The new Beta site is functional!

[zoedragon]

The look of the site hasn't really changed since 1998, but a major revamp of the site is almost done. Most of the basic functionality is pretty much the same, but some new functionality is there too.

User Profiles
Users can write information about themselves in a profile for others to see. You'll be able to see what other reviews that person has written. New comments will all be associated with a username, so you'll be able to get a sense of what that person's judgement is like.

Message Board
If you're here, then you already know about the message board. It will be a nice place for students to ask each other questions, and maybe even some instructors might participate in the discussions. Who knows?

User Logins
So far the biggest change is that users will be required to log in before they can post a review. Abusive, non-constructive posts have been so common that it has made this step necessary. But this will have the added bonus of being able to associate comments with users so you can get a feel for which writers you prefer and which are less reliable.

If you haven't found it through Google already, you can visit this new site at http://www.goodbadtenured.com/beta/. Keep in mind that it is still in development, so from time to time you may notice broken pages or some strange table layouts. These will be temporary as I get the site closer to the finish line. Feel free to point out anything that needs improvement!

[Admin]

One problem I came up:

When I clicked on Written By: Not Recorded,
http://www.goodbadtenured.com/beta/profile.asp?UserID= ,

.

This is under Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firebird.

[Sweetyb]

I got so used to the current database that the new GBT logo makes everything look so different--which is what I'm sure you were going for anyway. I like the old logo. The new one, with the yellow lettering, makes it look too "kiddie".

Besides that, keep up the good work!

[zoedragon]

Thanks for catching that error Kaycee, I'll fix that tomorrow. I was adding in a feature and forgot to check to see what happens when there's no user ID.

I liked the old logo too, but I wasn't sure if it went with the new site. I was going for a school-looking theme, with the logo kind of looking like it was written in chalk. It's funny that you would say it looks "too kiddie" because the name of the font is "Kids".

[Mike]

I like the new school-looking theme. And the site looks nicer than the old site. Good job.

[Sweetyb]

Originally Posted by zoedragon

It's funny that you would say it looks "too kiddie" because the name of the font is "Kids".

lol, well, there you go then--if that's the look you're going for, then you obviously came through well

Anyway, I love your database... I remember I wrote you b/4 about the "copycat", but the teachers and staff I speak to only know of GoodBadTenured and use it too. People are going to use it, no matter what it looks like

[zoedragon]

True, a site full of useful information will get used no matter what it looks like, so long as it's useable. I'm sure there could be no formatting or graphics in it whatsoever, just typewriter-looking text, and people would still use it. I could call it www.ButtUglyWebsite. com!

[Admin]

That name would work since it is so catchy!
"Hey! You should check out the buttuglywebsite.com website before you register for classes."

[zoedragon]

Call me stupid, but I checked and that domain name is actually still available! Hmmmm.....

[JPWRana]

hey zoe, something i had always thought of your website that MAY HELP, is that you should REQUIRE users to post reviews about the professors they took for the past quarter, that way there would be MORE user reviews, and not the same ones... because many times from my department they only have reviews for 1 class, even though theres MANY classes that the professor teaches.... i don't know, that's just my idea.

[zoedragon]

It's not a bad idea, and someone else has suggested it before. True there would be more reviews, but I fear that the quality of them would go down dramatically. You might have people writing gibberish just to get the requirement out of the way. But I could suspend those people so it might not be so bad.

I think the biggest obstacle would be coding that functionality. The new site may look very different from the old one, but it still works pretty much the same. I'll have to see what I can do with the time that I have. Thanks for the suggestion though!

[JPWRana]

yeah... that is true... ppl can just put somethin like "uhh... good teacher" and thats it, but making them write at least:

Grade recieved:
Grading Method:
Quarter taken:
Class taken:
Time taken:
Personality:
Helpfullness in office hour:
Helpfullness during class:
misc: (here they HAVE TO PUT SOMETHIN)

i dont know... SOMETHING like this... or just write like a paragraph of their overall experience w/ the professor... that way those who want 2 see reviews of the professors HAVE to write reviews themselves... it only makes sense... kind of like downloading... the 1st generation, NAPSTER, many people just leeched off of others, and the new generation, Bittorrent, you have to share in order 2 get in return... it is only fair and makes sense.

[Admin]

Not a lot of students would want to type in all that info. Although providing all that info about an instructor would help out a lot, do you see yourself taking the time for each professor evaluation and providing all that info? Rarely.

BTW, are you planning on making a "Forgot Password" link near the login box?

[zoedragon]

Ah yes, a Forgot Password link is definitely in order!
I should post a to-do list and add to it as people suggest necessities for the site. It's so easy to overlook things when your entire design team consists of one person with limited time (and attention span).

[Bryansix]

seeing as the email I just sent to zoe@sequoiasoft.com just got sent back, you may want to change the email contact on the old page to your new email address.

[zoedragon]

Can you tell me what page that email link was on? I might have missed a few. Thanks for letting me know! BTW, thanks for sending me your member info Bryansix, I'll try to get your account set up today and will email you your login info.

[Bryansix]

On the homepage for the main site, not the beta.
Also thanks for keeping our website running, it is a big service to the students