So about our front page… I, the impeccably awesome Fearless Leader have decided to upgrade our back end. Which means that I’ve misplaced lots of stuff. Mind you I did run a full backup of our existing blog, but it doesn’t care to play nicely. Or I’m an idiot.
Long story short, we’re getting some pretty cool new functionality. I won’t go so far as to implement all of it yet because I need some user input. One thing I can do though is make our front page better by making it more useful.
Our front page is for all. One thing I haven’t seemed to express very well is that our site is a sounding board for all of our members. We want the front page to remain gamer-oriented (to help prevent confusion) but we would like for everyone to contribute when time permits. The new install will better empower you to write for us!
If you haven’t read along the bottom of the page, we’re using WordPress. This stuff is rock solid blogging software with an incredible support system and web interface. In addition to the slick built-in editing tools, there are several other really cool programs to help people post stories. I’m using Microsoft’s Live Writer to create this post. It’s really simple software which automates formatting and entry for everything from text to embedded media. It also adds nice, subtle touches like the drop shadow underneath the picture at the head of this post.
Better still is the potential for a new forum. This is the stuff I don’t want to implement just yet because of the hassle of migration (or lack thereof). The benefits would be an embedded view; that is, the forums would fall inline about where this post is. Smileys, private messaging… All the goodies are intact. The drawbacks (aside from user and post migration) would be the learning curve (everyone would have to figure out where things are…) and larger formatting than we currently use. This site layout is optimized for a minimum resolution of 1280×1024. I need to know if this is a serious problem for any of you.
The other reason for the upgrade is to try and accommodate you, the end user. I’m not quite sure how far we can or want to go, but some among us feel like our site would be better if our users have “personal” space a la myspace or facebook. I’m not convinced that this new setup is fully capable of such a goal, nor am I convinced that “personal” spaces is what Team Nimrod is about.
So far as I’m concerned, we’re about gaming. We’re about a high quality online gaming experience so as to make the most of our precious time. More and more Nimrod children are being added to the ranks, so I also ponder our direction towards a family friendly environment. Not that we aren’t family-oriented, but perhaps it should be a focus. Perhaps not. Y’all tell me.
Ultimately, this site is about you. What you want and how you want it.
In the meantime, please use the link in the right-hand navigation to reach our existing forums.
Lastly, on behalf of the Winston-Salem Nimrods, I wish everyone a Merry Christmas. May you all have many blessings this year.
Prime
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Mike’s ancestors reached Ypsilanti in 1823, the same year the city was founded. They owned the land many our homes rest on, and Mike’s great-grandfather, a mason, laid the stone foundations for many of our homes.
