Domer Domain Announcements & Updates (2023)

[Mike]

Hey Domers! Another fun announcement. We now have an app-version of the forums available. Next time you login on your phone, you should get a small slide-in at the bottom of the screen offering you to install the Domer Domain App. You'll be able to install it or dismiss it, if you choose.

Thanks again and happy posting! 

[Baldy]

31 minutes ago, Mike said:

Hey Domers! Another fun announcement. We now have an app-version of the forums available. Next time you login on your phone, you should get a small slide-in at the bottom of the screen offering you to install the Domer Domain App. You'll be able to install it or dismiss it, if you choose.

Thanks again and happy posting! 

This is awesome, Mike!  However, I don’t see the small slide in at the bottom of my screen.  Would you have a direct link you could share?  Again, this is super cool because I’ve been waiting for an app to Domer Domain for years!  😆🤟🏼

[Mike]

It might be cache related. If you can clear your cache on your browser, that may do the trick. It's only installable via the website.

[Baldy]

13 minutes ago, Mike said:

It might be cache related. If you can clear your cache on your browser, that may do the trick. It's only installable via the website.

I’ll give that a try then.  Thanks!

[Baldy]

@Mike, I cleared my cache, and still can’t see the option at the bottom of my screen.  I use Google Chrome on my iPhone, which is what I always use for checking Domer Domain, and what I’m using right now.  I even tried to use Safari, and that didn’t work either.  Not sure what I’m doing wrong here, so if you have any other ideas, let me know.  Thanks!

[Mike]

36 minutes ago, Baldy said:

@Mike, I cleared my cache, and still can’t see the option at the bottom of my screen.  I use Google Chrome on my iPhone, which is what I always use for checking Domer Domain, and what I’m using right now.  I even tried to use Safari, and that didn’t work either.  Not sure what I’m doing wrong here, so if you have any other ideas, let me know.  Thanks!

Thank you for following up. I use Android, so wasn't aware iPhone didn't do that popup as well. I did a bit of research, and it looks like Apple makes things a little more complicated, but still should be fairly simple. Can you try this and follow-up?

Thanks again @Baldy!

[Baldy]

50 minutes ago, Mike said:

Thank you for following up. I use Android, so wasn't aware iPhone didn't do that popup as well. I did a bit of research, and it looks like Apple makes things a little more complicated, but still should be fairly simple. Can you try this and follow-up?

Thanks again @Baldy!

Leave it to Apple to make things more difficult.  🙄😂  I‘ll give this a try and let you know.

And thank you!  😁

[Baldy]

@Mike, it totally worked, so thanks so much, again, for all the help!

And kudos to you for making this site sooooooooooo much better than it used to be!  Not only did you make it easier to use, but you made it so much more fun too!

Aweome job, my man!  👏🏼

 

This is a snip of my Home Screen, which I know you know.  😂

Edited January 22, 2023 by Baldy

[Mike]

1 minute ago, Baldy said:

@Mike, it totally worked, so thanks so much, again, for all the help!

And kudos to you for making this site sooooooooooo much better than it used to be!  Not only did you make it easier to use, but you made it so much more fun too!

Aweome job, my man!  👏🏼

Thanks a million times over for the positive feedback! I spent most of my life on forums, and it kills seeing them on the decline. There are replacements out there like Reddit, but nothing that can quite capture the community aspect like a well-built forum, in my opinion. I think I'm finally figuring it out, and I'm doing my best to build them in a way I would enjoy as a reader.

And a bit of a personal plug on a side project I've been working on for years and years. It's another forum that I'm also at the tail-end of restructuring. Color scheme is not finalized, but I think the forum structure is nearly done. If anybody here is interested in checking out it - Deadicated Fans Forum - For diehard fans of sports & media

 

 

[Baldy]

15 minutes ago, Mike said:

Thanks a million times over for the positive feedback! I spent most of my life on forums, and it kills seeing them on the decline. There are replacements out there like Reddit, but nothing that can quite capture the community aspect like a well-built forum, in my opinion. I think I'm finally figuring it out, and I'm doing my best to build them in a way I would enjoy as a reader.

And a bit of a personal plug on a side project I've been working on for years and years. It's another forum that I'm also at the tail-end of restructuring. Color scheme is not finalized, but I think the forum structure is nearly done. If anybody here is interested in checking out it - Deadicated Fans Forum - For diehard fans of sports & media

 

 

You’re very welcome, because you’re great at what you do, and this forum is proof of that!  Keep up the amazing work!

And I’ll have to check out that other forum too!

Thanks so much!  🍻

[jimbo]

Good stuff Mike! Luv all these changes to the site.

[Mike]

Hey Domers,

I'm dropping this in the main Football channel for visibility since it will affect the Football forums.

The 2023 season is still a few months away, and I've been investing heavily to make sure the experience is the best it can be for everyone. There are still a few things I'm working on behind the scenes, but if you want to be a part of the active discussions, you can join our test group.

Investments for the the upcoming seasons - pending community response:

This is something I've been trying to avoid, but some of the stuff I want to do with Domer Domain is outside of what I can budget. Ads are about enough to break even, but if it's feasible, there's a lot more I want to do with DD. A few examples below that I can't afford to incorporate without assistance.

1. Live Topics for Gamedays, which would convert to a normal topic afterwards. This is the biggest feature, but requires a heavy yearly investment.
2. A fan gallery to share your experiences.
3. Removal of the WordPress homepage, and making it more cohesive with the forums * 
4. Expand on the blog offerings if possible.
5. Among other things

* I'll likely foot the bill for #3 one way or another

The rub = the price

I crunched the numbers, and to get where I'd like us to be for the season, it's going to cost an additional $3,500 - $4,000 per year, minimum. Ads will not come close to covering this, and I don't feel comfortable littering the site with more ads.

My suggestion - Donations & Membership Options:

This would be 100% optional if we went this route. I would like to make this the best place for Notre Dame fans, and I would like to purchase the commerce option, so I can allow donations to help fund further development of the site, with perks for those who participate. 

Option to donate - The simple solution is to offer a donate button to allow members to donate. If we hit the threshold, I make the purchase for the year

Monthly subscription with added perks - I'm not sure what these perks would be, but they would be nice-to-haves, but non-subscribers would still have access to everything they have now. Perks could be larger file sizes for profile pictures, animated gifs, signatures (iffy on this one since it could affect site performance), an exclusive members-only forum, etc. I'm open to suggestion.

Thoughts:

I don't want to go the poll route for this one, but I'd like to open up it for discussion. If we can get to that threshold, or close enough where I can foot the rest of the bill, everyone would benefit from things such as Live Topics and Gallery if we get that added, not just those who donate or subscribe.

I'd love any feedback you have, as I continue to consider my options.

[irishwavend]

I’m only here for the forums.  I liked the old layout.  I liked the simplicity.  Now, the forum is a continuous feed that is vomiting at me.  I’m good with zero homepage.  I don’t read it or view it.  All I want to know is the schedule.  Otherwise, I want nothing more than broken out forums where there is a football discussion, a recruiting discussion, a basketball discussion, other sports discussion, and maybe an open discussion…the way it used to be.

I came here over other sites around 2005, because it was simple.  It’s overcomplicated, now, which is going to drive away existing members and keep away new members.  

Look, people come here for free information and free discussion.  If they want to pay, they’re going to go to one of the established sites.  And, with this trajectory, I’m going to start a site myself that is free.  I have more money now than I had when I was 23…let’s not make DD more than it should be, since it will only make it worse.

All it takes is one poster with all the inside recruiting info for free to create a site that gets traffic.  Without that, the site will be in trouble, unless you offer something amazing that the other sites don’t, which is hard to do in this competitive space.

[Mike]

19 minutes ago, irishwavend said:

I’m only here for the forums.  I liked the old layout.  I liked the simplicity.  Now, the forum is a continuous feed that is vomiting at me.  I’m good with zero homepage.  I don’t read it or view it.  All I want to know is the schedule.  Otherwise, I want nothing more than broken out forums where there is a football discussion, a recruiting discussion, a basketball discussion, other sports discussion, and maybe an open discussion…the way it used to be.

I came here over other sites around 2005, because it was simple.  It’s overcomplicated, now, which is going to drive away existing members and keep away new members.  

Look, people come here for free information and free discussion.  If they want to pay, they’re going to go to one of the established sites.  And, with this trajectory, I’m going to start a site myself that is free.  I have more money now than I had when I was 23…let’s not make DD more than it should be, since it will only make it worse.

All it takes is one poster with all the inside recruiting info for free to create a site that gets traffic.  Without that, the site will be in trouble, unless you offer something amazing that the other sites don’t, which is hard to do in this competitive space.

Thank you for providing such an in-depth response. I do want to address some of that:

• The vomit view - That is the default view temporarily, while I finish building out a more modern version of the traditional view. I'll be able to make both camps happy when this finished.
• The homepage removal - I'm seeing that trend regarding the homepage. Since it's just an extra step for some people to get to the forums, I think it makes a lot of sense to remove it. Thanks for touching on this as I do want to get more thoughts on it.
• Simple vs overcomplicated - Some may be driven away in the current format, while many others will come to Domer Domain for the option to easily filter and see content across other forums. It's important to consider both sides of the coin. I've spent the last few months building the framework to offer both options. I need a little bit more patience while I finish. When it's done, it will be simple, but modernized for those who like the traditional forum. For those who want to see everything, that will be easy to do, as well, without being overwhelming.
• Free entertainment and discussion will remain that way - That's never going to change. Ever. Forums and everything expected will continue to be free. I'm not going to move towards making anything feeling like members need to put money towards the site. I've been an avid forum user since the late 90's until today. I will not introduce anything that I wouldn't want to see as a member, myself.
• Simple pt. 2 and changes - My first 2 years with the site were a big learning experience. This is my first forum as an owner, and I made a few mistakes that I consider great learning experiences. The two that stand out the most are the need to keep things simple, and just because I think something is a good idea doesn't mean that it is. There is a lot that I know will be good for the health of Domer Domain, and those decisions I will make as needed. Decisions that I think will be accepted, I would much rather have a discussion first.

Any further changes to the site are about the simplification of the site, tailoring it to what each member wants, but also encourages growth. Forums in general across the boards are far from thriving, as many are losing members and need to raise the number of ads to compensate. I am keeping ads as light as possible, which my ad company isn't a fan of, but it's something I'm very bullish in not increasing them.

50 minutes ago, irishwavend said:

All it takes is one poster with all the inside recruiting info for free to create a site that gets traffic.  Without that, the site will be in trouble, unless you offer something amazing that the other sites don’t, which is hard to do in this competitive space.

My main goal is to create the best Notre Dame community and discussion board. If somebody creates a site or message board with insider information, I'd have to address that then. That would be giving Notre Dame fans something valuable. If people left in full because of that, then I clearly did something wrong. 

Sharing outside content:

I don't think I ever had an opportunity to address this, but if there is content from any other Notre Dame sites and blogs, feel free to share it on Domer Domain. I have no issue with that at all. Somebody spent the time doing the work, and it adds value to the members here, so share some excerpts and share a link. Give that blog & writer the well-deserved traffic. They offer something I can't afford to at the moment.

[cali_domer]

Hello Mike,

I have been a long time member and you present some interesting ideas. I used to frequent the board a lot more but the issue is i do it on my phone and the ads really add a layer of steps to just read a post. The front page I used to read when Sir John was around, but now not so much. The donation model is fine, but I would have an option with no ads if you donate. I work a lot of hours and mostly check on my phone, so it has become more complicated. I love DD and want to see it flourish, but a subscription model will never work. 247, Rivals and a host of others have a corner on that market. 

 

 

[Mike]

22 minutes ago, cali_domer said:

Hello Mike,

I have been a long time member and you present some interesting ideas. I used to frequent the board a lot more but the issue is i do it on my phone and the ads really add a layer of steps to just read a post. The front page I used to read when Sir John was around, but now not so much. The donation model is fine, but I would have an option with no ads if you donate. I work a lot of hours and mostly check on my phone, so it has become more complicated. I love DD and want to see it flourish, but a subscription model will never work. 247, Rivals and a host of others have a corner on that market. 

Thanks as well @cali_domer. That's the #1 thing I want to accomplish if there is an optional membership offering, the removal of ads. It's tricky since some of the ads are handled off-site by the ad company, and I might not have control over the 'overlay' ads and the ones between links, which are probably the most intrusive. Working on figuring that out.

If there was a subscription model, it would be 100% optional as a donation to the site that would come with additional perks such as no ads to the best of my ability, and some of the stuff mentioned above. I have zero interest in requiring a membership to join or post or do anything that can be done now. 

Thanks for all the feedback, as well!

[D Fence]

Wow - Cali throwing out the Sir John reference!  That is about as far back as I go, too.

I agree with comments about no ads if someone donates, but I wouldn't go much further than that.  Agree with just about everything Wave said about simplicity and why people come here now.  Changing that up changes the delivery model and starts to get you into the same zone as other pay sites with people running them as a full-time job with real inside sources. This place now is great where a lot of knowledgeable posters who listen to podcasts, etc. bring that perspective here.

If there is a pay option, I'd either pay on another board or stick with YouTube content.

[cali_domer]

51 minutes ago, D Fence said:

Wow - Cali throwing out the Sir John reference!  That is about as far back as I go, too.

I agree with comments about no ads if someone donates, but I wouldn't go much further than that.  Agree with just about everything Wave said about simplicity and why people come here now.  Changing that up changes the delivery model and starts to get you into the same zone as other pay sites with people running them as a full-time job with real inside sources. This place now is great where a lot of knowledgeable posters who listen to podcasts, etc. bring that perspective here.

If there is a pay option, I'd either pay on another board or stick with YouTube content.

My account says 2009, but I know I joined in 2006-07. I think my original account had a much different name and I forgot and signed up again. 

Edited February 8, 2023 by cali_domer

[stdntDrvr]

Fewer clicks and simplicity…that’s what web design is all about.  Can we get back there?  That’s what I enjoyed about this site a few years ago…now it’s frustrating to get to just the ‘ND Football’ and ‘Recruiting’ sections.  Everything is very messy and poorly designed.  It’s a hassle to come here and get the latest and greatest…I’ve been visiting other sites that are more streamlined more.  I come here mainly to see the opinions of the members that have been here a while.  The recruiting section is a huge pain to click through.  I read where you said ‘people may like it,’ but it’s simply poor design.  Anyone with any IT experience would tell you the same.

[Mike]

2 minutes ago, stdntDrvr said:

Fewer clicks and simplicity…that’s what web design is all about.  Can we get back there?  That’s what I enjoyed about this site a few years ago…now it’s frustrating to get to just the ‘ND Football’ and ‘Recruiting’ sections.  Everything is very messy and poorly designed.  It’s a hassle to come here and get the latest and greatest…I’ve been visiting other sites that are more streamlined more.  I come here mainly to see the opinions of the members that have been here a while.  The recruiting section is a huge pain to click through.  I read where you said ‘people may like it,’ but it’s simply poor design.  Anyone with any IT experience would tell you the same.

Can you help me understand what you mean by the recruiting section being a pain to click through? I'd like to get that fixed if the final redesign doesn't address it, as the current layout is a stop-gap.

@cali_domer @D Fence @irishwavend

I can use some additional thoughts on the final iteration. If you wouldn't mind checking it out, I would appreciate your thoughts.

You can see it by clicking the newly added 'grid' button on the forums homepage.