What do Writers Think of ScribeShare

[Black Mage]

Hey all writers,

I'm a writer trying to get feedback of a site I made for writers, but feedback is hard to get to I'm asking here. The site I made is called ScribeShare and it seems the problem is people feel its like every other writing site on the web. But they don't realize, compared to other sites which are forum or blog based, I built this site from scratch and it has features and abilities WAY beyond a standard forum or blog. I also built it on a Ubuntu Server :).

So I was wondering can if any writers here can take a look, if willingly try it, and give me some feedback so I know what I'm doing wrong. The url is http://www.scribeshare.net .

Thanks to any writers that offer any feedback,

[Redache]

I can tell you from a purely aesthetic perspective that it doesn't looks pleasing. I know you may think that the features are more important than the design but the design is what captivates people and makes them stay and look around your website.

If you improved how it looks and made it more visually appealing you'd find more people looking around your website and finding the features that separate your website from the rest.

[Black Mage]

What did you feel was visually unappealling? The colors? The layout?

Btw, thanks your input.

[Dragonbite]

I'll try and check it out tonight.

[Black Mage]

Thanks, I look forward to it and really appreciate it.

[Redache]

To make it More Visually Appealing I would do the following:

Change the Font for the whole site to be unified, maybe to Arial or something.

On the sidebar it would look much better if the links were centered rather than left justified. The Repeating Background Picture doesn't look right as the repeats don't flow together. It might be better as a single colour or a larger picture.

The same issues apply to the main body of the site (repeating background).

Other than that it would look fine. It's just the small Dark Age of the web touches that work against the website as a whole.

I've gone through the website and it is a very useful tool.

You've done the hard work, now it's time to polish her up for the big sell.

[Delever]

Get someone to create design for you.

[joey-elijah]

Initially impression form the design just scream 'Amateur' - and whilst i commend you for putting it all together, it fails on aesthetically pleasing. It looks like one of those pre-1999 websites you'd find on geocities - especially with the clipart-esque images you've chosen to use.

Also, and i'm just being honest, glancing at your site tells me nothing about what you offer; all your awesome features are tucked away in unappealing and cluttered menus and lists and.. bleugh. It tells me nothing, on first glance, about what you offer that is uinque or special.

You have a great ideas, concepts and features hidden behind a very user unfriendly interface.

My tip would be to sit down with a sheet of paper and imagine that you're visiting a site like yours for the first time: what would you want to see? how would it be layed out? would features be immediatly accessible? which features? do you want a 'logo' or 'identity' for your site?

Look at other similar sites and see how they're layed out - what they put on their homepage etc. The average person spends just a few seconds reading/skimming a page of text online so not all of it's going to be read. That's just a fact. SO make sure your features are there to jump out to the reader - use bullet points or bold important parts of the text.

[simtaalo]

colour scheme is awful and layout needs to be tidier and cleaner.

[Black Mage]

Initially impression form the design just scream 'Amateur' - and whilst i commend you for putting it all together, it fails on aesthetically pleasing. It looks like one of those pre-1999 websites you'd find on geocities - especially with the clipart-esque images you've chosen to use.

Also, and i'm just being honest, glancing at your site tells me nothing about what you offer; all your awesome features are tucked away in unappealing and cluttered menus and lists and.. bleugh. It tells me nothing, on first glance, about what you offer that is uinque or special.

You have a great ideas, concepts and features hidden behind a very user unfriendly interface.

My tip would be to sit down with a sheet of paper and imagine that you're visiting a site like yours for the first time: what would you want to see? how would it be layed out? would features be immediatly accessible? which features? do you want a 'logo' or 'identity' for your site?

Look at other similar sites and see how they're layed out - what they put on their homepage etc. The average person spends just a few seconds reading/skimming a page of text online so not all of it's going to be read. That's just a fact. SO make sure your features are there to jump out to the reader - use bullet points or bold important parts of the text.

HMMM, alright thanks. For the design, I've been trying to go with the theme of a Scribe, or old book to go along with the name ScribeShare. So I'll try to make it more aesthitic pleasing while holding true to that...if possible.

But thanks for you feedback.

[Black Mage]

To make it More Visually Appealing I would do the following:

Change the Font for the whole site to be unified, maybe to Arial or something.

On the sidebar it would look much better if the links were centered rather than left justified. The Repeating Background Picture doesn't look right as the repeats don't flow together. It might be better as a single colour or a larger picture.

The same issues apply to the main body of the site (repeating background).

Other than that it would look fine. It's just the small Dark Age of the web touches that work against the website as a whole.

I've gone through the website and it is a very useful tool.

You've done the hard work, now it's time to polish her up for the big sell.

Ok, redesigned with a different, more bright and modern feel. Think this is an improvement?

[Black Mage]

To make it More Visually Appealing I would do the following:

Change the Font for the whole site to be unified, maybe to Arial or something.

On the sidebar it would look much better if the links were centered rather than left justified. The Repeating Background Picture doesn't look right as the repeats don't flow together. It might be better as a single colour or a larger picture.

The same issues apply to the main body of the site (repeating background).

Other than that it would look fine. It's just the small Dark Age of the web touches that work against the website as a whole.

I've gone through the website and it is a very useful tool.

You've done the hard work, now it's time to polish her up for the big sell.

Ok, your advice on the background was taken. Do you think the current site is better than the previous?

[Orlsend]

I am afraid of the evil IMP that overlooking the forums.

[Firestem4]

I kind of like it. I'll take a look at it later when I get home from work. Do you accept excerpts?

[Black Mage]

Yes we do. Anyone on any writing level.

[Dixon Bainbridge]

The style of the site has already been covered in this thread, so I'll pass onto content and purpose.

I always have a problem with people calling themselves writers. Writers write, they don't sit around talking about it, whether in a pub or bar, or on the internet.

Those that can, do, those that can't talk about it.

You talk about writers block on the site - there's no such thing as "writers block". Writers, proper, real writers, write. They don't get blocks. I used to write editorial copy, 4am starts, as soon as I got into work I used to get a eight or nine 10 source stories to summarise in 25 minutes. Alot of people I used to train up used to complain about writers block, that they couldnt summarise the stories. After making them do it, and reminding them that his HAD to be done in half an hour, no excuses, amazingly, they got it done.

My point is, when you have to do it, you can. Writers block is just an excuse not to get on with it. I know several published writers, and they all can write whenever, whereever, at the drop of a hat, regardless of mood. They just get on with it.

Talking shops always concern me. There are hundreds of writers talking shops on the internet. Which brings me back to the point of, those that can, do. I doubt there are many best selling novellists hanging around these sites.... they are all writing their novels. Not talking about it.

My point is, if you are spending time on a website, talking about what you want to do, be it painting, writing, photography, then you arent doing it - or you aren't good enough to do it.

I'm a photographer by trade and I don't read, contribute to, or look at a single internet photography forum, discussion group or shared space. I get on with being a photographer.

I hope you see what I'm trying to get at :p

[Black Mage]

My point is, if you are spending time on a website, talking about what you want to do, be it painting, writing, photography, then you arent doing it - or you aren't good enough to do it.

I'm a photographer by trade and I don't read, contribute to, or look at a single internet photography forum, discussion group or shared space. I get on with being a photographer.

I hope you see what I'm trying to get at :p

I may not 100% agreeing because I've always found talking a GOOD way to exchange ideas, but I do get what your saying. I think there should be a balance between discussing something and working it. Too much talking and you end up getting no work done. But too much working and may end up going tunnel vision and missing important points.

But the site isn't really about discussing about what to wrote. Discussions are based on what has already been written. So you can comment on pieces that have already been written or review pieces. And some the site is geared more towards planning what you are going to write like what kinds of settings do you have, who will the characters and defining their attributes, what kind of organizations or groups of people are in the story, what do you want cover in this chapter, etc.