The BigSoccer Forums Suck

Discussion in 'Customer Service' started by Huss, Oct 12, 2010.

  1. Huss

    Huss Member

    Aug 1, 1995
    New York, NY
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Did I get your attention? The forum software here is full of bloat and feature creep. We want to simplify it. Make it run faster. Make you happy. We don't think the current software is the road to that happy place (tho perhaps it is).

    So I am inviting you to test to alternative products. We really need, want, and value your feedback. We will not rush to any decisions.

    The first is called Xen and it is running at BigCricket.com. It is the most similar to our current software, so the learning curve for BigSoccer members is low. I've created a BigSoccer test forum here: http://www.bigcricket.com/community/forums/bigsoccer-test.54/

    The second is called Vanilla. It's a new experience. You can find it here: https://www.bigsoccer.com/vanilla

    In either case we will be replacing the blogs and other pages of the site with WordPress to bring you an entirely new editorial experience. Again, we aren't rushing, but we are testing things out at www.bigcricket.com.

    Thanks in advance.
     
  2. efernandez9

    efernandez9 Member

    Jun 6, 1999
    Joe Pool Lake
    indeed - you get my attention


    the link to bigcricket shows 'page as an Error'

    what a way to start:)

    happy tues...everyone
     
  3. Huss

    Huss Member

    Aug 1, 1995
    New York, NY
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
  4. Huss

    Huss Member

    Aug 1, 1995
    New York, NY
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    fixed the bug not letting you register. doh.
     
  5. Kryptonite

    Kryptonite Fancy Title Here

    Apr 10, 1999
    Columbus
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Ask Knave. I'm sure he has an opinion.


    ------------
    The BigCricket one seems a little lighthearted/dreamy/kiddish.


    And you're SURE the bloat isn't the networking, bot, and other random crap you've thrown in? I'll take your word for it, but why not get BigSoccer back to what it once was? A huge forum, sans extraneous crap.

    If you want to trim the fat, why not start with the stuff that seems to be universally hated?
     
  6. Knave

    Knave Member+

    May 25, 1999
    I suspect Huss can predict my opinion quite easily ... :p
    This was my question too.
     
  7. Toon³

    Toon³ Member

    Dec 27, 2002
    Club:
    Newcastle United FC
    Both layouts suck and look pretty amateurish, that and I fear change.

    Just do this!
     
  8. JeremyEritrea

    JeremyEritrea Member+

    Jun 29, 2006
    Takoma Park, MD
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    vBulletin is a de-facto BBS standard for a reason - it's the best package out there.

    That is, as long as you don't screw with it. BigSoccer is the only vBulletin based site that I've seen that has so many problems. Go to the plain-vanilla non-customized version without tossing a bunch of needless add ons to it, and I'm sure it would run much better.
     
  9. Smurfquake

    Smurfquake Moderator
    Staff Member

    Aug 8, 2000
    San Carlos, CA
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I strongly prefer vBulletin to these other systems.

    Try removing the useless "features" like the "fan or foe" social groups -- the last post in the LA Galaxy haters club was November 2009 -- seriously, with all the people who hate the Galaxy, you'd think that this "social group" would be overflowing, but it's not, because nobody is using it.
     
  10. Cris 09

    Cris 09 Trololololo

    Nov 30, 2004
    Westfalenstadion
    Club:
    Borussia Dortmund
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    This...

    & this.
     
  11. Huss

    Huss Member

    Aug 1, 1995
    New York, NY
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Let's make a list

    Remove the ads?
    Remove the store ads?
    Remove the expandable left nav?
    The fan and foe groups are not part of the forums - you never have to go there - so I'm confused, unless you are simply referring to the fan foe button at the top of team forums?
    Remove the extra breadcrumb at the bottom of pages?
    Remove the currently active users?
    Remove the share widgets?
    Remove the header and the footer - which I think is all that's left?

    When I talk about feature creep, I'm talking about a bloating backend. It's a long story. We've actually turned off most things on the front end. Most. :)
     
  12. soccernutter

    soccernutter Moderator
    Staff Member

    Tottenham Hotspur
    Aug 22, 2001
    Near the mountains.
    Club:
    Tottenham Hotspur FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    These. As for active users, I like it, but don't find the feature necessary.
     
  13. Knave

    Knave Member+

    May 25, 1999
    I think you'll want to detail a bit of the long story. What, exactly, is getting bloated here? Because I think everyone assumed it was the interface. (Isn't that what "feature creep" implies?) But you're suggesting here that it's not.

    So if you want some useful feedback, then I suggest you sit down and describe in specific terms what the problems are and what the options are for correction.
     
  14. Huss

    Huss Member

    Aug 1, 1995
    New York, NY
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Why don't we talk about the front end first? The issues on the back end are as much about feature creep as they are about lack of extensibility, poorly written code, bad seo, non-semantic css, etc.

    I am game for turning off anything that we all agree is useless.
     
  15. Umar

    Umar Member+

    Sep 13, 2005
    One step ahead
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    Nat'l Team:
    Palestine
    Leave active users alone!!! If there are cuts that need to be made, you can always get rid of the Golf Sub-forum, nobody wants that anyway :)
     
  16. argentine soccer fan

    Staff Member

    Jan 18, 2001
    San Francisco Bay Area
    Club:
    CA Boca Juniors
    Nat'l Team:
    Argentina
    The England forum? :D
     
  17. Knave

    Knave Member+

    May 25, 1999
    So are you talking about things like the embedded BigSoccer news links that show up in the first post? You could ditch that (I personally already block it). Bottom line here is that I'd encourage you to simplify the board in every way possible. Strip down the features to the bare minimum, and aggressively unclutter the interface.

    On a somewhat larger and different point, I think Wordpress is an extremely attractive blogging platform. I could see myself possibly moving things like this thread there in the future.
     
  18. It's called FOOTBALL

    LMX Clubs
    Mexico
    May 4, 2009
    Chitown
    Can you guys include Champions League games to teams' schedules? At the top of forums it will say "last game" which was their previous league game, then "next game" will be their next league game, even is they have a Champions League game before that. It'll completely skip over and ignore a big Champions League midweek tilt. What the hell is up with that?
     
  19. Kryptonite

    Kryptonite Fancy Title Here

    Apr 10, 1999
    Columbus
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Have some changes already been made? The background is entirely white, and I don't remember it being that way 1-2 days ago.
     
  20. Umar

    Umar Member+

    Sep 13, 2005
    One step ahead
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    Nat'l Team:
    Palestine
    Yeah I like the new white. :)

    The "My Public Profile" link under the "My Bigsoccer" panel has also gone. I liked that feature though. :(
     
  21. Cris 09

    Cris 09 Trololololo

    Nov 30, 2004
    Westfalenstadion
    Club:
    Borussia Dortmund
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    How do we get to our profiles now?
     
  22. Umar

    Umar Member+

    Sep 13, 2005
    One step ahead
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    Nat'l Team:
    Palestine
    I click on my name next to a post of mine. That method sucks though. Bring my profile back please.

    Also with the side forum on the left, can't that be removed and placed at the top, with multiple drop-down options when you scroll over a heading or subheading, like bookmarks in Firefox?
     
  23. Kryptonite

    Kryptonite Fancy Title Here

    Apr 10, 1999
    Columbus
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    This used to be the case with the full-screen ad-free preemie. However, the consensus seemed to be that there was a lack of an area to put the navbar.

    If we could somehow bring back the true "full screen" that would be great. Look at the below link for what I mean:
    http://www.ceruleanstudios.com/forums/
     
  24. Cris 09

    Cris 09 Trololololo

    Nov 30, 2004
    Westfalenstadion
    Club:
    Borussia Dortmund
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    I actually use that Navibar a lot.
     
  25. Huss

    Huss Member

    Aug 1, 1995
    New York, NY
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    I forgot about that. Removed.

    We are moving to WP (or similar). And within 12 months we will redo the forum software.

    Trying to reduce redundant html so pages load faster. If you click "MY BIGSOCCER" your profile is the very first link at the top of the left nav.

    The only change was defaulting to grey header instead of red header. Background is the same.

    Full screen remains available for premium members.

    That's our understanding too.
     

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