The Future Of CHUD - Page 2

Most of my time to browse CHUD is sneaking a few minutes here and there at work. Unfortunately I am also stuck with IE, but honestly no major lockup issues, the pages can just look a little wonky at times. There are other websites that are flat out incompatible with my IE, fortunately CHUD is not one of them.

Can't do anything to help the site on the social networking aspect from work - Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, etc - all blocked. Never been to Guy.com - blocked because of mature content. But on the plus side for CHUD, I can't access Badass Digest either - putting "ass" in the name of the website is probably enough to get the site blocked.

I don't know if it is really wide spread, but in general, many of the message baords I have frequented in the past 5 years or so have slowed down considerably. I assume that is because people have transitioned to social networking sites instead of forums? That's disappointing.

I do what I can when I have free time at home, which is limited. I follow CHUD on Twitter. I like the CHUD Facebook page and "like" updates as much as I can. But that's about it. I hope I can use the CHUD app, but fewer and fewer apps seem to support my old 1st gen iPod Touch hardware, which is limited to something like iOS 3.0.

This is interesting to me, because I love the MB environment.  I'll read the AV Club religiously and browse BAD, but I don't participate on those sites because I don't like the comment system generally.  I love that stuff like My Fan Made Movie Posters has been going on for years, that you can dig up a thread for a movie from 2002 and move the discussion to the top of the boards even if the review left the main page a decade ago, that a sizeable portion of my celebrity melon needs can be met in one place. 

 

I know that comments are all about convenience, convenience, convenience.  But in my experience, that tends to encourage more heckling than conversation.  Message boards allow for longform, comprehensive discussion of a topic to go on for more than the few days an article stays on the front page (unlike comment sections), while also allowing new and strange people to jump in whenever they want (unlike social networking sites).  

 

Not sure what this has to do with the future of CHUD, except that if you were thinking of junking the boards in favor of comments exclusively, DON'T. 

 

I'm not much help on social networks either, because I only belong to Facebook and only check in on that about once a month.   Is it still possible to donate directly?  I always meant to throw in a few bucks once I wasn't desperately broke, and now...well, not much has changed, but after awhile desperation becomes the new normal, I suppose.

I often do re-read old discussions on CHUD. They're still interesting today, whereas momentary comments mostly have no lasting reading value to me. I don't need to revisit any comment lists like " i wanna bang Anne AHtathway !" and "Bane is gay" and "#34 u are gay!!!!" posts ever again.

 

Simple as that: message boards demand time and ongoing loyality. It's only worth it if you do come back and continue discussions, and when you're actually interested in what others have to say.

Comments are mostly for self-centered egomaniacs. If you wanna bang Anne Hathaway, fine, your opinion might be shared, but if that's your only topic and you also can't type shit, get off my lawn.

 

I love reading (or re-reading) old threads. I didn't join until 2006, and didn't lurk heavily before that, so there's a wealthy of discussions I still haven't seen.

 

Just ignore most everything I posted between 2000 and 2006 and you'll be fine.

I think the site needs be streamlined, and it needs to re-focus its efforts. Figure out exactly what the site's identity is, and what sets it apart from the myriad other movie news sites, and just do that.

 

This site is absolutely overwhelming and unwelcoming to the uninitiated, and that's turning people off, I'm sure. Go back and look at the index page through fresh eyes. All of us here are used to it, but looking at it for the first time, it's a jumble of graphics, with a logo that's way too big. There's no daily content or actual news until you scroll down below the fold, and then it's a wall of text. And then, it's difficult as fuck to find the interesting articles, when they're constantly being pushed down by gimmicky attempts at garnering repeat visitors (I'm talking specifically about the 365 days of Sci-Fi that get saved up and posted six at a time, all at once).

 

Between all the small, needless features (and mouse-over advertisements that are impossible to avoid, and full-screen pop ups), the site couldn't be more obviously desperate to make money. People can sense that. The thing is, I'm a firm believer that if you stop trying so damned hard, and just focus on what you're good at, people will respond and things will turn around for the better.

 

I hope the tone of this isn't misconstrued. I love this site -- I've been visiting multiple times a day for years now. But it's frustrating reading all the woes, when it's clear as day that the site is actually drowning in all the effort. The same goes for Guy.com: what a fucking great idea for a website! And for the first few weeks, it was a blast to check out -- but the intent to turn it into a business became evident very quickly, the site got too big for its britches and couldn't support the mountains of content being thrown into it in feverish efforts to make it the next big thing overnight. And now, it's a jumbled mess -- even the forums there are horribly frustrating to navigate, and last time I looked, most of the people gave up at the same time I did.

 

Chud has the talent, it's got the connections, and it's got the content. Trim the fat.

Sorry, 3.0 support is extremely unlikely, the 1.0 release will be limited to 4.0, then we'll try to bring it down for iPad support. Wouldn't want to keep you in the shadows waiting for something (yeah that's kinda hypocritical of me).

If I am not mistaken, it looks like the FORUM saw some major updates today. So far I love what I see! Thanks, CHUD

"In the future we'll all be dead!"

 

does anyone use the Chat feature on here? how much bandwith is that eating up?

I love the chat and wish people would use it for chatting more often

yeah but if its one of the things that could be cut to save money, its an option. again, i dont use it and i dont know how many people do, but something to look into

The 365 Days of Sci-Fi feature is an example of fat. I log in sometimes during the morning and see 6-8 of those articles in a row, while the news gets buried below the fold. Even as a long time reader of Chud, I just see that and close the window to get my movie news elsewhere. It's frustrating.

Also, Nick, why not have a PayPal tip jar of sorts? I throw in a few shekels to every website I visit relatively often (shit, I give to NPR). I'd throw some money Chud's way.
Edited by Spook - 9/28/11 at 3:00pm

Don't do that.  It's like a science experiment.  Those of us who are older dealt with those awkward years by locking ourselves in our rooms and listening to The Smiths or something equally dreary.  You went through those awkward years in front of everybody and documented the journey, without realizing that's what you were doing.  It's kind of amazing when you think about it.

It is of great utility to the community, IMHO. During the OSCARS or similar big events, it sees heavy usage

I guess you're right. You can pretty much read my entire life from those posts. It will always be a part of my Chud upbringing.

id def donate get that set up Nick!

Ditto.

This is spoiling me, but I really appreciate it. Thanks, sir!

 

I really hope Spike's post isn't getting overlooked in all this idea-snowballing, by the way. It was front-loaded with salience.

 

 

I'm forced to agree. They're probably quick, fun things for Nick (or whomever) to do, but I don't think they add anything to the site.

 

What about making it some sort of perma link somewhere, for people to see if they want? It's the avalanche of posts that kill it for me.

Yeah, it's a fine little feature, but doing it in bursts floods the main page at inopportune times.  But we're 3/4 of the way through it, so it feels like it should finish up.

Agreed.  There is no reason to dump that feature, but it does overload the main page.

That's simply a case of us not doing a good job of running ONE A DAY ON THE RIGHT DAY. Sorry/. Will try to fix that bad, bad habit.

Nothing new, but just wanted to toss in on my use of the Main Site.  I don't.  I only read stories on the main page from being directed there through the forums or from the FB feeds of fellow Chewers.

 

On the other hand, I've gotten very comfortable with the current MB system.  I'm really enjoying giving thumbs ups to good posts as well.

I don't think that's as big of a deal. I laugh at many of 'em. I just think a dedicated link to perma features like this one (1 year is pretty permanent in web time) could be a good idea.

It isn't a big deal that they don't run on time all of the time.  They just tend to flush all of the news off the main site (same for the forums too) when they are posted in huge chunks and that's what everyone is really referring too.  I imagine it isn't all that appealing to those who happen on the site by accident or are checking it out for the first time after a strong recommendation by a friend.

 

I'd also suggest having the threads for articles about horror films actually pop up in the Creature Corner section.............as opposed to the CHUD Main forum.  This is something that would greatly improve discussion in that area, which is admittedly pretty dead most of the time.  Either that or (I hate to say this) do away with it.  Having a separate forum for horror films is pointless when all signs point to discussion for horror taking place elsewhere (CHUD Main, Films In Release, etc.).  It either needs to be concentrated within Creature Corner or just folded into the other forums like all the other genres are.

Wanted to 2nd this in a big way.

Yup.

That forum was linked to CHUD's now-defunct sister site, C-C. It's all we have left!!! SNIFF :(

 

I'm the same with all of this.

Yeah, I miss the ol' Creature Corner................and even vaguely remember Sci-Fighter (unless I dreamed that one up).  I just think they either need to embrace the Creature Corner forum and funnel all of the horror-related news into the area..................or just move on.  As it stands, it's just being ignored by pretty much everyone..............outside of a few of us lonely souls who want to have random and (unfortunately) very infrequent horror discussion.  Hell, even the fun new "Chewer's 100 Best Horror Movies of the 1970s/1980s" threads aren't even in that section..............but instead are over in Movie Miscellany.  That right there should tell you that even most of the members have forgotten about the Creature Corner forum.  Either support it or give it a mercy killing.  Don't just let it sit there and bleed to death for years on end.

 

Personally, I'm hoping that once CHUD gets staffed up again we can get a healthy flow of horror-related news going on the site again.  Out of all the genres, there is almost always something going on in horror cinema.............so it isn't like there is nothing to report on or discuss.