Suggestions time!!

[iceman]

Hey guys..

We've got a fair lot of new members lately which is great to see, so I thought it might be a good time to get some feedback about the forums and the website, to see if there's anything that can be improved, added, etc.

So, I need your help and feedback to continue to grow the site and make it the best it can be.

Is there anything about the forums that you'd like to see changed or added?

Is there anything about the site that you'd like to see changed or added? New sections?

And of course if you want to help, anything you can do to spread the word about the site and forums, to keep people coming back and signing up and contributing to the forums, i'd be most appreciative. Tell your friends, tell the people you observe with, etc.


Also if you want to help you can keep the reviews coming in! The more content that is added to the site, the more people will visit and come back!

Thanks for your help, this site is just a labour of love for me.. I just want to share my passion for astronomy and help others get the most out of the hobby, and help new people get into this great hobby too.

I'm no expert though, and I appreciate those with more experience and knowledge than me who have been helping out, answering questions and offering advice!

I look forward to seeing the site and forums grow and creating the type of amateur astronomy community that's really been missing in Australasia.

If you want to offer any suggestions about the site or forums, or have anything to say, please reply here or if you're uncomfortable saying it in public, feel free to PM or email me in private.

Thanks guys!

[Dave47tuc]

Hi Ice,
Great forum, I hope it keeps up:)

My only suggestion is pic, size. I posted my first one to big. I'm no computer expert, but i learned how to down size them. I have now done that.:confused:

We just need the guests to log on and keep the group growing.
People just need to post and keep the group active. Many groups die a slow death. I hope and i guess it will grow and keep getting better.:)

I did not get to view last night but I'm hopefull for tonight.

Keep up the great work Ice. Cheers.:cheers:

Best

[iceman]

Thanks Dave, I haven't enforced file size yet but I will post some guidelines/recommendations in the relevant forums, because it would be easy to clog up the forums with big attachments.

Getting guests to sign up is the big one, there's plenty of guests browsing every day, i'm glad they've found the forums and are reading, I just hope something inspires them to sign up and say g'day! :)

Does anyone else have any suggestions or ideas?

I was thinking maybe an interviews section where I (or anyone with contacts) could try and interview an astronomer or some other person of interest in the astronomical world.. I don't know how much content would end up there but it's a thought nonetheless :P

Anyone else? Ideas? Feedback? Opinions?

[Saturn%5]

Hi MIke,
Don't know if i should post this here but, How are you going trying to get some Astro dealers to advertise on INS?.

Second thing image size rules would be good, It doesn't bother me with broadband but im sure a few that have dial up would get a bit frustrated with big images coming down.:bashcomp:

[ving]

I dont know about the settings of this forum but there are some that allow you to resize when posting, and there are some that auto-resize...

keep up the good work :)

[rumples riot]

Not guilty there your honour, before I post my images, I open them with image viewer and then select > send to mail> then open the attachment and then send that to my documents. This means an image of 9.5mb is reduced somewhere around 40Kb.

I agree that image size should be controlled. I have broadband, but can see why users with dialup connections could get frustrated.

Aside from the above, I would like to see a section devoted specifically to the use of astro software, this could be broken up into photoshop, iris, pixinsight, tacking software, imageplus and what ever else you think. I know at the moment there is no great need for this, but maybe down the track you could do this. Lots of us could share information how to get the most out of the software and I have to say this has been the hardest thing to find on the Web. I know that there are tutorials out there, but sometimes they are not explained all that well.

Anyway, other than that, I think that this site will go from strength to strength. Great site, I now spend more time here than at CN.

Paul

[rumples riot]

got another one, what about ranks changing every hundred or so?

Now that I have reached 200, thought my rank would change or at least thought it should.:P

Have to feel some sort of power change, got no chance at CN with Rboe over 10,000.:confuse3:

Sorry just a bit of vanity:wink2:

incidently I think the selection of smilies is really great. Some of them are so funny.

Paul

[silvinator]

Howdy ice! This is truly a great forum so far. You've done really well with it so be proud.
Now about getting guests to sign up, I reckon you should write a really nice letter to sky and space magazine and let them feature a news item about your forum or some sort of snippet. After all, they do offer to write about astronomy groups and their activities and well, we are an astronomy group...that engages in online activities...so there should be no reason for them to refuse you magazine space. That should help raise your profile a bit.

[cometcatcher]

Hi guys, this is a really nice forum. I do like the V bulletin style ones and being able to attach pics on site.

I'm mainly into astrophotgraphy but have very modest camera equipment. My astro camera at present being one of those surveillance/security B+W video cameras and a webcam.

I hope you don't mind me uploading lots of pics in the future but will keep in mind to keep down pixel and byte size.

All the very best for this excellent forum!

Kevin.

[iceman]

Hey Kevin, :welcome: again to the forums! :hi: Glad you've signed up and started contributing! I really like the pics you post over on AO and hope that you bring your awesome pics here too! :)

The rules for posting pics are pretty standard, try to stay within 60k jpeg, around 800x600 max.. but i'm not gonna crucify anyone for something bigger once in a while.

Hope to see you back often!

[[1ponders]]

Welcome Kevin, look forward to reading about your :camera: and :computer: techniques and seeing your images

[cometcatcher]

Thanks for the welcome everyone.

I'm experimenting with tricolour and the video camera at the moment which may be interesting.

Cheers.

[Striker]

I have been involved in many different types of forums regarding a large range of topics......This forum is fine and you do a great job Iceman........I say change nothing.

If people are having problems reducing picture size or not knowing how just post a topic explaining the simple instructions with some freeware.....its that easy......

Rumples Riot....rank change........lol.....love it....

[ballaratdragons]

Hey Mike,

It would be a good idea to have a Glossary of terms we all use so the newbies can learn what the hell we are talking about.

If it was an open entry glossary then we can all add to it or simplify any 'too technical' explanations.

Just an Idea.

[Mombat]

Thats a heaps good idea it can be really annoying when you're a noob trying to read the forums i had no idea what OTA or SCT meant it was so annoying Having somewhere to look those up on the site would be great.

[gaa_ian]

Hi Ice
You are doing a great job of the forum.
This is a long time over due, to have a Aus/NZ forum.
A small thing that would be good, would be the have a link back to new posts from any thread that you might be in.
I look forward to you continued success :D

[iceman]

Ken/Mombat, great idea..

I've now added a resources->glossary (http://www.iceinspace.com/?glossary) section to the site. I will need contributions from everyone to add content though! :)

Ian, also a good idea.. it's now on my to-do list and i'll hopefully get around to adding it this week.

Great suggestions guys, keep them coming!!

[mch62]

What about an ATM section.
I know there is the Equipment discussion , keep that for commercial and bits and pieces but I was thinking a bit more specific on construction the same as CN.

I think as it grows you will have to have a refractor , reflector and cat area as well or the equipment area is going to burst.

Mark

[rumples riot]

Headline

Equipment section goes boom!

Today, in a web forum at Iceinspace.com the strain of all the threads finally took their toll. Witnesses reported seeing a large mushroom shaped cloud and moments later a deafening roar. The explosion could be seen as far away as Perth and the thunderclap could be heard as far away as the continental USA.

Apparently, early forensic tests have shown that the explosion was the direct result of not having further sections to carry the Load. The owner of Iceinspace when asked of the tragedy would only comment that "there seemed like enough room last night, I can't think what caused the explosion". This reporter has learned from an undisclosed source that a subversive element deliberately set about causing the explosion, by placing too many threads in the section at once. The owner of the facility has been cleared by the forensic lab as being totally without blame. However, the police are now looking for the whereabouts for five unidentified posters who conspired to destroy the equipment section.

More details will be release as they come to hand.

reporter Paul:whistle:

[mch62]

:P :scared3:

[Striker]

http://www.users.on.net/~striker/toilet.gif

[rmcpb]

I can second the ATM section and would suggest that people who post articles are encouraged to put something relevant in the subject header otherwise they risk people not browsing their thread.

Cheers

[ving]

doesnt atm stand for At The Moment?

anyhow... some forums seem to have a auto thumbnail for images. does this one have that option?

[Striker]

Welcome to the forums Rob.....

yes Ving I have always known ATM besides being Automatic Teller Machine to be {At The Moment}...so what ATM are we talking about here?

[Starkler]

ATM = Amateur Telescope Making.

Now whos job was it to write up that glossary ? :whistle:
:evil2:
:poke:

[iceman]

Ken has submitted a glossary, just haven't had time to upload it. Will look at putting in an ATM forum.