ContractorTalk.com 3.0 - What Would You Like To See?

Nathan

I've been working on some changes for the website for a few months now. I've still got a month or two of work left but I wanted to get your feedback on what we should add, take away, or change.

Here are some ideas:

• New Chatroom that works with your current username/password.
• "Whose in Chat" displayed on the main page so you know when people are talking. :Thumbs:
• Spell check.
• Articles written by you guys on professional trade issues?
• Intergrated Google search for easy web surfing.
• Weather reports.
• Industry news?

These are all just ideas. I would like to hear what you guys would like to see.
Post ideas in this thread.

THANKS!

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Nathan

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." - Jim Elliot

Grumpy

The only thing you listed above that interests me is industry news and weather reports.

I never enter from the home page anyways. Your find new posts page is my bookmarked entry page.

6stringmason

I'm with Grumpy. I always enter on new posts page. I dont know if I would ever use a chatroom. I didn't even know there was one here to begin with. I think industry news would be great as well as articles. Maybe a new thread where people can post something about thier company as well. I know you dont want this to turn into a big billboard thread and I dont want that either, but maybe one specified thread only for reg. users to post who they are, their business name, and location and what they do. Other than that I really enjoy using and browsing this forum. I find alot of the info from the older, wiser guys on here very useful and insightful. Thanks for all the great work!

Mike Finley

#1 - a faster server. This website loads soooooooooooo slowly.

#2 - a spell checker

#3 - a spell checker

mdshunk

I'd be interested in both of these. In fact, I'd volunteer to compose a series of articles that are within my scope of experience, but I don't have a clue what others would like to hear about. Somebody would have to pick the topics for me. In fact, I need an excuse to conduct some informal interviews of some other EC's in my area. If I was a "writer", I'd have that excuse.

Another site I'm involved with added a chat room, and I was really excited about it... at first. What ended up happening is that issues got discussed and answered in the chat room in real time, and nothing was preserved for posterity and future input in the forums. Plus, a chatroom is a superior way to blow a ton of time without realizing it that many of us do not have.

Nathan

I'm working on a new server right now. It costs about 4 times as much as what I'm on right now but hopefully it will be worth it.

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Nathan

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." - Jim Elliot

ProWallGuy

MD, I would offer this. We are all contractors, but probably know next to nothing about most other trades. I wouldn't know how to re-wire a thing, as much as I expect you wouldn't know the difference between a solid vinyl from an English pulp, or know why each requires a different adhesive. I would suggest writing basic primers for our specific industry. Such as I would write a piece on different types of wallcoverings suited best for different applications. Another would be on primers, which ones, for what and why. I would love to see some basic stuff from other trades, maybe so I don't have to hire an electrician when I need to change an outlet or something.

Chatrooms work best for two things. One, to pop in a BS with other contractors about anything that comes to mind, or two, shceduled chats on specific topics like "dress codes" or "discussing illegals in the trades" etc. And in almost every chatroom I've ever seen, you can right-click the screen ,and copy the log, and paste it to notepad. These could then be pasted into sticky posts for all to see. A 'whose chatting' feature would make more people aware its open, and enable you to pop in or not.

Oh yeah, a faster server would be sweet. :Thumbs:

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Wallpaper Hanger St. Louis
Digital Murals Installation

PipeGuy

How about a convenient way to save a draft of a post-or am I the only one that ever gets half-way through a post and have to move on to something else or decide they want to think twice about posting?

ProWallGuy

Pipeguy, great idea. But when confronted with that situation, I do like I said above. I copy/paste into notepad, and then paste it back in the post box to finish.

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Wallpaper Hanger St. Louis
Digital Murals Installation

Nathan

Thats an interesting and good idea but I'm not sure I have the talent to pull that one off. I'll look into hacks though and see if anything is out there.



For all who are willing to write articles... I will be looking for them soon. If you have a desire to write please let me know and I'll make a spot for you on the authors list.

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Nathan

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." - Jim Elliot

mdshunk

Nate, I know that beggers can't be choosers... but if you ran across a style manual for articles, I'd be willing to try to follow it. I never did anything like that before, and I'd want to take a stab at doing it right.

Glasshousebltr

I'll write the redneck devorce collum.

And who the hell here could possably use a spell checker?

Bob

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Bob

ProWallGuy

Best post ever!!! :Thumbs:

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Wallpaper Hanger St. Louis
Digital Murals Installation

ConcreteGuy

I suggested a link to TeamSpeak which should be freeware from the server on down. But like chat, it can dissolve into chaos. Hope you think about it tho.

Teamspeak

I'm interested in the articles idea. Especially the suggestion of trade specific applications. It would help us appreciate the obstacles faced by other trades, and promote greater cooperation. Not to mention that it will help us to identify when another craft is blowing smoke, lol.

Nathan, you don't ask for server donations?

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A reasonable expectation becomes an assumption when it goes wrong.

Nathan

I sell advertising that pays for the server costs :Thumbs:

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Nathan

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." - Jim Elliot

Nathan

Just so you know... we are moving to a dedicated server within a few days. I'll make a general post once I know the day and time since we might be down for a few hours.

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Nathan

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." - Jim Elliot

Teetorbilt

Nat, I suggest that you stay with what is working. Chat may stand a chance if we knew who was there, I have seen this go both ways. With some people it works, it might be interesting to find out if it will work here.
SpellCheck would be a boon for some even if it extends their precision/vocabulary, both are valuable in business. I use it all of the time, and then re-read a contract. SpellCheck is still far from perfect.
Google, weather, news, I could care less about. Google is my Homepage and linked. Weather, I check daily through 3 sources. Industry News would have to be national application and,as such, be vauge. I think that most of us recieve relative info through trade specific and local, general publications. A topic covering archaic codes might be amusing, I have run into some doozies.
Just my 2c.

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PipeGuy

A "mark thread unread" option

Nathan

This option is coming as well.

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Nathan

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." - Jim Elliot

Jason

I personally think chatrooms are a waste of time. If someone really wanted to talk with another they could PM and setup a phone call. Most of us have national coverage on cell phones.

I think keeping this site a forum is essential. Saying that, I like the idea of industrial news, etc.

One site that I think does a great job is: sitepoint.com
The former/current webdesigners will know what the sites about.

It covers news, industry specific blogs, book reviews, and the number one feature is the forum system.

I think you would need to create a way to get to the forums a bit easier, but they do a great job. Plus, if you want to make money in the future, that site is setup to create a cashflow to pay for its resources.


(Also, when it comes to a server, I'm not sure what kind of bandwidth/storage your looking for but I've been happy with ServInt's VPS. It might be a little smaller than what you need, but they are great. Also ThePlanet.com was always a nice place to host from). Cheers.

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