Musicbanter Improvement Thread

[Freebase Dali]

Originally Posted by right-track

Freebase. Out of interest, what were the other improvement requests?

From what I can remember they were: raising the image limit, character limit, raising the amount of posts selectable by mods, disabling poll votes bumping threads, a shoutbox search function, and a couple other things I can't remember.

Originally Posted by Urban Hatemonger

Is it being pushed aside though?

It's not the first time we've asked for admin to implement an email verification system. In fact we've asked for one several times since I've been a mod & so far nothing has materialised. It doesn't take 3 years to implement something like this.

I don't think we should stop asking for small things just because bigger things have yet to be done, in fact have we ever had any guarantee that these bigger things we're waiting for are being done? I can remember Yac saying he'll see what he can do but other than that I've not seen him say we're working on this or working on that.

You don't think it's a good idea to have a notification system, that's fine, but I do think it is and I really don't see what harm can be done PMing Yac & asking if it's something that can be done simply & easily.

The funny thing about it is an email verification system is an extremely easy thing to implement in the forum software. It's a standard feature that just needs to be turned on. Here is an example:

Go to:
>Vbulletin Options
>User Registration Options
>Tick the "Verify Email address in Registration" option

I admire your optimism, but if that couldn't be figured out for 3 years, I have little hope for any request that requires even slightly more effort than that. I do realize that the reasoning behind the admins decision to implement something or not may escape us, but I get the feeling that going beyond base functionality to keep this place interesting enough to attract hits and gain Google ratings is not in the owner's interest. And although I really don't think the request in question is a bad idea, I would just rather bug the admin about things that have a larger effect. I'm not opposed to one of you guys requesting the notification thing. I'll just keep bothering them with the other stuff. Maybe they'll get annoyed into submission.

[James]

Originally Posted by VEGANGELICA

I think some people would hit the 50 private messages limit pretty quickly if visitor messages converted into private messages, James! They may not want to spend the extra time deleting all the messages from their inbox. (But how *do* you make a visitor message convert to a private message? Mr dave could use that function!)

Other forums list on the top right how many private messages and visitor messages you have, in addition to "Friend Requests" and "Notifications," so when you click on those links they show up.

Just like we see "Private Messages Unread 0 Total 44" or whatever your numbers are! Except right below that you'd see "Visitor Messages," and below that you'd see "Friend Requests" and below THAT you'd see "Notifications" in case you are informed of some site event by the administration or moderators.

No not a private message, an actual email.

[VEGANGELICA]

Originally Posted by James

No not a private message, an actual email.

Oh! I see, James. I misunderstood. So there's a way to get visitor messages to show up in your e-mail just like private message do? I didn't realize that.

On a related topic, the e-mail verification system...

Originally Posted by Freebase Dali

The funny thing about it is an email verification system is an extremely easy thing to implement in the forum software.

I admire your optimism, but if that couldn't be figured out for 3 years, I have little hope for any request that requires even slightly more effort than that. I do realize that the reasoning behind the admins decision to implement something or not may escape us, but I get the feeling that going beyond base functionality to keep this place interesting enough to attract hits and gain Google ratings is not in the owner's interest. And although I really don't think the request in question is a bad idea, I would just rather bug the admin about things that have a larger effect. I'm not opposed to one of you guys requesting the notification thing. I'll just keep bothering them with the other stuff. Maybe they'll get annoyed into submission.

If MB had an e-mail verification system, I assume this means that when people sign up they would get an e-mail with a random ID link that must be clicked to activate their account.

This e-mail verification system would benefit us (and especially you and the other moderators) because it would create an extra step people have to take before they can join MB, and force them to use a real e-mail address, making it harder for people to spam the site.

I wonder if the Admin just doesn't really care about spammers because for statistical purposes a spam post is still a visitor, and a member is a member. So the more people who use the site, even if it is for spamming, the more traffic the site gets. This may make it easier to sell advertisements, which I assume are the only source of revenue that the owners get from this site.

If this is the case, then the Admin wouldn't be motivated to have an e-mail verification system. If they see the site just in terms of money, and it sounds like they do, then I think we've got to argue in terms of money, pointing out how improvements like this could make the owners MORE money by increasing the number of active, legitimate members who come here for a positive, spam-free experience.

Hey! Annoying people into submission is MY technique, Freebase!

[Freebase Dali]

Originally Posted by VEGANGELICA

Oh! I see, James. I misunderstood. So there's a way to get visitor messages to show up in your e-mail just like private message do? I didn't realize that.

On a related topic, the e-mail verification system...



If MB had an e-mail verification system, I assume this means that when people sign up they would get an e-mail with a random ID link that must be clicked to activate their account.

This e-mail verification system would benefit us (and especially you and the other moderators) because it would create an extra step people have to take before they can join MB, and force them to use a real e-mail address, making it harder for people to spam the site.

I wonder if the Admin just doesn't really care about spammers because for statistical purposes a spam post is still a visitor, and a member is a member. So the more people who use the site, even if it is for spamming, the more traffic the site gets. This may make it easier to sell advertisements, which I assume are the only source of revenue that the owners get from this site.

If this is the case, then the Admin wouldn't be motivated to have an e-mail verification system. If they see the site just in terms of money, and it sounds like they do, then I think we've got to argue in terms of money, pointing out how improvements like this could make the owners MORE money by increasing the number of active, legitimate members who come here for a positive, spam-free experience.

Hey! Annoying people into submission is MY technique, Freebase!

That's all pretty much exactly what I was thinking as well. But since this particular site doesn't advertise, apart from some very minor stuff for unregistered members from what I hear, and have never actually seen myself, it would be very hard to make money off what they've got going at the moment at this particular site.
But there is another angle. There are people who flip websites in pretty much the same way they flip houses, land, or any other thing in order to gain a profit off what they paid initially. The general idea in the website sense is to buy a website from the original owner that is already started up and has a following, and either just simply wait for more traffic to increase its worth, or implement your own changes to expedite the process.
You may already know this, but websites have a "theoretical" monetary "worth" based on how many hits/visits/stays the site regularly gets. This "worth" is based on what the average payout from advertisement is for sites with a given number of regular visitors . You don't have to let advertising companies advertise on your site to estimate this worth... If you fall into a category where advertising would pay well, i.e. you draw a crowd consistently (because advertisers need an actual audience) then you are worth something as a website.
You can either choose to let advertisers advertise on your site and make money from the advertisers... or you can let your worth increase and sell the website based on that worth, assuming there is someone else who is willing to buy the website and make money off it with advertising or flipping it again.

For as long as you don't either sell a product from your website or advertise on it, you aren't making money from it. Being that Musicbanter is owned by a comany, "Advameg", who owns a bunch of other sites which don't contain any significant advertising at all from what I've seen, I think it's a pretty good bet that these are simply investments.. us included.. that have nothing to do with the actual subject matter other than the propensity for people to be drawn to them and increase a website's worth with hits, so that the sites can either be sold for a profit, or advertised on for an income.

Anyway, I say all that to say, you got the right idea. I don't think these people give a shit about Musicbanter in the same way that we do. That's why it's obviously tooth and nail to get even the little things done around here. All we are, are hits.

[Violent & Funky]

I don't like clogging up my email with stuff from message boards and the ilk. With a site like facebook I always change the settings so I don't receive any emails. A simple notification is greatly preferred. Sorry, James...

[Scarlett O'Hara]

Originally Posted by VEGANGELICA

Vanilla, are you in the loop with Lady Gaga?

If I was in the loop with Lady Gaga she'd be in my bed right now getting busy.

[James]

Originally Posted by Violent & Funky

I don't like clogging up my email with stuff from message boards and the ilk. With a site like facebook I always change the settings so I don't receive any emails. A simple notification is greatly preferred. Sorry, James...

Well, that;s up to you. But you shouldn't complain about lack of notifications when you could have them if you wanted.

[VEGANGELICA]

Originally Posted by Freebase Dali

Anyway, I say all that to say, you got the right idea. I don't think these people give a shit about Musicbanter in the same way that we do. That's why it's obviously tooth and nail to get even the little things done around here. All we are, are hits.

Well, the MB site owners are getting a little revenue from the ads, because I've seen several posted.

In fact, one of the ads is from www.drugfreeworld.org. You can get a booklet about why not to use marijuana! I thought that was funny and was going to post about it in the "should the U.S. legalize marijuana thread." Also, there is some company that advertises boots here.

But I agree, it looks like to the owners hits are hits, posts are posts, and members are members, regardless whether spam or not. So, if we are primarily an investment for them, rather than a way for them to express their undying love of music, we could either try to reduce our hits or increase them to get the site sold off to someone who may be more interested in it!

Since MusicBanter is a stud muffin thanks to Urban and Vanilla, I think reducing hits won't work. So, the only way to get the site sold off to impassioned owners is to increase the number of hits the site gets!

Which brings me back to my "Get Famous Musicians to Post Here" idea. My hopes, Freebase, are pinned on YOU.

So GET CRACKIN' with the songs so you can become even more famous!!! Then we will dangle you out there as a lure, with those eyebrows of yours wiggling like an anglerfish's thingamabob:

NEW MUSICBANTER MEMBERS ........................... FREEBASE:

Originally Posted by Vanilla

If I was in the loop with Lady Gaga she'd be in my bed right now getting busy.

I guess then we could say that Lady Gaga would be in *your* loop...if you catch my drift.

Well, I still think you should invite her to visit MusicBanter to increase the number of hits we get. You could offer yourself as part of the b&b (?) to entice her in!

[Arya Stark]

Ew Erica.

xD

[Urban Hat€monger ?]

Originally Posted by Freebase Dali

The funny thing about it is an email verification system is an extremely easy thing to implement in the forum software. It's a standard feature that just needs to be turned on. Here is an example:

I admire your optimism, but if that couldn't be figured out for 3 years, I have little hope for any request that requires even slightly more effort than that.

Optimism?
I was thinking more in line that the reason it hasn't been implemented is because it was them that turned it off in the first place.

Originally Posted by VEGANGELICA

Well, the MB site owners are getting a little revenue from the ads, because I've seen several posted.

In fact, one of the ads is from Foundation for a Drug Free World: Substance & Alcohol Abuse Prevention, Education & Intervention. You can get a booklet about why not to use marijuana! I thought that was funny and was going to post about it in the "should the U.S. legalize marijuana thread." Also, there is some company that advertises boots here.

All the ads are run through google ads and are chosen by word association of what's been posted. It's all run by google & has nothing to do with musicbanter or the people in the advert.