New Web Site

[Avian(Admin)]

Greetings all,

I'm in the process of working with Roger and Jim on a new, imporved website for Aural Moon. We have some really good ideas that I think you'll like. We could really use your thoughts. So here's a few questions:

1. Yes, we know you want a shoutbox or "black" room - that'll be in there!

2. Do you like the dark web site, or would something with lighter, more uplifting colors sit your fancy? What if you could choose between the two?

3. What new features would you like to see? A different format for the requests?

4. Do you use the Now Playing Window? WHat new features would you like to see there? Would you rather see the Now Playing window integrated into the main page, or does it work separately?

5. The forums: How would you change them? What features do you use the most?

Let it rip!

[Rick and Roll]

The less busy a web site is, the better.

The color is great. Works well.

The now playing in a different window is a pain. I use it a lot, and it's a burden, especially during my show. Replacing the stale old messages with that would be nice.

Make the shows easier to see. Having that easily accesible is good. The calendar is a great feature, but it's never updated and usually incorrect. That's not good. If there's no time to update it, trash it.

The chat (white and black) are fine as is.

Request formatting...do you mean how to do it or the paramaters? If you're soliciting responses on paramaters, this thread's going to get bogged down.

Thanks for the time and energy Avian...

[Avian(Admin)]

One of the things I never got around to with the station was to organize the requests so you could browse by artist name, then by album. Or flip a switch, and you'd be browsing by year. Things like that.

What do you think?

Yes, the new website should be much cleaner. I'm also leaning toward putting the "now playing" in an iframe or something on the front page that would update itself.

It would be cool to have a form on the site for DJs and admins (maybe on SAM) that you would fill out with your show name that would show up on the site.

The calendar situation has to be fixed. I'm favoriing using a calendar again, but make it more useful, and make sure it's updated.

[Rick and Roll]

Originally posted by Avian
One of the things I never got around to with the station was to organize the requests so you could browse by artist name, then by album. Or flip a switch, and you'd be browsing by year. Things like that.

What do you think?

Yes, the new website should be much cleaner. I'm also leaning toward putting the "now playing" in an iframe or something on the front page that would update itself.

It would be cool to have a form on the site for DJs and admins (maybe on SAM) that you would fill out with your show name that would show up on the site.

The calendar situation has to be fixed. I'm favoriing using a calendar again, but make it more useful, and make sure it's updated.

I think you covered all my concerns perfectly, especially the now playing. That's scary!

[VAXman(Admin)]

Originally posted by Avian
One of the things I never got around to with the station was to organize the requests so you could browse by artist name, then by album. Or flip a switch, and you'd be browsing by year. Things like that.

Like iTunes. ArtistAlbumTrack. I've wanted that for a long while.

[Wojtek]

I think the main point is what Rick said - to do as least busy site as possible. In my opinion we could make one link to news archive and show on the main website only recent news (one or two).

I am not using calendar mainly because of lack fo updates.

I like Now Playing window in separate window. This is good to have 5 previous songs and 2 forthcoming. This can't be on the main site because whole site can't be refreshing every xx seconds. I like it as it is to be honest.

Uplifting colours aren't bad idea although we should not forget this is the Moon, not a Sahara . Darker colours as a background and in overall a bit of mystery in the layout.

Forums are perfect IMO.

Guys, do you plan to change AM logo? I'm just curious.

[Rick and Roll]

Originally posted by Wojtek
I like Now Playing window in separate window. This is good to have 5 previous songs and 2 forthcoming. This can't be on the main site because whole site can't be refreshing every xx seconds. I like it as it is to be honest.

How about both? A now playing window that refreshes, and a link that says "song history".

Somewhere the number of listeners should be kept. I like that feature.

[teermin8r]

I wouldn't mind a supple background color that is pleasing on the eyes (lighter would be my choice). I have always wanted Now Playing to update itself. That way I'm not updating the page everytime a song is over. And maybe it should tell me the next five songs and bands coming up, not just the bands.

When Stan was around I thought a space for theme for the day would be cool. We could take turns suggesting themes.

Also better instructions for SPChat and I've always thought you should have a screen name and a password before entering SPChat and you should need a screen name and a password before making requests. It would also be nice if someone could figure out how to make SPChat Safari friendly.

[VAXman(Admin)]

Originally posted by teermin8r
I wouldn't mind a supple background color that is pleasing on the eyes (lighter would be my choice). I have always wanted Now Playing to update itself. That way I'm not updating the page everytime a song is over. And maybe it should tell me the next five songs and bands coming up, not just the bands.

When Stan was around I thought a space for theme for the day would be cool. We could take turns suggesting themes.

Also better instructions for SPChat and I've always thought you should have a screen name and a password before entering SPChat and you should need a screen name and a password before making requests. It would also be nice if someone could figure out how to make SPChat Safari friendly.

Re Now Playing: Unfortunately, with songs of varying length, the only way left to do this is to refresh periodically. There used to be a server-side push mechanism but thanks to our friends (fiends) in Redmond who couldn't make it work, that HTTP feature has been deprecated.

Re SPChat: A FAQ for AuralMoon is long overdue. Not only SPChat but request, station mgt., etc. Q&A.

I'd also like to take a stab at the SPChat code and get rid of the non-W3C issues that make it non-functional for many of the browsers.

[Yesspaz]

Originally posted by Avian
1. Yes, we know you want a shoutbox or "black" room - that'll be in there!

Sure. As is is fine.

Originally posted by Avian
2. Do you like the dark web site, or would something with lighter, more uplifting colors sit your fancy? What if you could choose between the two?

It's fine as is IMO, but change is refreshing sometimes.

Originally posted by Avian
3. What new features would you like to see? A different format for the requests?

Again, clean it up. All I ever use is the black box, forums, requests, 56k link, and WPN? window. It's too busy with this and that and the other. Clutter, clutter.

Originally posted by Avian
4. Do you use the Now Playing Window? WHat new features would you like to see there? Would you rather see the Now Playing window integrated into the main page, or does it work separately?

I personally like the separate window. Unlike the main page, it does self-update. Most of the time that I'm listening I'm not on the main page shouting. I open the seperate window, and then go from the main page to email or something. I get to work. So I'm working and listening, and I simply maximize the WPN window, check the song, minimize, and back to work. I like that much better. I'm not keen on integrating it to the main page. Even it if is, I'd still like the option to have the seperate window. As for what it says, I like the Artist, song, Year, Album format now, with the cover art. I'd like the upcoming artists to go from 2 to 3 or even 4, but I disagree with T8R about it telling me the upcoming songs as well. Radio should have some element of surprise.

Originally posted by Avian
5. The forums: How would you change them? What features do you use the most?

I use the "View New Posts" daily. I also use the PM feature, and the search feature. And it's time to delete the 5th anniversary forum from two years ago.

[mossy]

Hi Avian..nice to see you.

1. Shoutbox - Can it automatically refresh? White - good as is. Agree with vax...a FAQ a link to which is quite visible on home page to include instructions for people who are attempting to chat and having probs. I'd suggest a popup with instructions upon entering white, but they have to disable those to get in.

2. I like the dark web site. After being zapped all day at work with dazzling white screens, the black background is very soothing.

3. Requests work fine for me, especially since you did a bit of tweaking on the search options (search by band, year, name of song etc.). Have we ever gone back to one an hour?

Perhaps have the content of a particular show more easily accessible. I know you can click on the "Shows" link to go to the forums for the show's playlist, but couldn't we just have it pop up with the general description blurb when clicking on Today's or Upcoming Events and elimate the need to navigate the forums.

The home screen is a bit cluttered with news, although always an interesting read. Could we have a link to "NEWS", rather than a textual display on the home page?

If Jim still wants to accept CD donations, have a separate forum where he can give instructions for giving, using a "sticky". The forum could also be used to acknowledge gifts of this type.

4. I use the WPN window alot, even when I'm unable to listen. I don't mind it in a separate window, and agree with tee on having the ability to know what's coming up for maybe 5 - 7 tunes with the name of the song, as well as the artist. I'd also like to see who has requested a song, not to be RQ police, but just out of interest. I guess that would be too hard to implement.

5. Forums are good as is. Perhaps omit the need to register and sign in for white and black separately from the forums?

If I were only given one choice as far as a change, I would ask for a longer list of upcoming songs on WPN to include song title, as well as artist.

Thanks All.

[Avian(Admin)]

Originally posted by VAXman
[b]Re Now Playing: Unfortunately, with songs of varying length, the only way left to do this is to refresh periodically. There used to be a server-side push mechanism but thanks to our friends (fiends) in Redmond who couldn't make it work, that HTTP feature has been deprecated.

The WPN window should refresh in this manner already. The front page NP window doesn't for other technical reasons, although I hope to solve that in the next version of the site.

[Avian(Admin)]

BTW - great suggestions all - keep em coming.

[VAXman(Admin)]

Originally posted by Avian
The WPN window should refresh in this manner already. The front page NP window doesn't for other technical reasons, although I hope to solve that in the next version of the site.

Refresh in this manner? Which? It's certainly not server-side push. The WPN window refreshes with a http refresh which is handled by a bit of JavaScript code:

<SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript">
<!---
var refreshID = "";
refreshID = setTimeout("DoRefresh()", 90000);

function DoRefresh()
{
var buster = Math.random();
document.location.href = 'playinghtml.php?buster='+buster;
}
//--

</SCRIPT>

[Rick and Roll]

Originally posted by mossy

Perhaps have the content of a particular show more easily accessible. I know you can click on the "Shows" link to go to the forums for the show's playlist, but couldn't we just have it pop up with the general description blurb when clicking on Today's or Upcoming Events and elimate the need to navigate the forums.

Yes! Good one! The non-forum listeners are many....I like this idea a lot.

Mossy and Spaz, very concise, nice suggestions!

Spaz, I agree with you about the now playing and the fact that it refreshes. I withdraw my rq to have it on the main page. Maybe one tune.

If the black box refreshes on it's own that'd be great. I must click that damn button a hundred times an hour.

Vax, you're getting too technical for me...all I care about is if the thing will refresh by itself.

All the suggestions I would make have been covered.

I prefer the darker background.....reminds me of the night sky.

Whatever happens the Moon will always rise in Keithie's household.

[teermin8r]

I do miss the lunar moon we had on the front page showing the current phase of the moon. I know why we had to take it off, but it would be nice to have it back.

[RogorMortis]

Yes Mortis does think sometimes although people have their doubts.

Keep the front page simple to lower the upload but a another colour would nice - white for a change - Like the moon itself.

Shoutbox is OK but the white room is technically a load of crap - slow a lot of times and no features but OK if there's no other choice.

I use What's pålaying next a lot - don't integrate it on the front page to keep the loads down.

I don't request any more so Vax's thoughts are fine and I don't use any of the other features

But I do think AM should have more news of the bands on AM - the front page doesn't really change that much!!!

[teermin8r]

Originally posted by RogorMortis
But I do think AM should have more news of the bands on AM - the front page doesn't really change that much!!! [/b]

I like this idea.

[Yesspaz]

This would be a technical nightmare, and something a "pro" site would do - meaning one that was run for a living and not a hobby - but I'd like to see a link in the WPN window that'd take you to the artist's homepage, or allmusic.com page, etc. The nightmare would be that those pages constantly change. Again, don't even try it. It'd just be nice "if."