"On tech improvement" Topic
8 Posts
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30 Oct 2015 5:30 p.m. PST by Editor in Chief Bill
- Changed title from "On tech improveme" to "On tech improvement"
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ochoin | 30 Oct 2015 4:15 p.m. PST |
I have no great expertise in IT so apologies to those who have. I want to add a few comments to the 4.0 thread (below) but don't want to add to a thread begun by that very odd individual. I think IT experts have different standards when it comes to web design than many ordinary folk. I've done a bit of sound engineering & you can do some pretty cool things with it. But if an audience can hear something & hear it clearly, most don't even consciously think about sound production. Same with web design. Bells & whistles are not that important. If Bill simply stopped the daily down time for TMP, that would be a massive improvement. Any other, additional features would be on a sliding scale from "Fantastic" to "Never even noticed" with a preponderance to the right side of the scale. Indeed, something like conscientious, even handed moderation is worth considerably more than the whole 4.0 package. There's a newish wargames' website that touts its up to date design. I wish it well but go there <once a fortnight (as opposed to almost daily here) because the traffic is low & the interesting threads few. There are more important things than a flashy website. |
Bashytubits | 30 Oct 2015 4:49 p.m. PST |
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Kevin C | 30 Oct 2015 5:27 p.m. PST |
I agree. I check the miniaturespage for the latest information concerning things hobby related. Not only am I not attracted by additional flash, I would find any changes off-putting. It's kind of like every time Windows comes out with a new version. I was perfectly happy several versions ago and I become less happy with every new version. Kevin |
D A THB | 30 Oct 2015 5:38 p.m. PST |
I think you have made a very valid point. I like it here because its simple. Another site I go to is very up to date but could be a victim of its own success. I personally cannot keep up with everything like I was able to when it first started, so only check a couple of categories. If you measure success by the number of posts saying "oh I like it" with lots of quotes and pictures in the signature which can make it hard to read and very time-consuming. I would only visit once a week at most these days. I visit TMP several times a day. |
Martin Rapier | 31 Oct 2015 12:08 a.m. PST |
The best software in the world isn't going to fix broken business processes. And yes, simple and intuitive to use is an admirable goal, bearing in mind different people process information in different ways. Personally I find some of the other gaming forums incredibly hard to navigate, as I like lists. The only saving grace for some of the phpBB based sites is "view unread posts", as I can at least generate a nice list to read. Sadly one nameless site has turned that off and tries to use tags. Urgh. Another is worthy, pleasant, full pictures but frankly rather dull. |
Broglie | 31 Oct 2015 3:23 a.m. PST |
I visit the TMP a couple of times every day. It is the only site I visit because I love the simple layout which appeals to my simple brain. I have visited others similar sites but find I am not willing to put in the effort to learn the navigation and none of them are as clearly laid out as the TMP. I am not interested in flashing ads or fancy gimmicks. I hope that TMP will not follow these trends but will stay as simple as it is. Just my two eurocents. |
ochoin | 31 Oct 2015 5:30 a.m. PST |
Thanks. To be clear I am NOT suggesting improving the site would be a retrograde step. I'm not the only one to recognise that you must let technology work for you & not the other way around. Yakov Cohen on the matter: MACHINE STRATEGY Make sure you are leveraging technology to further your strategy. Your technology choices must help you win where it matters. Having the most advanced knowledge is merely a fleeting advantage. Technological superiority is not in itself a strategy; it's part of enabling a greater vision. MACHINE POSTURE Think through how technology aids you along the proactive-responsive scale. Do you need your technology to help you innovate and get ahead of your customers' needs? Or, do you need your technology to help you keep in touch with your customers so you can be responsive to needs they identify? MACHINE CULTURE Be conscious of how technology influences your behavior and relationships with others. If the technology is enabling your relationships, great. If the technology is allowing you to have a bigger impact than you would without it, great. If not, the machines are winning. And that's not acceptable. I think what Cohen's getting at is it is important to be neither a fearful technophobe or an unthinking technophile. |
etotheipi | 31 Oct 2015 7:04 a.m. PST |
I think its better to make a deliberate decision based on the issues you find important than to lean one way or the other. I've been building and programming computers for over three decades. I'm not in the least afraid of new technologies. nor am I impressed by ones that are "new" and "improved". I like the server side approach of this forum as opposed to the client end widget-filled wasteland of others. Rather than having some programmer decide how I want my experience, I can customize it for myself. |
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