Bright And Shiny Future: Part Deux!

Bright And Shiny Future: Part Deux!
Ideas For Wondir’s Future Growth*

* Or “How To Muck Things Up In One Easy Blog Post!”

O.K., here goes everything…this is where I prove to you once and for all just how dumb I can be.
As we all know, Wondir is going to change over time, everything has to change in order to adapt to new environments and new situations. Anything that doesn’t adapt becomes extinct, with the exception of Microsoft.

I’ve blogged on here previously about get a bunch of ideas down for feedback to Wondir as well as for use in future posts on here.

I knew you would all have great ideas, we Wondites tend to be like that!! ;)

The first and to me probably the easiest issue to handle is “Adding Paragraphs” to Wondir posts.

When I first got to Wondir, this probably more then anything really irritated me. I spend time typing and making sure everything was separated into neat little segments that were east to read and held related or semi related information and lo and behold…it posted like a letter from an 7 yr old on speed!

Where’d all my breaks go?

And more importantly why did they go wherever they went?

I can see some sense in not having the breaks, it takes up extra space and it is open to abuse if you get some idiot who posts two words and adds 50 spaces in between them. But there has to be a way to allow them and limit them to just one page break for “X” number of words.

So

I

Can’t Post

Like

This???

So there’s my rant on “Paragraph Breaks” Should be easy to add if there is not a good reason for not having them, which we don’t know yet but I know Allen, Billy or Cindy, maybe even Matt will let us know, Gotta love it when you get personal response from the head honchos and you get it fast…these guys are GOOD!

Onto issue two: HTML Links…

Another issue that bothered me when I first came to Wondir was that when I posted and added a web site link so the person could go see where I was getting my information from, it didn’t create an automatic HTML link, one someone can just click on instead of having to cut and paste it into their browser, a think I hate to do because if I only have one browser open it causes me to leave the site I’m currently on.

What I’d like to see implemented at Wondir is clickable links. Ones that open in a new browser, not take me away from Wondir. I’ve gotten several suggestions about that.

But, in being fair, Allen did write me and tell me that Wondir use to have them but they were abused at times. Now we all can imagine what types of places “certain” people would send others to. So I clearly see why it is not in practice today.

What I’d like to see is if there is a way to get them back. Even if it is only on a limited basis to Moderators or other “TRUSTED” regulars.

I hate to sound like I’m talking about a Class System, but face it people, some people just can’t be trusted with too much power, like the ability to add links to god only knows where. But in the case of Mods and Regs I would think there are some out there that can be trusted to wield this mystical power.

The solution to abuse is loss of Mod rights, or banning the Reg that abuses the power. Now that would cost Wondir time in checking on complaints (another “Report Abuse” linky..”). but in the end it would help build a better system. Though I do believe that those people that get the right to use HTML links should all be taught how to look for spy-ware and programs that automatically install.

Another issue that was brought up was an interesting one. The ability to type in a question ID number and pull up the question. Now I’m horrible with remembering numbers so this doesn’t help me out at all, others may want to keep track of their favorite questions, something I do on a limited basis using “My Favorites”.

If something like this was implemented, I’d like to see it set up like the links suggestion, where it would open in a different browser so as not to disrupt my main screen on Wondir. (You should note here that while on Wondir I usually average about three other browsers open and both my IM programs running, usually for private sessions, so I’m use to being distracted by multiple windows and browsers…)

Ok, next rant…

The Filtering System: It’s been suggested, several times both here on my blog and in personal conversations with different people that the Wondir filtering system doesn’t catch a lot of the stuff it should, but I lay down this challenge, find one that does work all the time…filtering technology is like that of voice recognition software, it’s only as effective as the people who use it.
When posting a question, Wondir users are offered the chance to place their questions in a wide array of boards. Most opt out to let Wondir put it where they think is best. Now most of the time, and I’ve looked at this posts on most of the major boards I post to, Wondir does an effective job of getting stuff where it belongs.

On to the next gripe…err, suggestion:

As User suggested: It would be great if when a member were suspended, that the registered e-mail address would be blocked as well. I know it is easy to get a new address from somewhere like hotmail, but I think it would cut down on people who get suspended just signing right back up.

BRILLIANT!!

I, personally have too many email accounts, and I know how hard it is to get one. Hell it takes forever to get through the BS that Hotmail and Yahoo and the others make you fill out…if I was to be a TROLL, I’d get tired of being banned and having to apply for new email accounts just to troll….and it is better than an all out ISP ban, like what Dal-Net tried with the AOL spammers a few years back, all their ban did was reduce real accounts. So I back this suggestion 110%!!!

This same user also suggested that multiple accounts be tied to one email address. Hmm…well I’m not a fan of multiple accounts but here’s my best…

Ok, suppose for SOME reason, WAY beyond my grasp, I decided that I wanted to spend ½ my time on Wondir being Mr. Good and ½ my time being Mr. Joke…can I have everything tied to one email account?

Personally, I’d say no. Now hear me out….Wondir is not some Yahoo Chat Room, you can’t have an identity for hitting on girls, an identity for hitting on guys and one for being Mr. Clean…What is the problem? Why the multiple accounts? What is the need? Do you have split personalities? Alter-Egos?

Get over it…either be yourself or admit you aren’t acting right cause your meds need to be adjusted.

Wondir is designed to be a place people can go to for rock solid advice and information. Not someplace where the same guy is going to answer your question 3 times under three different names.

Why do you need three accounts? Why can’t you just have one account and do what you are supposedly here to do…ask and answer questions? I’m all for banning multiple accounts, especially when one or more are being abused or used to up the ratings and ranks.

Basically people, it boils down to this, BE YOURSELF! That’s ALL you will ever be and if you can’t be honest about that with people a billion miles away from you then you seriously need help to stop hiding whatever it is you are hiding!

On the old Dal-Net we banned those people, Wondir should do the same.