Name of your forum: NZB 3.0 (NZ Boards)

URL to your forum: http://www.nzboards.com

Description: Free, fun and easy...NZB provides a place for Kiwis (New Zealanders) and people from around the world to meet, chat, play games and be entertained.

Category (topic): General Discussion/Community

Start date: Jan 2003

Statistics (threads, posts, members, hits): Total Registrations: 281, Active Members: 275, Total Threads: 1,808, Total Posts: 13,188
Most users ever online was: 152 (October 4 2004 @ 12:18 PM).
Hits (this month so far): 68699

(Jan 2005) Threads: 2,214, Posts: 16,468, Members: 332

software version: vBulletin 3.0.5

Styles (default, 1 or more): Pixel Technica, Default with 6 colour variations, vbnl Professional style.

Is registration required to view board? Nope.

Tell us more: Created almost a year ago and constantly evolving since, NZB is a fun place to go. We have recently upgraded to vBulletin 3.0.5 due to the security warnings, and have invested in a new style to mark the occasion of our one year anniversary.

Because a plain vBulletin wouldn't be very exciting, we have installed a few hacks, such as the Store (allowing members to purchase actions such as 'change your username' or 'make your username coloured in posts', the Radio hack which allows people to listen to and view streaming media, Personal Journals, and the Arcade...where people tend to spend a lot of time.

In addition to the vB-powered forums, we have a Photopost Gallery, Flashchat Chatroom and free name[at]nzboards.com email addresses available to all members.

Why is your forum the best?: Because I strive to make it so every single day...and all that effort better be going toward something.

So...what do you people think?

Your requested critique:

First, the color scheme is enticing. Very nice! I would prefer the logo in the header to be spruced up a little. It seems a bit fuzzy (unless that was intentional) but it is slightly hard to read (then again I have eagle eye high resolution and bad eyes. Ha!)

I'd prefer that firefox promo to be in the left hand bar of that page ... possibly right above the poll.

I like the buttons and I feel a theme, so the aesthetics are good.

On a 1 to 10 scale, I would give you an 8 with consideration for an 8.5. Just a little more organization, but that goes a long way for me.

Sweet, thank you for that feedback.

Please have a look-see now...I have implemented a 'wide' style for those of us with larger resolutions, and anti-aliased that there logo.

Hurrah!

Today the site is officially one year old!

well, considering the site is 1yr now i'm not sure that u still need any reviews, but, well, here's m2c! oh, i'm not going to pull any punches so this may seem like a flame job, but it's not - if i don't tell it like it is, albeit from my perspective, then i'm really not helping out any...jmho.

i like the banner, but the rest of the 1st page is too austere & uninviting. maybe a "gentler," scenic, graphic may be a better choice. i'd definetly move the Site-map section to a secondary page via a link (ok, loose the site map heading, keep the top 3 links on the homepage & move the bottom 4 links to some sort of secondary FAQ/Info page); ditto that for the login area - i'd at least tighten that box up so it takes less space - on closer scrutiny WHY are there 3 login links/areas on the homepage?!!!!!!! (the pt i'm makin here is that ur homepage is THE most important page (in regards to generating initial interest), & of that the top 1024x768 pixels of the page is PRIME real estate (did i make my pt?), bcs if some1 isn't interested in the first part of the page u may not get them to scroll down to find items of interest placed lower on the page. w/that i'd move secondary info (such as affilite info, news archive & site stats) lower on the page. essential, both literally & figuratively speaking, replace 10 links w/2 & put more info than links on the homepage.

also i'd add (or make more apparent if u already have) areas (graphical links & captions) dedicated to non-Kiwis and Kiwis alike. for both put a limited amount of info, updated regularly, that is targeted to captivate their attention with expanded/in-depth info on a linked page. in particular w/the non-Kiwis audience u may want to provide historical, scenic & tourist info on the page (try to contain the info to ur site, even if its on multiple pages, rather than takin the common (& easier) route of providing a link to such info - after all the whole idea is to generate traffic on ur site, not some1 else's!) Kiwis-centric stuff might be things such as a calender of events for special events/get togethers, points of topical intererst such news stories & governmental issues & sporting events, a who's-who, classifieds, etc.

after 1 last perusal let me add that why in the world is the Forum Categories drop down link is so far removed from the Forums link up on top? it's not even in the same visual frame (i.e. within the currently typical 1024x768 pixel space)!!! u might want to consider implementing cascading menus (that show sub-categories on hovering over a link); also, i really like the idea of a poll section (i like a more graphically attractive iteration), so that's cool, but, once again, it needs to be moved up higher on the page. naturally all of this is jmho, but i do hth!!!

feel free to im me once u've made changes (not necessarily the 1's i suggested) & i'll be happy to take a look @ the rest of ur sight. Good Luck!

Thank you for the very indepth suggestions!

I have made a few changes, style-wise, to the Front Page (http://www.nzboards.com)...am looking into getting some more static content up there in the Articles section, and have tidied up the Navigation module.

Anybody else, I would welcome your feedback as well.

Very professional. Color and the theme is absolutely awesome.


Dexter

Thank you.

*wonders what that post said before the powers that be modded it*

i liked this site!! it looks very good!!