A special request please? (need help and input on new software)

Wayne

Wayne

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Hi,

I'm tinkering with SocialEngine (a web software) and considering using it to either start a new site, or to replace a couple of sites I run (maybe even this one if there's MASSIVE interest) with something a little more open and controllable (and fun) than the current forum software.

If you can, PLEASE help me out by going to my test site (http://flusterduck.socialengine.com) and dive in to test it out.

Right now, it's the free engine. It's not customized at all. It really looks like a low-end facebook and it's running on their cloud. There are FAR better (paid) themes available to make it a lot better and more usable, but again, this is just me tinkering with a free demo test.

The reason behind it is that I've always wanted to build a social network, so I'm seriously considering investing in the software for another site I already run to build a social network for hundreds...

The thought here is go move from my current forums -- maybe (10%)/maybe not (90%) Salemspectator.com -- and more towards building a series of social networks like -- but not LIKE -- Facebook.. Something where unlike a forum people can really interact the way they do on Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest and so-forth.

I know you guys aren't really computer geeks, but that's the great thing here, and it's also why I could really, really use your help and input. As "normal non-geeks", you have a different perspective on what you -- as a web user -- might enjoy using.

Imagine if you will that this site was more "Facebooky". Is that something you -- as a user -- might enjoy? If not, why not?

Thanks,

Wayne
 
Right off the bat, and without going first to the site, I will tell you that Facebook has NO way to do threads, and the different "forums" we have. Basing your question on the way Facebook operates, it would mean each of the separate forums would have to have it's own "page", which would seem inconvenient.
I had considered doing a Spectator page there, but after seeing how the other Days pages have to operate, I decided against it. Now, this may be something completely different......so.......will go take a look.
 
Poirot,

The software has "forums", just not in the free trial model. Again, I understand the resistance to change, or even to new ideas really, but I need open input, not comparisons to "what is"... :)

Like I was trying to say, it would take a LOT to make me consider swapping this site to a social engine, but I honestly think it would be a much better option for us in the long run than simply running a forum. People WANT to have "friends" and communicate with each other freely. A forum is not really helpful for that, and is really "old school" in comparison to how most users think these days...

We're not there yet though, so don't freak out. Just give me your thoughts as to whether or not you might be open to *a* site using said software, NOT this one...

Thanks,

Wayne
 
Poirot,

FYI, here is a list of the features SocialEngine has available if I decided to buy a copy;

https://www.socialengine.com/features/php

They also have a showcase of sites, some really famous (America's next Top Model) which uses the software;

https://www.socialengine.com/showcase

Anyway, the features available;
  • Custom Activity Feed (Facebook Latest Posts style, or you can do twitter/reddit, or pinterest style)
  • Photo Albums
  • Groups
  • Mobile Web App
  • Video Sharing
  • Events
  • Chat & IM
  • Forums
  • Blogs
  • Polls
  • Classifieds / Marketplace
  • Music Sharing
 
LOL, I remember asking you about a twitter & facebook account and you did not want to be bothered. Hey, guy, I have gone with the flow on all the changes since we began. I will go check whatever you have up.
Just remember......I am a person who bought a computer not knowing a dang thing about them, and taught myself. Have had several come and gone since then. Nope, not a geek by any stretch of the imagination, but I have friends who absolutely refuse to even try to use one. Heck, so much is done on line now, and I have business friends who pay others to file things for them. Me, I just, for the first time, renewed my drivers' license online.
But....we have to hear from our members here.......not just me.
 
I don't recall not wanting to be bothered, since we have both facebook and twitter accounts.

That being said, I'm NOT trying to beat up on anyone. I just wanted everyone's help for a few minutes, their feedback (yours included) and for you *NOT* to freak out and immediately assume that I'm talking about ripping down Salemspectator.com and recreating it from scratch. This really has nothing to do with SS. I just nee non-techie types to help out and throw me a testing bone (and feedback).

$300 to $700 is a *lot* of money to invest in software. At the same time though, I think it'd be wicked awesome to build "my own" social community in a facebook/twitter/pinterest style...

Wayne
 
@soapkitty, yeah, I think you have to register, but it's either a 2 minute thing, or a "click to connect with Facebook thing".
 
Hey Wayne, I'll check it out later from my computer to see how it's different than the mobile version. A quick look on mobile seems so similar to Facebook that I'm not sure what the differences are yet. I'll play around later and give you more specific feedback :) interested to see what you're planning to do with such a site.

One of the reasons I joined Salem Spectator, besides liking what I saw here, was that I liked that PMs and notifications existed. I felt it would be easier to make friends here that way. So I'm not sure how what we have really differs from a social media site anyway. But I do want to see what type of social media project you're thinking of implementing :)
 
I requested an invite? Looks quite Facebook-y to me, which isn't a terrible thing. I'd be interested in seeing the "forum" mode.
 
So....I am not going to create an account, so cannot post, and yes, it does look just like Facebook.
Am sure other members here may have better input.
 
I've crawled all over socialengine.com and some of the sites they have listed as using their software. To be honest, at this point I'm not interested in using anything like that.

The forum area actually seems to be a throw back to the old Days sites that I used to belong to years ago. It looks a lot like the board where I first met Poirot and lovogrif.

After checking it out, the social media aspect is also something I wouldn't use.
 
Hey, guy......why pick on me. Just because we are partners and I knew nothing of this beforehand doesn't mean Poirot is a naysayer. You asked for comments, I gave mine.....and have stepped back so the members here can make their own opinions known. That IS what you asked for, right?
 
@Poirot... Buddy... Pal-o-mine... :)

I'm not picking on you. Really.. Seriously. I offer my utmost apologies if it seems that way. You were simply the first one to chime in with "Right off the bat, and without going first to the site", so it seemed you'd already made up your mind before you even took a a look that you were already extremely negative on even the concept of a social network type site (even if it wasn't SS related per se)... Again, not a biggie.

As it turns out, I had another friend who created an account and we've had a blast for the last few hours posting and tinkering. I just wish the experiment had included a few more people, and hey, everyone's still invited. My other friend and I are tech geeks so we tend to play by the rules, whereas most non-techs easily find the broken stuff and shortcomings of a given system. The shortcomings -- not the naysayings -- is what I was looking for...

As it turns out, that system looks to be quite useful for a few things, but transferring this forum software to it, isn't one of them -- even if I wanted to, which I never really did...

Wayne
 
I went to the site and saw where "anonymous posts" was said to be turned on, but it wouldn't let me post without registering. Anyway, I don't like Facebook or other "social" sites much, so I doubt I'd like it here (I'm a total introvert, lol). I don't want to be available to everyone at any time, but I wouldn't want to block someone on this site, either. I like being able to see who is being naughty and who is being nice, so I can help make this board a safe place for myself and others. Plus, the pace is too fast for me on sites like Facebook and Twitter. The pages change by themselves, lol.
 
It notified me when I commented on my own post, which I thought odd. Other than that, I haven't done a whole lot of playing around yet. It's quick, though, and the email notification is, too.
 
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