, and then asked a few months later."

You must have an opion? after all its your site we are paying for it.

regards

TopiToo

Just in case someone is listing the suggestions made in this thread for a future review of the site, might I suggest that the regalia section be dragged up to date as its still 2003/4.

This is what you get, when you click on the local meetings.....

http://www.ducatisportingclub.com/index.php3?M=86

and if I click in my own region, there is nothing there since 2002:(

http://www.ducatisportingclub.com/index.php3?M=86

Some good comments in here. We want to keep the website up to date so I'll be having a word with Flanks and we'll come up with a plan and make some stuff happen.

The technical section is something we've agreed to do but is very time consuming - if someone wanted to volunteer to go through the board and find all these gems then that would be a good start.

As far as the recent technical issues go with the site being unavailable etc - Eamonn has a plan that I must admit I'm not really aware of what he's up to so I'll have a word and see what we're doing there.

:)

Overall,i think the site is fanatstic and the web team DO A SUPERB JOB.The only gripe i have is with the Search engine.It totally infuriates me that if you do a search,look at a thread then return to the search engine all you get is "page expired" and then have to put in the search again-right from the homepage!!Apart from the need for a bit of updating,i think it's ace!!

Slightly off topic but...

Jasper, when you get the "page expired" message, just hit "F5" then "Return" and it'll put you back where to your search results.

That's because we haven't done anything since 2002:lol:

Agree that the front page needs sorting, and archiving all of the meet us stuff - a link through to the rideouts section would be good.

I'm just off to do the 'day job' so just a quick tip from me for now:

After you have done a search and found a list of results, don't click on the link to the item with the left mouse button (the normal one) instead click with the right mouse button and choose the option 'Open in new window'.

This will open up the new topic in a new window for you to read when you're done just close it and you then immediately revert back to the search screen - no messing with expired pages and F5 etc.

Of course this procedure only works with Internet Explorer on a PC, Macs and Firefox users will have something similar I'm sure !!!



BTW, keep the suggestions coming, it's getting to the winter nights so it's the time of year when we plan and implement changes to the system !

Also can we have a bit more than just '... the search engine is pants...' ! It would help us to know in what way it's pants and how it could be improved for you. This comment applies to anything of course not jus the search engine.
You wouldn't go to the service centre and just say - 'It's not right, fix it !' would you ???!!!?? ;)

:burn:

Well...I would be happy to go through the reams and reams of technical stuff for archive material for the 748/9** range.

I spend waaaaay to long on here any how, so may as well be doing something constructive!!

It will take a while but, once done, it will be a mine of useful information.

TP, you have a U2U.

[Edited on 12-12-2005 by Harv748]

I voted that I would like to see some changes..... as the site does need a bit of a change really. It is used mainly as a message board/forum but there could be a lot of "value" on the other more static pages.

I think Frank (iconic) did some work on the old message board trawling through the archives for the techie info.

The reality is that there are never enough hours in the day to do what we want, we could do with somebody employed full time on DSC work, - which is why your club needs you! Which reminds me, - TopiToo I need you to do something, I will send you a U2U.

:)

Hello

Ian U2U sent

regards

TopiToo

I feel so guilty :(

I originally offered to trawl some of the tech archive and and I think Eammon even went as far as to send me text dump of a whole bunch of threads.

I was starting to come up with a reasonable format and had done about a months work I guess when my PC decided to kill itself and I lost almost everything (yes - silly boy - I know, without any reasonable backups).

However, to try and make ammends - I've recently seen some good Q&A's on Dukes elsewhere so I think I might approach the website owners and ask if we could use it (or link to them maybe / credit them in someway) - so that an FAQ section can start within the DSC.

================================================== ====

DSC Website...

My only complaint is with the search engine. I'd like to be able to search for specific text strings or cominations of words within a thread.

Now that I've upgraded Firefox to the latest Beta version the std search works a treat and Eammons suggestion of keeping the search results open but opening others in a new window a treat (open link in a new window OR a new tab is the lovely firefox equivelents).

Otherwise - great work - long may it continue.

Cheers - Frank

[Edited on 12-12-2005 by Iconic944ss]

WRT collating the techie posts, would it be easier if someone were given the permissions to search through the mountains of posts and merely change the post title to include a techie keyword, such as "tech#"
It'd make searches a lot easier.

Erm.....it is a pretty GIGANTIC mountain :(:(:(:(:(

Hi Eamonn,

Just a thought, but can you add a facility in peoples profile?

At present, you can click on 'search all posts by xyz user'
Can you split this into 'search all threads started by xyz user' and then 'all posts by xyz user' too?

Would save time when looking for something specific by someone from maybe 6 months ago, when they use the board a lot in between.

Just a thought............

Hope TP's homework of updating the regions 'meet us' section is underway:P

C:)