New Sidebar Layout

[Magister Militum Flavius Aetius]

Here's an idea: a section for hot topics in "other games" or maybe one for game reviews?

[GrnEyedDvl]

Here's an idea: a section for hot topics in "other games" or maybe one for game reviews?

Absolutely. Just need to figure out the best way to handle it, how to split it up, etc.

btw I added the Product Reviews block yesterday, and took note of the fact that my review on the Xigmatek cooler had 900 page views. It was posted on July 15th so between July 15 and Sept 21 it averaged 13.6 views per day. I am willing to bet that most of the 900 reviews came soon after it was posted, but that is the average. I could actually figure it out exactly by day by going through server access logs for the last 60 days or so, but an average is close enough for me.

In the last 24 hours that one review has had 32 page views, none of them from me. Nearly triple. Nobody bothered to comment, and I cannot prove that anyone actually read the entire thing, but I can prove that it had 32 page views in 24 hours. Actually it was 23 hours but that's nitpicking. Now maybe that particular article didn't inspire someone else to create a post, to write their own review, or even to respond to one of the reviews already there, but I don't think it can be disputed that the sidebar generated more traffic than that post would have gotten had the sidebar not been added.

If that 32 view average holds true across all links in the sidebar, and we have 10 sections with 5 posts in each one, then we are talking 32 x 50 or 1600 page views per day (584,000 per year) generated by the sidebar. Obviously some posts will garner more attention than others and its very hard to keep track of every single page view and where it came from, but I don't think anyone can dispute the fact that the sidebar does in fact generate more traffic. Its doing its job, we just have to figure out what items are the best to have there. That's going to be a process of trial and error and constant evolution as the site evolves.

[Magister Militum Flavius Aetius]

I'd imagine game reviews would be easy enough, just the most recent ones from the forum. I don't know how recent they've updated though, I was planning to do one on Kerbal Space Program after I get done with the usertitles, and one on Destiny after I've beaten all the available content for it.

As for the other forums, that's going to be tricky because "Other games" is divided into subcategories (paradox, bioware, etc.) I'd suggest most popular thread from each category, but I don't know how that setup would work out. I don't think that takes into account the gaming clans forum either, which IMO should also get a sidebar spot (perhaps moreso than the other two fora.)

[Badmanis]

I have no problem with it. Works ok.

[Axalon]

Um...

Here is another "make the sidebar completely optional"-opinion - in case somebody already said that before me (which I suspect to be the case), if not - then I think "make the sidebar completely optional" sums up exactly what I think about it. In other words, I don't like it, but if others want it they should be able to use it as much as I should be able to be free/rid of it. Make the thing optional, essentially everybody wins...

Would any of that be possible? Or is this stuff set in stone already?

- A

[Shankbot de Bodemloze]

I am pretty sure it is set in stone.

[Axalon]

Ok (that's a pity)... Is this a securing "money for the site"-thing only or was there any other explanation for making it mandatory? In the other (related) thread it seems to be a vast majority against/not using this sidebar and so it could hardly be based upon such reasons, now could it? I did read that part right? ...?...

- A

[makanyane]

In the other (related) thread it seems to be a vast majority against/not using this sidebar and so it could hardly be based upon such reasons, now could it? I did read that part right? ...?...

- A

The other thread/poll was started as a question about the original smaller sidebar that just had 'latest posts' in it, not a lot of people used that, so at least part of the idea of the new one was to make it more useful. Poll results are probably now a bit mixed up between people voting about the old/new versions...

But yes part of the explanation was also financial as mentioned a few times previously - that the improved sidebar area would allow higher paying better quality ads (and that hopefully those ads would also be less prone to pop-ups/malware/dodginess that had crept into via some of the old advertisers)

[edse]

Somewhere there was a discussion regarding an error when voting in the polls from the sidebar. I can't find it now so I post here.

I have the same problem, when I vote on the forum homepage using the sidebar, my vote isn't registered and I get this message:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[Shankbot de Bodemloze]

Ok (that's a pity)... Is this a securing "money for the site"-thing only or was there any other explanation for making it mandatory? In the other (related) thread it seems to be a vast majority against/not using this sidebar and so it could hardly be based upon such reasons, now could it? I did read that part right? ...?...

- A

What mak said, also it is all part of a process to improve traffic across the site.

[Shankbot de Bodemloze]

Should a thread be created for the Script writing competition polls so it appears on the sidebar? (not the poll, but under the Site News header)

[Shankbot de Bodemloze]

Have you thought about using some of the sidebar space to have the more popular Skimlinks located (like Amazon etc.)? It could be a good way to encourage their use as people can just be on TWC whilst browsing and whatnot and then just click on the link instead of having to be on the skimlinks thread.