[rehabitat]

That's more like it!  Constructive criticism, as opposed to fanboyism.
 
Thanks for chiming in Jude.  FWIW, many of your acolytes don't seem to care, but it is the front page after all....!
 
first impressions count
 

 
p.s. the featured item count is up to 20.  imo that's getting a bit much.  Ask a graphic designer for advice (not me!).

 

[rhythmdevils]

Acolytes 

 

[jude]

Quote:

Acolytes 

LOL.
 
Anyway, rhythmdevils is right.  The homepage receives hundreds of thousands of page views per month on its own, and most of that, from what I can discern from the data, is not from regulars.  So, yes, this is new to me still, but the idea is to use it to help those who are visiting the site via the homepage find interesting content from the get-go.  As I get used to it, and as more feedback comes in, it'll hopefully get more useful.  (But I'm under no illusion that everyone is going to dig what I do with it at any given time--I can live with that.)
 
As I said before, the subscriptions feed isn't what I ever intended the homepage to be primarily about, and there is a separate, isolated subscriptions page for those who want to bookmark that as their Head-Fi entry point.  Yes, a lot of veteran users still do use the homepage as the main point of entry, but it's still just a small fraction of the total visits to the homepage.
 
I wasn't being at all sarcastic when I said I appreciate and take into consideration the feedback we get on that (and other things).

 

[Thecoolguy]

I guess thats a good point about the homepage. Subscription feed bookmarked!
 
as a suggestion, perhaps you could do something like what IGN and rotten tomatoes have on their homepages.

 

[pekingduck]

x2. I do think ”featured content" is a GREAT idea but there's WAY TOO MUCH of it...

 

[nycbone]

Perhaps featured items could expire after a set time - say one week? Then have a link to formerly featured items.
 
Redudancy also adds to the length of featured items sections. Perhaps one reference to a particular reviewer/vendor. E.g., Steve Guttenberg has four links and HiFiMan has two. One each would be sufficient.

 

[rehabitat]

^ Good suggestions.  It does seem a bit pointless to have more than one item per subject.  As it is, it may appear to new comers to the site to be a little amateurish, and to experienced users a bit distracting.  
 
While each item may refer to a different thread, it would be better to have links to related items embedded in those those threads, which would reduce the need to clutter the homepage with multiple posts referring to the same or very similar subjects.  Loads of sites work this way, not necessarily forum sites, but I'm sure this could be integrated somehow.
 
^^ The IGN and Rotten Tomatoes homepages are good examples of a whack-load of info presented in a thoughtful and intelligible layout.
 
I would like to add that although this thread may be more appropriately located in the feedback section, it'll get more traffic here 

 

[Hero Kid]

I maintain I love the new featured content. I want to see more and more. There is so much brilliant content on this site that I easily miss and being pointed to it on the homepage is a welcomed addition in my books. I also have no problem with more than one item from a "vendor"/"site" being up there at once. If it has different content, it deserves a different feature in my opinion.
 
Keep it up Jude (and co)

 

[jude]

 
Quote:

I maintain I love the new featured content. I want to see more and more. There is so much brilliant content on this site that I easily miss and being pointed to it on the homepage is a welcomed addition in my books. I also have no problem with more than one item from a "vendor"/"site" being up there at once. If it has different content, it deserves a different feature in my opinion.
 
Keep it up Jude (and co)

Thank you, Hero Kid, I appreciate that, man.
 
I haven't updated the homepage in a while, as I was away on a much-needed vacation for a week--but I'm back now.

 

[debitsohn]

i go straight to the home page also. i think 13 or whatever amount it is is just too much.  i dont even bother looking at it.  i do this because i want to see my subscriptions.  if any, id like it to be like 3 things there.  but as the admin of hte site i guess it would be hard to know when to take down/put up particular featured content when its from/about sponsors.  if thats the case, i rather it not be there. 

 

[jude]

i go straight to the home page also. i think 13 or whatever amount it is is just too much.  i dont even bother looking at it.  i do this because i want to see my subscriptions.  if any, id like it to be like 3 things there.  but as the admin of hte site i guess it would be hard to know when to take down/put up particular featured content when its from/about sponsors.  if thats the case, i rather it not be there. 

http://www.head-fi.org/users/subscriptions/

There is also a button for that in the top-right area of most pages here. Hope that helps.

 

[debitsohn]

Quote:

http://www.head-fi.org/users/subscriptions/There is also a button for that in the top-right area of most pages here. Hope that helps.

wait, so youre trying to navigate people away from your main home page? it hink what youre getting at is that youre assuming most of the ppl that go to the main page are new comers and the featured stuff would be great for them? i can understand that. 

 

[jude]

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/520231/thirteen-items-of-featured-content/15#post_7038275

wait, so youre trying to navigate people away from your main home page? it hink what youre getting at is that youre assuming most of the ppl that go to the main page are new comers and the featured stuff would be great for them? i can understand that.