Ex-PHL forum members

P

Pratt

Guest
Hi guys.

For those who don't know me, I'm Pratt and I'm the Site Director of Planet Half-Life and have been involved with the site for many years in other lesser capacities. I'm also proud to consider myself part of the HL2.net community, as Chris D. and I go back a number of years.

Recently, I made a major change over at PHL in which I decided it was time to completely overhaul our mod staff. Obviously, this has left a lot of people scratching their heads as why I would make such a radical decision. A thread has been opened on our forums questioning if/why PHL forums have a bad reputation. If anyone from here (I know there are many) is a former member, and has any constructive criticism I invite you to join in the discussion.

If any of you are put off by this request, then I apologize in advance, and mods feel free to delete/lock this post as you see fit. I feel that we are in a situation where - like that guy at work with rampant b.o. - we don't know we stink. I'd welcome any outsider's opinions, especially from those of you who can be objective.

Thanks for reading.

Thread is here -> http://www.forumplanet.com/planethalflife/topic.asp?fid=1889&tid=1991207
 
Pratt said:
Hi guys.

For those who don't know me, I'm Pratt and I'm the Site Director of Planet Half-Life and have been involved with the site for many years in other lesser capacities. I'm also proud to consider myself part of the HL2.net community, as Chris D. and I go back a number of years.

Recently, I made a major change over at PHL in which I decided it was time to completely overhaul our mod staff. Obviously, this has left a lot of people scratching their heads as why I would make such a radical decision. A thread has been opened on our forums questioning if/why PHL forums have a bad reputation. If anyone from here (I know there are many) is a former member, and has any constructive criticism I invite you to join in the discussion.

If any of you are put off by this request, then I apologize in advance, and mods feel free to delete/lock this post as you see fit. I feel that we are in a situation where - like that guy at work with rampant b.o. - we don't know we stink. I'd welcome any outsider's opinions, especially from those of you who can be objective.

Thanks for reading.

Thread is here -> http://www.forumplanet.com/planethalflife/topic.asp?fid=1889&tid=1991207
Click to expand...
I read PHL news quite a bit.
But Chris D! He stole the mailbag!
 
I personally was just put off by the forum software. I like VB much better.
 
Ennui said:
I personally was just put off by the forum software. I like VB much better.
Click to expand...
Seconded. The software in its entirely looks and feels very unintuitive and messy.
 
I was active in PHL for a while, mainly in the fan fiction section with the nick Major Tom, but these forums are so much easier on the eyes. Easier to navigate and all that. Don't find anything wrong with the people on PHL though, not at all.
 
The forum software is godawful, I don't like the difficulty of registration nor the affiation with gamespy.
 
I used to go all the time, about 5 years ago, but rarely visit now.
 
it seems like theres a lot of "less-intelligent" people going there and asking stupid questions and yelling about CS Hacks and such.....this place has a much more, relaxed, intelligent, and interesting community.
PHL always felt like it was full of 12 year olds to me.....
 
Some constructive criticism:

1. Change that alternating white background to some other color; reading those posts feels like staring at a lightbulb. This goes for all the white backgrounds on this page too: http://www.forumplanet.com/planethalflife/index.asp

2. Get rid of that vertical banner on the right hand side of the website; a horizontal banner on the bottom or top of the page would be more pleasing to the eye.

3. Put the Register button on a more visible spot. Where is it anyway? Nevermind, I found it. Regardless, make the word "Register" more visible.

4. Change the width of the "Planet Half Life" banner on the top of the page to 800 or 1024 pixels, preferably 800. This is because I don't like that horizontal scroll bar on the bottom of my page.

5. I know you did not ask for subjective advice, but in my opinion, those icons next to the forum names suck.
 
I am an active member of PHL, no ex. The only problem I have with PHL is there is next to no activity. Which is why I prefer half-lfie 2. What code it uses or background colors, I couldn't care less.
 
Colors make eyes hurt.

Also install phpbb3 when it comes out. Or just buy vbulletin.
 
AJ Rimmer said:
I was active in PHL for a while, mainly in the fan fiction section with the nick Major Tom, but these forums are so much easier on the eyes. Easier to navigate and all that. Don't find anything wrong with the people on PHL though, not at all.
Click to expand...

Seconded. These forums I feel are great on the eye, intuitive and accessible for any new user. The lovely shades of grey/blue are subtle as well.
 
I went there for quite a while well before hl2 was out and I just stopped going because there weren't enough people participating. There are plenty of hl2 communities that are many times large than it, including here and the steam forums. Of course the news there is probably days ahead of the news reporting here, that's one thing you guys seemed to keep up to date.
 
Thanks for all the kind words and responses guys! I am the original poster of the thread at PHL and the purpose was to discuss the forum as a whole. The issue of our reputation came up quite a few times in and outside said thread, and it is good to see responses attune to the fact of 'nah, y'all are ok'. So, thanks guys! As far as the actual forums go... yeah, they are friggin ugly. Oh well, tis me home :)
 
I feel dumb when I visited PHL's forums, I kinda do it here aswell... but not as much.
 
Edoc'sil said:
Thanks for all the kind words and responses guys! I am the original poster of the thread at PHL and the purpose was to discuss the forum as a whole. The issue of our reputation came up quite a few times in and outside said thread, and it is good to see responses attune to the fact of 'nah, y'all are ok'. So, thanks guys! As far as the actual forums go... yeah, they are friggin ugly. Oh well, tis me home :)
Click to expand...
Judging by your sig, you wouldn't last long here.
 
Solaris said:
Judging by your sig, you wouldn't last long here.
Click to expand...

And why is that? If you think about it, it does make sense (keep in mind it is talking about the amount of faith in a belief and not the amount of ease of belief). But seriously.. What would my sig have to do with me surviving in a place? :upstare:
 
Edoc'sil said:
And why is that? If you think about it, it does make sense (keep in mind it is talking about the amount of faith in a belief and not the amount of ease of belief). But seriously.. What would my sig have to do with me surviving in a place? :upstare:
Click to expand...
Okay, make a thread on it in politics.

Dare ya :p
 
Edoc'sil, Solaris is referring to our rampantly hostile Politics discussions.
 
Haha, maybe sometime I will when I don't have finals to study for. You see, I LOVE to debate. I will debate about anything. Even if I know I'm wrong. So, win or lose, it is always fun for me. Which is why I started the thread at PHL that this thread references.

In any case, the fact that you automatically assume I wouldn't survive here and that I would get totally 'pwnt' in a debate about my sig just shows me some interesting things about this forum. It pretty much sums up why I don't post here more often than I do. I don't know what your thoughts about my sig are since you didn't answer my question, but if you think it has to do with my religious beliefs and that is why I wouldn't survive here/wouldn't last in a debate then I'll just go ahead and tell you it isn't about any religion. I just found it one day and it made sense to me. In fact, that was back when I originally joined. My current sig is different. Visit PHL if you want to see it and make more assumptions about me.

-EDIT-
It seems you posted again while I was typing... so it was about religion. Well, just read above :). Anyways, I've never been ripped to shreds in a religious debate before so maybe I will join one sometime. However, like I said, I have finals this week and I won't have the time to give it the attention it would deserve. Speaking of which.. I should be reading right now.
 
Yeh, sorry bout that Mr.PlanetHalflife.

I actually misread your sig.

Wilkommen!
 
Oh god, I hate the stupid n00bs there. Some craphead going 'Duh buh guh valve is shucko uh yo yo' all the ****ing time. Ask him about it and he goes 'valv is teh mony wanterer lol the sel game for lik so ex lol huh'.
 
Hmm. Are you refering to Planethalflife Forums only or all Gamespy forums in general? I hang out on the B&W and The Movies forums.
 
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