DexterCattleForSale.co.uk - We want your input...please!

Post by **Chris** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 8:03 pm

Hello all,

Just to briefly introduce myself, I am Mark’s son, Chris Bowles. I helped Mark setup the website, and also assist him through some of the more tricky things involved in running it.

With the message board passing the 3000 posts mark, and the site receiving upto 5000 hits a month its probably due for a little make over.

There are some known issue’s with the menu’s and certain links not working on some of the newer browsers (Firefox, Opera etc) and I know the people on slower connections struggle with times it takes to view pages.

So now its your turn to suggest some idea’s for the site. Maybe ways to make it a more informative site to a range of skill levels, features you would like to make it easier to use, or something that you think would attract wider field of visitors to the site bringing more experiences with them.

I’m not promising they will all be put into action, but it will certainly help me to understand what everybody would like.

Regards
Chris

P.s. I will keep my eye on this topic and try and reply to questions and suggestions.

oliver1921 · Post by **oliver1921** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 9:06 am

I think the site is superb - i don't have any problem with speed and cannot really think of any way to make it better. the only thinkg that could possibly be improved would be the search facility but then people entering things on the site could possibly do it under certain categories - keep up the good work - we all think it is great and very useful

Issy · Post by **Issy** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 9:51 am

I agree with what Oliver said, the site is fantastic and I have no problems accessing it. The only thing that from my point of view would be useful would be the ability to post pictures in the replies. Is it possible to have a gallery of sorts?
It is a very useful and informative site as it is. :D

John C · Post by **John C** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 10:50 am

No problems here either Chris !:D :D :D

If you want to brighten it up a bit , I see that on some sites you can have a coloured picture as you avatar for each of your posts

Martin · Post by **Martin** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 1:36 pm

Hi Chris, as I am only interested in non short animals an icon or something to distinguish short and non short would save opening all ads would be of use. Also perhaps a camera icon for adds with pictures, as if you have been following a recent topic you will know that most people would like all adds to have pictures. Can we have multiple pictures? The discussion board is perfect and I have no problems with it. We all thank you and Mark for your efforts, long may it continue.

Sylvia · Post by **Sylvia** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 5:59 pm

Chris,

Everything is fine about the site as far as I'm concerned. A real credit to you and your dad. Prices on cattle and more pictures would be nice, but that is just me being really picky.

Post by **Chris** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 6:21 pm

I agree with what Oliver said, the site is fantastic and I have no problems accessing it. The only thing that from my point of view would be useful would be the ability to post pictures in the replies. Is it possible to have a gallery of sorts?

So some form of open photo gallery for people to upload their photo's for viewing/sharing with other members of the site. I'll look into the gallery idea. As for uploading photo's in reply's, I will add that to the discussion board. Look out for the 'Add File' button to allow you to select a file from your computer everytime you go to post a message (In the near future)

If you want to brighten it up a bit , I see that on some sites you can have a coloured picture as you avatar for each of your posts

Again, I will enable this feature on the board, so everybody, if they wish can have a nice logo / photo everytime they post. The main reason this was never done, was because when this board first started, we wanted to make it as simple as possible to understand, so now everybody getting a bit more into it, we can start adding these fun features!

Hi Chris, as I am only interested in non short animals an icon or something to distinguish short and non short would save opening all ads would be of use. Also perhaps a camera icon for adds with pictures, as if you have been following a recent topic you will know that most people would like all adds to have pictures. Can we have multiple pictures? The discussion board is perfect and I have no problems with it. We all thank you and Mark for your efforts, long may it continue.

Yes, this is in my opinion the most user unfriendly part of the site, I'm hoping, fingers crossed, to make it a little more automated (So mark doesnt have to manual post every sale) and add icons to make them more user freindly, maybe with some indication of the last 10 entries to make it easier for regular visitors

Prices on cattle and more pictures would be nice, but that is just me being really picky.

I understand this has been discussed recently, and its totaly down to the seller to make their animals apeal to you, and everyone else. Its maybe takes a little more effort to get good photo's and rattle out a rough price, but experience shows the animals will sell faster.

Keep them idea's coming

Regards
Chris

Louisa Gidney · Post by **Louisa Gidney** » Thu Jun 15, 2006 8:12 am

This old machine still runs IE4, pictures are slow to load but it can open and read the For Sale section. The machine at work runs Mozilla, pictures appear instantly but it cannot access the For Sale section, which is not terribly helpful for a cattle for sale website!
Another discussion forum I used to use has now modernised with avatars, signatures etc. I can no longer access it from IE4. Use now seems restricted to "geeks".
Please keep this site user friendly to technophobes.

rodmet · Post by **rodmet** » Thu Jun 15, 2006 9:39 am

I echo the praises for the site and think the content of many posts (especially from those North of the Border) so useful that an easy to use data base perhaps backed up by a cd rom or its equivalent would prove invaluable and open us up to other cattle owners. I suspect this will be heavy on time and expense but could see far more overall benefit in investing some of our Society money in this than an expensive (and self-seeking????) genetics study.

One other idea would be to provide a lightening icon to signal to those who have chosen to run our Society to respond!! I think that the national Dexter population will halve in the next 5 years and be even lower unless a successful programme of promotional initiatives is undertaken, so that is my first lightening icon!

rodmet · Post by **rodmet** » Thu Jun 15, 2006 9:44 am

Dont worry you are right - lightning is lightning not lightening, but a bit of lightening of the central picture would not be a bad idea either!

Martin · Post by **Martin** » Thu Jun 15, 2006 2:15 pm

Rod, I think you miss the point with this site, it is independant from the society so they have cannot interfere with its running or content. In my view,a good idea that should remain.
You seem to have issues with the society that can only be resolved at society level, by all means post on this forum and air your subject. There certainly isn't a shortage of people that are prepared to put their heads above the parapet and get shot at for their views.
I can see your point about less Dexters in a few years time, but is that the fault of the society or government interference. Herd dispersals seem to be hapening more frequently lately, I don't really know why. Is that really a bad thing? prices for Dexters seems very low to me and perhaps halving the numbers might help those of us left.
I'm being the devils advocate there really, just to try and get a debate going, but remember change is not always a bad thing. Maybe the end of the two or three cow herd is in sight, society fees, government intervention, a lack of vets with knowledge of farm stock, these will all contribute to people deciding to quit stock keeping. I sometimes wonder if I'm mad keeping stock, a tractor and mower every couple of weeks, sometimes seems so much easier, but then we wouldn't have anything to post on this site would we.

John C · Post by **John C** » Thu Jun 15, 2006 2:48 pm

Martin !
This is a little bit off thread but I am certainly wondering whether its worth continuing ! I've mentioned my slaughter house problems before and this together with the paperwork and interference from beaurocrats has made me uncertain.

Sue E · Post by **Sue E** » Thu Jun 15, 2006 9:20 pm

I too must congratulate you on the website, the discussion board has been most useful when I, as a newcomer to Dexters, needed help. I agree that photographs would be nice as it would be great to see other owners stock.
Thanks to you both for all the hard work you must put into running this site.

Post by **Chris** » Fri Jun 16, 2006 10:21 pm

Thank you to all who have replied (On topic or not),

I'll spend some time on the site over the next month, and fingers crossed I'll be back with some easy to use, but usefull features!

Regards
Chris

dai · Post by **dai** » Sat Jun 17, 2006 1:58 pm

Again its generally a very good site, but the issue of not having pics on ads is a little ridiculous. Without figures or pictures you can't possibly judge the animal! perhaps you shouldn't be able to post an ad at all without a photo?