_GOTOBOTTOM
Site Talk
Site announcements, comments, or feedback about the site.
Hosted by Darren Baker, Jim Starkweather
Forums or news?
jimbrae
Visit this Community
Provincia de Lugo, Spain / Espaņa
Joined: April 23, 2003
KitMaker: 12,927 posts
Armorama: 9,486 posts
Posted: Thursday, March 11, 2004 - 06:48 AM UTC
I was going to post this on the thread about the special mention for those who have contributed to the site, however this seems to be a better place for it.

In the above-mentioned thread, there was some talk about future direction of Armorama. As I think it is a valid topic, let me start the ball rolling.... We are having some excellent threads/discussions, better probably than any other in the known universe However, perhaps it is now time to start thinking about a way of improving the 'actuality' of the site. Now, I don't think that we should go over to a 'pure' news format, nor do we want to keep the site as only forum/discussions.

Basically, how do we improve the news content?

Do we need to improve the news content?

Are we in a situation where we have just too many forums?

Is the DSB actually needed on this site? (Sorry Dave )

Can we have a softskins forum (or at least a sub-division)

Well peeps, over to you.....Jim(putting on his helmet , just in case)
GunTruck
Visit this Community
California, United States
Joined: December 01, 2001
KitMaker: 5,885 posts
Armorama: 3,799 posts
Posted: Thursday, March 11, 2004 - 06:53 AM UTC
Well...

Over at Starship Modeler, they have a Forum specifically setup for all kinds of new "stuff" related to the interest of the membership. We might have too many Forums here today at Armorama, but I think establishing a "Just In" Forum like SM has would be great.

It could be subdivided into chapter events, books, mags, or based on our modeling Focus Areas, etc, and help serve a service to our membership. It could even be taken a step further and be used by all the Forum Moderators and Editors as leads into looking deeper into postings that could be turned into News Stories or Information for the membership and posting on the Main Page(s).

Gunnie
staff_Jim
Staff MemberPublisher
KITMAKER NETWORK
Visit this Community
New Hampshire, United States
Joined: December 15, 2001
KitMaker: 12,571 posts
Armorama: 6,599 posts
Posted: Thursday, March 11, 2004 - 07:12 AM UTC
I should probably point out that our news story reads (how many times a story has been read) are WAY up lately.

German WW2 Movie & Still Camera Set
Reads: 709

19 Products from New Label
Reads: 609

EXTRA DETAIL - New Products
Reads: 877

Tamiya-con 2004 Announced!
Reads: 1420

Braille scale T-72M
Reads: 451

US Military's M923 5 ton trucks
Reads: 1361

DIORAMA SOLUTIONS - New Line
Reads: 1033

1/72 Model of Yugoslav M-84A MBT
Reads: 359

New Decal Company - Echelon
Reads: 377

New British & French Hobby Fan Figures
Reads: 487

Formations Models New Releases
Reads: 477

Back East Graphics Arrives
Reads: 276

Notice the TamiyaCon story which I wrote from scratch. Hmm....interesting.

Jim
jimbrae
Visit this Community
Provincia de Lugo, Spain / Espaņa
Joined: April 23, 2003
KitMaker: 12,927 posts
Armorama: 9,486 posts
Posted: Thursday, March 11, 2004 - 07:17 AM UTC
I was just thinking if there was a better place to put the news stories, Jim's suggestion seems like a brilliant solution. I guess what I was trying to suggest was like a magazine within the site....

Jim, I couldn't agree more with the read numbers, however it would be nice to have them all on the same page so some don't get lost...More sub-categories?...Jim
staff_Jim
Staff MemberPublisher
KITMAKER NETWORK
Visit this Community
New Hampshire, United States
Joined: December 15, 2001
KitMaker: 12,571 posts
Armorama: 6,599 posts
Posted: Thursday, March 11, 2004 - 07:53 AM UTC

Quoted Text

I was just thinking if there was a better place to put the news stories, Jim's suggestion seems like a brilliant solution. I guess what I was trying to suggest was like a magazine within the site....

Jim, I couldn't agree more with the read numbers, however it would be nice to have them all on the same page so some don't get lost...More sub-categories?...Jim


Jim,
There are sub-categories already:

New Releases

Aircraft

Armor / AFV

Dioramas

Figures

Warships

Other

Shows & Events

Announcements

Movies & TV

PC GAMES

....

Did you not realize this? Perhaps I need to work on the menu system if that is the case.

Jim
staff_Jim
Staff MemberPublisher
KITMAKER NETWORK
Visit this Community
New Hampshire, United States
Joined: December 15, 2001
KitMaker: 12,571 posts
Armorama: 6,599 posts
Posted: Thursday, March 11, 2004 - 07:54 AM UTC
Gunnie,
Your forum idea has merit. Let me get the changes made to the forum software first though before we add more new forums.

Jim
slodder
Visit this Community
North Carolina, United States
Joined: February 22, 2002
KitMaker: 11,718 posts
Armorama: 7,138 posts
Posted: Thursday, March 11, 2004 - 08:20 AM UTC
In light of recent discussion about what constitutes News vs a product release I am going to chime in.....

There was some good polite discussion that a pure product release added to the news area come close to free advertising.
As a case in point the TamiyaCon News is more news oriented, as another example, the recent 'situation' with regard to AMPS would be news vs product release

Maybe Gunnie's got something with a "Just In" that is product based and let other things like shows, company purchases, etc be News. To offset the advertising aspect, the "Just In" could have more prominent advertising.

Just some thoughts.

MrRoo
Visit this Community
Queensland, Australia
Joined: October 07, 2002
KitMaker: 3,856 posts
Armorama: 2,984 posts
Posted: Thursday, March 11, 2004 - 08:38 AM UTC
As staff Jim Knows I would gladly support a "softskin" forum seperate from Armor/AFV. I would also support the creation of a new subsection in each forum called Rivet Review (or critics corner for that matter) where finished as well as in progress pics could be put in regard to that forums interest group. This would do away with the Rivit review forum that we have now so it could be used for something else (perhaps renaming it the softskin forum...lol) or disappearing completely.

I would point out that there is no where else on the web that caters for purely softskins and this could become a good drawcard for all those softskin modelers out there that don't visit the mainstream sites. Softskins have, to my knowledge, always been lumped in with Armor/AFV and I for sure would like this to end. (couldn't really say why though #:-) )

I know we have a sub section in the armor forum but this is not the same as having a seperate forum devoted solely to softskins.

This is just my two cents worth on a subject that I enjoy. In fact this is the only thing that ranks in front of armorama in my opinion.
staff_Jim
Staff MemberPublisher
KITMAKER NETWORK
Visit this Community
New Hampshire, United States
Joined: December 15, 2001
KitMaker: 12,571 posts
Armorama: 6,599 posts
Posted: Thursday, March 11, 2004 - 08:43 AM UTC
Scott,
All true, but (there is always a but) new release news is why most people seem to check the News area. Any I have heard numerous members say that they check sites like IPMS Stockhold, PMMS, Starship Modeler, and other sites specifically because of the news items. This is why I worry a bit about moving new release items to a forum only situation. I like Gunnies idea in that it would foster more "talk" about new items. But then again users post and talk about new items in the specific forums they are related to now. Is adding another forum to announce or talk about new items simply diluting the forum and making another location for users and moderators to frequent.

Here is a simple example. Mr. Battlewagon likes building warships, he frequents Armorama and has his focus setting to display the Warships homepage, from there he can see at-a-glance the most recent features, posts, news stories, and review. If we create a forum that generically deals with all new items, how am I going to deliver that info to him? Or will he be required to now look in that forum. Will he? Or will he expect to find posts on new warships in the.... warship forum?

Regarding your other point about vendors sending us news articles and that being free advertising. It is. And I wish more of them would take advantage of it. We would have a news section filled with great stories! Look for example at PlanetFigure's news on their homepage, www.planetfigure.com. This is being fed from posts in the forum. We could do something like this I guess. But we already have a news system that is better than this IMHO. The long and short of it is, just because a vendor gives us 2 sentences doesn't mean that's all we have to publish. They are letting us know about a new product. It is up to us to make it a news story.

Thanks,
Jim
staff_Jim
Staff MemberPublisher
KITMAKER NETWORK
Visit this Community
New Hampshire, United States
Joined: December 15, 2001
KitMaker: 12,571 posts
Armorama: 6,599 posts
Posted: Thursday, March 11, 2004 - 08:51 AM UTC

Quoted Text

As staff Jim Knows I would gladly support a "softskin" forum seperate from Armor/AFV. I would also support the creation of a new subsection in each forum called Rivet Review (or critics corner for that matter) where finished as well as in progress pics could be put in regard to that forums interest group. This would do away with the Rivit review forum that we have now so it could be used for something else (perhaps renaming it the softskin forum...lol) or disappearing completely.

I would point out that there is no where else on the web that caters for purely softskins and this could become a good drawcard for all those softskin modelers out there that don't visit the mainstream sites. Softskins have, to my knowledge, always been lumped in with Armor/AFV and I for sure would like this to end. (couldn't really say why though #:-) )

I know we have a sub section in the armor forum but this is not the same as having a seperate forum devoted solely to softskins.

This is just my two cents worth on a subject that I enjoy. In fact this is the only thing that ranks in front of armorama in my opinion.


Cliff,
I got your email this morning on my home pc but did not have time to reply. I would certainly be willing to entertain this idea but not quite on the scale I think you have in mind. For me the site is logically defined by user-groups.

Armor/AFV - and this includes people who build jeeps and other softskins as Gunnie will attest.

Figures - all types of military or historical figs.

Aircraft - planes and helos

Warships - Military naval ships of all types

Dioramas - Dioramas of the above subjects of a military nature.

I am not willing to physically move softskins as their own top level group. Set up a special forum yes. As long as there is a good deal of energy and motivation behind it. But even if we do that I will predict now that some softskin topics will continue to be made in Armor/AFV.

So...more discussion needed perhaps.

Cheers,
Jim
GunTruck
Visit this Community
California, United States
Joined: December 01, 2001
KitMaker: 5,885 posts
Armorama: 3,799 posts
Posted: Thursday, March 11, 2004 - 08:57 AM UTC
I'd agree. I'm still known (everywhere else but Armorama it seems ) as an avid softskin modeler, but I think the subject should still fall into the Armor/AFV Grouping. Today - it isn't quite a top-level interest but like Sci-Fi & Spaceships - who knows what the future could bring...

I'll pay closer attention to activity and discussion volume on both going forward...

Gunnie

slodder
Visit this Community
North Carolina, United States
Joined: February 22, 2002
KitMaker: 11,718 posts
Armorama: 7,138 posts
Posted: Thursday, March 11, 2004 - 08:59 AM UTC
All good points Jim. Clears things up (for me) on the 'direction' of the News section.

More talk is definitely a good thing, tighter integration between a thread/forum and the News feature is one avenue also..... I know there is a Discuss Feature in Features and a Comments Feature in News. I have been more concious of adding the links back to Feature to help facilitate discussions. Maybe something along these lines of more education that it exists and easier visuals to see the capabilities.

Eagle
Visit this Community
Noord-Brabant, Netherlands
Joined: May 22, 2002
KitMaker: 4,082 posts
Armorama: 1,993 posts
Posted: Thursday, March 11, 2004 - 09:01 AM UTC
Friends,

I've read the posts above, and forums or news... I don't mind where it's gonna end up.... One thing I know...I'm gonna write some emails in order to get us some news..... new products...call it whatever we like. I'm going to try to collect us some stuff that draws (new)members to our little diorama corner (it goes without saying that I keep you posted on this Scott ).
jimbrae
Visit this Community
Provincia de Lugo, Spain / Espaņa
Joined: April 23, 2003
KitMaker: 12,927 posts
Armorama: 9,486 posts
Posted: Friday, March 12, 2004 - 12:15 AM UTC
Jim (Staff) yes, I realize that there are many sub-categories in the news section, all I was wondering if they perhaps need tightened up or expanded a little..nothing else. Perhaps (as a concrete suggestion) a space could be created for manufactures to post into?

Perhaps, thinking of the suggestions, maybe I'm going at this the wrong way? Perhaps its the REVIEWS section which needs some work put into it? Now that would really be worth working on.... Perhaps (borrowing heavily from PMMS) reviews could be categorized into the following categories:

Vehicles

Ships

Reference Material

Paint/Tools etc.

Aviation

It would only be categorized by manufacturer and could become a constantly expanding resource......Jim
Halfyank
Visit this Community
Colorado, United States
Joined: February 01, 2003
KitMaker: 5,221 posts
Armorama: 1,245 posts
Posted: Friday, March 12, 2004 - 05:05 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Any I have heard numerous members say that they check sites like IPMS Stockhold, PMMS, Starship Modeler, and other sites specifically because of the news items


To me, this is the ONLY area where Armorama is even REMOTELY lacking. How is it that reviews from some of these sites seem to get kits to review before anybody else? It seems to me that every effort should be made to be able to get hold of pre-release kits that can beviewed. Where we put them on the board doesn't seem to me as important as just having them. If we have them, people will find them. If there is any way to curry favor with the big kit manufacturers, or distributors, so that they will get somebody here pre-release kits for us to review also then that is one thing we should really look into doing.
GunTruck
Visit this Community
California, United States
Joined: December 01, 2001
KitMaker: 5,885 posts
Armorama: 3,799 posts
Posted: Friday, March 12, 2004 - 05:36 AM UTC
Time, exposure, and patience...

Every effort is being made, and some are beginning to pay off. Comparatively speaking, Armorama is still a "young" site and our exposure is in a growth phase. As we grow in recognition around the 'Net - so will attention of model manufacturers come our way.

Gunnie
GunTruck
Visit this Community
California, United States
Joined: December 01, 2001
KitMaker: 5,885 posts
Armorama: 3,799 posts
Posted: Friday, March 12, 2004 - 06:43 AM UTC

Quoted Text

The reality is that in almost every situation I can think of, when we have asked for products to review, they have been sent. Speaking of that... Gunnie did Dmitriy send those items for review?


Oh yes he did - Dmitriy is fantastically fast! He'd put the USPS to shame if he decided to setup his own mailing service...

Gunnie
 _GOTOTOP