General discussion about Usagi Yojimbo, the comics, the stories, the characters, collectibles, TV appearances, Stan Sakai, Space Usagi, Nilson & Hermy, and all other related topics.
I've been on a lot of forums over the years. Many have eventually gone or changed for one reason or another, and while I tend to agree that change is good, it's not always the best thing to do. A lot depends on the type of change and how it is implemented.
Now, while I'm not a technical web or internet guru, I think our Dojo here, using the phpBB still has a lot of potential. It just needs someone familiar with it, to perform some simple magic. I'm sure getting any software updates taken care of might solve a lot of issues. Adding proper Usagi Yojimbo Dojo headers, banners, or other custom items would definitely enhance the forum. I know certain things can be done with phpBB because I've seen it done on other forums.
So I vote to save this forum, update it & give it a facelift.
Moving the forum or starting a new forum is an option, but while moving a forum can have benefits it can also have a downside, as it may lose many members and we would have to start from scratch with everything. Unless, we can transfer all the data. I know it's possible with some forum software, but that's about all I know. No idea how difficult or much work would need to be involved.
While I am not yet registered on the CCF Annex, I will do so soon. While I am not against multiple forums, I tend to stick with one mostly due to time. Multiple forums often tend to duplicate topics or discussion, and are thus very repetitive. I personally feel it is best to have a main forum (this dojo), and any other 'official' forums should be used primarily for announcements (events, schedules, contests, etc.)
I think social media is important also, even though I am not active on most formats. Usagi should have a presence on not only Facebook, but Twitter, Instagram, and whatever else is out there... this is the best way to reach as broad an audience as possible.
Hope my comments are helpful.
I think that's a good point. The forum may be in need of updating, but I would hate to lose members and the sense of camaraderie found here if a new forum was made from scratch.
I'm afraid I know little of internet/technology stuff, but I would be happy to help update the Dojoboard in any way I can.
maichan wrote:Moving the forum or starting a new forum is an option, but while moving a forum can have benefits it can also have a downside, as it may lose many members and we would have to start from scratch with everything. Unless, we can transfer all the data. I know it's possible with some forum software, but that's about all I know. No idea how difficult or much work would need to be involved.
This sums up a lot of what I was going to say. People don't like change, especially having to sign up again, and I'd only want us to move if we could port the SQL database and all the content over. Unfortunately I don't know enough about the actual phpBB config side of things to help in redesigning and changing the look/feel of the forum.
With a breeze comes a storm, but then you'll all be washed away...
I'm for keeping this forum *if possible*, but I'm also with Steve Hubbell on the issue of this forum having limited customization options and (much more importantly) technical glitches.
Hey guys, talking with my friend who works at Sony and is a whiz at this sort of thing, can I get some help on the specs of the Forum and any way for him to modify it?
dhfujii wrote:Hey guys, talking with my friend who works at Sony and is a whiz at this sort of thing, can I get some help on the specs of the Forum and any way for him to modify it?
You were granted full administrative access to the forum. All you need to do is hit the link at the bottom of the any forum page to sign in to the administrative control panel for the forum.
You might want to consider having several skin options for members to choose from. I know a lot of forums have that ability but I don't know if phpBB allows that.
For suggestions, I guess you'll get as many different suggestions as we have members... LOL
Personally I prefer relaxing colors that are easy on the eyes. Not a fan of dark or bright forum pages.
Looking through the phpBB styles pages, I notice some styles have images you can enlarge to view, but many don't ... so it's kind of hard to choose some.
These are some I like... https://www.phpbb.com/customise/db/styl ... pro_style/
I'd say be careful with background images. I like the idea of the Annex background that Steve mentioned, but personally feel it is too bold. Not sure how to describe what I mean, but I think it works better if the images are more transparent (translucent?) or faded.
Haha, yeah, I really like having the background image too. I guess it's neat because it really feels Usagi like?
I sense that Maichan likes a clean look? I can agree with the aspect of not having too distracting of a background.
You know what, though? I can't believe I didn't' think of this immediately...we should make it look like a "dojo." Japanese Dojo's are pretty clean, but some do have certain focal points. It's simplistic in its cleanliness but also has a strong point/focus. Perhaps we should aim at that? Don't know exactly what that would look like, but perhaps that's a good point of discussion?
Man, it would be ideal to take the background of one of the dojo's/tatami mats of the Usagi comics. You know, like when there is a tournament, or even the one where Tomoe is a kid and trains, or gets her..."behind" handed to her by Noriko. That would be really neat!
I'm trying to figure out the backend to the forum. My buddy at Sony told me that all you have to do is switch out the skin and alter some basic things such as emoticons/background and it should be pretty "current."
Can anyone get ahold of whomever posses the know how of getting into the backend? I think I might need to login to the c-panel, but don't know the credentials. I think Todd has them, but I haven't been able to reach him yet.
My only request/recommendation is don't allow personal signatures for display within the forum threads. They are garish and distracting below every message. I like the cleaner aesthetic of the Dojo. It is a lot easier to read.
