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Bannen

Don't say Huh? too much; pretend you understand.Top Member
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As you have heard by now, Namepros has been sold by its esteemed creator RJ, to the new owner Matt of Bodis.com.
The suggestions, arguments and debates are already beginning, and I thought it was important to highlight a thread specifically for this discussion, inviting all NP members to add their two cents in the way of which areas they think could use improvement, changes, or getting the axe.

We don't know all the plans Matt has for Namepros, but a forum is all the stronger when the owner/leader can see first-hand suggestions from its many experienced members.

I'll start:
1 - Just a personal dislike: I really, really miss having the discussion forums at the top of the home page. I know it may be a business decision to see the marketplace first upon coming to Namepros... but it hasn't led to me using the marketplace any more than usual, and it's a minor annoyance to have to scroll quite a ways down in order to get to the most interesting stuff, the discussions, news, appraisals, etc. Again, I get it if it's a biz decision; but if it hasn't strongly increased your traffic/business in some palpable way, my vote is for the discussion forums back on top.


2 - This is a very minor point, but still worthy of mention: in the appraisals section, when submitting a new thread for an appraisal, quite awhile ago the 'subject' line became automated, so they all now have to start with 'Please appraise' and then limited fields for up to 4 domains. That totally bored me when it happened. It used to be very entertaining to create your own subject line. Even if I was scanning the rest of the forum, I'd often run straight to the appraisals section simply because there was a funny/interesting/whack subject line. Now all it says on the home page under the appraisals section is 'please appraise' for every thread. I often just skip it.
As I said, it's a minor thing and I can see your reasons for automating things... yet IMO the value of automating it is not worth the loss of 'fun'.
Remember: Fun, Interesting, Odd, Exciting, these are the things that entice new members to join, and keep term members wanting to come back.

3 - In the spirit of that last comment, I'll make a very vague, generalized, but I think very important mention: a lot of the pure fun of this forum has somehow left, over the last couple years. It used to be quite entertaining, practically daily there was a thread or three that were so entertaining, interesting, potentially volatile (?), that it was hard to not come back often to see how things were playing out.
Somehow it seems much more sterile here now.

It's important to mention that I am still here because IMO this is the classiest, most informative, best-run domaining forum around. I signed up at the other best-known ones, but would keep returning here because it had that certain balance of all elements that I found was stronger than any other forum.

I don't know what the answer is as far as making things less sterile, and that is the main reason I opened this discussion. Perhaps with a lot of input we can figure that one out. It has something to do with rules and how they are modded... but that's not to say there is anything wrong with the rules and the modding, I feel no complaints about them myself. It may also have something to do with the layout of the forum categories... or not.

Perhaps it is also a consequence of the 'balancing out' of domaining. A few years ago there was this larger-than-life, delusional grandiosity still hanging on to domaining, people were still flocking to it in droves, regging any kind of name and thinking they had a million dollars worth. Now domaining seems to be entering a 'maturity', steadiness, professionalism, where a lot of the 'unknown' and 'growth' excitement is gone, values seem to be mostly predictable and sober.

Perhaps the steadiness or decline of traffic to domaining forums is simply the levelling-off of something that has now passed beyond its initial (decade-long) infatuation phase, and has entered a more sober, less exciting, more steady professional phase.

It seems the business-model of domaining forums has to somehow now change with the times... yet I don't quite know what those changes will be... where the trend is going next. Maybe if we get our heads together and throw the right suggestions against the wall, the right one will stick, NP can use that and get right to the cutting edge of where domaining is headed next. Where??????

Anyway, I will have other comments/suggestions, but that's enough to get this thread started I think. Welcome to anyone who wants to contribute their dos centavos.

:)

Oh, a comment: this thread probably belongs way way down at the bottom of the forum in the Namepros comments & suggestions area... however, no one visits that, and since I'm starting this thread specifically to address the switch-over period and possible changes/improvements that may happen during this transition, hopefully mods will keep this thread in the discussion area. Even stickie it for a week or two...
 
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The views expressed on this page by users and staff are their own, not those of NamePros.
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OhMyFrigginGawd puh-leez get rid of that tickertape scrolling sales script at top of page :)

It's interesting to look at once every few days... but to have to wait a few seconds while it loads on every single page morning noon and night, and we can't even click on a link until that script has loaded... gets old real fast.

I heartily suggest figuring out a different way to get this sales info to us... maybe a static banner once in awhile with the list, but that dynamic script is uberannoying.

Exqueeze me for the rant :)

On a calmer note: tip to site builders: do not add a script to your website that gives one tenth of 1% interest-delivery to your visitors, while requiring 100% patience/tolerance on their part, 100% of the time, no matter where they are on your website.

-Bannen jerks his collar straight, gives an assertive little foot stamp, tips his eyeglasses up with a finger, and strides back to the rest of the forum, having said his piece.
 
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i hate bumping this old controversial thread, but did you try toggle off on the sales banner bannen?
 
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i hate bumping this old controversial thread, but did you try toggle off on the sales banner bannen?

That would be too smart, and I am not nearly that smart.
Glad you are.
Tx.
Okay, let this thread blast back once again into the unknown ether
:)
 
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OhMyFrigginGawd puh-leez get rid of that tickertape scrolling sales script at top of page :)
...
I heartily suggest figuring out a different way to get this sales info to us... maybe a static banner once in awhile with the list, but that dynamic script is uberannoying.

Brilliant suggestion. I wonder if anyone else has suggested this? :lol:
 
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Suggestion:

Loosen up the censorship of thread tags. Who put the fun back in funeral?

Specifically, stop original posters of threads from being able to delete tags posted by others. 25-character tags are often the most entertaining part of a thread. Tags draw discriminating readers to NP in the same way that Sergio Aragones marginals pull juvenile delinquents to Mad magazine. Let's raise the common denominator.
 
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i would limit access to replies in appraisal section to the members with say 3-5 years of forum life or/and some reputation threshold or whatever that would somehow help keep the appraisals quality up and making sense at all...



imho
 
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i would limit access to replies in appraisal section to the members with say 3-5 years of forum life or/and some reputation threshold or whatever that would somehow help keep the appraisals quality up and making sense at all...

imho

You can follow the more complete suggestions thread and debate on this topic here: http://www.namepros.com/namepros-in...-domain-appraisal-folder-is-losing-value.html


Suggestion:

Loosen up the censorship of thread tags. Who put the fun back in funeral?

Specifically, stop original posters of threads from being able to delete tags posted by others. 25-character tags are often the most entertaining part of a thread. Tags draw discriminating readers to NP in the same way that Sergio Aragones marginals pull juvenile delinquents to Mad magazine. Let's raise the common denominator.

While there may be some humorous benefits to this suggestion, I think that every member deserves the right to edit the thread tags of their own threads. If anything, maybe others shouldn't be allowed to add tags to threads that are not theirs? lol

On another note: Speaking of editing, I set the title edits to 30 days a couple weeks ago. So now everyone has up to 30 days to change their title if they made a typo or mistake in it (Excluding a couple forums in the marketplace that need to keep first post edits locked). After 30 days the titles lock for archiving.

Eric Lyon
 
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My only suggestion:

Start planning the NamePros Xmas party now - it's almost October.

:santa:
 
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My only suggestion:

Start planning the NamePros Xmas party now - it's almost October.

:santa:

You are more than welcome to head that up if you want to. There's lots of members that may not be able to commit to organizing that due to busy schedules and prior engagements. If you can commit to it, great... :)

Eric Lyon
 
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While there may be some humorous benefits to this suggestion, I think that every member deserves the right to edit the thread tags of their own threads.

I like the anonymous funnies. It's the best thing about some NP threads.
 
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My only suggestion:
Add known trademarked company names in your forums filter and replace it with something else.
So we will never see these names coming up.Isn t that a cool idea and easy way to handle this issue ?
I could post here examples of such entries because there are always new ones.
Im really sick reading such names in the for sale forum again and again but we are not allowed to post in such sale threads about tm issue.Do you think this is okay ?
I personaly believe a filter will do enough to get rid of the most tm names at namepros.
 
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My only suggestion:
Add known trademarked company names in your forums filter and replace it with something else.
So we will never see these names coming up.Isn t that a cool idea and easy way to handle this issue ?
I could post here examples of such entries because there are always new ones.
Im really sick reading such names in the for sale forum again and again.

If you see a questionable TM violation, Please contact the TM holder and direct them here: http://www.namepros.com/legal-issue...-namepros-ip-rights-complaint-proceedure.html if they wish to police their TM they will file via that procedure and at that time we will assist them by removing their mark.

We are in no position to make decisions on behalf of TM holders nor act as legal representation for them. Only the TM holder and their authorized litigation team can decide if they wish to police their TM's or not. Whats a TM in China may not be in USA, whats a TM in UK, may not be in Jamaica, etc.. etc.. It comes down to where the seller & the buyer are located and their intent.

We advise everyone NOT to deal in TM's, however if they do, they should be prepared in the event a TM holder pursues litigation. Not all TM holders win such cases and the domainer is allowed to keep the domain. Since we are not a licensed litigation firm, we can't make that discussion for people, Only the TM holder can initiate such a legal proceeding.

Please contact TM holders directly if you feel their mark is being violated by someone so they can take proper legal actions.

Thanks for understanding,

Eric Lyon
 
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If you see a questionable TM violation, Please contact the TM holder and direct them here: http://www.namepros.com/legal-issue...-namepros-ip-rights-complaint-proceedure.html if they wish to police their TM they will file via that procedure and at that time we will assist them by removing their mark.

We are in no position to make decisions on behalf of TM holders nor act as legal representation for them. Only the TM holder and their authorized litigation team can decide if they wish to police their TM's or not. Whats a TM in China may not be in USA, whats a TM in UK, may not be in Jamaica, etc.. etc.. It comes down to where the seller & the buyer are located and their intent.

We advise everyone NOT to deal in TM's, however if they do, they should be prepared in the event a TM holder pursues litigation. Not all TM holders win such cases and the domainer is allowed to keep the domain. Since we are not a licensed litigation firm, we can't make that discussion for people, Only the TM holder can initiate such a legal proceeding.

The only position that makes sense, imho... and very well worded and clear.

Thanks.

---------- Post added at 05:26 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:18 PM ----------

i hate bumping this old controversial thread, but did you try toggle off on the sales banner bannen?

Can we have it reversed so that you have to TOGGLE it ON?

I don't keep cookies so it's ALWAYS there.

Have a graphic that says "CLICK HERE FOR SALES"

POLO Shirt man is FAR worse.. lol
 
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If you see a questionable TM violation, Please contact the TM holder and direct them here: http://www.namepros.com/legal-issue...-namepros-ip-rights-complaint-proceedure.html if they wish to police their TM they will file via that procedure and at that time we will assist them by removing their mark.
Eric Lyon
Well said but it´s not my job and I dont have the time to contact trademark owners.I understand the reasons for your answer.In my own board I would handle this a bit different. Anyway Namepros is a great community.
 
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I think the "design contest" section is a little hidden and shouldn't be a subforum. I have trouble finding it all the time and I'm looking specifically for it.
 
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I think the "design contest" section is a little hidden and shouldn't be a subforum. I have trouble finding it all the time and I'm looking specifically for it.

The thing with the Design contests is that it's technically a service provided by designers which makes it a great fit as a sub-forum to designers / developers wanted (members seeking designers / developers to take on projects).

I have a few banners up for design contests in a few of the design related forums to cross promote it and make it a little more visible at the moment.

I'll make a note to keep my eyes open for other opportunities to provide better exposure for it. :)

Eric Lyon
 
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Lets get rid of the old chatrooms and put a shoutbox on top of the forum index

Seriously that would be great

Also banner sigs for veteran members, donators and such

;)
 
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Lets get rid of the old chatrooms and put a shoutbox on top of the forum index

;)

We have a thread for that :)
 
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I think I got about 3 times of "NamePros' Server Maintenance" things this week.
And this maintenance thing is pretty annoying actually. :blink:

Are there any servers being upgraded or anything like that? B-)
 
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Or perhaps use the "Notices" area at the top to keep us up to date on this issue.

Not everyone may search for new posts every time they login, so it might be helpful something like that is viewable by everyone regardless if they read that specific thread or not.
 
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This site should be immediately converted to a hybrid "name" site with the eventual phase-out of the domain topics.

Here is an example post in the new "Earth Related Male Names" forum:

MicroGuy said:
Hi. I'm an expecting father and would like to know the gender value of season names. If we have a son, I want to name him summer. Would that be considered "gay" for a boy? I don't want my son to be the target of bullies. Thanks.

Basically, The site will cover topics related to domain names and baby names. This will bring in HUGE advertising opportunities and is the best way to leverage the domain name NAMEPROS.COM.
 
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This site should be immediately converted to a hybrid "name" site with the eventual phase-out of the domain topics.

Here is an example post in the new "Earth Related Male Names" forum:



Basically, The site will cover topics related to domain names and baby names. This will bring in HUGE advertising opportunities and is the best way to leverage the domain name NAMEPROS.COM.

I think microguy.net should host this forum
 
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