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Disable the Splash Page by Default

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Mr.Bishop
Posts: 22708 - Karma: 76,633
Hey guys -

With the changes to the homepage, we've been tossing around the idea amongst the staff that we have made the splash page a little less relevant - at least as something that you hit absolutely every single time you pass through Newschoolers.

We've got killer ideas that will resurrect this as a rad thing in the future, but in the present I'd like to propose that we experiment with disabling it by default.

Anyone who loves the Splash page could still turn it on by default, there is a setting within your 'account settings' that allows this:

Click for larger image

I just think that with the new homepage, we're doing an awesome job of showcasing all kinds of community content. It would be better if we really worked to get people seeing everything vs. only one photo.

So what do you say? Do you agree?

Nov 12 2012 11:56AM
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1337
Posts: 31054 - Karma: 29,248
If you do, leave the NS logo in the top left a default click back to it though. I check it at least once a day to see whos photo landed it, and it's by clicking through that.
Nov 12 2012 12:07PM
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Mr.Bishop
Posts: 22708 - Karma: 76,633
You can always just type in www.newschoolers.com for that purpose... but you'd say logo is better?

Nov 12 2012 12:18PM
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1337
Posts: 31054 - Karma: 29,248
why type when I can just click? That's asking a lot from me, it means taking my hand off my mouse and putting in on my keyboard. Too much effort ;)
Nov 12 2012 12:28PM
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nopoles
Posts: 2216 - Karma: 886
I think it makes sense to leave the logo go back to the splash page. The logo is right next to the "Home" button in the navbar which goes to the main page.
Nov 12 2012 1:10PM
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1337
Posts: 31054 - Karma: 29,248
exactly this. Home button for the home page, NS logo for splash.
Nov 12 2012 1:12PM
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Mr.Bishop
Posts: 22708 - Karma: 76,633
Moar opinions anyone?

Re-cap:

1) Proposal to disable splash by default

2) Setting to enable by default if you wish

3) Logo clicks back to splash vs. home
Nov 12 2012 3:11PM
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schmuck
Posts: 1974 - Karma: 53,161
I back this, especially if we're going to have the logo link back to it, as it is nice to be able to check it out easily since it's such a cool feature.

Let us know what you think everyone!



Nov 12 2012 3:40PM
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~~~~~~~~
Posts: 2345 - Karma: 2,104
If you disable the splash page but make the logo click to it, I could see that being confusing to new visitors of the site. Personally I really like the spash page and hopes it stays default especially now that it changes everyday and is user submitted. I say keep giving the everyday users the publicity and recognition.
Nov 12 2012 5:12PM
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joris.blanc
Posts: 914 - Karma: 6,584
This is my little opinion:
If the user (logged in) has it disabled by default make him go straight to the homepage.
If the user isn't logged in, make him land on the pic of the day frontpage and maybe automatically redirect him to the homepage 5 seconds later.
When you click on the NS logo always go back to the POD frontpage.


Ohh any you really should implement this on the forum posts http://stackoverflow.com/questions/3156052/javascript-confirmation-when-leaving-page It just suck loosing all the stuff you wrote and having to start all over...
Nov 12 2012 5:32PM
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Mr.Bishop
Posts: 22708 - Karma: 76,633
The two points causing this suggestion are:

-regular users in our studies are somewhat confused at the splash page. It's not a huge amount, but we actually do lose a decent amount of traffic that never see it

-the new homepage gives exposure to all kinds of member content. We want to be fair to the videographers, journalists and shit talkers. Having home by default decreases the number of clicks to content.

I'd love to run an experiment on this. We haven't gotten many responses yet, so I'm assuming its of no concequence to most people. We can try an experiment and see how everyone feels.
Nov 13 2012 6:02AM
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I_Am_Mod
Posts: 13214 - Karma: 3,753
personally i wouldn't do it ...
right now i think the splash page is one of the best and coolest elements of NS, it's also a pretty sick way of putting a member in the spotlight for a day while the homepage is just a way of bringing the best and most recent content to the users, it's not the same as making it to the splash page !

right now people get stoked on Facebook, sharing the NS splashpage every now and then or being proud of landing their own work there, i don't think this will be the same when someone's picture shows up on the homepage ....

keep the splashpage ! where else am i going to get my wallpapers ?! ;)


Nov 13 2012 7:05AM
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Mr.Bishop
Posts: 22708 - Karma: 76,633
We wouldn't get rid of it, we'd just send the bulk of random traffic straight to the homepage. Members who are passionate about photos can easily turn it on and talk about it.

That was what happened the last time we had it down by default. Most of the actual core users of the site still kept it on by default.

The thing is that random traffic that just happens by, the splash page doesn't have as much meaning to them. Having it off for randoms by default, and all users can enable it as default gives a really nice mix.

Nov 13 2012 7:25AM
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I_Am_Mod
Posts: 13214 - Karma: 3,753
yeah, i get your point, but just myself talking, i wouldn't do it, it's a pretty sick part of NS that would get watered down and disappear, a bit like the ns random facts when you log out, i think only a handful of users know about this ...

i just feel that when it gets set to disabled by default that you're going to have a core group of a few hunderd? (i'm bad at guesstimating numbers) users that will enable it and that group will be it, the chance that someone is going to figure this out on his/her own and enable it again is pretty small i think ...

or am i completely wrong about this ?
Nov 13 2012 7:38AM
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Mr.Bishop
Posts: 22708 - Karma: 76,633
The last time we did it it was actually thousands of people that enabled it. It remained one of the most high trafficked pages on the site.

I think my main reasoning is that we have such fantastic user content being featured on the homepage, it would be nice to give that stuff a higher crack at the traffic.

Its the same philosophy behind the Splash page really.

Nov 13 2012 9:27AM
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I_Am_Mod
Posts: 13214 - Karma: 3,753
true ....
as long as the traffic keeps flowing by, it's fine, i was just worried that it'd kinda burn out, but yeah, you make a solid point (as always !)
Nov 13 2012 9:37AM
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Mr.Bishop
Posts: 22708 - Karma: 76,633
Well, I'm by no means positive. I do know that last time it worked out a lot better than I had thought it would. That is why we want to run it as an experiment. The beauty of setting the default page is that if we see it really dying out, we simply re-enable it and it will immediately come back right to where it was before.

So unless anyone has huge opposition, I'd like to try running this as an experiment.

Nov 13 2012 10:11AM
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I_Am_Mod
Posts: 13214 - Karma: 3,753
yeah, you don't really have anything to lose with this one :)
Nov 13 2012 10:15AM
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TijmenDal
Posts: 4849 - Karma: 1,295
Do it after today, because my pic is on the front page...

Nov 14 2012 2:03AM
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B.Aussie
Posts: 5852 - Karma: 4,531
Sounds like a good plan.

I go straight to Mythreads anyway so doesn't really affect me anyway I suppose.
Nov 14 2012 7:46AM
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Mr.Bishop
Posts: 22708 - Karma: 76,633
Just FYI - we're going to start this experiment on and off over the next couple of weeks.

We'll try both and get some feedback and data from you guys.
Jan 3 2013 12:47PM
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aloha.
Posts: 412 - Karma: 163
Can you change it back? I miss the splash page already.
Jan 3 2013 3:13PM
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Mr.Bishop
Posts: 22708 - Karma: 76,633
You an always set your default in account settings.

https://www.newschoolers.com/ns/members/profilesettings

Look for 'hide splash' and set it to 'no'.

Jan 3 2013 3:15PM
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aloha.
Posts: 412 - Karma: 163
Thanks, and I didn't mean to ask you to change it back, I just wanted to see if it was possible to change the settings personally. Came out wrong, sorry.
Jan 3 2013 4:50PM
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NinetyFour
Posts: 8650 - Karma: 13,411
Do you guys think it's possible to make the splashpage an element of the homepage for users who don't have the splashpage enabled so that it's still gets the exposure it deserves? Not entirely the same thing but I mean in a way it is popular/hot media as is right?
Jan 3 2013 9:27PM
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Holte
Posts: 10740 - Karma: 7,816
The splash page is one of the coolest features on NS. I know a dude who has a screenshot of his splash page photo framed on his wall. It's cool - it's like getting a little cover shot.
I actually first found NS because of the splash page. I was furiously clicking through lame skiing site after lame skiing site looking for cool photos, and the thing that set NS apart was a gnarly shot of some dude airing off a pyramid rail on the front page.

Now, I'm not saying that the new home page won't bring in new viewers in the same way - in fact it might bring them into NS much more effectively - but I'm gonna keep the ol splash page enabled for good. It's a dope form of coverage.
Jan 4 2013 5:21PM
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DrZoidberg
Posts: 5675 - Karma: 4,268
Would it be possible to make the photo of the day come as an image larger than the rest on the homepage, and always at the top so everybody sees it? That may or may not disrupt the homepage functionality though.
Jan 4 2013 6:16PM
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oil.
Posts: 2255 - Karma: 1,254
this could be good.
personally i want the homepage back. i have to log in anyway (i have google chrome remember my password, so i either have to click login or continue as ______) so i might as well have the splash page there when i click it
Jan 14 2013 10:47AM
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Mr.Bishop
Posts: 22708 - Karma: 76,633
As you may have noticed (unless you've custom set things) we've been experimenting with both ways. I don't have anything conclusive to say yet, though it does seem initially that content gets viewed a bit more when the splash page isn't there.

The experiments will continue, and feedback is welcome.
Jan 14 2013 9:38PM
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