New Front Page... Share your thoughts here...

[Christine & Shelby]

As per Adina's request.... here is a place for us to discuss our thoughts on the new front page.  I am still navigating and trying to see how I like it... I will say though - that I miss having the slide show up top!

[F, Calla & Luca]

Here is a link to the blog Deirdre started so that you can see previous comments:
http://www.doodlekisses.com/profiles/blogs/new-front-page

[Adina P]

Thanks Christine! I suggested this be moved here in response to Deirdre's blog . Please if you have thoughts, concerns, annoyances, wishes, etc...voice them here (but feel free to peak at the blog to read what others have said). I'm STILL moving things around trying to see if I can find better places for things and better ways to display things. So it's a work in progress and if in the end our 'old' front page still seems better I may go back to it. Ever realize your furniture has been in the same spot for years and you just want a CHANGE? Well that's kind of what I was doing last night...moving the DK furniture around.

Some of my thinking:
-- Not sure why the comment box under photos comes out so HUGE on the featured photo/video...will try to find a solution to make it less tall.
-- Not sure having chat visible makes it any more popular so it will probably go back to the bottom of the page
-- Don't know what to do with birthdays. As F Parker has noticed...the more members we have the more birthdays exist.
We are limited to showing a max of 20 but showing 20 takes up a large space and I don't know the best place to display them. Can't put them anywhere else but somewhere on the front page.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I love birthdays, and I appreciate the chance to send birthday wishes to my friends. It's Christmas or Valentine's day for everyone, but birthdays are special days for the individual, and I personally like the chance to help celebrate them.

[Dan, Judi, & Timbow]

I like birthdays too! :)

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

So far, the only thing I really don't like is the big "comment" section under the featured photo & video. Takes up too much space and really isn't necessary, as anyone can click the photo or watch the video & leave comments there. Otherwise, I kind of like the simplicity, but I was also fine with the old one.

[Adina P]

The reason I wanted to try comments there is so someone could participate right away and not everyone knows they can click on a photo to get taken to it. That's the wisdom of Doodle Kisses veterans =) But I agree...the comment box is HUUUUGE. I am trying to figure out how to shrink it.

[Adina P]

Some questions for all:

-- How valuable/wonderful is the weekly front page slide show theme? For one, we used to get over 100 submissions regularly when we first started it. I'd have to cut photos from the show. Now we typically get less than 50 photo submissions. So it seems the fun has waned. Has it?

-- If we keep only showing one photo at a time on the front page...would you still like to have a weekly theme for a slide show anyway...even if the slide show is NOT on the front page?

-- Would you prefer to simply have a weekly thread with a theme that anyone can respond to with a photo or two?

[Deanna & Desi & Cori]

I'm new to doodle ownership and even newer to DoodleKisses.com. Personally, I enjoy the slideshow on the front page - even made a submission a couple of weeks ago. I find that sometimes as I log on I don't have time to view the entire show (just needed a quick check on a discussion topic), but other times I enjoy viewing it all.

[Adina P]

If we still keep doing the slide show but don't put it on the front page (only pick a photo out of it to feature daily and link to the full show) -- what do you think of THAT?

[Deanna & Desi & Cori]

I'd be fine with that, as long as the link is obvious - for those of us with oldish eyes :)

[Leigh & Allie]

I, for one, liked the slideshow. I have not submitted a photo because I did have a photo that worked with the theme. Sometimes I get the email as to what the theme is and sometimes I do not. Can't figure that out. I always love the theme though. I got a lot of ideas about good toys on the favorite toys theme. When I was first thinking about getting a doodle, I loved to see all of the different doodles. Please keep the slide show!

[Camilla and Darwin]

I think I like the front page slideshow, and featured photo equally. My problem with the slideshow is that I usually don't want to sit and watch all 50-100 submissions...

I like the front page. Like everyone else, the huge comment box section is a little bit odd... but everything else looks good to me!