Note: I'm not picking on you specifically SQ, you just happened to be the last person who posted (that I read), and you repeated a lot of the really great ideas in this thread...
SQ wrote:As far as streaming videos goes- Yes! I've been after this for years! I'm actually quite surprised you haven't been as chewed out as I have for mentioning such a thing. But I think this should be a donator-only option. Only donators can play streamed videos, however - this is important - every creator can "allow streaming".
I still don't believe that streaming should be viewable by donators only - as I said in my earlier post this will just make people whine that such and such site is better and that we are stupid for making people pay to view streamed videos when they can watch streaming videos free on other sites. However I think that donators should have control over weather or not they want their video to be streamed...
I also agree that streaming shouldn't just pop up like the tube, that you have to actively go and click a link to see the streamed version.
Also when it comes to streaming, are we going to stream the actual uploaded file or a .flv version? and bluetrain makes a point: is the site itself going to convert the files for us like streaming sites do? or is the editor going to have to upload their own .flv file... if the second is true, I think an amendment to the current video guides/amvapp would be a good idea to tell people how to create their own .flv file.
Right now the donation page has been more confusing and intimidating then anything. I know that before I donated for the first time, I spent days trying to figure it out. Of course I was like 16 or so, but still.
I never had any confusion about donating, but then again I already knew how to use paypal by the time I got around to donating... O.o However I agree that the donation information page is a mess, and should be simplified and cleaned up... perhaps a guide resembling Moonslayer's org guides could be made for the online donation processes...
Also an online payment option other than Paypal would be nice for those who don't like paypal. I also believe that we should make it easier for out of country people to donate to the org, I know I've seen a lot of confusion (on the forums) when it comes to conflicting terminology, perhaps a link to a short index of terminology would be a good thing for that.
Also to make it a point that the org is not a "cash cow'' as I've seen several people suggest on the forums, perhaps posting the monthly cost/bill to keep the site running in a easy to understand form would be a good idea...
Also I remember a while back you guys removed the uploads graph from non-donator's members main page, perhaps posting the donation graph on their page instead might go to remind people to donate?
- custom user title of your choosing, automatically. (like just having the option opened in forum's cp for the user. So you can even change it if you want)
- Journal comments
- HTML (if even limited) in Journals (i, u, b, href tags mainly)
- user profile customization. (Something really stupid and simple. Custom CSS template we can upload or something?)
- ability to delete(or archive, as Anneke suggested) local video links
- ability to edit posts in any forum, not just MEP/con/ whatever else you added that function too (thanks for enabling that in the first place, by the way)
- ability to show more than 2 opinions publically.
yes yes yes and yes... I love all of these ideas!
As for profile customization, templates would be fine, or just something simple as the ability to upload
or link to a background image of your choice, and the ability to choose a color template of the buttons/text would be really lovely.
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I also think that there should be a list of all of the benefits of being a donator and what perks you get from it somewhere on the site (I'm sure we have something like that somewhere - but I have been a donator long enough for me to forget where it is).
Another donation perk I could see working, is an easier upload process than using the FTP...
Also, the more that I think about the "Merchandise" option I suggested the more I realize that the idea of doing a donation drive like PBS where the more you donate the more/better swag you get is a lot better idea than just trying to sell stuff year round.
We also should be very informed what these drives are for (thanks for doing that by the way), and if we are going to need another one just around the corner.