Honda Ridgeline Owners Reviews

gugman · Joined: 18 Dec 2006 Posts: 76

All kidding aside I do like the spell check feature location close by

bigdave269 · Joined: 02 Oct 2005 Posts: 1204 Location: Santa Clarita

ridgeline4wd wrote (View Post): › docWrite("quote")
www.scionlife.com

that uses phpbb, its pretty big

Is that a newer version or just different setup?

Otter68 · Joined: 03 Oct 2006 Posts: 17 Location: Colorado

ridgeline4wd,

Functionally, I find some other sites much more intuitive - could be a matter of design aspects. Not that I can't get around in here, but on the internet, easy = more RETURN hits = more members = more info, etc, etc.

Aesthetically, (no offense) this site seems cluttered and dull. Pretty monotone and somewhat intimidating at first.

Yes, I'm a newbie (to this site), and no, I'm not trying to make changes for only my sake. But you DID ask.
The main reasons I used and participated on the ROC before RL4WD are:
1. Data.
2. Activity.
3. Member count.
4. Design.
The main reason I'm using RL4WD as well now:
1. The 1st 3 aspects above have increased recently.

What do I think (IMHO) would benefit RL4WD the most right now? Design. Admittedly:
- I know nothing about the nuts and bolts of either package.
- RL4WD (or I) will not disappear if nothing is changed.
But, a change in appearance would help this site; whether it's a redesign using existing php or a conversion to vB. I've never considered myself a sheep, but sometimes it makes sense to appeal (visually and intuitively) to the masses.

aaaaaand, scene.

Ultra-Hog · Joined: 06 Feb 2006 Posts: 262

Good post Otter68. All excellent points. I think you hit right on target.

Webwader · Joined: 18 Dec 2006 Posts: 211

I, too, agree wholeheartedly with Otter68's comments. One of the first impressions I had when I came to this site was that the design seemed very dated. I can't truly comment about the ease of navigability since I don't have the experience with this format that I do with VB, but I do think first impressions have a lot to do with attracting new members/

Pug · Joined: 01 Jan 2007 Posts: 26

Webwader wrote (View Post): › docWrite("quote") I can't truly comment about the ease of navigability since I don't have the experience with this format that I do with VB, but I do think first impressions have a lot to do with attracting new members/
In my limited experience with the site's system, I've learned that it's frustrating having to navigate through the threads to find posts that I've not read already... especially since I (probably in the minority) have dial-up and a slower computer. This is what I spend most of my time here doing (finding unread posts). It would be nice if a thread would open to the last unread post so that I wouldn't have to scroll sideways/up/down to get to the post that is "next in line" for me to read.
Having to click through pages of posts after a search, also is very time consuming, but that's probably a server issue, as well as computer clock-speed problem with my own equipment.
I like the "shoutbox" feature of the site, and I like being able to include a nice-sized avatar, and the "message body" capabilities are nice to have, even if I don't use them that much.

But, if the poll was still open, I'd have to vote to make the switch to Vb.

As this site becomes larger, there will come a point when it will be a real bummer navigating through it. :(
I know I've only been a member about a week, but in that week I've been an active looker as a guest, as well as a logged-in participant in discussions and threads, so this opinion wasn't formulated without some "realtime" experience.

I'm a member of three other forums that use Vb, but although I admit I have some bias, I've tried to look past that to honestly assess the capabilities of this system.

Maybe it wouldn't benefit others, but I think the switch would benefit me.

just my .02,
Pug

Pug · Joined: 01 Jan 2007 Posts: 26

I have to add this...

I think that alot of the problems with my navigation around the forum has to do with the "time problem".

Although my time is reported correctly in my posts, the day reported on the "boards" is incorrect. It shows that I posted a post Yesterday even though I just posted it minutes ago (Today).
Maybe it doesn't know whether I'm comin' or goin'? Sometimes I wonder myself... :lol:

Could this be a leading cause of the quirks I am experiencing with the pulsing diamond icons (with red dot)? When I hover over them, they report that there are "No New Posts" (even though I just posted to them and they're reported in the "Recent Topics").

Also, when I go to a board, I see BLUE-colored thread titles that lead me to believe that they have Un-Read posts in them. I click them, and find that they don't.

As George Harrison once said (or was it John Lennon):

"I've got blista's on ma finga's"! :?

[/rant]

bigdave269 · Joined: 02 Oct 2005 Posts: 1204 Location: Santa Clarita

Set your time to GMT and it will get you to the right time.

Pug · Joined: 01 Jan 2007 Posts: 26

bigdave269 wrote (View Post): › docWrite("quote")Set your time to GMT and it will get you to the right time.

It has been set to GMT for about a week.

While I'm here, I'd like to suggest that you lose the "tales of woe" from the main page that new visitors are placed on when they show-up here.
I think it's time to "move onwards" to bigger/better things... does anyone disagree? I think that page is a real downer that abso-tively does not lend to increasing our knowledge-base/membership.
Also, the "News" isn't news anymore. It's outdated and probably is taking-up valuable space. Could we lose that, as well? Maybe replace it with something fresh. I know it's not spring, yet, but I think a "clean-up" of the site would be beneficial to all.
Just some suggestions... is all. It's ultimately up to you guys at the top. I'd just feel better sending someone here if the "front door" looked a little more "welcoming", if ya get my drift?

Thanks for listening... I know you're hard at work on these problems... the site has been around a long time without me, and it will go on with or without me... but I'm not a guest anymore... and I'd like to have a hand in making my own bed.

Pug

Pizza Man · Joined: 16 Sep 2006 Posts: 667 Location: Bristol, Pa

Pug wrote (View Post): › docWrite("quote")I have to add this...

I think that alot of the problems with my navigation around the forum has to do with the "time problem".

Although my time is reported correctly in my posts, the day reported on the "boards" is incorrect. It shows that I posted a post Yesterday even though I just posted it minutes ago (Today).
Maybe it doesn't know whether I'm comin' or goin'? Sometimes I wonder myself... :lol:

Could this be a leading cause of the quirks I am experiencing with the pulsing diamond icons (with red dot)? When I hover over them, they report that there are "No New Posts" (even though I just posted to them and they're reported in the "Recent Topics").

Also, when I go to a board, I see BLUE-colored thread titles that lead me to believe that they have Un-Read posts in them. I click them, and find that they don't.

As George Harrison once said (or was it John Lennon):

"I've got blista's on ma finga's"! :?

[/rant]

Hey Pug, I think I have this straight. The red dot means you've posted on that thread. Pulsing diamond means that it is a popular thread based on the number of posts. A light blue diamond means there are no new posts and a dark blue diamond means there are new posts. I hope this helps a bit.

Pug · Joined: 01 Jan 2007 Posts: 26

Pizza Man wrote (View Post): › docWrite("quote")

Hey Pug, I think I have this straight. The red dot means you've posted on that thread. Pulsing diamond means that it is a popular thread based on the number of posts. A light blue diamond means there are no new posts and a dark blue diamond means there are new posts. I hope this helps a bit.
Thank you! about the red dot, that is... I knew there was a logical explanation! Sheesh! Why didn't I think'o'dat!?
But 'splain this to me... why the hell does it say "No New Posts" when I hover over it when I KNOW there are???

This is makin' me bug-eyed!

You know how "particular" i can be about stuff like this... sometimes to a fault... I realize that... and all here who read this will know now... heh-heh!
But I'm the first to admit when I'm wrong...
Read my last post in the thread, too...tell me what you think.
thanks Joe... it's good to get a reply,
Pug

Pizza Man · Joined: 16 Sep 2006 Posts: 667 Location: Bristol, Pa

Maybe, it doesn't consider your post as a new post when you look at the thread??

Pug · Joined: 01 Jan 2007 Posts: 26

Pizza Man wrote (View Post): › docWrite("quote")Maybe, it doesn't consider your post as a new post when you look at the thread??
I suppose not.
I guess you didn't go back and read my post before the last one?

Bottom line is... if I'm gonna bring on new members, I wanna be able to explain the in's and out's to them when they ask for "particulars".
If I'm unable to do this, I wouldn't be a very good "greeter", would I?
Heck... I couldn't thrust someone into this mess with the time being off, and all... without some concrete answers that I could give them to mitigate their transition... would you?!?

You've been very helpful... thank you very much... and BTW... where the hell is everyone? There are 900+ members here. So far I've seen posts from about 2% of them and 75% of THOSE have been from members with only less than a month of "active duty" under their belts!

I rant therefore I live... or is that I live therefore I rant... ?

forgive me,
Pug :shock:

Webwader · Joined: 18 Dec 2006 Posts: 211

Pug wrote (View Post): › docWrite("quote")

You've been very helpful... thank you very much... and BTW... where the hell is everyone? There are 900+ members here. So far I've seen posts from about 2% of them and 75% of THOSE have been from members with only less than a month of "active duty" under their belts!

I rant therefore I live... or is that I live therefore I rant... ?

forgive me,
Pug :shock:

While I agree that we certainly could use more active members posting here, it's not so different than the other site we are more familiar with. If you look at the stats there, you will find that 43.4% of the "members" have never made a single post, and another 23.7% have only 1-3 posts since they joined.

tomcat · Joined: 09 Oct 2005 Posts: 52

I'm not here to start anything but the site was fine till latley. Now all of a sudden with the other ?% kicked off the other site it needs to be changed? And they are on the computor everyday and seem to know it all about computors. You would think it would be a breeze for them to navigate around everthing ,unlike some of us that struggle because were only on a few days a week on just one or two sites. Do as you may I'm sure I'll be able to figure it out unlike others that may give up. And to those that are on 24-7 will only make it that much faster and comfy for them to come and go from site to site without missing anything. Again I'm for change if for the better but better for whom? Bring it on.

Ultra-Hog · Joined: 06 Feb 2006 Posts: 262

Hi tomcat! It's great to hear from a R4wd veteran on this matter. I understand your points and think that they are all valid, except that I think that the site desperately needs additional members and more activity from existing long time members. There has been a surge in membership that I expect will continue for a variety of reasons. Once existing members see the increased activity I suggest that they too will become more active. It's all good. While I have been a member of this site for somewhat less than a year (I think that I was a registered member before the crash but I really don't remember), I lurked but didn't post very much because there simply was not much activity. I suspect that is true of quite a few members of both R4wd and the ROC. As you may be aware, the ROC is a vBulliten site so naturally the members that are migrating to this site are more familiar with how to navigate a vBulliten site. After spending the past three or four weeks on this site, while I have grown accustomed to PHB, I still prefer vBulliten. There are some things that I like better about PHB but vBulliten is, in my opinion, much easier to navigate and is overall a superior package. That is especially true for new users. It simply has the look, feel and features of being more up to date. I do participate in a few other non-automotive related sites. One in particular is very large and very active. Again, the vBulliten sites are much easier to navigate and I believe that is the reason that they are so much larger and more active than the others. I do believe that if this site were to change to vBulliten that we would see an even greater increase in new members. I do think that it would be a change for the better and that existing members would also like the vBulliten format better.

Please understand that all of the above is just my opinion and is offered simply as a suggestion as a way to increase membership and participation. I don’t think that anything has to change.

By the way, just to be clear, there are only three or four of us so far that have actually been banned from the ROC. All of the other new members that are also members on the ROC are here quite voluntarily.

ridgeline4wd · Joined: 30 Sep 2005 Posts: 104

personally, i have not liked this package for a while--basically ever since i got it =)

however it would be difficult converting things to vbulletin

one option is to just archive all these threads and start new, but im hesitant to do that.

anybody have experience developing with vbulletin?

im still thinking on what to do

the original phpbb package (scionlife has this) is a lot simpler but lacks some features. some people on the net tried to hack phpbb up and add more features, but this is the result--a hodgepodge of some useless features resulting in clutter and crap!

Pizza Man · Joined: 16 Sep 2006 Posts: 667 Location: Bristol, Pa

ridgeline4wd, this is probably more of a question than help, but I've noticed vBulletin is powered by PHP. That doesn't mean much to me, but if this is so I would think that vBulletin would offer installation assistance that would allow the import of existing PHPBB data.

If you like I'd be happy to investigate and get back to you.

Honda Ridgeline Owners Reviews

Honda Ridgeline Owners Reviews

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