Comments on: What are we missing?

By: Andreas

Andreas — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 15:38:22 +0000

I will look into it bigmouth, but unless I’m able to get a great deal on more bandwidth, I don’t think I will be able to allow images in a forum. It would be cool though =)

By: bigmouth

bigmouth — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 14:54:09 +0000

Andreas, I echo the recommendation of others to get a forum. Make it one where people can post pictures as part of their posts, if at all possible.

By: Julie (Im Back)

Julie (Im Back) — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 20:32:12 +0000

Love it! I’ve tried to check out some of the other sites and always come back to this one.
It’s nice, it’s neat, and pretty much has regulars.
I dont agree with shauna that there should be more media for the simple fact that there is so much of it other places… not to mention, if theres anything thats really relevent you seem to link us to it.
Good job!

By: shauna

shauna — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 22:55:36 +0000

I like the site and use it as my only Lost info site. Appreciate the no spoilers, uncomplicated site layout, text just the right size and on a background that doesn’t make it difficult to read. I would like a bit more media files but that is easy enough to find elsewhere if you don’t want to incorporate more. Keep up the good work.

By: Hammer

Hammer — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 21:24:39 +0000

I’m another one who comes here 1st for news, comments, and episode review. I only go the other sites when referenced on this site. I’m not just blowing smoke…you don’t have change anything to keep me here. You already take suggestions for improvement as they arise. I also feel that the design is fine.

Andreas, when you post…I want your opinion. So I hope you keep doing that. It is your opinion that sparks the conversations. If all you do is report…I can get that on my own.

I am not crazy about forums either. I prefer this type of commenting.

By: Andreas

Andreas — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 11:34:47 +0000

Thanks Martijn

I will do my best to post a bit more frequently!

By: Martijn

Martijn — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 11:12:33 +0000

Andreas, this site is the best. I don’t check those sites you mentioned, only lost.cubit.net after an episode (cause of the investigations), and the 4815162342.com forum.

The site design is very clean and thats what i love about it.

The only thing I would like to see is more blog entries, but I understand that there must be news first, to have you post it :)

Keep up the great work.

By: Andreas

Andreas — Fri, 29 Dec 2006 00:50:01 +0000

I will read through all your comments and analyze the ideas more thoroughly tomorrow, but spontaneously I think some tweaks to the design and a (minor) shift from reporting about everything to focusing on my opinion of the episodes and events surrounding Lost might be a good idea.

When it comes to news, I’m not really sure what to do, because usually we are the first site in the community to report about things, but if you prefer reading news on other sites I probably shouldn’t put as much energy into it. I think we will still have news, but it’s possible that the format in which we publish the news might change.

I will probably also move from trying to report from a neutral point of view and instead bring a bit more humor and personality to the posts.

Thanks for all the comments and input, I really appreciate all the feedback!

By: Andres

Andres — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 23:49:20 +0000

Andreas,

Like many of the folks here I like the no spoiler policy. The site design is generally-speaking just fine, colors are pleasant and easy to read for the most part.

I specially like your blog because it’s easy and has a low barrier for entrance. It doesn’t require too much commitment to follow and it’s an easy read. The tone is friendly and approachable. It does not assume you’re aware of everything Lost and all the discussion and theories that abound. It’s a Lost website for the rest of us.

I like the blog format because it functions as YOUR site where we can all participate, rather than OUR site. It’s sort of like a virtual book club format, where you are the host and invite us to your living room to discuss the last episode or whatever topic is at hand.

But, if the purpose is to enhance participation, then make it easier to participate or to sit back and watch the discussion. For example, instead of having comments start at the end of the post, like in all blogs, have the comments run alongside the post (50-50 pr 60-40 split). That way, you can read the post or the comments. Allow users to rate posts or discussions to then highlight “hot” posts on the homepage. Or use the number of comments in posts to indicate the most popular discussions.

I personally never look at the right-side of your blog, the stuff in the black column, specially in the posts.

I would keep what’s best about a blog and ditch the rest. Recent comments, etc., etc. are not all that useful out of context of what post it is. Polls and such are marginally useful. I would limit how many of these you have, and would use them strategically.

Perhaps you can maximize the use on the homepage by highlighting the latest post with an excerpt, and just have post titles for the rest. This gives you more real estate to use for other ways of looking at your posts (example: most participation, highest rated, chronological), categories, polls, etc.

Hope this helps!

By: nevolution

nevolution — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 03:38:06 +0000

My impression of this site, compared to the other pages (tailsection etc), is that I come here expecting theoretical discussions of the issues brought up in Lost. Whether it is something that as has been formed in my head without much evidence, I don’t know, and I can’t remember that far back; but I think that is what is missing from here. Lost Experience Clues Blogspot (not the tailsection extension, the other one) attempted to have scientific, theoretical and moral analysis of what was going on in the ‘experience’. Now, while that page was born out of a christian linkage to Lost (and please don’t move in that direction), it was a really good idea; while lacking in interest. I mean, sure, there is not much to say during the break, not to mention that some of the episodes don’t lend themselves to insight into the issues brought up. I think that with a show as nuanced and detailed with Lost that I’m surprised why there isn’t as much of it as there could be. If you want an episode break down or transcript, go somewhere else, but if you want an educated look at the inner workings of the story, come here. Thats the way I see it.

Sure, the second series, being more steeped in ‘Lost’ mythology lent itself to that kind of thing, and the first series was fresh, so everyone was talking about, but I’m sure that more could be said regarding whats going on. Say, the sociological experiment that Benry is conducting, how else this has been done in real life; Locke versus Rousseau – philosopher grandslam. I dunno, you know what I mean.

I will check up on the tailsection often, checking out the news and whatever. I will come here less often, but wanting a read, to think (and i stress the word think) about the show that I am watching. Not to mention the slower amount of tidbits coming from here, but I usually find them to be slightly more interesting.

Regarding the design of the site. I am not a web coder, nor a web developer, but as a graphic designer, its a bit bland. Sure, it’s clean, it’s readable, and it works. It isn’t tacky (despite the extremely first season pic of the losties standing there, probably taken from a promo poster), and its very usable. If you want to spice it up, sure, spice it up. But only window dress it. Otherwise it takes away from the simplicity of the whole thing. And if you need/want help, I would love to. But thats obnly if you feel that this place needs a visual redirection.

In answer to your question ‘what are we missing’, i think its longer posts, with a more informative and interesting angle. Get some new writers in, look at lost from a different angle.

But then again, maybe you are asking the wrong question. Maybe its not what you’re missing, but how can you redirect?