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Old 06-02-15, 22:50
Phil Waterman Phil Waterman is offline
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Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Temple, New Hampshire, USA
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Hi Stuart

OK I've registered an signed into Metal Meet Forums, first very interesting site. I've ended up in some of the forum headings before when doing research on body work.

Observations:
1. I noticed right off the bat is if you are not a registered user you can not see the photos. This to me is a real draw back (which may be a simple settings issue) because it encourages the casual viewer to sign up to just see what they are missing. Having the photos available to anyone is accomplishing one of MLU objectives, education. Until they're serious and want to ask question or add information let them be guests with no work to register them.

2. Not a fan of Metal Meet Forums basic lay out, commerce first but that also is a set up issue.

3. Bob mentions the impotence of getting photos into the actual MLU server instead of out on a remote server where they will be lost. This a very important point we already have lost original photos of great interest and value because the people who posted them are gone.

4. Photo size and numbers of photos per post are a server size and cost issue.

5. Photos and video file size relating to cost, I am currently being forced by my web hosting company to move all my videos over to Youtube. They advertise unlimited band width but if you use to much (undefined amount) they shut down the site. Issue of course they want more money.

6. Another of Bobs point is a very good one, about MLU being an all volunteer web master situation, so any thoughts about what to change and how to change things need to have very strong input from Hanno.

7. What ever we do we must be aware of the change in platforms that people are using to view MLU or any web site. Smart phones and tablets are simply different and I'm now sure how newest generation of vBulletin works with other platforms.

As sort of an aside recently I got a tablet great for quick looking for stuff on the web and reading forums like MLU. I hate the bloody thing for responding though. Had to go to my regular computer to do this response just could not touch it in on the smudge screen of the tablet.

I'm not really impressed with forums which are primarily being posted to and responded to by people using smart phones. They are often not speaking in full thoughts.

Cheers Phil
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