Alternate Timelines Forum

[lordroel]

My forum is still young but i hope to hear some comments on how to improve it in order to get more members.

Alternate Timelines Forum

[lordroel]

bump

[Mixed]

Hello lordroel,

Since your forum is new, I will try to keep my comments focused on more general things to help you along. Still, as with most things in my life, I tend to go into detail. In hopes to help, I will start with first impressions and then go from there. Let's start!


First Impressions:                    
Wow, that's orange. Your forum in general doesn't give much more of an impression upon an initial glance. You have orange on white and the very brightness of it takes anything else a first impression might bring and hides it.


Color Scheme:                            
Since that's the first impression, let's start there. While I do like the color, I would prefer it used as an accent on a darker background. Why not use the colors to pull your forum together and focus on the topic - the Netherlands?

In a way, along the same lines, I would recommend you use an image in your forum banner that incorporates elements of the Netherlands. The flag, tulips, wind mills, images of the city. Use something iconic in the banner to SHOW visitors this is what your forum is about. Right now, just from looks, there is no indicator of the topic and this could very well become a hindrance when attracting new members.


The Name:                                   
There is nothing truly wrong with your forum name. I think it might sounds nicer if you called it "Alternative Netherland History" but that's just a suggestion. What I would really insist on though, is putting the 'h' back in Netherlands, both in your forum name and your thread title right here on ProBoards Support. I had a hard time understand if it was really about the Netherlands or more about an alternate land that just happens to almost be the Netherlands. (This would also have been helped if there were other visual indicators of the topic.)


Rules:                                           
As I normally do, I read your rules. While I think you may wish to reread them for typos, I think you have nice and clear rules.


Typos:                                           
I'm noticing typos even just on your main page in the board titles and descriptions. You should either go through it again or ask a friend to look over it for you. Usually I'll read my forum boards through in the normal view and make notes. With these notes, I'll then go into the Admin area to fix them all at once without checking every area in the Admin menu.


Topic:                                            
In a way, the content is clearly about the Netherlands' history. But also, the overall focus and point of your forum is a little lost. Is this an rp-forum or a discussion forum? History forum or conspiracy forum? I would recommend having some general information available to visitors immediately. A side bar (you can add the Sidebar Redux plugin by Brian) might give you just the right place for that.


Overall:                                         
I think you have a good start on your forum, but I wouldn't be certain it was ready for a grand opening just yet. Normally, I would like to look into more detail at your boards and the content already there, but frankly, my eyes got tired very quickly. So my first move, if I were you, would to be switch up the colors - either accent white with a darker color than orange, or contrast the orange with a darker background.

I hope some of my suggestions help. I wish you luck in building your new forum!

[lordroel]

Aug 27, 2015 11:34:34 GMT -8 Mixed said:

First Impressions:                    
Wow, that's orange. Your forum in general doesn't give much more of an impression upon an initial glance. You have orange on white and the very brightness of it takes anything else a first impression might bring and hides it.

As orange is a national color for my country i would like to keep it but i will try to down it down so it does not jump out to much as you mention.

Color Scheme:                            
Since that's the first impression, let's start there. While I do like the color, I would prefer it used as an accent on a darker background. Why not use the colors to pull your forum together and focus on the topic - the Netherlands?

In a way, along the same lines, I would recommend you use an image in your forum banner that incorporates elements of the Netherlands. The flag, tulips, wind mills, images of the city. Use something iconic in the banner to SHOW visitors this is what your forum is about. Right now, just from looks, there is no indicator of the topic and this could very well become a hindrance when attracting new members.

The flag idea is nice and i will try to make something.

The Name:                                   
There is nothing truly wrong with your forum name. I think it might sounds nicer if you called it "Alternative Netherland History" but that's just a suggestion. What I would really insist on though, is putting the 'h' back in Netherlands, both in your forum name and your thread title right here on ProBoards Support. I had a hard time understand if it was really about the Netherlands or more about an alternate land that just happens to almost be the Netherlands. (This would also have been helped if there were other visual indicators of the topic.)

I think the name Alternative Netherland History is good idea and will work with it.

Rules:                                           
As I normally do, I read your rules. While I think you may wish to reread them for typos, I think you have nice and clear rules.

Will remove the typos, thanks for noticing it.

Typos:                                           
I'm noticing typos even just on your main page in the board titles and descriptions. You should either go through it again or ask a friend to look over it for you. Usually I'll read my forum boards through in the normal view and make notes. With these notes, I'll then go into the Admin area to fix them all at once without checking every area in the Admin menu.

English is not my main native tong and therefore it might have many typos across the board but i hope to remove them when i can.

Topic:                                            
In a way, the content is clearly about the Netherlands' history. But also, the overall focus and point of your forum is a little lost. Is this an rp-forum or a discussion forum? History forum or conspiracy forum? I would recommend having some general information available to visitors immediately. A side bar (you can add the Sidebar Redux plugin by Brian) might give you just the right place for that.

It is a Alternate History Discussion forum but i think you are right and i will work on providing more information on what the forum is all about.
 
Overall:                                         
I think you have a good start on your forum, but I wouldn't be certain it was ready for a grand opening just yet. Normally, I would like to look into more detail at your boards and the content already there, but frankly, my eyes got tired very quickly. So my first move, if I were you, would to be switch up the colors - either accent white with a darker color than orange, or contrast the orange with a darker background.

Thanks for looking and i am very sorry that your eyes hurt will looking at my forum and it will be the first thing i will change.

[Mixed]

Hi! You can definitely keep the orange. It's just the orange on white (especially the text) was hard so you need a darker background. And don't worry about my eyes. Good sleep helped. =)

[lordroel]

Aug 28, 2015 8:09:54 GMT -8 Mixed said:

Hi! You can definitely keep the orange. It's just the orange on white (especially the text) was hard so you need a darker background. And don't worry about my eyes. Good sleep helped. =)

Have begun implementing some of your advice into my forum, it will take some time for me to figure it out but that is the fun in having a forum.

[lordroel]

Have changed my forum name to reflect more that it is about alternate history, my previous name was a little bit confusing.



Alternate-timelines forum

[femaleuser]

Ok, so my first impression was this:
Plain.

Monochromes can be very nice, however the whole black and white doesn't seem to work very well with the layout of the forum. I would definitely add some more colors, (I see the text is orange, which is a nice shade, but perhaps a bit more?) or change the general scheme to match the mostly monochrome.

Banners! Banners add personality to a site. I would definitely recommend making a banner.

A pro is nothing is too hard to read or contrasting. Things like rules have structure to them, which is nice.

[lordroel]

Oct 10, 2015 20:29:19 GMT -8 femaleuser said:

Ok, so my first impression was this:
Plain.

Monochromes can be very nice, however the whole black and white doesn't seem to work very well with the layout of the forum. I would definitely add some more colors, (I see the text is orange, which is a nice shade, but perhaps a bit more?) or change the general scheme to match the mostly monochrome.

Banners! Banners add personality to a site. I would definitely recommend making a banner.

A pro is nothing is too hard to read or contrasting. Things like rules have structure to them, which is nice.

Thanks for the comment, the color i had chosen because previous comments were that the forum was to Orange and therefore i had it change to this color, i will try to find the best color for the forum.

[Mixed]

Oct 11, 2015 5:12:48 GMT -8 lordroel said:

Oct 10, 2015 20:29:19 GMT -8 femaleuser said:

Ok, so my first impression was this:
Plain.

Monochromes can be very nice, however the whole black and white doesn't seem to work very well with the layout of the forum. I would definitely add some more colors, (I see the text is orange, which is a nice shade, but perhaps a bit more?) or change the general scheme to match the mostly monochrome.

Banners! Banners add personality to a site. I would definitely recommend making a banner.

A pro is nothing is too hard to read or contrasting. Things like rules have structure to them, which is nice.

Thanks for the comment, the color i had chosen because previous comments were that the forum was to Orange and therefore i had it change to this color, i will try to find the best color for the forum.

 
I apologize, lordroel.

I didn't mean you needed to get rid of all the orange. It was just the white-orange combination that was too much. Orange with a darker color could look very nice, even so much to use white as an accent. The problem I had meant in my original review was that you had ONLY orange and white and that was just too bright all together. Honestly, I was a bit disappointed to check your forum this morning and find there was no orange at all. I had also hoped to see an image banner. Have you been having trouble with this?

What I would recommend is you find the 'perfect' banner. And then you can build your color scheme around it giving your boards both character and a clean look.

I hope I am making more sense now.

Best,
Mixed

[lordroel]

Oct 11, 2015 5:53:27 GMT -8 Mixed said:

Oct 11, 2015 5:12:48 GMT -8 lordroel said:

Thanks for the comment, the color i had chosen because previous comments were that the forum was to Orange and therefore i had it change to this color, i will try to find the best color for the forum.

 
I apologize, lordroel.

I didn't mean you needed to get rid of all the orange. It was just the white-orange combination that was too much. Orange with a darker color could look very nice, even so much to use white as an accent. The problem I had meant in my original review was that you had ONLY orange and white and that was just too bright all together. Honestly, I was a bit disappointed to check your forum this morning and find there was no orange at all. I had also hoped to see an image banner. Have you been having trouble with this?

What I would recommend is you find the 'perfect' banner. And then you can build your color scheme around it giving your boards both character and a clean look.

I hope I am making more sense now.

Best,
Mixed

You do not need to apologize, you where right about many things, i have changed the color of the forum and am starting to like it how it is now, you do now Rome was not build in one day, well that is also my forum, i will fall some times but i will stand up and try to make my forum better.

The banner is something i am thinking about, but as it is about Alternate History it might be hard to find a good banner for it.

[Mixed]

Oct 11, 2015 6:51:00 GMT -8 lordroel said:

Oct 11, 2015 5:53:27 GMT -8 Mixed said:

 
I apologize, lordroel.

I didn't mean you needed to get rid of all the orange. It was just the white-orange combination that was too much. Orange with a darker color could look very nice, even so much to use white as an accent. The problem I had meant in my original review was that you had ONLY orange and white and that was just too bright all together. Honestly, I was a bit disappointed to check your forum this morning and find there was no orange at all. I had also hoped to see an image banner. Have you been having trouble with this?

What I would recommend is you find the 'perfect' banner. And then you can build your color scheme around it giving your boards both character and a clean look.

I hope I am making more sense now.

Best,
Mixed

You do not need to apologize, you where right about many things, i have changed the color of the forum and am starting to like it how it is now, you do now Rome was not build in one day, well that is also my forum, i will fall some times but i will stand up and try to make my forum better.

The banner is something i am thinking about, but as it is about Alternate History it might be hard to find a good banner for it.

Okay. I am glad you are liking how it is beginning to look. And yes, I know all too well that forums are not built in a day.

Good luck with putting it all together and good work so far, especially with getting up again after a fall.

[lordroel]

Oct 11, 2015 7:00:53 GMT -8 Mixed said:

Oct 11, 2015 6:51:00 GMT -8 lordroel said:

You do not need to apologize, you where right about many things, i have changed the color of the forum and am starting to like it how it is now, you do now Rome was not build in one day, well that is also my forum, i will fall some times but i will stand up and try to make my forum better.

The banner is something i am thinking about, but as it is about Alternate History it might be hard to find a good banner for it.

Okay. I am glad you are liking how it is beginning to look. And yes, I know all too well that forums are not built in a day.

Good luck with putting it all together and good work so far, especially with getting up again after a fall.

Well you helped me a lot by pointing first out that the forum should be about the name, which i changed from Alternative Netherlands History to its current and better Alternate Timelines Forum.

Your advice have already help me lot lot getting my first 6 members, now if i work on it i will be able to get more members, so i just wanted to thank you MixedInterests for your time in given me advice.

[Mixed]

Oct 11, 2015 7:08:55 GMT -8 lordroel said:

Oct 11, 2015 7:00:53 GMT -8 Mixed said:

Okay. I am glad you are liking how it is beginning to look. And yes, I know all too well that forums are not built in a day.

Good luck with putting it all together and good work so far, especially with getting up again after a fall.

Well you helped me a lot by pointing first out that the forum should be about the name, which i changed from Alternative Netherlands History to its current and better Alternate Timelines Forum.

Your advice have already help me lot lot getting my first 6 members, now if i work on it i will be able to get more members, so i just wanted to thank you MixedInterests for your time in given me advice.

Oh wow, thank you! You're sweet! I'm happy for you.

[lordroel]

Oct 11, 2015 7:13:04 GMT -8 Mixed said:

Oct 11, 2015 7:08:55 GMT -8 lordroel said:

I am happy that my forum is going to be what i want it to be, but looking at all the forums that are already online i know that i have still a long journey ahead of me to get to that level.

Now i am considering to put the stuff i have posted in the Alternate history by Lordroel board and place them in sub-boards in order to bring the number of boards down or just leave them.