Hello guys,
well, i guess we are all drawn back by bad critisism but i guess that it helps make a site better than it is. I've received some bad critisism on my site (codercaste.com) and i must admit I was a bit discouraged. So, i wanted to ask you how you feel about it if it has happened to you. Have you had such an occasion? And if so, how did you feel and did you proceed with the same plan in mind?

Moreover, i wanted to ask you something about codercaste.com . I happen to be a professional programmer and so i decided to create a website about computer programming and computer related things. Thinking about it at first, i thought about making a blog but the idea of a social network site for programmers was spinning in my mind since i don't know of anything like that online and so i decided to go for it. What's your opinion about it? Do you think it was a right decision or i should stick with a blog?

I'd really like to hear your opinions guys and gals

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Computer and Programming Tips Blog

Using criticism to advantage is a challenging skill for most people. Only you know what you are doing and where you are headed. Both negative and positive comments are meaningless isolated from the point of view of the commentator and the relationship of the comment to your purpose and goal in whatever you are doing. All of us respond emotionally to criticism but it is important to throw it off and use our brain to think instead if we want to seek out and profit from it.

Without telling what it was (it would take too much explanation) I can tell you that what I take as one of the greatest compliments I ever received was stated (reluctantly as it was) as a criticism by the person offering it. The reason? They were accusing me of doing exactly what I had intended and hoped to do! So while they thought I might be offended, I was delighted.

Some people's advice or comments should be ignored. This forum is terrific partly because there are very few members who are motivated by negative attitudes (and we are fortunate that any comments that don't meet the standard are removed). But even here you can have comments that come from people who have no idea what they are talking about—not often, fortunately. Most of us try not to overreach, but sometimes we are not as well informed as we think. You always have to judge the value of advice to you from your vantage point in relation to your own work. Others will always be making assumptions and may be in error about those perspectives.

Also, even the best advice is not always relevant. For example, Lisa's points are always well taken. But I will admit that there are some things she suggests that I ignore totally. Why? Because my interests and goals are different than hers. I learn differently than she does. I enjoy different things and prefer to work in different ways. I retain the right to do things the hard way or to try something different even if it works less well.

Now specifically about your site. I'm sure a lot of the criticism, without your saying it, related to the fact that it is very difficult to initiate a forum type site without very high traffic being fed in somehow. Most sites that try it fail. On the other hand, looking at your set up, it looks like you might have specific themes being developed that even a few members might feed on. If you want to work on it, knowing that it might take a long time to have enough traffic to pay financially, and also knowing that you will have to stay personally involved in dialog with your members to keep it active I wouldn't hesitate. Just take the criticisms (instructive comments) as issues you will have to deal with effectively if you do succeed.

I do see a couple of very practical, small issues. One, the amount of space between sections in the main column are not consistent which makes the look a bit haphazard. Two, the blanks for logging in work in ie, but extend considerably into the text on the right in firefox.

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Good Success!

Douglas County Master Gardeners
"We don't always get what we want, but we always get what we expect."

When i first posted for a review of my website i got directed to a article about web design. It didn't feel good to start with but now i love nothing more than being told whats wrong with my website.

By the way i took a look at your website a few days ago and i thought it looked really good. As James has mentioned their are a few things that could be changed. Why not get those sorted out then market your site like crazy.

Maybe your thinking about too much. If you make sure the design is perfect (im my opinion not far off) you will feel really good about your progress and be motivated to carry on.

Every possitive change i make to my website motivates me even more. As for your question about a blog i think you should 100% stick with the social networking site but you could always use a blog to drive traffic to your site.

Don't take the criticism as a bad thing, its really useful to here.

Jack

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www.conceptskateboarding.com
Concept Skateboarding is getting better every day and best of all im learning much!

Incredible and VERY informative reply James, many many thanks for that i really appreciate it. Very encouraging points, i agree with you for sure. It seems that a webmaster has to be able to cope with all those factors and be strong enough to keep going on with their site.

The negative critisism i was given is that the colors and layout is very bad and that it's just another social network and one even said that he couldn't see why it's different from a forum I thought that this critisism was kinda hasty from his part but i have to consider the points silently. The 'just another social network' comment is probably true, but as you may have noticed, i tend to supply more and more articles that i write personally, mainly providing useful content. My main idea was that of a computer related site with members communicating.

Thanx for your marks, i was aware of the login extensive boxes, it happened on opera and worked correctly at firefox for linux. I'll fix that soon. I also agree about the amount of space you mention, haven't thought about it but the little things do count, i'll fix it asap, it's a small edit.

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Computer and Programming Tips Blog

Thanks for the remarks Jack ,
I must say that i also like getting negative comments since i think it helps me get better. However, at this instance, the critics i received were quite a bit harsh and so i just wanted to ask about your opinion.
I also think that maybe a blog promoting the site could be a nice idea, however, since it's a social networking site it features internal blogs hehe It would seem a bit awkward to have a different domain blog

Again thanx a lot for the comments !

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Computer and Programming Tips Blog

I really do think you have done a fantastic job with your site, the people who gave harsh comments were proberly slightly jelous since alot of people who come to this forum dream of a social networking site. Haha yeah thats true, when i looked at your site it looks really nice the only thing that put me of was the low amount of members. Why not make some fake members? just to get it looking really active.

I guess it would work.

Jack

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www.conceptskateboarding.com
Concept Skateboarding is getting better every day and best of all im learning much!

Thanks for the nice comments
I've created one or two profiles myself but that was just for trying things and i'll probably erase those. To be sincere i don't really want to create fake profiles, although this could indeed mean that more people join. Instead, I think that i just have to wait and publish more relevent and interesting content and i think more will join. Time will show i guess

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Computer and Programming Tips Blog

Oh ok yeah i guess that would be the better thing to do, because if people start communicating with those profiles it might get anoying.

Yeah good luck and let me know how it goes.

Jack

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www.conceptskateboarding.com
Concept Skateboarding is getting better every day and best of all im learning much!

I see nothing at all wrong with your site. I tend to like some color and graphics (I probably use too many colors and graphics), but I feel your site looks clean and everything seems to match up color-wise. I see nothing wrong with putting a few "fake" users on your site until you get the number of "real" users your comfortable with.
Good Luck and let the criticisms make you push harder at making a better site!

missme

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MissMelPol
80's Horror Movies

Hello missme thanx for your points

I'm glad that you find the site look acceptable, it's good to hear that. Maybe i'll have to rethink about the fake users thing, but i think i'll wait some days to think it over and see how things go. Thanx for your wishes and i really also believe that criticism is a very good way to become better

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Computer and Programming Tips Blog

I find there is something with every site that could be improved, I don't think the perfect site exists.

Keep in mind that for various reasons people will always see a site differently, and watch out for browser issues. Internet explorer acts screwy sometimes.

I think you are headed in the right direction...the goals you have set just may take a bit longer to achieve...keep it up and good luck...William Wilson

Take all criticisim with a grain of salt. When one asks for an opinion or review, you open the floodgates, sort of speak. Most of us tend to give our own opinions about the WAY WE WOULD DESIGN something, vs the way you WOULD DESIGN SOMETHING.

One should way all the criticism in a constructive manner, not a negative one. Take it all in, weigh the good and bad, try some changes here and there, if you so desire. Don't get caught up in the manner in which you receive criticisim, but use it to your advantage.

Afterall, the end product needs to satisfy YOUR needs, not ours!

Good luck with the site!

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SgtMac66

Macs RevWar