Way to Russia Talk Lounge

WayToRussia · Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 4:55 am Post subject: Way to Russia Facelift

Hi!

We're planning a massive restyling and facelift for Way to Russia.

What features you'd like to see added both in terms of functionality and design? Your suggestions are welcome. We're talking about the forum AND the travel guide / service listings as well.

Thank you so much and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

danbrew · Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 8:41 am Post subject:

Cookies!

In addition to being tasty, it would be nice to see cookies come back to WTR. For a few years I could log in and get a cookie that would permit me to come back and not have to enter login credentials. Then, about a year or so ago, cookies went away... meaning we have to log in every time. it's a small nit, I know.

Smile

overseas_expat · VIP Joined: 11 Jan 2005 Posts: 577 Location: Moscow

A lot of the forums have too many stickies posted at the beginning of the forum so that you have to scroll down half a page before you get to the first post. Also a lot of the stickies are old. Get rid of the old irrelevant ones.

The forums could stand a little jazzing up. The look is dull and grey, less appealing than a half sheet newspaper. Add some color.

"Russian Contexts, Myths, and Truths" hardly ever gets used. Consider renaming/rebranding/deleting it.

My personal wish, which cannot be found on the internet (or anywhere else) is an English decipherment and map[s] of the elecktrichka system. The elecktrichka is dirt cheap and goes to practically every nook and cranny of western Russia; every village, neighborhood, and town. It is almost totally unusable to anyone who does not speak Russian.

I know, I've been in Moscow for more than 4 years and I have never been able to decipher any part of the elecktrichka system. It remains an unusable mystery to me because it is so large and complex and utterly impossible to anyone who is not Russian fluent. So many places I would have gone if only I had been able to figure out the elecktrichka.

Good luck in your redesign.

surfguy · Lounge Wizard Joined: 13 Apr 2006 Posts: 6996

I think the forum should be divided into 3 Categories:

WayToRussia.Net Blog & Updates:
Latest Forum Posts: Talk Lounge
Latest Forum Posts: Travel Lounge

Seperate the petaninent travel info from general talk louge conversations

I think there should be a link up with Earth Google too

nikir · Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 3:12 pm Post subject:

Update the "Destinations" section. The information there is way out of date.

For instance, last year I did the Trans Siberian trip and stayed in an hotel in Irkutsk. The cost of the room was 5 times more than on the website here. I just checked and it's still the same. I realise that venues come and go and prices increase but anyone on a strict budget would have been horrified. The map of the city is also inadequate, too many unnamed streets.

Add more cities, particularly in the Far East. Khabarovsk and Chita at least should be there.

Some effective moderation in the forum would be nice too. It looks like there is only one person doing anything lately.

krasatulya · VIP Joined: 29 May 2005 Posts: 568

In addition to the places Nikir mentioned, I think Krasnodar would be a another good place to add to the Destinations section (or the Krasnodar Krai region). I haven't looked at the Destination section in a while, but there doesn't appear to be any locations in the southern part of Russia.

I also enjoy reading the Interviews of Russian people, but there haven't been any done in a while.

broedel · Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2007 9:38 pm Post subject:

Regarding Krasnodar Region and Krasnodar city, interested
people should please look at the External Links section of our
web site.
Bob Broedel
Tallahassee-Krasnodar Sister City Program
E-M bob.broedel@tkscp.org
URL http://www.tkscp.org

CAjules · Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2007 11:30 pm Post subject: website facelift

I like Surfguy's suggestion, dividing sections in that way seems to make sense to me. That way, if all you want to know about are travel related questions, go to that specific section.

MrSpice · Lounge Wizard Joined: 14 Jul 2003 Posts: 3436

As I mentioned before, add new cities and regions, as well as threads devoted to the some former soviet republics like Ukraine. Since Ukraine abolished visas for EU, US and Canadian citizens, lots of people now travel to Ukraine.

Also, some new threads can be added:

- Humor
- Politics
- News
- Message Board
- Personals (that one always gets a lot of interest)
- Pictures and Places

gomer · WayToRussified Joined: 30 Mar 2007 Posts: 409

raptor10 · Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 9:21 pm Post subject:

The tool I like the most on some other forums that I frequent (of the vbulletin 3.6.7 variant) is the ability to give and display rep (reputation). It is a simple and easy tool where all members can quickly give feedback positive or negative on an individuals post on the forum, and it is a badge that is displayed on all their posts so that people can instantly know whether the information is from someone who is credible or someone of less repute...

Here are some examples of it in action on another board

Here is a post with people of different reputation levels and reputation powers commenting on a current news event.
http://www.airwarriors.com/forum/showthread.php?t=139828

As you can see it gives a lot of information about the poster in a very simple and easy to understand format.