Site title

[Tea]

Praise to Webslave Handruin for getting our new domain name registered: www.storageforum.net It will take a few days before the new name works, but it is safely in Doug's hands now.

The site titles have already gone from "Post Storage Review" to "www.StorageForum.net". Hmmm.... I'm not sure about that. The temporary PSR (Post Storage Review) titles had to go, but I think that a plain and civilised "Storage Forum" would look nicer - i.e., two words, without the www. and the .net. Or possibly Storage Forum Net.

In fact, let's throw out a list of possible page titles:

1: ww.StorageForum.net
2: Storage Forum
3: Storage Forum Net
4: Storage Forum Network
5: The Storage Forum

I like plain Storage Forum best. No, on second thoughts, The Storage Forum.

What does everybody think?

 

[Handruin]

My buddy made this, what do you think?

 

[Handruin]

The master has created another one! I like this one!

 

[Handruin]

Here's another tweaked a bit:

 

[Tea]

Looking good Doug. How about something along the lines of:

(Rough hack by me and my very non-visual skill set.)

 

[Will Rickards]

I say diss the .net
The 'The' can stay or go....
Graphic is cool!

 

[CougTek]

I vote for StorageForum.Net, so people won't have problem to remember the url. I like the design with shades in the letters.

 

[Handruin]

I encourage the .net only because people are all to familiar to type in www.blahblahblah.com . That's my only concern. If the majority of folks dislike the ".net" I'll ask for another iteration from my friend.

 

[P5-133XL]

Is it my imagination or does the graphic look out of focus? I like the graphic, but insist that any graphic look sharp or another should be found and used.

A personal pet peeve

 

[Mercutio]

I like the embossed lettering of the first version and the darker colors of the second. I'm siding with Handruin on the ".net" issue.

 

[Handruin]

Is it my imagination or does the graphic look out of focus? I like the graphic, but insist that any graphic look sharp or another should be found and used.

A personal pet peeve

Which graphic specifically is out of focus? Tea posted a hacked one as an example...the others are not fuzzy on my monitor. In all fairness the graphic at the top of the site has a fuzzy rendition of the hard drive platter. I believe this is done on purpose.

Maybe the ".net" can be made a little smaller, would that balance it out?

 

[P5-133XL]

Which graphic specifically is out of focus? Tea posted a hacked one as an example...the others are not fuzzy on my monitor. In all fairness the graphic at the top of the site has a fuzzy rendition of the hard drive platter. I believe this is done on purpose.

It is the platters that are out of focus, not the writing and that is what bothers me. I even understand why they did that: the graphic is supposed to be in the background, with the user's focus on the Text in the forground. It still bothers me. I actually take photographs as a hobby (my personal art form) and am of the view that everything in the picture should be tack sharp, unless it will never be paid attention to. I would prefer the graphic to be tack sharp and the lettering fluoresce to attract the attention and that would look horible and unnatural.

I actually like Tea's modification's

 

[NRG = mc²]

I like Tea's version, but perhaps if you give the text a purple tint like the platter it would be better? JAT

 

[Prof.Wizard]

Is it possible that the number of members doesn't grow significantly because of the site's name? I know this has been discussed many times in the past, that's why I dug up this thread, but I'm just asking... :-?
Registering a new name* and creating a couple of new graphics is not so difficult or elaborous. Sometimes people find it harder to change their minds than their works. And this way we're gonna evade the SR-clone allegation once and for all!

:council:
*we can divide the expenses. Someone could buy the domain name for and the rest of us can send him parts of the sum via PayPal. Since many of us have PayPal accounts, it would be done in a jiffy and a minor cost.

 

[Handruin]

Is it possible that the number of members doesn't grow significantly because of the site's name?

Sure it is, but I can't see it being any different than if this site was called www.profwizard.com With that said, how much different can it become if we register a new name unless we happen to procure a popular name.

Registering a new name* and creating a couple of new graphics is not so difficult or elaborous. Sometimes people find it harder to change their minds than their works. And this way we're gonna evade the SR-clone allegation once and for all!

Registering the name and paying for the name certainly isn't the problem. Granted I did just buy storageforum.org, .us, and .info which would be like throwing $45 out the window. The problem is that any name we choose will have the same effect IMHO. Unless we become recognized in some way, the growth of members will be slow.

What advantage at this stage would a new name bring us? If we were to change the name, I would change the entire site to fit the name, not just a logo and some graphics.

 

[Prof.Wizard]

Sure it is, but I can't see it being any different than if this site was called www.profwizard.com With that said, how much different can it become if we register a new name unless we happen to procure a popular name.

No need for irony here, Douglas, I don't have always personal ends when I propose something. It's only the that the recent threads by JSF and honold unearthed memories of guilt a little. Of course it won't be profwizard.com or handruin.com or mercutiosnest.com or whatever...

We can find a popular name. A name which doesn't neccessarily imply authority in any field, but a link between peers with a common interest: enthusiasm for the IT world.

Searching domain registration services I found a small and neat name like ITpeers.com strangely available.

Registering the name and paying for the name certainly isn't the problem. Granted I did just buy storageforum.org, .us, and .info which would be like throwing $45 out the window.

$45? :eekers:
Excuse me? For how many years did you secure the name? I paid something like $27 for two years for a .com name with Dotster.

The problem is that any name we choose will have the same effect IMHO. Unless we become recognized in some way, the growth of members will be slow.

We can advertise ourselves if we have a unique identity. The unglamorous name plays a role in the image.

What advantage would a new name bring us? If we were to change the name, I would change the entire site to fit the name, not just a logo and some graphics.

In the beginning you don't need to change anything more than the name and the logo.

 

[Prof.Wizard]

Sure it is, but I can't see it being any different than if this site was called www.profwizard.com With that said, how much different can it become if we register a new name unless we happen to procure a popular name.

No need for irony here, Douglas, I don't have always personal ends when I propose something. It's only the that the recent threads by JSF and honold unearthed memories of guilt a little. Of course it won't be profwizard.com or handruin.com or mercutiosnest.com or whatever...

We can find a popular name. A name which doesn't neccessarily imply authority in any field, but a link between peers with a common interest: enthusiasm for the IT world.

Searching domain registration services I found a small and neat name like ITpeers.com strangely available.

Registering the name and paying for the name certainly isn't the problem. Granted I did just buy storageforum.org, .us, and .info which would be like throwing $45 out the window.

$45? :eekers:
Excuse me? For how many years did you secure the name? I paid something like $27 for two years for a .com name with Dotster.

The problem is that any name we choose will have the same effect IMHO. Unless we become recognized in some way, the growth of members will be slow.

We can advertise ourselves if we have a unique identity. The unglamorous name plays a role in the image.

What advantage would a new name bring us? If we were to change the name, I would change the entire site to fit the name, not just a logo and some graphics.

In the beginning you don't need to change anything more than the name and the logo.

 

[Prof.Wizard]

Sure it is, but I can't see it being any different than if this site was called www.profwizard.com With that said, how much different can it become if we register a new name unless we happen to procure a popular name.

No need for irony here, Douglas, I don't have always personal ends when I propose something. It's only the that the recent threads by JSF and honold unearthed memories of guilt a little. Of course it won't be profwizard.com or handruin.com or mercutiosnest.com or whatever...

We can find a popular name. A name which doesn't neccessarily imply authority in any field, but a link between peers with a common interest: enthusiasm for the IT world.

Searching domain registration services I found a small and neat name like ITpeers.com strangely available.

Registering the name and paying for the name certainly isn't the problem. Granted I did just buy storageforum.org, .us, and .info which would be like throwing $45 out the window.

$45? :eekers:
Excuse me? For how many years did you secure the name? I paid something like $27 for two years for a .com name with Dotster.

The problem is that any name we choose will have the same effect IMHO. Unless we become recognized in some way, the growth of members will be slow.

We can advertise ourselves if we have a unique identity. The unglamorous name plays a role in the image.

What advantage would a new name bring us? If we were to change the name, I would change the entire site to fit the name, not just a logo and some graphics.

In the beginning you don't need to change anything more than the name and the logo.

 

[Prof.Wizard]

Sorry for the triple post. I was getting a strange debugging mode error from phpBB. Please kill this and the redundant posts above.

 

[flagreen]

We've been through this over and over again behind closed doors. It is pretty much decided that we don't want the site to grow. Personally I'm all for it. But as with many other issues we've tackled in the admin group, it is very difficult to get twelve people to all agree on something. So the site is most likely never going to change it's name or grow much larger than it is now. It is what is - and that's about it. And that's OK. It's still a fairly nice site I think.

 

[flagreen]

We've been through this over and over again behind closed doors. It is pretty much decided that we don't want the site to grow. Personally I'm all for it. But as with many other issues we've tackled in the admin group, it is very difficult to get twelve people to all agree on something. So the site is most likely never going to change it's name or grow much larger than it is now. It is what is - and that's about it. And that's OK. It's still a fairly nice site I think.

 

[Prof.Wizard]

We've been through this over and over again behind closed doors. It is pretty much decided that we don't want the site to grow. Personally I'm all for it. But as with many other issues we've tackled in the admin group, it is very difficult to get twelve people to all agree on something. So the site is most likely never going to change it's name or grow much larger than it is now. It is what is - and that's about it. And that's OK. It's still a fairly nice site I think.

Behind closed doors, I should have known...

Now everything is explained. The admin group of the mightly council of SF priests decided and never informed its minions though... I knew that my opinion wasn't counted on steering matters on this site, but at least you could have saved me of typing time if everything was pre-decided.

This is really bad.

 

[Howell]

The admin group of the mightly council of SF priests decided and never informed its minions though...

If true, that's piss poor management.

 

[Prof.Wizard]

It was a great time talking to you fellas, everyone, even CougTek. But I don't want to take part in a site with no evolution... seems it has been decided all along.
God damnit I knew this would happen with your idiotic moderator-admin power games...

Anyway, have a great summer everyone!
See you around...

 

[Fushigi]

It was a great time talking to you fellas, everyone, even CougTek. But I don't want to take part in a site with no evolution... seems it has been decided all along.
God damnit I knew this would happen with your idiotic moderator-admin power games...

Anyway, have a great summer everyone!
See you around...

The forums ARE our evolution. Personally, if we grow I hope it's not by much. I like the community we have as it feels like a group of online friends to complement my "real world" friends.

The admin overhead that was done when the site was created was done with the idea of being able to handle things that might arise over the course of running a site that has forums. Any site that has forums or accepts community input should have some sort of moderation. Without moderation things can go unchecked for far too long and increase the site's liability (think libel, slander, pr0n posts, etc.). It's a form of insurance.

Also, in case you hadn't noticed, admins (or at least moderators) are nominated from time to time. As I'm not an admin here I can't speak to when the next nomination will take place but it has happened in the past. As such, there is turnover and 'fresh blood' can join.

Professor & Howell, I do agree with you that if a policy about not growing by adding non-forum content has been decided upon, it should be made known to the user community, especially since the topic arises from time to time. A brief scan of recent Feedback headers reveals no such decision being generally announced, nor is it in the FAQ.

- Fushigi

 

[Mercutio]

There has not, at any point, been a decision along the lines of "don't grow the site".

No. No. [/i]No. No.[/i]

There has been discussion along the lines of "We'd like to grow the site by doing..."

Writing Reviews
Writing Tech articles
Reviewing other tech sites and methodologies
Limited Advertising on other sites
Porn (ok, I didn't get far with that idea, but hey, I tried)

It's not that 12 people can't agree, it's that there isn't very much time for any single member to devote to something like this. I can write tech articles and post them, but if I'm the only one writing, and I can only devote two hours every other week, there aren't going to be many articles.


PeeWee, your reaction is immature. I have no idea why you're so fixated on having moderator powers here (you aren't complaining about not having it on SR). Mods are chosen by the community. You were not selected. Cope. It's not a power game. It's an election process, and it's a lot closer to fair than whatever method was used to choose mods at that other storage site. If you really wanted to be a moderator, you might consider trying to impress the membership with your even-handedness and maturity. My term expires in September. At that time I will resign and a new moderator will be called. I haven't made an issue of the number of moderators largely because three seems to be working very well, but there WILL be three mods (should membership expand somewhat, the full five mods will be needed).

 

[honold]

a council of 12? give me a break.

this site is very long on bureaucracy and holding steadily short on content.

 

[Mercutio]

12 people were here at the start of the site. Some are more active than others in administrative issues.

There really aren't very many administrative issues involved in maintaining the site at this point, and there haven't been since the site went public. This is the way things were intended. We got together, hashed out the way we would like things to work ahead of time (The SR approach was not satisfactory), and then let in the public. We've grown slowly but steadily ever since.

honold, if you don't like it here, you don't have to stay.

 

[honold]

honold, if you don't like it here, you don't have to stay.

done.

 

[flagreen]

We've been through this over and over again behind closed doors. It is pretty much decided that we don't want the site to grow. Personally I'm all for it. But as with many other issues we've tackled in the admin group, it is very difficult to get twelve people to all agree on something. So the site is most likely never going to change it's name or grow much larger than it is now. It is what is - and that's about it. And that's OK. It's still a fairly nice site I think.

Note what I said people! I did NOT say we had taken a vote or that the issue had been absolutely decided already. Some of you guys seem to read what you want to hear rather than what is actually written. I said the idea had been discussed and it had been "pretty much decided" and that's all. And this was before Professor and Honold were even members here. Most of the discussion was prior to and just after the sites creation.

What is the big deal about people meeting in private to discuss this site? Most site's management does it so why not us? Eugene and Davin don't discuss SR's business in the Bar and Grille you know.

 

[flagreen]

Mercutio -

Spread the word. The Evil SF Gang of Tweleve will meet again on Friday the Thirteenth at Midnight. We'll need another cross to burn and at least two young virgins to sacrifice. And can someone bring a shovel this time? The last time Mark used a pitchfork to load the dead babies in the back of my truck and it still smells from the mess he made.

Your friend in Satan's service,
Bill

 

[Mercutio]

Didn't you get the memo? We're the "Benevolence-Challenged Gang of 12" now.

 

[Buck]

So who is the one that will sell out for 30 pieces of silver?

 

[Handruin]

We've been through this over and over again behind closed doors. It is pretty much decided that we don't want the site to grow. Personally I'm all for it. But as with many other issues we've tackled in the admin group, it is very difficult to get twelve people to all agree on something. So the site is most likely never going to change it's name or grow much larger than it is now. It is what is - and that's about it. And that's OK. It's still a fairly nice site I think.

Behind closed doors, I should have known...

Now everything is explained. The admin group of the mightly council of SF priests decided and never informed its minions though... I knew that my opinion wasn't counted on steering matters on this site, but at least you could have saved me of typing time if everything was pre-decided.

This is really bad.

Comon' Prof! You knew about the admin team and their decision making abilities a long time ago. Why is this an issue now?

Fact is there is little activity in the admin section and much of what goes on is done to help keep this place running and free from stupid things like spam. Discussions like those should remain in a private area so that anyone who is against this site cannot gain the knownledge to bring it down.

This drama is like a growing avalanche. It seems like you have this frustration and now that it has built up to a certin point, you pop and it's the biggest deal in the world. These issues have been with us for as long as the site has been alive. We are young and we are not perfect, but we are here, and here is where home is for me. There will never be just one forum for everyone because we are all so different.

 

[Handruin]

Sure it is, but I can't see it being any different than if this site was called www.profwizard.com With that said, how much different can it become if we register a new name unless we happen to procure a popular name.

No need for irony here, Douglas, I don't have always personal ends when I propose something. It's only the that the recent threads by JSF and honold unearthed memories of guilt a little. Of course it won't be profwizard.com or handruin.com or mercutiosnest.com or whatever...

We can find a popular name. A name which doesn't neccessarily imply authority in any field, but a link between peers with a common interest: enthusiasm for the IT world.

Searching domain registration services I found a small and neat name like ITpeers.com strangely available.

Registering the name and paying for the name certainly isn't the problem. Granted I did just buy storageforum.org, .us, and .info which would be like throwing $45 out the window.

$45? :eekers:
Excuse me? For how many years did you secure the name? I paid something like $27 for two years for a .com name with Dotster.

The problem is that any name we choose will have the same effect IMHO. Unless we become recognized in some way, the growth of members will be slow.

We can advertise ourselves if we have a unique identity. The unglamorous name plays a role in the image.

What advantage would a new name bring us? If we were to change the name, I would change the entire site to fit the name, not just a logo and some graphics.

In the beginning you don't need to change anything more than the name and the logo.

I didn't really mean it to be ironic, I was making a point that a domain name as random as profwizard.com would not bring in any more traffic than handruin.com or storageforum.net for that matter.

Where and how does a site advertise itself without being considered spam, and also costing a small fortune? Word of mouth tends to be the best form of solid advertising...only once the name gets around.


FYI:

3 domain names @$15 per year. (would be 4 total if we abandond SF's name) I go through dotster since all my other names are through them.

 

[CougTek]

But I don't want to take part in a site with no evolution... seems it has been decided all along.

Great, let's close the admin section right now.

Anyway, have a great summer everyone!

Oh, it looks like I'll have one great summer indeed.

 

[Prof.Wizard]

Now that everyone has spoken his mind it's time for my last intervention on this rotting hell.

The forums ARE our evolution. Personally, if we grow I hope it's not by
much. I like the community we have as it feels like a group of online friends to complement
my "real world" friends.
The admin overhead that was done when the site was created was done with the idea of being
able to handle things that might arise over the course of running a site that has forums.
Any site that has forums or accepts community input should have some sort of moderation.
Without moderation things can go unchecked for far too long and increase the site's
liability (think libel, slander, pr0n posts, etc.). It's a form of insurance.

Fushigi, you're one of the good guys here and, together with Buck and some others, I've
always appreciated your posts.
The admin/mod thingy is a joke for a forum with 300 members (amongst double and triple
identities of the same persons) which has some 30 regular posters who know each other for
two-three years now. One of the things that bugged me till the beginning was that this site
had started as a safeboard for the old SR-regulars and some of the guys here thought who
knows what and became admins/moderators with their own private forums and steering
directives never made known to the rest of us.

For the time being, Handruin as admin/mod/webmaster is more than enough.

PeeWee, your reaction is immature. I have no idea why you're so fixated on
having moderator powers here (you aren't complaining about not having it on SR). Mods are
chosen by the community. You were not selected. Cope. It's not a power game. It's an
election process, and it's a lot closer to fair than whatever method was used to choose mods
at that other storage site. If you really wanted to be a moderator, you might consider
trying to impress the membership with your even-handedness and maturity. My term expires in
September. At that time I will resign and a new moderator will be called. I haven't made an
issue of the number of moderators largely because three seems to be working very well, but
there WILL be three mods (should membership expand somewhat, the full five mods will be
needed).

My reaction is immature?! Look at your stupid post first of all. Once again you put
words into my mouth. I never envied your lousy job as moderator neither wanted to be one.
But you still play lame and try to pass to the others that this is my goal... are you an
idiot or something?!
I don't want admins and moderators at all! That's what I'm shouting for. A site of 300
members with 12 admins and 4 mods?! Jee, this is hilarious. At max we need one rotating
every month. No more.

12 people were here at the start of the site. Some are more active than
others in administrative issues.

Oh really? So do I have to blame Tannin who fucked up the e-mail he had to send me and I got
here two weeks later?! And why is it twelfe admins and not 11 or 13?
So the only real reason I'm not admin and you are (don't quote me later on this one, punk, I
write it only to prove the absurdity of your claim) is that I arrived 9 days later... give me
a break!

What is the big deal about people meeting in private to discuss this site?
Most site's management does it so why not us? Eugene and Davin don't discuss SR's business
in the Bar and Grille you know.

Mwahahaah! But WTF you think you are?! You wished you were as Eugene/Davin with a board of
16K members and a real production of article!
This is not your site just because you arrived earlier. Hell, you even contribute less than
most of us.

Spread the word. The Evil SF Gang of Tweleve will meet again on Friday the
Thirteenth at Midnight. We'll need another cross to burn and at least two young virgins to
sacrifice. And can someone bring a shovel this time? The last time Mark used a pitchfork to
load the dead babies in the back of my truck and it still smells from the mess he made.
Your friend in Satan's service,
Bill

Yeah right. The Majestic 12. Or should I say the 12 Monkeys?
Make fun of it but it looks like this. God if I knew it was decided all along to let
this place idle without need for further development I would have departed earlier.

Comon' Prof! You knew about the admin team and their decision making
abilities a long time ago. Why is this an issue now?
Fact is there is little activity in the admin section and much of what goes on is done to
help keep this place running and free from stupid things like spam. Discussions like those
should remain in a private area so that anyone who is against this site cannot gain the
knownledge to bring it down.
This drama is like a growing avalanche. It seems like you have this frustration and now that
it has built up to a certin point, you pop and it's the biggest deal in the world. These
issues have been with us for as long as the site has been alive. We are young and we are not
perfect, but we are here, and here is where home is for me. There will never be just one
forum for everyone because we are all so different.

Douglas, I appreciate your intervention but no I didn't know what was really
going on. I didn't know about the 12 admins wanting to be forever them and this site staying
idle like this. I once asked to place another man in the frontpage beyond CougTek and it was immediately declined... this is how the 12 admins and 4 mods are here working for us?!

I didn't really mean it to be ironic, I was making a point that a domain
name as random as profwizard.com would not bring in any more traffic than handruin.com or
storageforum.net for that matter.
Where and how does a site advertise itself without being considered spam, and also costing a
small fortune? Word of mouth tends to be the best form of solid advertising...only once the
name gets around

If this site had another name I could propose it to lots of persons in the many other forums
I take part. Even directly cite it to SR. But with the current name we're copy-cats. Moreover the current name is unglamorous and self-limitating for many potentially interested members who don't know us.

Oh, it looks like I'll have one great summer indeed.

Lucky you. No one to challenge your pathetic whining about everything...
-------
'nuff said. You mods now get to work on my post.
I'm off this place for good, I'll miss some of you... really.

A word of advice: try not to rot!


PS. And Mercutio... a big thumbs-up for saying politely to honold to get the hell out of here, as well. For the record, he was one of the few that could put some color to these otherwise monotonous all-agreeing threads.
PPS. Oh, and thanks for placing my sig/name on SF's t-shirt gift to Handruin a couple of months ago. You always made me feel I'm part of this place...
PPPS. Lastly, CougTek, STFU pre-emptively, whatever you say you're a laughable jackass as you've always been. And don't you think that I'm an idiot and I didn't find out you always deliberately posted my news entries with delay. Your a dwarf of man. I pity you.

 

[Tea]

I'm open to suggestionz, but I like the name we already have.

 

[Howell]

We've been through this over and over again behind closed doors. It is pretty much decided that we don't want the site to grow. Personally I'm all for it. But as with many other issues we've tackled in the admin group, it is very difficult to get twelve people to all agree on something. So the site is most likely never going to change it's name or grow much larger than it is now. It is what is - and that's about it. And that's OK. It's still a fairly nice site I think.

Note what I said people! I did NOT say we had taken a vote or that the issue had been absolutely decided already. Some of you guys seem to read what you want to hear rather than what is actually written. I said the idea had been discussed and it had been "pretty much decided" and that's all. And this was before Professor and Honold were even members here. Most of the discussion was prior to and just after the sites creation.

You are right Bill, your post was suitably vague to go either way. However, "we've been over and over this" and "it is pretty much decided" suggests finality. I read it as "all there is left to do is vote", not "we're divided on the issue and no resolution is in site".

I'd just like a little transparency. Is the direction of the site only the interest of the 12 admins? If we had readers who came. Good management techniques would have the admins taking care of behind the scenes stuff (paying the ISP, working out backup specifics, ...) and making final decisions. This doesn't preclude the admins from keeping the public informed.

This all may seem like small beans and indeed there has been quite a bit of drama and gnashing of teeth, but at its core there is the fundamental issue of transparency.

PS, FWIW, I like it the way it is. I don't know if I could handle more friends like you guys. 8)

 

[blakerwry]

Professor Wizard?

Why are you being so mean?