suggestion box What new DGN features would you like to see?

[Scary Guy]

I just made a post in another thread about people moving to "better" platforms.  Member retention is an important factor in running this place.

 

So what would other members like to see here that would keep you around?

 

• Better text editor with markdown support
• Blocking someone's posts completely when you ignore them and having yours blocked for them as well
• Switching to an open sourced forum software like phpBB
• Integrated IRC server
• Web RTC with audio/video
• Internet radio station
• The calendar working again
• Something else

 

Or do you think it's fine the way that it is?

 

I'm obviously not saying we'd get any of that, as I have zero control.  However if the powers that be can pull it off that would be cool and most things on that list aren't that easy to implement anyway.

[Raev]

I don't think she's announced it yet (I don't think the when is known yet, so hard to say) but I'm almost certain a major update will be done soon, so there may be some QOL enhancements.

[Scary Guy]

2 hours ago, Raev said:

I don't think she's announced it yet (I don't think the when is known yet, so hard to say) but I'm almost certain a major update will be done soon, so there may be some QOL enhancements.

 

Oh no I'm positive this is coming and she's talked about it.  I'm very excited to see that come to fruition.  There are some other roadblocks that need to be moved first, but I'm sure you know already.

[TronRP]

So there is no confusion, I did mention that there is a php upgrade to 8.0 necessary to run the software provided by the host server and a fix for the current editor should follow once a proper theme update can then take place.  Certain addons like a functioning calendar will be possible after the main software fix and certain "roadblocks" have been handled.  Enhancements to make posting easier will definitely be looked into.

 

 

I'm not saying not to have suggestions, but do keep in mind that I will continue to maintain this site as a message board.

 

If we are looking to have members here just for the sake of having traffic, I'm not sure I understand that.

 

However, regardless of the amount of traffic, as I have done in the past, I will ensure this site will continue to be up and operational for as long as this is my position.

 

That is not to say I am not curious to see what people are interested in.  If they are implementable while maintaining the integrity of the forum, that would definitely be something worth taking into consideration.

[Scary Guy]

2 hours ago, TronRP said:

If we are looking to have members here just for the sake of having traffic, I'm not sure I understand that.

 

No, absolutely not.  As it stands there is plenty of traffic from webcrawlers scraping the forum for information.  That isn't what I'm about at all.  (In fact I'd like to see everything except the The DGN Hello Subforum made private to prevent that, or everything in general.)

 

What I want is member retention.  The other people who made this place good by contributing to it is what I'm after.  They create the content which draws more people to the site to see what's new.  Features will only get a site so far, but without content people just look around and take off.  I've been on enough games, VR worlds, IRC channels, and other forums to know that much.

 

 

2 hours ago, TronRP said:

I will ensure this site will continue to be up and operational for as long as this is my position.

 

And we sincerely thank you for that.

Edited August 26, 2023 by Scary Guy

[n0Mad]

Fewer pinned posts so I don't have to scroll half a page to see new content.

[Scary Guy]

8 hours ago, n0Mad said:

Fewer pinned posts so I don't have to scroll half a page to see new content.

 

I will second this.  There are a lot of pinned posts that are outdated or that could be moved into their own informational subforum (but of course then people would be even less likely to read that then they are now.)

[TronRP]

A "Pinned Topic" Subforum

The "Archive of Outdated Topics" Subforum

[Scary Guy]

Well like in this forum specifically for instance the threads "What Are You Thinking?" "what are you doing right now?" and "DGN Coffee house" are all locked so no one can post.  The other locked post is informational and could go into that subforum though.

 

I don't mind but it might be more annoying on a phone.

 

If there was a way to make a subsubforum I'd stick them there.  Still easy to find but less annoying to scroll past.

[TronRP]

9 hours ago, Scary Guy said:

Well like in this forum specifically for instance the threads "What Are You Thinking?" "what are you doing right now?" and "DGN Coffee house" are all locked so no one can post.  The other locked post is informational and could go into that subforum though.

 

I don't mind but it might be more annoying on a phone.

 

If there was a way to make a subsubforum I'd stick them there.  Still easy to find but less annoying to scroll past.

~~~~~

Yeah, there's a whole backstory to what happened there, but I left them where they were and created new ones because there was a complaint that the old stuff was gone.  Not gone, just the threads were discontinued...so they were pinned under the new ones.

 

Now that we are in a different era, I would like to tweak the board a bit.  But I'm not a tyrant so I don't mind the input.

 

I do tend to go overboard with organization and protected accessibility.  You wake up one day and click on DGN to find, "Insert key here for access", and have a Wednesday, Thursday, Friday moment.

[TronRP]

Even if I trick out the forum, everything can be undone if it's not seen as being within the framework of DGN.

[TronRP]

I'm also not adverse to there being a "DGN Informational Hub" that directs visitors to other locations or happening events on and offsite.  That is literally how I found this place over a decade ago after visiting Jillian Venters' "Gothic Charm School" website during an informational quest.  And even her site has undergone major redesigns over the years.

 

I'm not saying we go drastic, but I do see where there is a need to stay relevant...if even just for the current members.

[TronRP]

3 minutes ago, TronRP said:

I'm also not adverse to there being a "DGN Informational Hub" that directs visitors to other locations or happening events on and offsite.  That is literally how I found this place over a decade ago after visiting Jillian Venters' "Gothic Charm School" website during an informational quest.  And even her site has undergone major redesigns over the years.

 

I'm not saying we go drastic, but I do see where there is a need to stay relevant...if even just for the current members.

~~~~~

Unless we just see what this place would look/be like with ALL the bells and whistles. 

[TronRP]

OK...I'm done...

[Maureen Falcon]

42 minutes ago, TronRP said:

I'm also not adverse to there being a "DGN Informational Hub" that directs visitors to other locations or happening events on and offsite.  That is literally how I found this place over a decade ago after visiting Jillian Venters' "Gothic Charm School" website during an informational quest.  And even her site has undergone major redesigns over the years.

 

I'm not saying we go drastic, but I do see where there is a need to stay relevant...if even just for the current members.

Gothic charm school! That is where little Moe found her style way back when Courtney Love was a Lass...

 

I have since had a hard reset (died and came back.) And gathered fresh dust. I would like the DJs to get some convos going about new music or which way it's leaning. Scary? Stu? EtCetera?

 

Moe

The Insufferable 

 

[Scary Guy]

45 minutes ago, Maureen Falcon said:

Gothic charm school! That is where little Moe found her style way back when Courtney Love was a Lass...

 

I have since had a hard reset (died and came back.) And gathered fresh dust. I would like the DJs to get some convos going about new music or which way it's leaning. Scary? Stu? EtCetera?

 

Moe

The Insufferable 

 

 

Most new music sucks.  I wish Mike and Mandy would show up, he has his ear to the ground for anything industrial and her for anything deathrock.

 

I collect some things and throw them in the Music subforum when I find them, as do a few others with some modicum of taste.

 

Haha, I said "cum"

Actually now I'm wondering if that's where the slang term came from.

Haha, I said "came"

Also no, it did not.

[TronRP]

2 hours ago, Maureen Falcon said:

Gothic charm school! That is where little Moe found her style way back when Courtney Love was a Lass...

 

I have since had a hard reset (died and came back.) And gathered fresh dust. I would like the DJs to get some convos going about new music or which way it's leaning. Scary? Stu? EtCetera?

 

Moe

The Insufferable 

 

~~~~~

OMG!!!

I'm about to lose my everything...a Moe sighting!!!

[Maureen Falcon]

1 hour ago, TronRP said:

~~~~~

OMG!!!

I'm about to lose my everything...a Moe sighting!!!

I would pull a Lefteye in a heart beat if I had somewhere to go. "To the ground.." catch my drift?

[TronRP]

12 minutes ago, Maureen Falcon said:

I would pull a Lefteye in a heart beat if I had somewhere to go. "To the ground.." catch my drift?

~~~~~

I actually got a "Death Cab for Cutie" reference from that.  I'm sure this isn't about the dragging of your butt across the floor of the front passenger side of my truck.  Although that was a mind trip in itself.

 

Yeah, I might be a little off...😅

[Scary Guy]

2 hours ago, TronRP said:

Yeah, I might be a little off...😅

 

We're all a little bit off, that's why were here.

 

 

4 hours ago, TronRP said:

a Moe sighting!!!

 

Yeah I wasn't going to make a huge deal, but it is good seeing her lurking about again.

 

Now if we can just get her, Stu, and yourself out to The Gatherings again that would be great.

[TronRP]

3 hours ago, Scary Guy said:

 

We're all a little bit off, that's why were here.

~~~~~

Umm, yeah, but I don't think you were in my truck at that time...🤨

[TronRP]

There's a new feature I would like to see that's actually an old feature that used to be part of the theme, the post count.  Maybe rounding up to the nearest 100 is a Hurray Move for most forums, but when you track statistical data, seeing the actual number (without the need for a mouse over) is a bit of a necessity.  And it's just fun tracking personal progress.

[Slogo]

Vending machines in the break room. We even have ones at my work with health food in it.

 

Seriously though, in regards to music, maybe a thread of "hey I just heard this. What do you think?" Of course pretty much anyone can do that

[Scary Guy]

13 hours ago, Slogo said:

maybe a thread of "hey I just heard this. What do you think?" Of course pretty much anyone can do that

 

We have that already:

 

I mean some people post just to post I guess, but that's lame, they could just keep it in a journal then.

 

Also @Graphite used to do that.  I hope he gets out of jail soon, and I hope he comes back to the community.

Edited August 28, 2023 by Scary Guy

[et-novum]

I would like a better block function. The current one is nearly useless.

 

As for other features, I'm not sure adding any features for the sake of adding features is useful if nobody uses them. So things like IRC, VR, etc may not get used with the current user base. Personally when I see features like that they aren't used or are used by one or two people only, I get a little turned off from the site as a whole. And on the subject of web scraping, I think it's actually important for website growth to have good SEO. I recognize this may be a divisive topic and search engine results are kinda shit right now because of low-effort internet sites anyway.

 

And to derail the topic fo bit, we need more active members (and I think most people would agree). Forums are unfortunately mostly dead but I think with the drama of mainstream social media sites they can make a comeback. However - there's still a real barrier because forums are very different than FB, TT, IG, and the rest. We don't have an app, which may cause a lot of people (especially younger people raised in the mobile age) to not try it for very long.