So What's Next?

[PonderThis]

First up: User registration. The ol' "Hold 'em and try to figure out who isn't a spambot" method just didn't work. I'm sure that SOMEWHERE in amongst the thousands of spambots were real people, but I couldn't find'em and eventually gave up trying. That's bad and I'm sorry about that for anyone out there who tried to sign up and never had their account activated.

The phpBB site has several ideas for weeding out spambots. I'm going to go re-read those tomorrow and see if I can come up with something.

Then: I plan on coming up with a database script to replace "spamusement.com/forums" to "spamusers.com/forums" to fix all those old in-forum links.

Also: I'll get together with Jek about the Wiki.

And: Geez we need a nice looking front page. I'm thinking a nice header, prominent links to the forums and the wiki, and a place for the list of the latest comics. Some time after that, once I've figured out a sufficient amount of php to do so, I'll add the ACTUAL list of the latest comics.

To think about: Forum renaming?
I'm thinking about renaming "Guest Strips" to something less "Guesty". And this forum to "About Us" or "Administration Crap" or something. I'm also thinking of creating a sub-forum to the "Strips" forum called "The Original Spamusements" that would have all the threads about the original spamusements in there. I mean, let's face it, they're lost in this forum.

[Skimba]

YAY!
Good job Ponder! Whoooooooo!!!

[sum yun gai]

first things first, fix my bookmarks for me.

oh, wait.... i already did that...

i like the idea of a nice main page, but i'm not sure how much i'll end up using it myself. although it would be a nice place for new people to come and play until we drive them screaming into the woods with our collective insanity

[Nyperold]

Well, we could name the subforums with appropriate spam subject lines and use the description fields to tell what they actually are.

[EsBe]

Also you need a new favicon.

[ntw3001]

What was the favicon anyway? It looked like Strong Sad to me.

[traubster]

I think... on the front page... should be a picture of me... eating some fruit. I don't really care what type of fruit. You guys can brainstorm. I'll just be happy as long as it communicates my dominance over fruit.

[chrismachine]

I'll just be happy as long as it communicates my dominance over fruit.

Hellooo Freud.

[MysticalDescent]

What was the favicon anyway? It looked like Strong Sad to me.

I think it was the sun out of 'lager breasts'

[James]

Obvious and possibly patronizing question: Did we ever try reCAPTCHA for the user registration? It seems to work pretty well for the painfully simple newsletter registration thing I set up at work, although I guess that thing isn't as visible and doesn't get nearly as much traffic.

[ntw3001]

I'll just be happy as long as it communicates my dominance over fruit.

Hellooo Freud.

This made me laugh.

[EvilJekyll]

Does anyone have any objections to the one I've been using for the fansite?

[Clueless]

If you need someone to draw something for anything, maybe for the main spamusers.com page or something, I'd gladly volunteer. Since I don't know much about coding and such, I can't really help with anything else.

[traubster]

Does anyone have any objections to the one I've been using for the fansite?

The one with Nik and Null? Why don't we just call it NikandNull.com and have a small icon in the corner of me eating fruit with a big red "x" through it BECAUSE APPARENTLY NO ONE CARES.

[EvilJekyll]

Actually that image changes each time you load the page.

[Dusk]

Well done, Ponder.

First up: User registration. The ol' "Hold 'em and try to figure out who isn't a spambot" method just didn't work. I'm sure that SOMEWHERE in amongst the thousands of spambots were real people, but I couldn't find'em and eventually gave up trying. That's bad and I'm sorry about that for anyone out there who tried to sign up and never had their account activated.

Obvious and possibly patronizing question: Did we ever try reCAPTCHA for the user registration? It seems to work pretty well for the painfully simple newsletter registration thing I set up at work, although I guess that thing isn't as visible and doesn't get nearly as much traffic.

Yes, this is the one where they get you to guess a pair of horribly mangled words. Many places have it. In fact, I frequent a place that forces you to do it every time you log in. It would be nice to see an occasional new face around here.

And: Geez we need a nice looking front page. I'm thinking a nice header, prominent links to the forums and the wiki, and a place for the list of the latest comics. Some time after that, once I've figured out a sufficient amount of php to do so, I'll add the ACTUAL list of the latest comics.

Yeah. I think it would be great if everyone could contribute to front page images. Hard to do without it looking messy, I guess. Maybe everyone draw a self-portrait or something. I've been reading about these cool "zoom quilt" images.. maybe something like that? :p

To think about: Forum renaming?
I'm thinking about renaming "Guest Strips" to something less "Guesty".

Yep. Definitely. Spamusings or Spam Comics or Fresh Spammings or something.

And this forum to "About Us" or "Administration Crap" or something.

Cool.

i like the idea of a nice main page, but i'm not sure how much i'll end up using it myself.

Hmm Maybe if it displayed the latest comic.. had links to important things.. News (I dunno).. It kinda depends on how often Ponder or whoever wishes to update that sort of thing.
Let's face it, you could do anything with the front page. You could make it like a Flash based multimedia extravaganza. Energetic drums and synths while showing pictures of spamusers and characters like the beginning of an arcade style fighting game. The world is your oyster.

The one with Nik and Null? Why don't we just call it NikandNull.com and have a small icon in the corner of me eating fruit with a big red "x" through it BECAUSE APPARENTLY NO ONE CARES.

LOL
This could work.

[ntw3001]

arcade style fighting game

Hmm. Someone else needs to get to work on this. I want to play as ntw3001.

[slydon]

The wiki needs updating

[EvilJekyll]

The wiki will be updated after we move it over, pending the okay from ponder to do so.

[sum yun gai]

i like dusk's idea of using "fresh spam" but maybe it should be the heading for "subject lines" instead?

[Dusk]

The wiki will be updated after we move it over, pending the okay from ponder to do so.

PendingThat?

i like dusk's idea of using "fresh spam" but maybe it should be the heading for "subject lines" instead?

Sounds good. These smileys are great.
I'm enjoying seeing things that differentiate us from the PHPBB template.
Good show, Ponder.

[PonderThis]

I'm enjoying seeing things that differentiate us from the PHPBB template.
Good show, Ponder.

Thanks, I've been working on ways of making the forums look a bit less generic. In support of this I've started working on a new "Spamusement" board style. Once I've got it working it will become the new "default" style -- but don't worry, all current users will keep their current styles, this will only affect new users. Well and anyone that hasn't logged in yet.

After I've got that done, there's a phpbb article that shows how to use phpBB styles on custom pages. I intend to use that to give the home page that same style so it matches the look and feel of the rest of the forums. I think once we have a certain "stylistic" framework on the front page it'll be easier to decide where things should be added. Specifically:

1. EJ has mentioned having a rotating image, sort of like on the wiki. But this image will sit front-and-center and will be actual spamusers' cartoons. At some point I'll run a poll for people's all-time favorite spamusings and we'll pick the top ten or twenty or so.
2. Below that will be a list of the latest spamusers toons, presented "stevenf style"; i.e., a list of Subject Lines, each one being a link to the appropriate thread.

[EvilJekyll]

I'm not sure about how Ponder feels about this, but would you guys want a link to an IRC java applet that would bring you to the Spamusers! room by the wiki and home page links?

I know in the past, people without AIM have used it, such as Null, DMEnduro, and Dween.

Also I could bring back jekbot (or not.)

Just putting it out there, it would be relatively simple.

[Binkatron5000]

I'm not sure about how Ponder feels about this, but would you guys want a link to an IRC java applet that would bring you to the Spamusers! room by the wiki and home page links?

I know in the past, people without AIM have used it, such as Null, DMEnduro, and Dween.

Also I could bring back jekbot (or not.)

Just putting it out there, it would be relatively simple.

If you don't mind, that would be great! Also I personally enjoyed the bots. Jekbot was great for when nobody else was around, could thoroughly dement him for the next time people did appear.

[Skimba]

OH JEBUS THE BOTS AND ALTON BROWN AND GREAT BIG HUGSIES!
I should probably visit there more often. I will if people go, maybe, most likely.