Sneak Peek & Change Log

http://imgur.com/cIvv6fZ

 

Okay time to actually research this as I think I have actually missed quite a few versions.

Version 1 was back in 2004. Back then the site went up and down a lot and had a ton of temporary pages, but only really one design I would call an actual version. At this point in time we had one of those neat splash pages. Unfortunately the internet archive doesn't have images stored but the structure is here: http://web.archive.org/web/20040616222358/https://www.romulation.org/
Back then we used a cool flash header with animations and stuff that I actually managed to save all this time: http://www.fastswf.com/KbOQsBI

Version 2 would be in 2005 when for a brief period we changed our name and operated under evolvedgaming.com: https://web.archive.org/web/20050207024906/http://www.evolvedgaming.com/

Version 3 came to be in early 2006 after switching back to the romulation.net domain: http://web.archive.org/web/20060823153725/https://www.romulation.org/

Version 4 happened in late 2006 and is pretty well deserved by the internet archive. I went through a whole minimal design phase at this point though the navigation was pretty poor: http://web.archive.org/web/20061106081049/https://www.romulation.org/

Version 5 was put live on May 24th 2007 and is also quite well preserved: http://web.archive.org/web/20070526180632/https://www.romulation.org/
This version was the first time I actually paid for a design so the graphic quality is better - however I was still stuck using that stupid secondary navigation.
To my young self, if you need to actually write "Secondary navigation menu changed ->" then you probably messed up on meeting user expectations...
This version of the design was also live for the 2nd longest period of time.

Version 6 took over in late June or early July of 2009 and is mostly what you see today, except the frontpage is better than it is right now: http://web.archive.org/web/20090728064719/https://www.romulation.org/
That also means that this version of the website has been largely unchanged - design wise - for 6 years. Hopefully the next version get to stay alive just as long.

Version 7 is going to be live soon then.

 

Oh sweet. That's a much better screenshot than internet archive has. I guess that means the flash header was with the first version.

 

I have a romu backup with the first blue and yellow design in a generation3 template folder

 

Hi NM

 

The stuff previewed looks good, but it'll be for nothing if members are allowed to stay passive. You've so many member online each day, but active members can be counted using just 1 hand. If Romulation is as it advertise a community, then its members should act like one. Logging in, getting daily points, downloading quietly, and not being reciprocally active in the forum/community, should change.

As Obama said (though I'm not a supporter), "Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time." So it's also going to be fair to ask after the new 7th generation revamp to this site is implemented, "What changed?" We (or specifically you as admins) need to change the attitude of your members, from being passive and downloading in silence enjoying their daily dose of free points, to doing something as a community voluntarily. Getting extra points from uploading images isn't effective, something fresh should be offered to promote activeness and really be part of the community.

*Maybe I should run for presidency or be a member or parliament....

 

A community does not happen from forcing people to contribute just to use the main site. My first priority is to get the main site up and running again with good traffic and interest, after that I will start tackling how to make the community a value add that people will want to use.

 

I know using the word "force" is aggravating. I'm sure there are lots way to 'force' regular members in the direction of making them active in a fun, friendly, and interesting way voluntarily. I'm thinking of maybe offer additional points for regular members to earn by posting in the forum (and penalize the same amount of points if the post is a spam), instead of just through uploading images. And those points could be use to download stuff off the main site. Premium members needn't because they're already contributing in other aspects.

Uhm... No thanks, you're scary. Even mosquitos commit suicide after seeing your pics.

 

Such act can't be avoided regardless how strict a community/forum site is govern with or without such incentive. That's where the mods and admins comes in to maintain order. But giving regulars more ways than a few to earn free points would be a plus.