Frank
 Administrator
Originally Galway, Ireland
Posts: 12349
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| Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 8:10 pm Post subject: GardenStew.com Review |
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Calling all GardenStewers,
As I am always willing to hear new ideas and constructive critism to improve our great community here I went ahead and requested a review of the forums on a very useful site called The Admin Zone.
The review in full follows and what I would love to get is your feedback on it and anything you would like to add to it (constructive criticism etc... don't hold back  ) Let's take this as an opportunity to get any annoyances or niggly little things off our chest in a honest and open discussion. Here's the review...
| Quote: | Look
Initial impression of "Forum Look": The site has a nice look and layout. There is quite a bit going on, but the site is organized well and it is not overwhelming.There are many areas that offer a guest to register. There do seem to be a very large amount of forums, and this may be a bit of a problem.
Logo: Is simple, but nice and effective. It still may be adventageous to make the logo a bit larger though, as that may make it stand out a bit more.
Quantity of forums: There are currently over 25 forums. To me this is too many forums to offer, and makes the page have more content than is necessary. The majority of the forums do seem to be active though, so luckily that is not a worry. I still would try and consolidate some forums.
Advertisements: Minimally placed, which is good to see as a member of a forum. You could probably still add one on the front page on one of the sides, as this too would not be overly evasive.
Color scheme: Good use of colours without being overbearing.
Styles: It is always recommended to offer at least 2 styles to guests and members, to provide them with a choice of how to view to forum. Someone might prefer a darker style then what is currently offered, and giving users choice can improve registration rates.
Rules and FAQ: Rules were found, but it would be better if a link was provided to them in the main navibar.
Forum Staff: Was only able to confirm 2 staff members. That is a good number for now, and if you do have a few more that is fine, just ensure that you do not have too many (since your forum is not really in need of many currently).
Privacy policy: Contained in Terms & Conditions.
Point(s) of registration: Very good locations that are scattered throughout.
Contact Us: This should be provided either as a link in the main navibar or as an option in the about us/rules sections. This allows guests to ask questions before registering.
Page sizes: The size of the page is just over 100kbs, which takes just over 20 seconds for a 56k user to load. This can be reduced by reducing the amount of forums, and reducing the amount of images also (there are currently 29 loading). A lo-fi version of the forum offered to users could also be done. This should not include any images or graphics, and be as small in page size as possible.
Feel
Overall Community "Feel": There seems to be a rather good community on the site. Discussion takes place amoung many participants on many different topics. Questions seem to be answered well, and overall it looks like a welcoming place to post.
Postcount and Quality: Looks rather good. Some threads are of extrememly good quality.
Participation Overview: From what I can tell this is also good.
Quantity and activity of staff: I could not tell for sure how many staff there were, but from the two staff I saw they were active. I would try and have staff try and continue to post often, trying to post more in areas where there currently is not as much activity.
Games and Diversions: The blogs are a good addition, but I think a photo gallery where users can show off images of their gardens could be very useful for your site.
Overall Impressions
Things seem to be going very well at the site. Things do not need much change, and things should progressively improve as more users register and posting picks up. Encourage your members to continue to post in the suggestions/comments area and try and implement all of their suggestions whenever possible.
Summary of Recommended Changes
-Reduce page size through limiting amount of images and forums or offer a lo-fi version
-Make logo a bit bigger
-Consider adding more advertisements (on front page)
-Add photo gallery
-Add additional styles for both members and guests (a darker style to contrast the current one) |
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eileen
Forum Moderator
Scotland
Posts: 18013
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| Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 11:08 pm Post subject: |
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Frank I agree that the GardenStew logo could be bigger and perhaps stand out more but on the whole there is very little wrong with GardenStew as it stands at the present moment.
We already have a members gallery which works well so I see no need for a 'photo' gallery too. Maybe all that's needed as regards the gallery is to change it's name from 'members' to 'photo' what do you think?
Admin Zone say that 25 forums appears to be too many but I have to disagree as other gardening sites have many more than we have and it causes no problems whatsoever. Consolidating some forums may perhaps be the answer though. This is only a suggestion but maybe Home Imporovement and Interior design could be amalgamated under one title??? There again forums could be reduced by forming sub titles. This again is purely my opinion but something along the lines of say: Forum Title: 'Gardening' with sub titles for water gardening, trees and shrubs, flower gardening, herb gardening etc etc.
"Rules and FAQ: Rules were found, but it would be better if a link was provided to them in the main navibar."
I think this may be a good idea and would free up some additional space and perhaps reduce the page size somewhat too.
In conclusion I think that GardenStew is one of the best gardening sites on offer and you have achieved soooo much in such a short time Frank. You didn't have a pre-formed member base to tranfer from elsewhere - you literally started from nothing. Not many forums can boast of attaining over 10,000 posts, from zero, in just over a year!!!!
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Primsong
Oregon
Posts: 1719
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| Posted: Mon May 08, 2006 1:10 am Post subject: |
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A very well-balanced review - someone really took a bit of time and thought in putting it together.
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Pinkiered
Lawton, Ok
Posts: 900
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| Posted: Mon May 08, 2006 3:36 am Post subject: |
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I dont agree on a few things, hun.
"Quantity of forums: There are currently over 25 forums. To me this is too many forums to offer, and makes the page have more content than is necessary. The majority of the forums do seem to be active though, so luckily that is not a worry. I still would try and consolidate some forums. "
I agree that a select few can be added together, as Eileen pointed out but for the most part, its well rounded. IMO.
"Styles: It is always recommended to offer at least 2 styles to guests and members, to provide them with a choice of how to view to forum. Someone might prefer a darker style then what is currently offered, and giving users choice can improve registration rates. "
I personlly think what you have is great. No need to fix something that isnt broken.
Quantity and activity of staff: I could not tell for sure how many staff there were, but from the two staff I saw they were active. I would try and have staff try and continue to post often, trying to post more in areas where there currently is not as much activity."
From what the "viewed" says beside topics, without having you or Eileen posting to "bump" it up so to speak, they are still being looked at and read. Again, why fix something that isnt broken?
"Games and Diversions: The blogs are a good addition, but I think a photo gallery where users can show off images of their gardens could be very useful for your site. "
I think that the pics are being posted in the right areas. If its one of herbs then it should be posted in the herb section. And flowers in the Flower section, trees in the tree section. For everything , in the Members gallery. Besides, all the pics we post can go in the members gallery, well, because we are all memeber! HA! ( I made a funny).
In conclusion, I think that you have done well over the last year, WITHOUT having someone telling you how to do this. Why start now? If something happens, dont we tell you or ask for something different?
Once again, why fix something that isnt broken?
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dooley
Texas
Posts: 5204
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| Posted: Mon May 08, 2006 4:44 am Post subject: |
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I like the site the way it is mostly. I'm guessing I'm making someone work harder and I'll try not to do that in the future. I'm talking about posting everything under General Discussion and someone moves it to the right place. Sorry! I think most of the pictures end up with the forum in which they belong. Is a picture gallery for pictures that don't belong anywhere else? I do have one problem which maybe isn't a problem for others who know their way around. When I want to go back to a post that isn't on the page anymore it takes me awhile to find it because I don't remember which forum or catagory it was under. I don't know how you would fix it because with so many posts an index wouldn't be feasible. I know to look for the name of the post but not where to look. Otherwise I like it just the way it is. Dooley
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Frank
Administrator
Originally Galway, Ireland
Posts: 12349
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| Posted: Mon May 08, 2006 1:56 pm Post subject: |
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Great feedback folks. We have lots to discuss. Thanks for your replies!
Firstly let me address this issue that Dooley brought up:
| dooley wrote: | | When I want to go back to a post that isn't on the page anymore it takes me awhile to find it because I don't remember which forum or catagory it was under. I don't know how you would fix it because with so many posts an index wouldn't be feasible. I know to look for the name of the post but not where to look. |
I understand this issue and must admit this has happened to me as well. What I usually do Dooley is a bit of a workaround but it works. If you remember the username of someone who posted in the topic you are looking for and bring up their Profile page you can click on their "Find all posts by...." link and trace back until you find their post in the topic. Viola you now have the topic you had been looking for. I don't know whether this method and the normal search are sufficient so let me know. Also I don't know if you know this but the word "Search" beside the search box at the top is actually a link to an advanced search page. Did everyone know this? I have a sinking feeling it is confusing 
Now time for Eileen's suggestions, very good points and exactly the kind of stuff we need to hear more of.
Logo: Did you know that the logo was nearly twice its current size originally and I have reduced it over time? Now maybe it is time to enbiggen it  Let me test it on my laptop and I will bring it to your attention if it changes.
Number of forums: I admit that the number of forums point in the review slightly threw me as well as I have seen other gardening forums with much more forums then we have. I think gardening is such a large area that it is difficult to keep the numbers down and keep it nicely specialised at the same time. I must admit that the Home Improvement / Interior Decorating forums could indeed be one and I think I will go ahead and do this. I actually think we may be missing a few forums (I know of at least one possiblity that Eileen and I have discussed through PMs) so if folks feel that we are missing something please chime in at any time 
Rules and FAQ: I am revising this.
And finally for Denee's suggestions.
Styles: I agree Denee. Many of the much larger gardening communities don't provide this facility and they are coping well without it. It is technically possible for me to add this but no-one has ever mentioned it so I never considered it an issue. *let's put it on the top shelf for now*
Quantity and activity of staff: Again I agree. I think Eileen and I are enough to handle the activity for now but of course in the future we will need to create more moderators. That's going to be fun!
Games and Diversions: Agreed. I think the Member's Gallery works really well and a seperate photo gallery would be overkill. Credits to Eileen who originally suggested it (yes hard to believe but there was a period of a month or so back in Jan/Feb 2005 when the Member's Gallery did not even exist  )
| PinkieRed wrote: | | In conclusion, I think that you have done well over the last year, WITHOUT having someone telling you how to do this. Why start now? If something happens, dont we tell you or ask for something different? |
Yes you do  And I think that type of feedback is sometimes my favourite as it allows us to build a stronger ship so we can take more aboard 
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Phew that was productive. I hope I answered your questions. Let's have more feedback!
Thanks again 
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toni
Administrator
Plants Moderator
Regular Plants Contributor
North Texas, Zone 8a
Posts: 11244
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| Posted: Mon May 08, 2006 2:03 pm Post subject: |
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Frank
As Eileen mentioned, maybe combining Home Improvement and Interior Design but the others are all so specific to their subject that combining any others would make it harder for members and visitors.
Obviously the group suggesting that 25 forums is too many haven't seen the gardenweb.com forum. They have a forum for every individual flower, tree, shrub, state in the U.S., various countries, types of gardening methods and assorted sidelines associated with gardening in anyway....I never counted them but probably a couple of hundred if not more.
Members Gallery is subtitled "Share photos for all to see" why would they think there should be yet another photo gallery?
I am not familiar with many forums so I really do not understand what they are talking about when they mention options on how to view the forum. But, we always have several visitors online at any one time...have any of them complained about it?
Also, not being computer literate I do not know what a lo-fi version is...would that be text only without the wallpaper and cute flowers at each forum Title? I guess that would be a helpful option for those with older computers or slow connections.
If by the suggestion to put more advertisements on the front page, they mean removing them from the top of the individual topics page....maybe just the ad for the Environmental Toilet that pops up in larger than life letters sometimes 
Would a search option be possible? I know somewhere on gardenstew is the option to find all posts made by a certain person but I can not remember where I saw it. Maybe the search option could be for either an individual person or a keyword.
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