Requests and Suggestions Please

[El Gordo]

Hi All

The website is about to have a bit of a spring clean. I want to change the front page, get rid of some old junk and add some new junk. I have a reasonable idea of what I want to do, but thought I'd see if anyone had any particular requests or suggestions.

For your info, some things I want to do:

- put up more images. We have a ton of stuff from Almeria, for instance, that needs a home.
- some software tools to help runners.
- change the links and update them. I haven't even looked at them for 2 years or so.
- add stuff to the Writing page, and make running writing more central
- butcher the books bit
- biggest cosmetic change is to the navigation on the front page. I want to have the menus along the top to solve a couple of technical problems.
- customise the forum to bring it in line with the rest of the site.
- add some articles to stop me repeating myself in the diary entries

I've a few more ideas that are more contoversial which I won't mention yet because I haven't made a final decision on them.

If there's something you'd really like to see added, or see changed or removed, do let me know. There's absolutely no guarantee that it will happen, but I'd be interested to hear.

Cheers

Andy

[Sweder]

Hmm . . . have to think about that for a while.
I have to say the site feels very comfortable to me - but then, I spend a lot of time here. Perhaps a comfy arm chair for regular subscribers?

This is thinking out loud (which I know is what you asked for) - but RC has always felt more like a Virtual Running Club than just another running information resource. I'm not sure how you'd incorporate that essence in the new format. Take a look at http://www.mayfieldgolfingsociety.com - technically far inferior to the present incarnation of RC, but it's built on the Virtual Clubhouse theme.

Images are good. Not everyone's cuppa (we can't all look like superstars. In fact, come to think of it . . . ) but I know a friend of mine (ahem) who tries to publish photos in his diary but due to extreme thickness around the head area he can't get past one picture per post . . .

FYI, and I know SP found this fascinating (he should get out more), I don't log in via the home page - I use . . . /forum as my link to RC. This means the forum opens up as a stand alone web page, without the links to home (other than the hyperlink in the logo and the footer links) - that is, with no side bars. Strange place, the web.

An old boss of mine once told me:
'If you're not moving forward you're drifting backwards; there's no such thing as standing still in this world.' He was a bit of a Knob, but I guess he was right. He should have added: 'Handle With Care'

[El Gordo]

Thanks for the comments, Ash.

Crikey, I didn't know you were golf club captain material (http://www.mayfieldgolfingsociety.com/History.htm). I also may now have to edit slightly the paragraph about golfers I included in the entry for April 3rd (not yet posted at the time of writing).

The site has to evolve. Nothing has really changed in 2 or 3 years. I'll keep the parts that work and prune back the redundant stuff to encourage it to grow. The site has become a bit restricted to the forum and the daily-ish logs. I'll keep all that, but want to make use of the other parts. I also must get the newsletter going.

[Sweder]

Please note, MGS is not your average Golf 'Club' - rather it is a collection of golfing Nomads, wandering the links and fairways of Sussex and Kent in search of a home. A sort of Battlestar Gallactica, without the silver suits but with lashings of pastel shaded, diamond-pattern tank-tops.

As you will see from the photo galleries/ Autumn Tour to France, we eschew decorum in favour of frivolity, childish behaviour and a Jolly Good Time. A Hash-House Golfers if you will; serious drinkers with a golfing problem. We're off to Southern Ireland in May - beggorah!

[Nigel]

I'd second that. I doubt that any of we golfers around here (and you may even be outnumbered there, Andy) are classic club captain material.

But then maybe we're not your classic runners, either - now that's a thought.


As for the site, which is what you did ask, then I'm with you all the way. In fact I did quite a major spring clean on my back-catalogue last Autumn when I decided it was time to upgrade the look and continuity of my own pages.

In part that followed a realisation that they were gradually evolving into an experimental writing project rather than just a series of split times. I wanted to leave that new possibility open, whilst retaining and sharing the running-related writing theme, rather than splitting off into an independent blog which might have been another option.

There's plenty more room for improvements, and I'm always ready to try out new ideas, so go for it !

[Sweder]

I'm with you on the forum-versus-own-blog (Forum wins) thoughts, Nigel.
It's the input from other forumites that helps us understand what we achieve and aspire to; they frequently translate feelings and confusing data, or, in the case of MLCMan, make you happy to be an under-achieving Brit. (Sorry Taz). Sometimes they offer good and valuable advice, only to have it hurled rudely aside by some arrogant rookie

I like the concept of an evolving writing project - a sort of sentient being, like the Borg, only nicer. Andy's right. Who knows? A change in pace and style may attract some new Moths to our flame, and with them new views on life, the runningverse and everything. Bring it on.

[Seafront Plodder]

Sweder could you translate that into english for me please.

[Sweder]

I agree with Nigel.
And with Andy, come to that.

Actually, now I'm back here, what I was really driving at is a change of image might bring in some new 'talent' on the writing front. I had hoped the JDRF mini-forum might yield one or two regular diaries, but we're being handsomely out-gunned by our Spanish friends (and exiles).

OK, in truth SP my brain is cooked. I've just started week two of an intensive dip into the murky pool that is Health & Safety - re-writing the company H&S Policy, including boning up on the latest Work at Height Regulations 2005 (effective April 2005). It really is like a bloodless labotomy. I'll be alright just as soon as I get out for pint or two this week.