Send us your ideas how to improve AfterDawn -- win cash!

As we have been working on AfterDawn.com for almost eight years now, it quite often happens that we become "blind" to the site's features, navigation, etc. And as the most people who we deal with on daily basis, are regular users of our site, they've managed to develop the same problem, making it impossible to find out how the site looks like and appears to Joe Sixpack who happens to visit the site for the very first time.

In an attempt to "think outside the box", we have set up a competition that asks all of our users to innovate how AfterDawn.com should work. This can be small things, like bugs that simply drive you crazy that should be fixed immediately which we haven't noticed. Or better yet, a whole new concept how the material on the site should be arranged and made available. Or even a new layout.

There are no rules on what you can suggest -- you can suggest a whole redesign of the layout, an idea for a new section, a fresh way to find content from the quite massive archive of knowledge that we have on our site to small things, like font colors, etc.

The idea can relate to any AfterDawn's section, whether "my", the main site, the forums, the software section, guides, FAQ, etc. Just be creative, don't just improve existing stuff, think a new way how things could be done!

To spice up the competition, we have decided to hand out an official AfterDawn.com "goodie bag", including our official T-shirt, coffee mug, etc to all the participants who have suggested something that we feel would bring more value to our site.

But, to make it more worthwhile, the best idea will be awarded with cold hard cash -- 1,500 euros to be exact. That's appx. 1,920 U.S. dollars. Whoever wins, will get that cash wired to his/her bank account.

Obviously all the ideas submitted to the contest can (and will) be used for AfterDawn Ltd's business development without royalty, trademark or patent claims.

To participate and read the specific rules for this contest, please visit:

https://www.afterdawn.com/general/innovate.cfm

The innovation contest ends 31st of December, 23:59 EST.

Written by: Petteri Pyyny @ 22 Aug 2006 4:50

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34 comments

halfhere

ahhh, i already have ideas....

22.8.2006 09:16 #1

Mik3h

Let's get the brains racking!

-Mike

22.8.2006 09:40 #2

ZippyDSM

frist off fix the new comments where mods can esaily remove dumb posts and the repleys to it...sicne some of us cant keep our traps shut and have to comment on off topic thigns >>
*raises hand*
*L*

Next fix the news commnet so you can edit it without haveing to go into the forms and find news,once you edit a commnet it remembers you and lets you edit any of your posts from then on 0-o.

Mabye place news comments at the TOP with site news so its easier to find......mabye make a genral gamers board to let gamers bitch moan and whine about games from all systems or at elast bring back cube and other game forums sicne blastroids.com suxs....sicne no one goes there.....

cant compalin about much esle...but if I can think of soemthign I'll let yu know :P

22.8.2006 11:40 #3

Lethal_B

I've got a feeling there will be many entries to this one :-)

22.8.2006 12:14 #4

sukhvail

no kidding... a 2000 dollar prize!! now all i need is an idea.

22.8.2006 12:38 #5

borhan9

Now thats what i call a comp :)

I'm lucky i have a day off today. I'll get right to it :)

22.8.2006 14:15 #6

hot_ice

I've been thinking of a few things actually:

Idea 1:The staff at afterdawn, right after finding the right logo for the site (mine hehe) should redesign the conceptual look for the site. Since there will be a new logo in place, I figure, why not redesign the site, and make it fit the logo.

Idea 2: I find the blog section (a member's blog) of afterdawn hold's a lot of promise, and I find it limiting to be offered very few options, like just simply changing the colour scheme, or adding pictures, it should be more elaborate and open to a member's personal creativity. In essence, more tools to be offered to customize your own blog.

Idea 3: when accessing the my account menu, I find it should be redesigned, making even more easy and clear to go about from one place to another.

Idea 4: I think the colours regarding afterdawn should be more vivid and lively, making it much more similar, to what an afterdawn sighting would be, heh.

Idea 5: I find it difficult to find out how I edit my posts, especially since I haven't the foggiest on how to do it. In addition to this, you should add a spellcheck, for member's like Zippydsm for example lol.
Sorry Zips.

Idea 6: Give afterdawn a fresh new look and feel to it, by reorganizing how things are placed such as articles, the menu, where things are placed, etc

Idea 7: Apply a zero tolerance rule regarding insults, and make it clear to members, that only constructive criticisms is permitted, rather than personal attacks.

Idea 8: Give members the chance to explore new options regarding posting. Maybe add some colour to the responses, italics, bold, perhaps even site integrated emoticons.

Idea 9: Incite member participation on issues relating abuse of power by the RIAA, and other significant members, by taking afterdawn to the next level. Basically, make afterdawn a well known and respected, more so than it already is, by voicing a strong opinion on the public scene.

Idea 10: Make being a member more exciting than it already is by coming up with ideas regarding member of the month, or categories awarding recognition and so forth based on various merits...

Well, that's all I can think of for now...I will return.

Hot_Ice

22.8.2006 14:30 #7

21Q

a sugestion I have is to have clean content on user page and user sig.

22.8.2006 14:31 #8

BurningAs

when i first joined here back a year ago i almost got banned for screaming for a new forum system

but here is my chance

22.8.2006 14:58 #9

neurokasm

I think users could benifit from a spellchecker and a "preview" button right next to the "post" button.

I would...

22.8.2006 15:27 #10

tocool4u

Guys I think your supposed to posts your ideas here:

http://www.afterdawn.com/general/innovate.cfm

22.8.2006 15:51 #11

darthnip

we have coffee mugs?? why wasn't i told about the coffee mugs?!?!?!

22.8.2006 18:43 #12

ZippyDSM

darit I blame the catnip it always makes me confused.....but it also makes me alright wth the world.....otherwise I'd be like...crap poeple.......OMG TEH sun...and such things......
hehehehehe

22.8.2006 18:51 #13

ireland

Only thing i see that is needed,
Add Tags:(BUTTONS)in our reply box..
for
bold
image
atalicize
underline
strike through
align left
align center
align right
quote..

22.8.2006 20:37 #14

aabbccdd

the saftly valve could use some work. to many useless threads are started or threads that start trouble. i think before a new thread can be opened in the SV it should have to be ok(ed) by a mod or staff member od aD this would cause less problems.

Lian-Li V1000 Full Tower/Antec-TruePower550-Watt/ASUS A8N32-SLI Deluxe MB Socket 939/ Seagate160GB Barracuda/ Westeren Digital Raptor 150 GB Sata/NVIDIA Geforce-7800 GTX KO ACS-3 Edition/ CORSAIR XMS 2GB (2 x 1GB) DDR SDRAM Unbuffered DDR 433(PC 3500)/AMD Opteron 175 Demark Dual Core/Zalman CNPS-9500 LED Cooler/2-Plextor PX-716A Drives/Lite-On SHW-160P6S/View Sonic-VP2030b 20.1"LCD 1600x1200 res.8ms Respone Time

22.8.2006 21:50 #15

21Q

ireland thats good idea but I thought mods couldn't post ideas???

23.8.2006 08:11 #16

ireland

21Q

i wanted that for a very long time as thats why i posted my ideas here...so others will know...

23.8.2006 10:03 #17

21Q

do you mind if I post it for you in the contest page??? but state it your idea and that I strongly agree with it???

23.8.2006 10:24 #18

tocool4u

21Q I already did before Ireland posted it.

23.8.2006 11:17 #19

21Q

oOo

23.8.2006 11:37 #20

Chee5e

Make A Chat of some sort..Like where the mods of all the diffrent category's can just chat to the perosn that needs help right there and then..So you don't have to keep coming back over a period of time to see if some one posted a post to your thread..A Chat where each main person in the forum ccategory's can sit in there room and then when someone needs instant help they can be right there ready to help..This way maybe more people can get quicker help.Like me :)

23.8.2006 14:45 #21

echto

How about a steering wheel for navigating the pages and if you want to change the page honk the horn.

23.8.2006 18:31 #22

aabbccdd

Chee5e , we have a chat room here

http://adbuddies.ccsau.com/

23.8.2006 21:17 #23

zippyd

How about instead of ending the contest on Dec 31st, we end it mid Nov and then take the 6 remaining weeks to implement the new ideas as a New Year's kickoff......

24.8.2006 00:16 #24

Andrew691

hehe zippyd thats a good idea thought december was a bit long for it to run for, you should submit it as an improvement.

24.8.2006 02:55 #25

dRD

zippyd: We're actually already implementing some of the ideas received from the contest. You might have noticed some of them, we'll shortly publish a news blurp about the various tweaks we've added to the site.

24.8.2006 04:05 #26

lawndog

Hay all been awhile, but figured I'd Q in on this one just to disagree......to a point!
@ aabbccdd
About the "i think before a new thread can be opened in the SV it should have to be ok(ed) by a mod or staff member" I somewhat disagree with this idea. When I first learned about afterdawn a couple years ago, I could post a question on forums, and get a response in about 20 min. I feel that unless the mods are monitouring 24/7 that feature will quickly disapear. I do believe though in possibly harsher penilties. Also sometimes a person may not be sure where to put a peticular post..... Alot of console games now are in DVD format. So lets say I have a modded XBOX and want to finger out how to "backup" a game, would I post it to the "XBOX forum" or should I use the DVD+/- forum?
Ok maybe bad example......and before I get a whole bunch of answers..... I truly don't care but a true "newbie" might not know.
But in conclusion(I think) the main reason I love afterdawn and refer it to everybody I know is because of the rapid response in the forums.
I do have adea though.....
What about........ ha like I'll tell yall so you can win the money and gifts.
LD

24.8.2006 16:06 #27

nitrous3

You should give newbies, junior members, members, senior members, and afterdawn addicts different privalages. Like more customization on there profile page or something else

24.8.2006 17:54 #28

lenses

i haven't had a new idea in 20 years, but then again no one has put up cash for one--wow!!

25.8.2006 19:05 #29

hot_ice

You guys forgot edit post and spellcheck, that would be great directly on the post itself.

31.8.2006 17:09 #30

ZippyDSM

hot_ice
that would require brain remembering to hit the spell check button,brain doth not compute well.

besides no point in fixing my spelling when my grammar hurts :P
soemtiems better to not understand what the isnane say :P

I have a brain...I think......
I fuzzy braind mew =0_o=
FIGHT THE M.A.F.I.A.A.
"Music And Film Industry Association of America.."
"Hollywood the 4kids of comic moives."

31.8.2006 17:51 #31

ouisi

While I don't have specific ideas for changing the site (I like it the way it is) I'd like to suggest if you do succumb to the urge to make changes that you do it slow and do it for good reason. People don't like change for the sake of change.

31.8.2006 21:19 #32

pollution

So what ideas won?

TEXAS

15.1.2007 05:02 #33

lawndog

I would like to know who won

2.2.2007 13:04 #34

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