TPR Member Profiles - What would YOU change?

[shesaidboom]

^ I was thinking the same thing about the buddy list when adding friends was mentioned.

 

I really like the idea of being able to link to threads we've started. A few times I've had someone ask me to link them to a TR Jer and I have done and since I fail at the search function, it was a challenge to find them.

 

I think a ride count or a way to keep track of what you've ridden, or even just a list of parks visited, would be neat! A lot of sites already offer this option, as evidenced by many TPR signatures, but it would be cool to see where other TPR members have been. It's probably more work than necessary though.

[robbalvey]

I really like the idea of being able to link to threads we've started. A few times I've had someone ask me to link them to a TR Jer and I have done and since I fail at the search function, it was a challenge to find them.

Hopefully the new park index pages will help. We've just converted the system over to PHP with a very easy to use admin back end so we can quickly add to the park pages. While they look just like the current ones:

http://www.themeparkreview.com/parks/page.php?pageid=33

 

It's all in PHP and nicely cataloged. When it's all done you'll be able to search the pages and stuff and we'll be able to add a lot more parks.

 

--Robb

[taytig]

I like the idea of having a spot to list homepark, fav woodie, fav steel, fav park etc. This could help find people with similar interests. I also think a friends menu would be good too!

[ETapley0687]

Yea as cool as it sounds, I don't think making a social networking site would do this any better. If thats the case, there could be a facebook group devoted to themeparkreview.

 

Well, actually, there is one. I made it a while ago and just let it roll. It's currently got 174 members with little to no promotion.

 

Stuart

 

NEATNESS!!! lol Thanks for the link! Had no idea that was on there lol.

[mcjaco]

Hopefully the new park index pages will help. We've just converted the system over to PHP with a very easy to use admin back end so we can quickly add to the park pages. While they look just like the current ones:

http://www.themeparkreview.com/parks/page.php?pageid=33

 

It's all in PHP and nicely cataloged. When it's all done you'll be able to search the pages and stuff and we'll be able to add a lot more parks.

 

--Robb

 

I think everyone is going to be pleased with these new pages. With the easy admin function, we can update each page really quickly, which will make them more relevant.

 

I say keep the social networking to Facebook. There's enough going on in here, that it can get a little overwhelming.

[DBru]

I like that you can view all of the users posts, but could you split those up into different forum sections?

 

For instance, I'm a RCT freak, so if I wanted to find a members posts about RCT, I could strictly view their posts in Games, Models, And Other Randomness.

 

If I wanted to view someones posts about park news, I could view their Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys posts.

 

 

I also like the idea of a personal photo (always nice to know who you are talking to...), about me section, and friends list.

[Cyber.Fiber]

I would enjoy if when you click on the photo you are viewing, it displays the next one in the album. Like Face Book. It is very convenient.

[spaceace12]

I like that you can view all of the users posts, but could you split those up into different forum sections?

 

For instance, I'm a RCT freak, so if I wanted to find a members posts about RCT, I could strictly view their posts in Games, Models, And Other Randomness.

 

If I wanted to view someones posts about park news, I could view their Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys posts.

 

 

You can do this in the search feature, it is a little more involved to do it though. Atleast I beleive you can.

[Scaparri]

I like that you can view all of the users posts, but could you split those up into different forum sections?

 

For instance, I'm a RCT freak, so if I wanted to find a members posts about RCT, I could strictly view their posts in Games, Models, And Other Randomness.

 

If I wanted to view someones posts about park news, I could view their Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys posts.

 

 

I also like the idea of a personal photo (always nice to know who you are talking to...), about me section, and friends list.

 

As Spaceace mentioned, you can already do this. Just go to the search feature and type whoever's posts you're wanting to find in the "search for author" section, then pick which forum you want to search.

[Coaster Sim. Fan]

What about updating to PHPBB3 its so much nicer for both the user on the front end end and for administrating and moding on the back end.

[robbalvey]

^ We talked about this earlier on in the thread. I've done quite a bit of research on phpbb3. I'm not convinced it really offers that much more.

 

Has anyone here used a forum that has it installed?

 

I went through the feature list and once I would install it and create a skin that looks just like this one, I don't see what signifcant features it adds that we don't already have.

 

--Robb

[ahecht]

Most of the nice features in PHPBB3 are on the admin side: The ability to limit signature length and signature image size, limiting the maximum image width in posts (this would fix a LOT of problems here with large images breaking the forum), custom profile fields, omitting SIDs for bots to make it easier for search engines to index the board, better logging, temporary user bans, etc.

 

There are a few nice user features as well, such as the ability to view all the files you've uploaded from the User CP, quoting multiple messages, polls that let you select more than one option, in-line attachments, automatic image thumbnails, topic and post sorting, post templates, etc.

 

Most of these features were available as add-on modules in PHPBB2, but because they are now integrated the run much faster (another board that I'm on said that page generation times were cut in half).

[mcjaco]

^ I don't think there's a problem with the image sizing here. I get mine bumped out if they're too big.

 

I would love to see the multiple quote addition.

[ahecht]

There is a problem with image sizing if the image is under the file size requirements but is still too wide. It also happens if the image is displayed inline (linked to from another site) and isn't an attachment.

 

For example, see this thread. Even at 1280x1024, that page is stretched so wide by the image that I have to scroll left and right to read everything.

[mcjaco]

^ I think image quality is the bigger issue for that example.

[Homer]

I would like to see a wall feature on people's profiles though. I'm not sure whether or not you'd call that a novelty or a function.

[wildcatroc]

I think it'd be really neat if there was added functionality to search for other users in a geographic region (at least the ones who wished to be found). It'd be interesting to see who else is out there who doesn't necessarily post very much, but might like to meet up at your local park somewhere along the way.

[DBru]

^I also like that idea!

[Airtime&Gravity]

^ We talked about this earlier on in the thread. I've done quite a bit of research on phpbb3. I'm not convinced it really offers that much more.

 

Has anyone here used a forum that has it installed?

 

--Robb

 

I think RCPro uses it, and there doesn't seem to be a difference between those forums and these.

 

Some possible features I thought of were:

 

-quick post

-custom profile background

-top coasters/rides/parks section as mentioned before

-comment section(like on RCPro)

-photo section where photos can be grouped in to galleries and rated by viewers

[Louise]

My random thoughts, finally got around to posting here:

 

1. Liking the thread archiving stuff that's already been covered.

 

2. Multiple quoting would be an absolute joy to me if that comes with phpbb3! Worth the update for that alone in my opinion, I deliberately avoid multiple quoting because for some reason, simple as it is, I always find it irritating and a challenge!

 

3. I'm in total agreement with the others who said that TPR doesn't need to be a social networking site. Having said that, I do think it would be nice to have just one small aspect of Facebookness, if it were possible: There are a bunch of people on here who are my "TPR friends", meaning at some point one or the other of us has clicked that little heart icon. But this doesn't seem to do anything. I think it'd be nice if you could view a list somewhere in your profile, and maybe have a Facebook style newsfeed that shows you (maybe in the same sort of format as when you use the search function) all the recent posts by the people on your friends list. For those of us whose reading time is intermittently limited, it would be nice to be able to log in and go to the posts by the people we particularly enjoy reading about. That would certainly encourage me to actually *use* the Friends feature, as there are many posters here I haven't ever met but whose posts I greatly enjoy and would like to keep track of. I know you can go to "see all posts by this user" but it would be nice to put ALL of my favourite users' recent posts in one list.

 

4. I'm a HUGE fan of statistics, and I despise talking to people and not knowing how old they are, where they're from, blah blah blah. I understand that people are always gonna lie (I seriously doubt we have a 2 year old and an 80 year old (who is blatantly a young person according to his posts) as members), but I would love to have drop down menus for people to choose from for their location... Maybe have them select the country, and also the state or providence for the North Americans, then an option to type in the town??? I'd love for us to have a bigger and better statistics page that tells us we have 41 male members from North Dakota (lol) or that 0.005% of our membership are Swedish females. If we could just get statistics on location, age, and gender, I'd be happy. I know it doesn't make a huge difference to the site overall, it's just something I've always appreciated having!

 

5. I'm hating myself for mentioning Facebook so much, but as much as they're a completely different site to us, I think in the profile sense they get a lot of stuff so right. Some of this has been touched upon, but I'd like to see the ability to put more info into our profiles, though it sounds like Robb has been considering this already. Like on Facebook how you have a work info/educational info, and a space for movies, music, books, then a general "About Me" section... Maybe have it so just the first couple of lines show up and you have to click "read more" to see the rest, meaning peoples' profiles won't involve endless scrolling up and down. Again, just lets us know people that little bit better.

 

Overall though I'd be happy without any of the changes. It's cool to see the site improve, but I'd hate to see it change too much. If it ain't broke don't fix it. Thanks for letting us input ideas, Robb!

[RIP Psyclone]

^How about if putting one's profile in Lou's "super top secret stealth anti-stalker mode" was as easy as clicking a box?

[thrillgeek]

I'd like to have a profile views section. I think it would be cool to see who's profile gets viewed the most. I'd be curious to see how many people actually look at mine! Any chance it could happen Robb/Elissa?

[Team Thriller]

Here are my idea's:

 

1.) Coaster Counter

2.) Photo Albums (Already discussed)

3.) Maybe make the profiles more like facebook or myspace styles

4.) Make maybe more games we can play... for example Texas Hold em'

5.) Maybe each profile can have a calender for the persons "coaster trips" cause the number one question I always have before I go to a park is, "Is anyone from TRP going to be there?"

6.) Maybe something on here to resize pictures. Or is there anyway you can just upload the pictures and they change sizes automatically? Just since all these other sites are so confusing and hard to use.

 

--James

[thrillgeek]

^Good points. I like those. Except the coaster counter one you can just add from coaster fanatics.

[Team Thriller]

^

Yeah, but if you have one here, you can add it to your signature with a click of a button maybe. And I think maybe it should be a modified coaster counter. Since some of my credits are from traveling fairs. (Welcome to Germany). So I was thinking maybe you can have a +1 button that adds one credit to the counter, so that way Robb doesn't have to research all the coasters that travel. Assuming people would remember the one the rode. (Of course with this feature, they don't need to know the name.)

 

--James