** This thread discusses the Content article: Texas Parkour is going 2.0! **




Texas Parkour is going to be undergoing a major redesign, and we want your help! Have an idea you would like to see implemented? Something you would like to change? Let us know. We want to bring as much community focus as possible to the update. Our primary goals right now are simplicity, social networking integration, and event management/coordination. Discuss below and take part in shaping up Texas Parkour's brand new site!

So, what would you like to see?

This is awesome. I wish I had more ideas for you but really I just want to see the site become more user-friendly.

I feel like right now everything is very ambiguous. Logging in has always been finicky for me, the real estate on the homepage could be used way more efficiently (although I think once txpk starts doing more workshops/events/etc it would become more useful), the only button at the top of the page I use is the 'forum' button so adding some internal links would be cool (maybe a beginners page/useful links/a page to buy merchandise), have some sections of the website outside of the forums dedicated to each city's training/news, maybe integrating activities to unite each city? (doing something like the technique tuesdays thing we're going to try and start in austin? But make it state-wide?) I feel like I've bonded with the people in Austin but I haven't hardly seen any one other than them. I wanna get to know everyone.



Eh... just my $.02.

walteranderson wrote:
This is awesome. I wish I had more ideas for you but really I just want to see the site become more user-friendly.

I feel like right now everything is very ambiguous. Logging in has always been finicky for me, the real estate on the homepage could be used way more efficiently (although I think once txpk starts doing more workshops/events/etc it would become more useful), the only button at the top of the page I use is the 'forum' button so adding some internal links would be cool (maybe a beginners page/useful links/a page to buy merchandise), have some sections of the website outside of the forums dedicated to each city's training/news, maybe integrating activities to unite each city? (doing something like the technique tuesdays thing we're going to try and start in austin? But make it state-wide?) I feel like I've bonded with the people in Austin but I haven't hardly seen any one other than them. I wanna get to know everyone.



Eh... just my $.02.

I agree.

i trust you colt!

Interesting, how long is this going to take do you think?

I can help out if you need any.. I'm doing a few freelance programming projects, but should be done by tomorrow evening. I know php, css, html + tons of other stuff. Let me know if I can help.

- Cody

Woo, its gonna be sweeeeeeeeeeeet.

I think the best thing for volunteers on this project is to get together and work on this in a central location. IE over phone meetings or personal meetings with us all geeking out in a coffee shop or something

Also, Walter, we use to have individual pages until I took them down about a month ago. They were riddled with non information, unposted training times and outdated material. The problem being, not enough volunteers who followed through with posting this info, so in an effort to actually make TXPK look a bit better I took these down after about a year of failure.

My thoughts on the 2.0 project would be that we could leave things more up to all members. Posting jams and etc almost like a facebook. Now, I know a lot of people are against social media now-a-days but this really would work for our community. The ability to have a profile and linking back and forth between events, pictures, videos and comments would be monumental. www.jomsocial.com/ I think is one big contributer we may look at

Interesting idea, sounds cool

Also, Walter, we use to have individual pages until I took them down about a month ago. They were riddled with non information, unposted training times and outdated material. The problem being, not enough volunteers who followed through with posting this info, so in an effort to actually make TXPK look a bit better I took these down after about a year of failure.

Now that you mention it, I remember when the site was like that. And you're right, those pages weren't very well maintained.



Maybe some integration with Google products? I was thinking somewhere along the lines of what Matthew was saying about social networking. We could use picasa to upload pictures and display them on the website, have some integration with google calendar for jams/training/events, use google checkout for merchandise, maybe some connection with blogger? (each city could have their own blog maybe? Although that would defeat the purpose in having a forum...)

Hmm... I don't know. Just throwing ideas out there.

We love integrating Google. We were actually on that process of doing so, but we couldnt quite figure out how exactly we wanted to do it. Who wanted to maintain what calendar and so on. Though, I think we should explore Google Integration for sure. We could use their map feature, Calendar feature as well as their blog. Tho, the joomla pages are pretty much the same format and have more functionality to them.

Hey Cody, didn't you at one time want to help us with some marketing? I think I saw you at a baylor jam right?

Also, I never thought of google checkout...I have to research that. Who is down for being on the TXPK 2.0 team?

-Colt McCormick
-Matthew Lee Willis
-Cody

matthewleewillis wrote:
We love integrating Google. We were actually on that process of doing so, but we couldnt quite figure out how exactly we wanted to do it. Who wanted to maintain what calendar and so on. Though, I think we should explore Google Integration for sure. We could use their map feature, Calendar feature as well as their blog. Tho, the joomla pages are pretty much the same format and have more functionality to them.

Hey Cody, didn't you at one time want to help us with some marketing? I think I saw you at a baylor jam right?

Also, I never thought of google checkout...I have to research that. Who is down for being on the TXPK 2.0 team?

-Colt McCormick
-Matthew Lee Willis
-Cody

Hmm, I wouldnt mind helping. Though I may not be of much use. I'm mainly a graphic Designer. Any use for one of those?

Sample:

I'd love to help out any way that I can. I've taken some web mastering courses and can use a good portion of the adobe products.


I'm also good at internetting things if you need that. Or recording things. I can do that too.

OK, I have begun the process with the creation of a mindmap of the site vision. It contains the Site Goals (general governing ideas/philosophy behind the redesign), Features (New stuff!), Visual Plan (What it will look like), Testing Server info, and To Do list with due dates. For those on the team, please post your email address and I will send you an invitation to be able to edit this map.

For now, the map is here: www.mindmeister.com/34441234/texas-parkour-2-0

I would like it to remain viewable by the public, though not editable to it, for transparency and input. This needs to remain as community driven as possible.

For those of you interested in helping: Could you please send me a resume of your work?

Well, I'm not sure how much help I could be in terms of how much time I have to do things, but if there's any straight up coding to be done, I could be at least a bit of help. I know the following programming languages: Python, Ruby, Java, Common-Lisp, ActionScript 3, Objective-C, Javascript; I'm also working on learning Haskell.

My email:
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I think your input is great Walteranderson.. and exactly what we need.

As for 2.0 i'm here for anything I can help with. I question, are we using joomla still? or making it from scratch on our own? Also are we going to be able to maintain the forum data/member in the transition.

The hardest part about a new site is not the creation, but maintenance. A well run site requires alot more work than I thought, so we need to make it as easy as possible on whoever is doing so. Joomla was supposed to provide that, but even with those features, its alot of work. We have to be careful of not taking on too many things. I say keep it as simple as possible (especially in beginning).

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I would say help i would love to help! But i know nothing as far as coding, designn all that goes. I know how to install programs on a comp, play games, surf the web, and hack the occasional website that makes me angry.

OK, the mindmap has been unlocked so anyone can view it. Those that are involved have been sent an email inviting them to have the ability to collaborate/edit the map.

The new link for the map and other info as it is posted will be here:

www.texasparkourpark.com/plan/

I should also mention that there are some good joomla features out there.. that can do almost anything you can think... but generally it will cost you some monies.

this is not important whatsoever... but found it fun to look back at... this is what the site previously looked like nicswebsite.com/txpk2test/

Looking good Colt! Let me know if there is ANYTHING I can do to help. Test certain features or whatever. Also if you could please fix the login bug. Sometimes it messes up on my logins and im logged in but it doesnt register on the site. So i can see what new posts there are, but when i post something in a thread and i go back to the main forums page it says HEY LOOK NEW POST HERE BY LOGANH91!! Kinda annoying. I know you are starting from scratch just giving you a heads up so hopefully that wont happen with the new site.

Best Regards,

Logan Hickle