For the past couple of months we've been working very hard on a new version of RIA (code name: v3) that incorporates many of the best things about the current site, a number of your suggestions, as well as a number of new things.
Over the next few days, I'm going to be reaching out to some of you to hammer on a demo version of "V3." It will be running on a test database, so anything you post will not be saved.
Here are a couple of things you can count on for V3:
- A return to RIA's original blue / green color scheme
- An emphasis on the format of the Recent Reviews page throughout the site
- The addition of a "disagree" button
- The addition of our compatibility tests / quizzes to RateItAll.com (many of you have tried these on Facebook or MySpace)
- Significantly improved publishing and sharing experiences
- More in depth hall of fame / member stats tools
- Significantly easier ways to add things to the site
And lots more.
Stay tuned - if you'd like to be included on this early sneak peek, please message me on the site. If I know who you are, I will give you access.
- Lawrence
11/24/08
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As far as improved publishing capabilities, I'd like to be able to publish a post on the first pass...most specifically, publishing the post with punctuation (dots, commas, " ", etc) intact and the ability to control paragraphing, to eliminate dead space.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the "disagree" button...I don't know. It has little value without an accompanying comment. We'll see.
And, I know this is really minor and I might be the only one that experiences this, but from my computers, this may be the last site that doesn't have a cursor waiting for me in the log-in field. I want a cursor!
Lawrence, I think this new format you're proposing is great. I'm very excited about it.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing to consider in this new format is making it possible for RIA members to be able to see who's giving them what vote ("helpful", "funny", and so on). I wonder if this, along with the addition of "disagree" would cut down on a lot the trolling. There are a couple of us on here who are being marked "funny" straight down. It had stopped for a long time, and now all of a sudden it started back up again. The harassment is getting old, and I think there should be something done as soon as possible.
Ridge,
ReplyDeleteThe first part of your post will certainly be addressed. We've created a big, attractive review field that should do a better job with maintaining line breaks and punctuation. It will be much better for writing in depth reviews.
As for the cursor in the review field - interesting point. Let me look into it.
MPR, we've really struggled internally about making who votes what transparent. Technically, it's easy. But I worry about either reducing voting activity, or discouraging honest voting activity if it's all totally transparent. Will I really give a disagree vote on a garbage review if I know the person is going to spaz out?
ReplyDeleteRidge, here's the thing about having a cursor waiting for you... it ignores the fact that you need to click a star as well. My normal flow is to click a star, and then write a review.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteRE: A Cursor in the Review Field. Not a big deal for me, as I don't write most of my reviews there; I paste them from Word. I think that you aren't as aware of yhe lack of a cursor in the review field because you rate the item first. I do that last, to prevent posting the review prematurely, since there is a warning that prohibits a post that hasn't been rated from posting.
ReplyDeleteRE: "The Cursor"...I was refering to the log-in...where you type your email and passwords. Recently, I noticed that it is common across the web for a cursor to be waiting in the first field so you can just start typing away and not have to position the mouse. But, this was truely a half-hearted request.
ReplyDeleteOh yah...I forgot one thing...I know that everyone has been talking about wanting a scratch'n'sniff feature of some kind...
And, finally, thanks for the larger review field...
scratch and sniff is definitely v4. Got you on the cursor for login - sometimes it's the little touches that make a difference.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to check out the new version. The only suggestion I have right now is for the comment field to have the same capabilities as the review field, such as bold, italics, links, and paragraphs. I think review formatting is already decent, but comment formatting as of right now doesn't really exist.
ReplyDeleteThe scratch and sniff is something I've clamoring for for a year or two!
ReplyDeleteLawrence, I can see what you mean to a degree, but I don't think most people would spaz out if it's a legitimate "disagree", because nobody's going to agree on everything. It's just that I don't think people will be as free and careless about giving unjust "funny" marks. It's becoming a nightly thing, and it's being done to harrass. Going back over my past pages, you'll see "funny" marks going straight down, regardless of the content (and it's happening to a couple of others, too). Something should be done. I know there are a lot of things to do on this site, but there comes a time when enough is enough. I'm sorry if this sounds like complaining, but it's just starting to get old. I do appreciate you listening.
ReplyDeleteI understand MPR. I'm hopeful that giving a legitimate "negative" option like disagree will reduce the abuse of the funny button. If it doesn't, we can figure out who continues to abuse and harass with the funny button and do some, uh, coaching.
ReplyDeleteSounds good. :-)
ReplyDeleteI wish I had funny marks all the way down my page...
ReplyDeleteNumbah: If I had a way to give you my illegitmate funnies to your purely funny remarks, I would. After all, you are a very witty person.
ReplyDeleteActually, I have no problem with the legitimate "funny" marks, but it's another thing to get them on everything no matter what you say, even gravely serious comments such as death and so on. I have my funny moments, but I have my serious ones, too.
Hope you have a good Thanksgiving. :-)