Articles
Articles of Interest for the UBB Developer
Reviews
Grab Reviews of all (software, hardware, sites) that's important to you as a developer.
Interviews
Interviews in the world of internet community-building.
Member Spotlight
Grab Honorees for excellence in site design, color scheme, member experience, appropriate use of modifications, and site integration.
Team UBBDev
Join the Team!
Team UBBDev is our name for the United Devices cancer research project started here at UBBDev.
Join today and donate your computer's unused CPU time to a worthy cause. When you sign up, you'll be helping to search for a cure for cancer, and you'll also get a nifty haxxor icon.
I got down and dirty (well, not really) with the owners of planethex - our second place winner this month. Here is what both of them had to say. Do YOU like my hair?
UBBDEV: What is your background with computers, and how did you get started on the web?
Cuzz: I had this computer a few years back and never did anything with it. One day, my friend Clayton came over and showed me this demo cd of a game called Quake. He said you could play it on the internet with multiple players. I was such a newbie on PC's I thought my 4mb vid card ruled! Years later, I'm now a web designer for a company in California.
magnus088: It was a jr. High computer class full of old Apple II's. At the time I didn't know we were on the "web". One day I just looked up and that's what it was. Weird huh?
UBBDEV: How did you come up with the idea for planethex?
Cuzz: Planethex developed from a 3 person idea one morning over an AIM chat. Our Counter-Strike Gaming Team needed a website and forums to handle the events and to keep in touch with all of our members. I launched the site in October with the help of my partner (magnus088) and have enjoyed it's popularity in the gaming community.
magnus088: Cuzz designed the initial PlanetHEX and from there, it soon evolved with input from members and our own ideas.
UBBDEV: Why did you choose UBB over other forum software?
Cuzz: I saw a website that was using UBB and really liked what I saw in relationship to how things could be set up and organized. So I bought a copy and went to town. The support for UBB is great. The community is very helpful.
magnus088: ummm. That's what cuzz had?
UBBDEV: Intel or AMD Processors?
Cuzz: Easy answer. Intel.
magnus088: Whatever's on sale.
UBBDEV: Are there any "tricks of the trade" you'd like to share that any UBB owner can use to improve the success of their site?
Cuzz: From a design point of view, use the right color scheme no matter what those colors are. Keep your main site in sync with the UBB layout if possible. Have some fun hacks to keep the visitor coming back for more.
magnus088: I don't know if these are "tricks of the trade," but here goes: 1) View your site on a computer other than your own. 2) Check your syntax (end tags are your friends). 3) Don't force people to register before viewing. It's all about making the use of your boards easier.
UBBDEV: What do you like most about the UBB?
Cuzz: I like it all. There's so much to mess with it's fun. The thing I like most is seeing other UBB's and the way they are designed.
magnus088: The community. We can all argue about features and the like, but it's the community behind it.
UBBDEV: COKE! What is your favorite hack? What is your users hack, and why?
Cuzz: My favorite hack is the News Fader. Let's me keep the people up to date real quick and easy like. My users favorite hack is probably the one Magnus088 did or modified, the Link Fader. I've gotten a bunch of emails asking how we got it to work throughout.
magnus088: The one I don't have to re-apply whenever we upgrade the board. Seriously, it's the sticky threads.
UBBDEV: Do you like my hair? Please tell the truth.
Cuzz: My favorite drink is Pepsi.
magnus088: ?????
UBBDEV: PPV or Cinema movies?
Cuzz: PPV - Movie Theaters are too expensive.
magnus088: Until I build myself a home theatre, it has to be Cinemas for the experience.
UBBDEV: What do you do to keep your users coming back?
Cuzz: I try and keep the site fresh for everyone, new designs, UBB upgrades and hacks that the users really want.
magnus088: It's funny. We've dropped entire boards, moved websites and made everyone re-register. People just show up.
UBBDEV: LOL, good advice! If you could improve one thing about UBB, what would it be?
Cuzz: Drop the price down for the UBB yearly renewal fee.
magnus088: Ummm let's see. I think someone already put down "SQL backend." I'll have to say: incorporate more of the popular hacks into the standard install. There's a reason people hack their boards(hint hint).
- Larry Wiesen - Javier Munoz
UBBDEV: Thanks for your time! Keep up the good work and congratulations!
Greg Hard UZINE Assistant Coordinator, UBBDev
IP: Logged |
Printer-friendly view of this topic