Half-Life Fallout: Remove what makes HLF HLF or not? - Half-Life Fallout

Let me explain how I will approach the site overhaul, maybe this will reduce doubts:

1) You (the HLF community) discuss what features you want and need on the new site.

2) The features with the majority of communities support will go to create a 'specification' of what the new website will DO (functionality).

3) You (the HLF community) discuss the design and layout you wish to have but by none-debatable default it must be based off HLFs current, light and airy design.

4) A design draft is made, which is a screenshot .jpg of what the site would look like.

5) You feedback on the design draft and this process of creating a design draft is repeated until the majority of the community agrees that they approve the design.


There is nothing unfair about this, YES people might not agree but if the majority of the community agrees, then I cannot possibly see how this will "kill HLF".

It's in your hands, I'm just the tool to make it happen.

For all interested parties, we're actively discussing it in IRC atm.

With that said, obviously the best way to improve HLF is for everyone to pitch in get me a Mclaren Benz SLR. Watch site activity go thru the roof when you do.

Jesus, fox, give over. You're blowing this out of proportion. If you actually chose to read what Mutley and everyone else is saying rather than just hearing everything as OH GOD THE MAN IS STRIPPING US OF OUR FREEDOM, you'd notice that change in this case will be good for us.

Seemingly it's only you who actually cares about this, so stop kicking up a fuss, you've made your views known.

Mutley seems like a nice enough guy and based upon what he's said here - we all can trust him with the changes, especially when he's backed by our moderators, most of who have been here from the start and know what it takes to make HLF great.

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Me and about 3-4 more, judging by the poll. Who knows how many more there are that agrees with me that simply havent posted?

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No, it wont be good for us, and I am reading what the others are saying, Dont assume things.

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Mutley has been registered on HLF for two weeks, and has only been widely known during the past 48 hours. If the mods knows what it takes to make HLF great, why werent they given the admin position?

The fox, on Aug 29 2009, 09:23 AM, said:

Because he's the new site owner. The moderators are there to support him. And he's made perfectly clear, he's not making any UNILATERAL decisions. The fact that we're being given options is more than enough to be thankful for

I'd it be helpful to determine what people specifically don't want changed.

The skin and the aesthetics are good; no point messing with that; otherwise, let's remove all the stale content views or update the content being viewed.

Let's do more than just reviews, guides, and walkthroughs. I agree this site shouldn't try to do too much, but more activities besides posting thoughts and reviews such as contests, articles couldn't hurt either.

I'm guessing the software technology running the server - database, web server, and the application components in the web server app - could use an update.

But whatever ain't broke probably doesn't need to be fixed.

Mutley, I am a software developer (as are several other people here) and enjoy side projects. My work involves SQL, Java, web applications, and UI programming.

I humbly submit my "resume" to you. If there are changes to the infrastructure, it'd be neat if members were the ones coding the changes.


EDIT
And when I say "articles" above, I mean opinion pieces or in-depth exposes and such.

I'm with Screech on the opinion articles, some Op-Ed pieces would do wonders, not just on specific games, but on current events in the gaming industry.

We have a few journalism-inclined people on site already, why not let them have a go.

NegroN, on Aug 29 2009, 02:39 PM, said:

I'd be very interested in doing something like that, I love to write.

I´m back!.... to witness the new dawn of this site.... and drop my 2cents opinion.

One of the reasons why I believe HLF has become somewhat stagnant is because there hasn´t been anything to get excited over, to attract newcomers, to stimulate old timers and to recall departed members. I´m happy to see the site is in new hands and that there is a desire to kick it back into action.

I agree that it should be revamped technically and in terms of design should stay as similar as possible to how it is with a few tweaks to make it more current. The goal should be to have an updated, fresher, leaner site but that is instantly recognizable as HLF... if it´s to keep it´s identity. Many of the sites I enjoy visiting have had overhauls and for a time I usually dislike the new versions only to realize months later (once I get uses to the new layout etc) that in fact, things have improved. Obviously, content and member interaction is the heart and soul of any forum, so whatever can be done to boost this is good idea and I´m willing and hopefully able to lend a hand with this, especially with anything design related (content/threads/competitions etc).

HLF needs a small facelift, a major overhaul in structure and content and anything that can be done so that people are excited to be a part of this community again. This is an opportunity to make something really special from a foundation that already exsists. I say make the most of it.

I think this isn't nearly as big a deal as you're making it out to be. If Mutley is going to take this in a very gradual and community-oriented manner, then I trust that it'll happen in a way that HLF as a whole will appreciate. I'm willing to trust him, especially since he's made it clear that he's going to allow the current community to really be in charge of the change.

EDIT: Warvan! Awesome to see you back here.

I voted yes.
Let's just face it; the site could use a nice overhaul.

And i've been here since mid-2004 SO WHATEVER

Fox, get over yourself.

Warvan, on Aug 29 2009, 04:31 PM, said:

Good to see you back Warvan, Nice speech. :)

trapped, on Aug 29 2009, 03:34 PM, said:

Agreed and thanks!

Nihilius, on Aug 29 2009, 03:36 PM, said:

Thanks!

WARVAAAAAAAAAN! HLF must really be alive now.

Also I think Fox is missing some of the technicalities of what this "overhaul" involves. Firstly, all the posts and content are stored on a server - updating pretty much any software will have no effect on their existence. Secondly, the CMS system we have in place is atrocious, as you'd know if you tried using it. As lazy as it sounds, it's one of the things preventing active news postings, and I know how you all feel about that.

I don't believe in "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" as a philosophy, unless you take a really open-minded view on what "broke" is. If there's a possibility of improvement, then you've gotta take into account opportunity costs, what the subject could be doing were it improved.

One question: will the site be the same width as it is now? Because it's always seemed kinda narrow to me, increasingly so as my monitor size has gone up. If we could integrate that stuff on the right into the actual body, we'd free up about 150px which would be significantly more accommodating imo.