New TG Site Build - Help Us Please

Feel free to get outside the box here.
jimi40
Posts: 6
Joined: Tue May 29, 2012 5:50 am
Status: Offline

Fri Jul 10, 2015 7:20 pm

Hey folks.

So we have decided to build a new site after all this time of fixing and upkeeping this duct taped together site, we are developing a new one. We have a plan written over two years , we have a team and a project manager who comes from good stock , and we have many many suggestions over time from you guys (plus a few observations of our own)


What I am looking for is a list of features that you would like to see in the new site, this may include features that already exist here, but are maybe underused, or not particularly well done, to features on other sites not just music related.

I am also happy for suggestions on usability, navigation you name it...

Please keep your suggestions tight and specific, and if you have links and examples or screenshots whatever you can do to aid us, brilliant.

Please also I am asking you not to get into a dialogue unless its to contribute to a feature or benefit so that we can keep this particular thread to the point.

Appreciate you all for any contribution you can make.

Cheers,

Matt


michelew
Posts: 87
Joined: Sat Aug 22, 2009 5:43 pm
Location: Sydney, Australia
Status: Offline

Fri Jul 10, 2015 9:42 pm

That's great to hear Matt.

Besides the lessons themselves of course and the normal forum stuff, one of the most important parts of this site are the video upload functions; for videos we'd like advice on and those videos we've also recorded of ourself that we're uploading for whatever other reason (busking, collaborations, original songs, the just sharing videos).

I've been having trouble with the current uploaders so it would be great if they could be fixed. Please ensure they can be used with all the normal web browsers including safari. I have to say it just makes me cross when developers make you use a specific browser so you can use a web-based program. Surely it makes more sense to design the program so all of the regularly used browsers work with it.

I also suggest that you set the video upload functions and threads in such a way that everyone's videos are accessible by everyone; i.e. that the videos for review can also be viewed by non-target members. I get that it makes sense to constrict the ability to upload a video for Neil's and Vanessa's formal review via the uploader itself to target members only. I get the reasons for restricting Neil's and Vanessa's advice to target members only (although I question whether it's really necessary). In fact, I'd suggest that you only restrict the ability to formally request advice on a video to target members and leave everything else open for everyone to see; target member or not. The ability to actually see just how good the advice is that we receive as Target members may well encourage additional people to join the target program so that they too can upload videos with the chance of receiving individual advice from Neil and Vanessa. It really is that valuable.

Other functionality - well it would be fantastic to be able to search the lesson menu based on a whole lot of criteria including tuning, specific techniques, specific levels, and then everything else that we can search on now.

That will do for me. I may return with more suggestions, but the video uploaders are one of the features of this site that differentiate it from pale imitations. :)

M


User avatar
daryl
Posts: 22
Joined: Fri Dec 17, 2010 9:21 am
Location: Massachusetts, USA
Status: Offline

Sat Jul 11, 2015 4:34 am

PM implementation (private messages) needs improving. It seems many people have a difficult time getting them to work.

Adding attachments (documents, images, etc.) to a forum post needs tweaking. The steps required are NOT obvious or intuitive to many (except Dermot of course!).

For a new feature, I would love to be able to click on someone's name or avatar and be able to see a list of ALL their uploaded videos.


User avatar
auntlynnie
Posts: 34
Joined: Mon May 14, 2012 5:31 am
Status: Offline

Sat Jul 11, 2015 7:09 am

I'm echoing here, but it's that important to me.

Being able to search through the lessons for styles (fingerpicking, strumming, tunings, difficulty) would be enormouly helpful.

Please keep the My Favorite Lesson function.

And I agree about messaging - it would be convenient to be able to pm with a single click.

Thanks!

Lynn


dtaylor
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Jul 09, 2009 12:29 pm
Status: Offline

Sat Jul 11, 2015 8:04 am

I'd echo the previous comments on search features, but in terms of interface I like the simplicity and ease of use of the Tab Toolkit app. Search by Song Name (a list in order), Artist (as shown in the first image) Browse Artists (a list in order). A nice feature is Recently Added or Recently Opened, taking you quickly back to what you've worked on recently.

Image

Best is the search feature which give you matches with every keystroke by Artist, Album, or Title as shown:

Image


dtaylor
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Jul 09, 2009 12:29 pm
Status: Offline

Sat Jul 11, 2015 8:49 am

This is probably nugatory effort, as I'm sure the new forum will have all the best features 2015 has to offer...but anyway, here's a few points from a random, and by no means exemplary forum powered by DISQUS:

Attachments that can be viewed by a click (or not).

Replies that can be easily spotted, you can see who's talking to whom, on this site you can also minimise those conversations with the minus sign on the right.

The sort feature, best, newest, oldest.

Ability to 'like' comments.

These threads can be a mile long so just load a certain number of posts, then allow more posts to be opened with a click.

Image


thereshopeyet
Posts: 130
Joined: Thu Jun 25, 2009 4:19 pm
Status: Offline

Sat Jul 11, 2015 11:48 am

Hello Matt
So are you building a new website over two years in parallel with this one ?

below is just written as it came into my head but you'll get the just of it .... I think :dry: :ohmy:

1. I think back to back compatibility to be important.
What's to happen to the current forums from the start of TG. I'd still like to have full access and searchabiliy a we experience now or better.

2. With respect to searching lessons I'd still like to view all lessons at a glance ( as you can now) and not only by a search criteria alone.

3. What I'd like available but haven't had to date..................
The ability to link back from lessons to the original forum posting when the lesson was released.

4. Updates on changes to look out for as they happen.

5. Email notifications for subscribed forum topics of interest.

6. A searchable Weekly News with respect to songs played by Neil ( all songs named ) and linked to their appropriate lessons where relevant
as an extra source for the student

7. Similar to 6 above.
A link for Song lessons to all relevant FOTW's.
For Example FOTW 1. FOTW 2 FOTW 3 ........ i.e There Ain't No Sunshine with Fred

8. A link from all Song lessons to all reviews 1 2 3 etc....
So a lesson should have all resources available from one location ( or links to).
Lesson, FOTWs, Reviews, News tips and playthroughs etc.


dtaylor
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Jul 09, 2009 12:29 pm
Status: Offline

Sat Jul 11, 2015 1:24 pm

Just had an idea for a new feature, it would be easy to implement on the site as it stands but anyway...

How about a voting system for new Target member songs. Every week a list of songs is published which are contenders for new lessons. Members vote on the songs they want to be made into lessons rather than be passive recipients.

Members would be encouraged to engage in the forums, and feel involved in the direction the site is
taking, giving everyone a better sense of what people actually want from their lessons.


drfuji
Posts: 0
Joined: Sun Apr 05, 2009 12:06 pm
Status: Offline

Sat Jul 11, 2015 2:27 pm

Keep it simple, clean and easy to maneuver. No fluff...just what needs to be here...links that haven't been used in 2 years can go away..


jayswett
Posts: 31
Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2009 9:44 pm
Status: Offline

Sat Jul 11, 2015 3:41 pm

My wish list includes the following. Not sure if either of these is reasonable or even possible:

1) metronome

2) interactive music theory area (as provided by apps Musicopolous and Fret Tester, for example)


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