What new features would you like to see on MartialTalk?

[Bob Hubbard]

We're going to be doing some upgrading and expansion, and I'd like to know what everyone would like to see here.

:)

This is a Multiple Choice poll, so you can pick all that you like, not just 1.

Thank you!

[arnisador]

Most of what I want is by way of stuff for navigating the site--most notably, marking things read by thread.

Better chat software might be nice!

[Master of Blades]

What do you mean "Private Forums"? And yeah, Chatroom software is REALLY needed......:rolleyes:

[KenpoMatt]

I'd like to see an area for video files.

[jfarnsworth]

I would definately like to see a video file. Maybe us kenpo people then would be able to quick argueing about who does what whichway. This way we could actually see who is doing what.:asian:

[arnisador]

Being able to attach video clips to demonstrate what one is talking about would be helpful, but archiving them like the threads could be a memory hog.

[jfarnsworth]

How about just being able to keep them up for 5 or 10 days? You know something small or 2 weeks.

[arnisador]

I was thinking along similar lines--some sort of expiry date. We have a lot of space, but these could fill it up quickly.

[theletch1]

I'm all for a video post. As a student of nihon goshin aikido I don't do the japanese names for the techs. Video would be a great help to figure out what tech another aikido-ka is refering to.

[Bob Hubbard]

Re: Private Forum
Just what it says. A group wants their own private area. We provide it. It could be semi-private, or exclusive. Password protected, etc. The new version of vb allows alot more flexibility in that area. Considering that many of the freebie forums are full of popups n other crud, not to mention the lack of features in those boards, it might be a popular idea. Worth a few bucks a year to help us expand, ya know?



Re: Video Library
Space isn't an issue right now, but I agree, in the future it might be. (MT already uses about 1GB of server space)

As I have no intent of limiting our forum to only a short time frame, we will have to plan things out right.

What I figure on doing is, putting up as much as I can, and when space gets tight, taking some of it offline with a rotating library. Of course, in the event we end up rolling in sponsorships and magazine subscriptions, I have no problem slapping an 18GB hard drive into the server just for MT's use. :)

[Chris from CT]

I'm all for the Video Library. I would be great to see how similar things are done differently fron style to style.

I also think that interviews would be a worthwhile addition to MT.

Take care. :)

[kkbb]

How about an automated beer coupon device/popup? It could pop up a coupon for free beer every one hundred posts & you could print it on your own printer!

Cool idea eh?
mmmmmmmmmmmmmm beer :drinkbeer

[arnisador]

Originally posted by kkbb
It could pop up a coupon for free beer every one hundred posts

You're killing me!

The video library sounds like it has a lot of support!

[Bob Hubbard]

Video files:

This is -VERY- rough draft...

http://www.martialtalk.com/videos/

I need more videos. You can e-mail me clips of yourself doing 'stuff', in .MOV, .AVI or .MPG format, up to 5MB in size. If its larger, email me first and let me know its coming. I'll email you back to say ok. This way, I expect it.

If you are sending an AVI, please indicate if it requires any fancy codecs. I would prefer no RealMedia formats.

Thank you.

(I'll be making it look better ASAP. For now, its a very basic layout).

[Bob Hubbard]

Interviews:
If you have a chance to conduct an interview with a senior or other notable in the arts, please send it in. A text transcript is great, and an audio MP3 or OOG format even better.


Beer Coupon:
You get 1 when you buy a MT black belt cert. Buy 2 black belts, get a sokeship free. :D


E-Store:
I don't personally have the connections to do it in a competative manner, however I'm working on a few alliances that will bring some high quality stuff at great prices. More on that hopefully this fall. :)

[Cruentus]

You can set it up like an E-bay for martial artists. Supply companies could post their inventory lists, or individuals can post items that they are trying to sell. "used" or "new" should be specified.

Costs:

Suppliers should have to pay a fee, depending on how many items they plan to sell in a given year. There should be no fee for the 1st 10 items, $25 Annual fee for up to 50 items, $50 fee for over 50 items. This way you make a seperation between the "little guy" who isn't a supplier, and who may only be trying to get rid of 1 or 2 items, and the "suppliers" who are profiting substancially off their merchandise, and who should be required to pay a fee for your service of bringing them business.

Then, MartialTalk Supply (or whatever you decide to call it) should get 5% for brokering the deal, with a minimum $5 per transaction, paid by the seller of the product. "A transaction" would be one ordering, not one item. So, MartialTalk wouldn't get $5 per item, which could be outragous. If someone ordered 20 items at one time from 1 supplier, it would be $5 for that one order, or 5%, whichever is higher. The seller/supplier can adjust the price accordingly if needed to cover costs.

You need to get some $$ out of setting this up, but it's a good idea. Everybody wins. MartialTalk gets $$ for it's service, Suppliers have a vehicle for selling their products, Consumers have a place to go to find products they need, and Consumers also have a vehicle to sell some of their used merchandise. The fee's I don't think are outragous for the suppliers/sellers either. So, they shouldn't trickle down to the consumer too badly.

These are just broad suggestions and ball-park figures, but...What do you think?

[Nightingale]

hmm...
$5 seems a little steep...

what about doing it like ebay and charge the seller like 5% of the starting price...
that way, someone ordering a $2 patch isn't gonna have to pay $7.

or, just charge a $10 annual fee per seller, payable via paypal.

you'd also have to make it so users could leave feedback in case they don't receive their items or something...

a MartialTalk Marketplace sounds like a good idea to me...

kaith?

[Cruentus]

Originally posted by Nightingale
hmm...
$5 seems a little steep...

what about doing it like ebay and charge the seller like 5% of the starting price...
that way, someone ordering a $2 patch isn't gonna have to pay $7.

or, just charge a $10 annual fee per seller, payable via paypal.

you'd also have to make it so users could leave feedback in case they don't receive their items or something...

a MartialTalk Marketplace sounds like a good idea to me...

kaith?

$5 steep? maybe...maybe not. There are a lot of ways to do it, I was just thinking of one off the top of my head. I did say 5% like e-bay; maybe skip the $5 minimum....

I don't know. I think the best way to do it would be to look at a model that seems to be working, such as E-bay, and figure out how it would fit into this idea. Then lay out the pro's and con's of the working model, and figure out how to alter it so it would fit into a MartialTalk Marketplace model.

It would be up to Kaith how to do it, but I think that we're on to something here. It would be a great feature for MT. And...this could be a neat little business for Kaith, possibly making him a some better change then MT is making him now, which is absolutly nothing if you consider time spent.

:asian:

[Bob Hubbard]

-If- I were to impliment something like ebay, I'd probably go the flat-rate method as it simplifies things enormously.

Heres a thought: How many folks would pay a few bucks a year for access to premium features? Maybe $20 a year gets a magazine subscription, access to the auctions, a Private 'Supporters' forum and a few other things?

Just thinking out loud. :)

[jfarnsworth]

Billable to a credit card then I would be all for it.:D :asian:

[arnisador]

Percentage is the best bet.

[don bohrer]

I also like the free beer coupon idea :D

I really like the video idea. Later this year I will try to capture some techs and send em in.

Bob you know your asking for more work dontcha?

[Bob Hubbard]

Originally posted by don bohrer
I also like the free beer coupon idea :D

I really like the video idea. Later this year I will try to capture some techs and send em in.

Bob you know your asking for more work dontcha?

Naw....I'm only on here 16 hours a day....I still got 8 hours free. :)

[jfarnsworth]

Originally posted by Kaith Rustaz
Naw....I'm only on here 16 hours a day....I still got 8 hours free. :)

Just for now; Mr.:rofl:

[Bob Hubbard]

Ok, I see alot of folks want both videos and interviews.

Send em on in, and we'll put em up. If you've got the videos on your site, shoot me the links. :)

[lonekimono]

I think it would be great to pick a person and spotlight them
ie; how long in the arts?
what art?
i know other's do this but i think Martial talk could do it better.
there are alot of great people on here,well it was running around inside my head
:D

[cdhall]

Originally posted by Kaith Rustaz
Ok, I see alot of folks want both videos and interviews.

Send em on in, and we'll put em up. If you've got the videos on your site, shoot me the links. :)

OK, here is the preview clip I made, ages ago when I apparently had the technology at my disposal...

Posting the link here may defeat the purpose of submitting it to the library, but you have my permission to archive, download and share it if you will maintain the link to the source.

http://www.akfkenpo.com/hcclip12l.mov
http://www.akfkenpo.com/hcclip12l.avi

Both available via http://www.akfkenpo.com/homecoming.htm

[pknox]

Originally posted by Kaith Rustaz
-If- I were to impliment something like ebay, I'd probably go the flat-rate method as it simplifies things enormously.

Heres a thought: How many folks would pay a few bucks a year for access to premium features? Maybe $20 a year gets a magazine subscription, access to the auctions, a Private 'Supporters' forum and a few other things?

Just thinking out loud. :)

Absolutely. I would do it in a heartbeat. If you are able to use either a credit card and/or PayPal, that would be very easy as well.

[cdhall]

Make some type of Video Conferencing Room or facilitator.
I don't know how this works or if it is necessary, but what does WebEx do?

Do that here.

And make it a Premium feature for paid subscribers only.

If I had a convenient way to do a Kenpo Videoconference/Seminar that might be worth money.
:idea:

[Bob Hubbard]

ok, so far, here are the top 5 results:
- Video Files
- Interviews
- Searchable Schools Database
- Online Store
- Expanded Library

Video Clips
Now, to do these, we need your help. Send in some video clips. We are working on compiling things from whats already been posted, but can't possibly cover everything. Email me links to the clips, or the clips themselves. (5 mb max). You can also burn them to CD and snail mail them.

We've got plenty of server space and bandwidth.


Interviews
As we can we will, but if you have a chance to do one, please do so. We're also interested in links to interviews done by others that purhaps we can't reprint, but can link to.


Searchable Schools Database
This is in the works. Unfortunately, as it is a database, it impacts the server performance. We need to move MT to its own box so we can tweak it for its own needs, etc. That requires $ we don't have. As soon as the funding is available we will be accelerating the development.


Online Store
I'm evaluating various affiliate programs at the moment. We've been an Amazon.com affiliate for some time now, and the payoffs been minimal. Not certain how much ROI we'd get here.


Expanded Library
This is also in the works, slowly. The addition of the videos, as well as other member submited resources will greatly enhance this feature.


Right now, we've got alot of great ideas. Unfortunately, most require resources we don't have. Please, if you like this site, if you want to see some of the neat ideas here, support us. Advertising is very affordable, and the magazine subscription is dirt cheap.

Thank you!
:asian:

[Rob Broad]

Have you ever thought of email addresses. you@martialtalk.com sell them for a reasonable rate, and everybody wins.

[Old Fat Kenpoka]

The JiuJitsuGear forum has a neat feature call an aura. Every forum member has an aura. The aura is a numeric value that can be positive or negative.

If you like a post you can click a button to "applaud" the member. The member's aura is increased by one point. If you dislike a post you can click"smite" and the member's aura is decreased by one point. You can only applaud or smite a member once every 24 hours.

This clearly differentiates the positive contributors from the trolls (auras range from about +200 to about -200 and mine is currently 7 although I've posted about 65 times there). It is much more meaningful than the MartialTalk belts which only reflect how frequently you post and not what other forum members think of your contributions.

[arnisador]

Originally posted by Rob Broad
Have you ever thought of email addresses. you@martialtalk.com sell them for a reasonable rate, and everybody wins.

This is certainly doable--the admins can all be reached at whomever@martialtalk.com, for example.

-Arnisador
-MT Admin-

[Bob Hubbard]

Email addresses : I've considered it in the past, just haven't found a simple and stress free way to do it yet.

"Auras": Sounds like the Karma feature. I believe its an optional feature in the next upgrade to the software. Some folks love it, and others hate it. Its another on the maybe list though. :)

[Rich Parsons]

Originally posted by Kaith Rustaz
Email addresses : I've considered it in the past, just haven't found a simple and stress free way to do it yet.

"Auras": Sounds like the Karma feature. I believe its an optional feature in the next upgrade to the software. Some folks love it, and others hate it. Its another on the maybe list though. :)

Hmmm Karma, That sounds scary. Given my past and karma ;)

[Bob Hubbard]

Hmm...this came back to life.
====

Done - Video Files
Done - Expanded Library
Done - Private Forums
Done - Multiple attachments
Done - Video Games (like MAP)
Done - Searchable Schools Database

Nope - New ChatRoom Software
Nope - Interviews
Nope - Online Store

[KenpoSterre]

I am sorry. I was bored and did that. My apologies. It would be cool if you got the last three done/started. They seem like good ideas.

Plus the online store could help fund mt. You could do it once a person has spent a certain amount of money like twenty dollars on items then they get a supporting membership for ten months or they can pay fifteen dollars for the twelve months.

As for the chatroom. We kind of have that already with the last person thread but a real room would be nice.

the interveiws would also be a interesting idea.

[Bob Hubbard]

We did some interviews, but it just ran out of steam.
A chatroom is no longer in our plans as I've yet to find a solid secure one to integrate.
We're discussing a store, though we have no desire to compete with our sponsors. Possibly some unique MT branded items once we can fund em (shirts, mugs, mousepads, etc. I refuse to use crapepress though)

[Makalakumu]

Weren't MT shirts available at one time? I'd get one of those...

[Bob Hubbard]

They were. I need $500 to spare to get a new run done...don't have it yet to spare. LOL

[Jade Tigress]

They were. I need $500 to spare to get a new run done...don't have it yet to spare. LOL

Not a square to spare...

[MBuzzy]

I'm not sure if this idea would work, but I have seen it completely successfully on other forums. As Martialtalk continues to grow and diversify its location, would it be possible to begin staging some type of "get togethers" or events? I know that it is logistically very difficult and requires a lot of prep, but things designed specifically for Martial Talk members MIGHT work....who knows.

Or is this already done and I'm just half way around the world and missing it?

[arnisador]

It's been done (http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=33913)! In Buffalo, NY. Maybe next time you can be there!

[Jade Tigress]

It's been done! In Buffalo, NY.

Ya beat me to it.

Look here (http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=33913&highlight=M%26G+buffalo).

[Bob Hubbard]

We're slowly ramping up to official regional events, though there have been unofficial get togethers going on since we started. Gives me an idea though...will play with it a bit before announcing :)

[mrhnau]

We're slowly ramping up to official regional events, though there have been unofficial get togethers going on since we started. Gives me an idea though...will play with it a bit before announcing :)

I know alot of people get up to Buffalo, but having something a bit more regional would be ideal. I'm sure alot of the CA people would love that. I'd be interested if it were local enough (ie 5 hours or preferably less!)

[bluemtn]

I think "mini- meets" are a great idea, especially for those that can't always swing the price to go to NY (which I still plan on doing). Then again, I don't want it to detract from the meet- n- greet, either. Maybe if the "mini's" are shorter in length? One held in another area once a year? Different content? Simply a get together? What I'm getting at is: something leading up to the one in NY.

[mrhnau]

One feature I'd perhaps like is a better search function. This one, at least how I'm using it, is a royal pain in the hiney.

searching "martial art" seems to try and search for both words seperately. Most search functions would try to find "martial art" as a single unit.

Also, say you search "ninjutsu". You get alot of hits. Lets say you get one of these threads with 100 pages. You have no clue where in those pages ninjutsu may exist. Having some clarity in which pages contain the phrase of choice would be helpful.

[Ping898]

One feature I'd perhaps like is a better search function. This one, at least how I'm using it, is a royal pain in the hiney.

searching "martial art" seems to try and search for both words seperately. Most search functions would try to find "martial art" as a single unit.

Also, say you search "ninjutsu". You get alot of hits. Lets say you get one of these threads with 100 pages. You have no clue where in those pages ninjutsu may exist. Having some clarity in which pages contain the phrase of choice would be helpful.

You know you can do the advanced search and tell it to show the post instead of the thread that shows ninjustu. That is what i do. Makes things a lot easier!

[mrhnau]

You know you can do the advanced search and tell it to show the post instead of the thread that shows ninjustu. That is what i do. Makes things a lot easier!

Not seen that option yet, i'll try that next time. Irregardless, I'd still like being able to search phrases.

[terryl965]

Bob one option I personally would love to see is the option of going directly to the forum page, some time from the front page to the forum may take two or three minute, not all the time but alot of the time here latelycan we have one please

[Brian R. VanCise]

Hey Terry,

Just save the url for the forum page to your favorites and access it from there. That is the way I do it. http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/images/icons/icon10.gif

[terryl965]

Yea I never thought of that

[Brian R. VanCise]

I figured it out about a year ago. Certainly saves a bunch of time. http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/images/icons/icon10.gif