Do you visit BrainTalks's "Home" page?

[Mike Weins]

I'm curious to find out how many folks visit the BT "Home" page (click the Home button on top of any page) and what their opinions of it are.

[andromeda31]

I have my 'favorites' set to take me right to the group I post at. :) I don't think I have ever checked out the official home page...maybe I should?

Lisa O.

[tic chick]

hey mike!

my opinion...

for me, the "10 most recent threads" is redundant. i know which forum i am going to and what other forums i read. with the "new posts" tab at the top next to the "forums" tab, i already see the most recent threads anyway, plus it shows me which ones i have read.

you're giving a lot of that middle space to a few completed and uncompleted articles. maybe moving the completed articles where you can "read more" above the uncompleted articles might make more sense. the history and future of bt can be minimized and/or put under a heading of "articles to come", especially because there is a "read more" under those articles and it's frustrating to click on and see nothing there, so i think the "read more" can be deleted. i know the history and future articles are a work in progress, so maybe it might not look so prominent that they are unfinished if they weren't at the top of the most prominent section of the home page.

i really like the articles from the various medical journals that are on the far left side. if i remember correctly, i think in the previous version of this forum, there was a tab or two at the top of every page where you could click on to search "pubmed" articles. i assumed that meant "published medical". i hardly every used that, but i now click on links from the articles that are on the home page, (btw, how often are those medical headlines changed, sometimes i don't check the front page and see there's a new list up later)?

i'm thinking i would like to see the home page be more informational and interesting...like a newspaper front page. things i would like to see: a general welcome to visitors or people who want to join the communities with links to the forums page (view only for non-members) and a registration page, the "IGIVE" button and general instructions on how to register (or does clicking on the "IGIVE" give the instructions?), the bt logo with our mission statement below it (that would be our "headline"), links to the "tos", smilies, bt's shop, etc., everything that's now buried on some obscure page in the forums and that members have to make a special "favorites" page to view.

jeannie

[agate]

I agree with what tic chick said, especially the part about the two sections of the homepage where clicking leads to nothing (BT Communities Inc's Future, The History of BT Communities Inc).

There always used to be a link to PubMed, as tic chick mentions.
It's this:

Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register...

And there was a link to a medical dictionary that was very handy. In fact, I think those two links were at the top of the page for every forum, not just on the homepage.

[Earth Mother 2 Angels]

((((((Mike))))))

I agree with Jeannie also.

But I do like the Most Recent Threads on the right side of the home page. I think this gives visitors/guests an opportunity to see that we are communicating here, and the diversity of topics. I'd change the heading to "What We're Talking About Now"

A Welcome to Braintalk is needed. Perhaps we could have a section of quotes from members ~ "What Braintalk Means to Me" or "How Braintalk Helps Me" ~ voices from the community inviting others to join in our conversations.

Any chance we could jazz up the page with graphics or photos? How about seasonal photos ~ like for now a beach/ocean scene, falling leaves in autumn, snow in winter, fields of flowers in spring? Peaceful settings ~ waterfalls, meadows, mountains, lakes, that sort of thing. Maybe change the photo every 2 weeks? Just to keep it interesting?

Definitely delete the articles to nowhere: BT history and future. You can find a place for them, whenever someone writes the articles! Replace them with the Welcome to Braintalk and Member Quotes.

There is ton of white space on the Home Page, which could be utilized in creative ways.

I'll keep pondering it.

Thanks for all you do for us, Mike! You're the best!

Love & Light,

Rose

[Ging]

I have the home page in my tool bar, I like to read the top ten, and say hello and welcome to new comers even if they are not part of my forum, I guess I see everyone here has a health related issue, some are looking for someone to tell them they are not alone,I was so scared when I first came to BrainTalk, I had so many people welcome me and accept me. I just like to try and do that for the newbies.

[Diandra]

Hi Mike,
I honestly only visited it when we first got on this new Braintalk...I had forgotten about it. I did look at it today and do like the 10 most recent threads and
the American Medical News. When I clicked on "The history of Braintalk Communities" and "Braintalk Inc's Future" that are in the middle of the page there
was nothing there and those two items are smack dab in the middle of the page so I am not sure why they are there. Now that I am reminded of it I will check
it more often. Thanks, Diandra

[Virginia]

I have mine set to go straight to MS forum, which is about all I use.

Virginia

[Buttons2]

I'd like to see the name of the forum on "10 most recent".

thanks,Pati

[agate]

((((((Mike))))))

A Welcome to Braintalk is needed. Perhaps we could have a section of quotes from members ~ "What Braintalk Means to Me" or "How Braintalk Helps Me" ~ voices from the community inviting others to join in our conversations.

Any chance we could jazz up the page with graphics or photos? How about seasonal photos ~ like for now a beach/ocean scene, falling leaves in autumn, snow in winter, fields of flowers in spring? Peaceful settings ~ waterfalls, meadows, mountains, lakes, that sort of thing. Maybe change the photo every 2 weeks? Just to keep it interesting?

Definitely delete the articles to nowhere: BT history and future. You can find a place for them, whenever someone writes the articles! Replace them with the Welcome to Braintalk and Member Quotes.

There is ton of white space on the Home Page, which could be utilized in creative ways.

Thanks for all you do for us, Mike! You're the best!

Rose, I agree with what you said.

[funnylegs4]

I use the homepage pretty much just to see the "most recent posts" so I like the "most recent posts" it saves my time.

[howdydave]

I almost always go directly to my own special interest forum.

Every once in a while I will take a look to see if there are any new forums that address general issues (such as cooking.)

[Mike Weins]

Great input keep it coming ;)

The white space in the middle is "dynamic" meaning it changes depending on how big the columns on the left and/or right get.

[tic chick]

hey again, mike,

thinking some more about this...

maybe you could combine the "new posts" section with the "10 most recent threads" into a hybrid, listing the forum, thread title and a part of a post and call it "voices of braintalk", "what's happenin' at braintalk", or some other catchy title? that gives those that like the recent threads section, want to know what thread and forum to read and want to hear some of the "voices" of bt and what we're discussing all their wishes.

rose's suggestion about a pic is interesting, too. a lot of us put pics up...why not ask for submissions of photographs from bt members that are related to the seasons? i know a lot of us have all kinds of pics stored on our computer's from vacations, etc., that would give you plenty of material to change pics every few weeks.

still thinking,
jeannie

[Mike Weins]

The combo you suggested is currently too complicated with this version. The new vB software has something similar to what you're describing, but until they (vB) give us more control over that system I won't be upgrading. I am working on adding the forum to the 10 most recent posts however.