What should SuperTopo improve in 2012?

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le_bruce

climber
Oakland, CA
Dec 6, 2011 - 12:40am PT
Keeping TR's from instantaneously abyssing:

 A simple button at the end of the TR that will bump it to the top of the list. Next to this bump button include a tally of how many times it's been bumped/liked/whatever word. Just an easy way to keep quality content floating rather than sinking, without having to be the 20th person to say "Sweet photos thanks." (Ideally this button would be there on climbing-related threads, but F no I wouldn't want it on the OT threads. Since the only partition that exists is the TR vs non-TR, place it only on TR's maybe?)

 Or, let us readers hit a button at the end of the TR to nominate that bad ass story for "TR of the Month." Display a running tally. Whichever TR has the highest number of votes at the end of the month gets pinned to the front page for a bit, or the author gets free schwag, or... This button also bumps TR's to the mf'n top.

 Or maybe put the same star-rating system on TR's that you currently use for photos. Same deal as above, bump to top each time it's rated.


OT/Bullshit mitigation:

 Simple button at top right of thread: "Off Topic". If a critical number of users hit that button, send that thread into a new tab/partition: "Off Topic".


User's posting history:

 When clicking on a user's name, there's a tab for "Forum Posts" which includes that user's history of posts. But that user's comments on TR's are not included in the history. Include those comments in the user's commenting history as well.


Photos:

 It seems that photos posted on the forum that are hosted on other sites always look better - they're bigger and they don't have that unnecessary/ugly frame eating up pixels. See user The Alpine's photo posts for what I'm talking about, and compare to any post of a photo hosted here. Any way to improve the way photos uploaded to ST look within the forum?


+1 Buy/Sell/Trade tab


Everything else is great. I'm in the camp that less tweaking is more - definitely not in favor of divvying up the forum into a dozen subjects.
Dingus McToast

climber
Santa Rosa, Wyoming
Dec 6, 2011 - 01:30am PT
Another vote for topic rooms. AGAIN.

Just one other room, the Getta Room. That's really all it takes to make regulars not post way off-topic threads in the main forum.
Minerals

Social climber
The Deli
Dec 6, 2011 - 01:55am PT
“It seems that photos linked to from other sites always look better - they're bigger and they don't have that unnecessary/ugly frame eating up pixels… Any way to improve the way photos uploaded to ST look within the forum?”

You can still post the large version of a photo that has been uploaded to ST, sans “ugly frame.” Instead of using the “photoid=#” tag, or the automatic photo link when posting, you can click on the photo that you have uploaded to view the full size, then right-click on the image. On a PC, choose “Properties” and then copy the URL of the image; on a Mac choose “Copy Image Address.” Then paste the copied image URL between image tags [ img ] URL [ /img ], but without any of the spaces that I added. This way you can have the full image size appear in your forum post.

I think the idea behind the photo format with a framed smaller image was to make thread pages load faster than if they were full of giant photos. Even though it takes longer to load, I prefer to see photos in their full size because it gives the photo the effect that the photographer originally intended. Another benefit of the framed small photo is that it hosts its own caption. You can always click on the framed small photo in a thread to see the full size version in a new window.
Jonnnyyyzzz

Trad climber
San Diego,CA
Dec 6, 2011 - 04:27am PT
I like Howard71's idea.
Within the Climbing Areas / Climbing Routes sections, it would be great if Super topo Members had a section to provide links to other sites where other areas are covered well. If a region isn't covered by Super Topo, then where is it covered well - contributions by members to help other members find information.
I'll 2nd that. It would be cool to add a (Taco Member Guides and topos) tab that would help members compile the vast forum based info and add beta for there local Climbing Areas / Climbing Routes not covered by Super Topos guides. I think MP has something like this but the Taco should do it better.
PS add a view counter
Archie Richardson

Trad climber
Grand Junction, CO
Dec 6, 2011 - 06:36am PT
Provide purchase of individual topos at large scale for a low price.

Great idea! A la carte downloadable topos at a reasonable price would really help the traveling climber who only spends a few days in an area.
Spider Savage

Mountain climber
The shaggy fringe of Los Angeles
Dec 6, 2011 - 11:14am PT
E-books
HighTraverse

Trad climber
Bay Area
Dec 6, 2011 - 12:56pm PT
Another vote for topic rooms. AGAIN.
-1 from me as well.

Was thinking about this while walking Oliver the Dog this morning. One of the good/bad features of this joynt is thread drift.
The first thread that came to mind was Ammon's "Taser bust". A climbing topic? BASE jumping? LEO? Climbing freedom? Police overreaction? Rangers as Good Guys/Gals? That thread drifted in all directions, most of them interesting.

I'm for the least number of controls, and some basic ways for each person to filter/select what's interesting to them by choice or content rather than some imposed classification. There've been a lot of good suggestions on how to do this. But Keep It Simple Stoopid.

Just give me an easy filter for "blue butt plug" that can detect both text and image content.
Dickbob

climber
Westminster Colorado
Dec 6, 2011 - 01:15pm PT
I like the bump button idea.
BeeHay

Trad climber
San Diego CA
Dec 6, 2011 - 01:22pm PT
Bring Tarbuster back!
Chris McNamara

SuperTopo staff member
Topic Author's Reply - Dec 6, 2011 - 01:22pm PT
Thank you all for the awesome feedback. I really appreciate you guys taking the time to help me and RJ and the ST crew make the site better.

 Videos - on their way shortly
 Better search - Ill talk to RJ about this and see what his throught are. One thing some people miss is out Advanced Forum search here http://www.supertopo.com/forumsearchadv.php?ftr1=big+wall which we should maybe make more prominent on the site.
 searching in a thread - you can do this with Firefox pretty effectively by Command + F
 ability to block users - not sure that is easy to do. ill have to ask around
 tab for buying and selling gear - since I am a big eBay addict, i am surprised we don't have this. ill see what i can do
 adding views to threads like in TR's - seems easy enough. but would make the forum layout less clean and simple.
 photo editing after you have posted- might be beyond our software capability.
 taco expedition grant - i like the idea. especially because I like the idea of raising money as a community for a cause the ST community supports. That is why I am addicted to ebay auctions for Access Fund, ASCA, YCA… definitely hardest part of the idea seems to be choosing who gets the grant money. But i am all for fundraising by small groups that support small groups in need.
 separating climbing from non climbing - we get this suggestion a lot. and then even more suggestions to keep things the way they are. maybe one day we will experiment with this… but for now i think we will keep the forum how it is. please keep posting and bumbing the good climbing content and please resist responding the the ranting political threads! here are more of thoughts on the issue

ok, will respond to more suggestions a bit later in day… surf is looking GOOD again
the Fet

climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
Dec 6, 2011 - 02:34pm PT
A better search engine: could you just use Google's plug in search? It doesn't look great, but No sense re-inventing the wheel.


Ability to set individual-user filters (block x-user, y-topic, z-thread): I would like, but as mentioned tough to implement.


fixed width for text in thread posts so that extra wide photos don't mess it up: I would like to, especially for viewing on an iPhone.


A new suggestion (I think) from me: flag posts/threads. Like craigslist if enough people flag a thread it could be pushed to the second page of threads, deleted, etc. Like craigslist you shouldn't let people know exactly how many flags it takes. And multiple flags from the same IP address don't count. That way you could click flag a thread, Select 'OT' and it pushes it off the first page of threads. People could still find it, but it keeps OT threads with lot's of replies from pushing climbing content off the first page. Or maybe flag as 'spam' and it's automatically deleted. Let the community do the policing, not you!
Danholio

Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
Dec 6, 2011 - 02:35pm PT
Hi Chris,

Couple of other ideas for you:
1) Ability to vote on comments, route beta, etc. Comments with the most "thumbs up" bubble to the top (versus the first comment as it exists now)
2) Separating climbing vs non-climbing would be great but perhaps better yet would be the ability to categorize forum threads (e.g., Yose, Red Rocks, Lake Tahoe, gear talk, for sale, non-climbing, etc)

Thanks a bunch Chris.

Dan
Gene

climber
Dec 6, 2011 - 02:52pm PT
Regarding larger pages for topos....

If you have the ebook version, print your topo on letter, legal, or even ledger size paper. If you use ledger paper, cut it into convenient &/or logical pieces, laminate, and leave your reading glasses at home.

g

EDIT: You can also search for a keyword within a thread while using IE. Edit:Find:{keyword}:Enter
John Mac

Trad climber
Littleton, CO
Dec 6, 2011 - 04:13pm PT
Lots of great ideas...

I'd certainly support a grass roots "expedition" fund.
Andy Middleton

Trad climber
Cow Hampshire
Dec 6, 2011 - 04:51pm PT
Make it impossible for someone to post on a thread unless they have read all the previous posts on that thread.... a man can dream.
Brandon-

climber
The Granite State.
Dec 6, 2011 - 04:57pm PT
Please, name another forum where the owner checks in and takes feedback like CMac does.

Strong work man.
Marlow

Sport climber
OSLO
Dec 6, 2011 - 05:12pm PT
In the Forum: On the same line as Forum topic, Author, Last post and Msgs you could also have Views. It would be interesting to see the number of views since that is a popularity score.

There are times when people are not walking the talk as when one kind of threads is seen as unwanted OT at the same time as the number of views show that it is popular. Continually seeing the number of views could compensate for this gap between what is said to be popular and what is in reality (number of views) popular. If there is such a difference. At least that is my hypothesis.

I agree on the strong work. It is wise to collect feedback once in a while.
Rockin' Gal

Trad climber
Boulder
Dec 6, 2011 - 05:28pm PT
Ability to block users gets all of my votes.
Thanks for asking!
John Mac

Trad climber
Littleton, CO
Dec 6, 2011 - 07:26pm PT
Riley,
Just in case you aren't aware but we have an Iphone app now for mountain project with over 75K routes.

http://www.mountainproject.com/mobileApps.php

I see the two sites as being quite different. MP is a great place for route information, but Supertopo is unique in that where else can you communicate with the legends of the sport! I'm an admin for Mountain Project and spend a fair bit of time behind the scene, but I choose to converse with people on supertopo and the smaller campfire, bigwalls.net.

Mighty Hiker

climber
Vancouver, B.C.
Dec 6, 2011 - 07:30pm PT
You should randomly, once a week, delete one political/religious/conspiracy theory thread. Pour encourager les autres, so to speak.
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