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    The new AW CMS: features you'd like to see

    Hi

    To manage the shoots (Stills and video) here on AW, we use a CMS - Content Management System. This software controls when stuff is released, makes thumbnails, builds shoot pages, and keeps all the shoots organised for you (and us!). It also makes web pages that hold links to shoots - for example, the model bio page for Silvie - is entirely generated by the CMS. We have a full time staffer whose job it is to administer the CMS, and add new shoots several weeks in advance.

    The CMS was designed and built four years ago, really before web 2.0 was an idea, let alone became implemented and supported by web browsing software. Since then, there have been huge advances in technology (and web browser software), that can allow us to do really cool things - like Google Docs, FaceBook, Flickr, and so on. Unfortunately, because the foundations of our CMS is stuck in the dark ages, and because of the way it was designed, we're not able to take advantage of any of these things that would make the site easier and faster and more enjoyable to use (or rather, we COULD, but it'd take MONTHS to do something, where it should take days). This is the reason so many features that seem obvious to have on our site, are not present (like a decent search function).

    Another issue is, any new page on the current site (for example, the recent bushfire appeal page), needs to be worked on by multiple people with different skill sets to get it up, hugely increasing expense, hassle, fluidity, and time-to-live. There are a bunch of other problems we're fixing as well, a lot of them behind the scenes. And, some are not features in the usual sense of the word - for example, page loads are slow on AW, cos of the way pages are fundamentally designed. Building a page creates a large load on the cluster (the group of machines that host the website), meaning expense, maintenance, and more points for failure.

    So, some time ago, we decided to do a ground-up re-write of the CMS, which addresses all these issues, allows us to do web 2.0 (and beyond) stuff, and to easily factor in new technologies, ideas, systems, processes and features. Our Lead Architect, WaffyW, has been working on it for more than a year, but there's still more to go. We're recruiting some new coders, to start work on specific features and implementations.

    We'll be using CMS2 for AW, but also for our internal web apps (that help us manage relationships with models, and track shoots through their post production process) - at the lower levels, it's a database driven page builder, that allows coders and designers to work together, but does not require they do - a big change for us.

    So that's the backstory, how we got here. Now let me talk about some of the goals and features of CMS2:

    * faster page load times
    * meaningful (RESTful) URLs (eg, abbywinters.com/shoot/mary)
    * Kick-arse advanced search
    * 4g phone compatibility (eg, iPhone, Windows mobile 6)
    * extensive use of RSS (subscribe to Mary, and get all her shoots pushed to your phone as they are released)
    * Languages Other Than English
    * more advanced lists and Tags
    * build-your-own video (only download specific portions you want)
    * intuitive and enjoyable and responsive image browsing
    * chapter points in videos
    * customised flash video player
    * MODEL bio pages, instead of SHOOT bio pages (all the shoots for one model, in one place)
    * Additional video formats

    Some of these are vague, some of them are fun, some are required, some we may never have...

    We'd like to hear from you about what features you feel the new CMS should have. As time goes by, we'll break these out into their own threads, we'll maintain a page of features that have been suggested, but will not be happening ever, or those which will happen, but not for some time. Because this will be a very busy time for us, we may not respond to everyone individually, but we will try.

    The initial rollout of CMS2 will have SOME of these new features, but we also may LACK some features we currently have... but we will be able to get those features online in the new CMS pretty fast - for example, we may sacrifice the video gallery, for launching earlier with the advanced search. I think everyone would agree, that's a good trade-off!

    We're also going to roll out a new look and feel with CMS2. Currently, we look dated. I kinda LIKE the current look, but there's no question, to a new visitor, we look behind-the-times, which infers we're not as cool as we really are. The new look and feel will be more open, more whitespace, less cluttered, clearer, more context sensitive navigation, and will feature our new logo (which some people who know us find confusing at first, but enjoy it soon after, and new-comers love).

    What's NOT going to change?


    Good question, and I am glad you asked. These things will not change:

    * The shoots themselves.
    * The volume of shoots.
    * The update schedule.
    * The technical quality of shoots.
    * The creative quality of shoots (well, those last two will keep getting BETTER, of course)
    * People like Elfie, who complain that the sky is falling

    Please don’t bring up issues about content (shoot and video ideas or feedback) in this thread - there are lots of threads for that elsewhere, and they will be ignored or deleted here. This forum is for your ideas regarding the CMS itself. It's pretty technical, and will probably get more technical.

    If you only ever care about seeing the shoots we release each day, a lot of this will be pretty boring for you - you'll still get the shoots in CMS2, but it might be easier for you to get them (certainly, no harder than it is now).

    Others may enjoy having a hand in dragging us into the future...

    Hit us!

    g

    #2
    Great news about the site improvements. I have some suggestions:

    Have better navigation between discussion boards and the rest of the site: e.g. add link to home page for each model. (e.g. Daria has a link to her home page but Silvie does not).

    On profile page for a model, have an indicator to say if she has posted, plus a link to her profile on discussion boards.

    Have an automated list of models who have posted. (Present list is out of date).

    Make the "All Shoots" list on the sitemap much slicker and quicker. Allow clicking on link letter (A B C etc) to obtain models with that initial letter.

    I have created a list that is visual index to other lists, but it would be nice to have slicker way of marking lists so that they can be found again. For example, allow tagging of lists, as well as individual images.

    Look at common browse sequences and simplify

    e.g.

    After adding a picture to a list, I want to return to the page with the thumbnails on, that the image came from.

    "Recently visited pages" has a link to the start of a list, or the start of an imageset, but not the specific page I was on most recently.

    Maybe have a slicker way of going from standard scale image to the XL scale. (I don't do this very often, but it is not very slick, at present).

    Make the "Previous" and "Next" links stay in the same position on each page, so that one can click on the same point without moving the mouse.

    Improve the site navigation using keyboard alone.

    Have a built-in slideshow application. At the moment I download image sets so that I can view them using slideshow. A built in app that did the same thing would be great, and save a lot of time and unneccessary keystrokes.

    For example, click "View as slidshow" would show images one at a time, with delay set as a user preference. Press arrow keys for next, previous image in set.

    "Kick-arse advanced search"
    Can you expand on that? Searching could definitely be improved. Sometimes searches ignore short words or common words, which is very annoying if there is no alternative search target. (OK to ignore by default, but allow an override).

    Abbyapp

    Comment


      #3
      I don't know if this is what you're looking for, but I think it would be great if Sue-Anne's blurbs on the news page could be put on the page of each corresponding shoot. I remember reading that Jamie and Cass did the blurbs that were right underneath the profile tab in some old shoots. We don't need new ones, but being able to read what Sue-Anne had to say is always helpful.

      Additionally, I think it would be nice to have a page listing the current photographers/videographers with maybe a little picture and some bio information to go with it. This definitely isn't the advice you're looking for, but I just felt like throwing that idea out there!

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by H_PP_F View Post
        I don't know if this is what you're looking for, but I think it would be great if Sue-Anne's blurbs on the news page could be put on the page of each corresponding shoot.
        I would echo that.

        Also, make it possible to select a portion of a post and quote that, rather than the whole lot, then editing it. (I mention this cos it just happened.) Or, are the discussion boards outside of project scope?

        Comment


          #5
          It would be fun to have a random image feature, something similar in concept to the Ipod shuffle feature where you could view random images from the site photo library either in your web browser or generate a zip with a set number of random images. Though I still enjoy listening to albums, what is great about the shuffle feature is getting to hear music from your library which you haven't heard in awhile. There are so many beautiful models on the site now a random image viewer would be a fun way of seeing some old favorites and maybe even a nice feature for new members of discovering models in the site library.

          This might be getting too complicated, but you could even make it customizable as to what images would be selected by the random image viewer. It could include check boxes where you could select what types of shoots (solo, backstage, gg, T1, T2, T3) to include or even what kinds of images (clothed, topless, nude, close ups).

          Anyways, just a suggestion to add to the wish list category. I would like to mention that even though the current CMS is a few years old, the site is already so well organized and easy to navigate as it is. Good luck setting up the new CMS, sounds like it will be a lot of work and I'm sure it will make the site even better for the members!

          Comment


            #6
            This is my first post in a long time and I have just recently rejoined.

            AW is a great site and CMS2 will bring much needed changes. I must admit that I had not missed the model bio pages but they will be a very good addition. I also welcome the increased speed of page downloads, the member's homepage and others can take an age to load at times.

            L.

            Comment


              #7
              An auto-completing search for both models by name and list by title would be nice.

              As for the 'dated look' thing, it's not a problem for me. I understand it might make it more difficult to attract NEW members like this, but other then that the layout and navigation work fine. The fairly new breadcrumbs are very useful to jump around as well.

              The current layout is 'calm' for lack of a better word, not the flashy/yelling/headache inducing type you see on some other adult sites. You don't want to look too much like those sites anyway. Just got to get across that the content here is better, even without flashing arrows and colors

              Will the AW-Today page/archive get faster? I'd like that!

              Can you include a model's public lists on the new model bio page?

              If you are going to add even more video formats, will it possible to hide some I never use anyway?

              Is Elfie still around??

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by abbyapp View Post
                Also, make it possible to select a portion of a post and quote that, rather than the whole lot, then editing it. (I mention this cos it just happened.) Or, are the discussion boards outside of project scope?
                Discussion boards run on external software (vBulletin to be exact), which doesn't have that option. It's not part of the CMS for sure.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by H_PP_F View Post
                  I don't know if this is what you're looking for, but I think it would be great if Sue-Anne's blurbs on the news page could be put on the page of each corresponding shoot. I remember reading that Jamie and Cass did the blurbs that were right underneath the profile tab in some old shoots. We don't need new ones, but being able to read what Sue-Anne had to say is always helpful.
                  The solo and g/g shoots have two blurbs/blogs available, one for the stills and one for the video. Choose one or include both? Including both is possibly I'd say, though the links to the shoot itself can be removed from the included version

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by abbyapp View Post
                    "Kick-arse advanced search"
                    Can you expand on that? Searching could definitely be improved. Sometimes searches ignore short words or common words, which is very annoying if there is no alternative search target. (OK to ignore by default, but allow an override).
                    Some great suggestions, linking model-on-AW-site to forum-poster would be a nice thing indeed (lots of your points get solved when that gets done).

                    However this last point about 'search', are you referring to searching on the forum? It sounds like it, and that's a bit outside the CMS reach.

                    Must

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Another suggestion, this time not so silly. You say you want a kick-arse advanced search ay? Well the amount of ass it kicks in my book will be determined by how well you can search lists - cause you can't search lists at all and I can always find shoots I like by using advanced search as it exists. So please, make lists searchable on AW and not through some advanced Google-fu!

                      And here's an experiment. I'm going to paste a few links to some lists here so I can use the links. If you read the links, you'll know what they are...You might like these lists too! Oh and if a mod sees this post, could you turn my text into hyperlinks. Thanks!

                      http://www.abbywinters.com/main.php?...rt=ctime&dir=1 - A verity backstage list





                      http://www.abbywinters.com/main.php?...e=I%27m+Coming



                      Second edit: I guess what I was trying to say last night is that I would like to be able to have my fav lists in one place. A list of lists, I guess.
                      Last edited by H_PP_F; 18 February 2009, 03:39 PM. Reason: Experiment! And a second edit

                      Comment


                        #12
                        I like the idea that one will be able to edit the videos. I already do custom downloads for every still set I download. If there are still videos shot in HD that are not HQ MP4, making them so would be good too.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Make the site-map (or at least the big shoot list thingie) faster to load. Doesn't need to up-to-date to the minute for me. Just an hourly update is fine

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Originally posted by Frans View Post
                            However this last point about 'search', are you referring to searching on the forum? It sounds like it, and that's a bit outside the CMS reach.
                            It was a general point about searches. I was thinking on particular of another site altogether where I wanted to search for "ftp", which was disallowed for being too short. "file transfer protocol" would not work as a search string because those words did not appear on the page I wanted to find.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              I look forward to the update and changes. The new features that I think would help me enjoy the site more are:
                              * faster page load times
                              * Kick-arse advanced search
                              * more advanced lists and Tags
                              * chapter points in videos
                              * MODEL bio pages, instead of SHOOT bio pages (all the shoots for one model, in one place)

                              Comment


                                #16
                                Originally posted by bookmanz View Post
                                I look forward to the update and changes. The new features that I think would help me enjoy the site more are:

                                ...
                                * MODEL bio pages, instead of SHOOT bio pages (all the shoots for one model, in one place)
                                This would be very cool.

                                Comment


                                  #17
                                  Hi Garion

                                  I like the current look, however, I feel it is a bit cluttered, like a homely well lived in room where you know (existing members who like to peruse all the nooks and crannies) where everything is but someone new would find confusing and dated.

                                  The things I think that would enhance my experience are:-

                                  Would it possible to scroll through the Coming Attractions feature, perhaps by combining this with the schedule and providing a scroll facility?
                                  faster page load times, particularly AW Today Archive and Site map (the model shoot type date of list) maybe have this on a separate page ?
                                  Kick-arse advanced search
                                  chapter points in videos
                                  advanced list and Tags
                                  MODEL bio pages, instead of SHOOT bio pages (all the shoots for one model, in one place)

                                  tom

                                  Comment


                                    #18
                                    Unsure if this is within the ambit of what's being considered, but I really like the idea of user-customization/personalization- or some small degree of it- specifically, expanding the functionality of the "MyAW" page or its new equivalent.

                                    I was thinking along the lines of what an online vendor like Amazon has- you go to your own little page once you're logged in and the site has a scroll feature of recommendations based on your browsing history etc., maybe also some suggested links to Lists other people have made that have similar browsing histories to your own etc. Might also be a place to aggregate feeds etc. that you've subscribed to.

                                    Comment


                                      #19
                                      Originally posted by DonDraper View Post
                                      Unsure if this is within the ambit of what's being considered, but I really like the idea of user-customization/personalization- or some small degree of it- specifically, expanding the functionality of the "MyAW" page or its new equivalent.

                                      I was thinking along the lines of what an online vendor like Amazon has- you go to your own little page once you're logged in and the site has a scroll feature of recommendations based on your browsing history etc., maybe also some suggested links to Lists other people have made that have similar browsing histories to your own etc. Might also be a place to aggregate feeds etc. that you've subscribed to.
                                      This is *such* a cool idea. Include a "I'm Feeling Lucky" button which will take you to a random model or list you might like based on your browsing history.
                                      ...Although probably a lot of people will share a browsing history of looking at just the newest shoots, so that might not work. Maybe there can be a feature like "show me a model that people who like _____ might like." (Fill in your favorite model.)

                                      Include in this MyAW page a list of the last 5 forum threads you've participated in (like the member's home page digs into the forums to show the last 10 general "discourses").

                                      Comment


                                        #20
                                        Making lists: when considering whether to add an image to one of my lists, I would like to find out if I have any other images of this model already in the list, and see thumbnails of those images.

                                        (I know I can go to the profile page to see if the model is already on any of my lists, but it could still take a while to find the particular images).

                                        I think it would also be useful to be able to find images of a particular model on a particular list. Say, you are on the model's home page, you can see links to lists the model is on, but it would also be nice to be able to find the images for that model on a particular list.

                                        Comment


                                          #21
                                          I think this will be a great thing. I love abbywinters.com, but for all it's high quality when it comes to it's models and shoots, the technology of the site seems to be very behind the times. All these new features sound great. I hope you'll be able to implement them. The search functions especially and also the lists. I hate we have to go off-site to Google or somewhere else to do a decent list search and even then it's bulky and doesn't always work. Good luck! We're all pulling for this to work.

                                          Comment


                                            #22
                                            Just a word to thank Garion for even being kind enough to advise us and, also, invite our feedback. The mere peek into how this thing works is, for me, fascinating. I believe the folks at AWC, (ok, psst! Anywebcam), did a huge amount of ground-level coding to develop a base that could be sold to other customers for totally unrelated purposes such as commercial online business meetings, etc. I believe and hope they made some money for that effort. God knows the old baggage that found their way to their webcams would raise hopes there was money, somewhere, in all that nonsense, since the pleasure became hard to find!

                                            Comment


                                              #23
                                              SO, in the widely-rumored upcoming vBulletin, "AbbyWinters Edition", every time a model's name is mentioned, a random thumbnail image from her "library" of art registered with us will appear, photo-signature or whatever. Optionally, a saucy audio clip can be invoked. Live, still images, at least, can be included with each model's post. Subscribers, of course, would be, absolutely banned from even thinking about trying that!

                                              What else...??

                                              (Still thinking...!)

                                              Really! Wouldn't it be some fun to have models be able to webcam a still with each post?

                                              NOPE!! I am SO wrong on this! Can't be carrying on, in real time, on the message board. Not what Abby wanted for us and so, it won't happen! Haruumph!!!!

                                              Comment


                                                #24
                                                I'd like to be able to jump from a shoot to it's related backstage pics.

                                                Comment


                                                  #25
                                                  Originally posted by Frans View Post
                                                  I'd like to be able to jump from a shoot to it's related backstage pics.
                                                  Excellent idea Frans, that would be a fine feature to have and the reverse.

                                                  tom

                                                  Comment


                                                    #26
                                                    Originally posted by tom2c7777 View Post
                                                    MODEL bio pages, instead of SHOOT bio pages (all the shoots for one model, in one place)
                                                    This would be great.

                                                    Oriel is an example of why. She has two different videos, and two different shoots. Each shoot page shows one video. There is no single page that shows that Oriel has two videos. If someone is infatuated by Oriel (and there are probably many), they might not know she has two different videos up.

                                                    Comment


                                                      #27
                                                      Originally posted by garionhall View Post
                                                      * MODEL bio pages, instead of SHOOT bio pages (all the shoots for one model, in one place)
                                                      Yes, a great idea. Another reason why I like this is that it allows you to see whether the model appears on any of your lists (not just the lists for this particular shoot), and allows you to see all the lists the model features on.

                                                      Comment


                                                        #28
                                                        Iphone support both in browsing and in offline viewing of video's would be a killer feature for me (and according to sales, a lot of people)

                                                        Comment


                                                          #29
                                                          Originally posted by garionhall View Post
                                                          Hi

                                                          We're also going to roll out a new look and feel with CMS2. Currently, we look dated. I kinda LIKE the current look, but there's no question, to a new visitor, we look behind-the-times, which infers we're not as cool as we really are.
                                                          g
                                                          ... Garion, you know it's an honor, (excuse me, "honour"), to be given a peek into all the ways, both familiar and unfamiliar to us, that you are all over "re-inventing" the sophisticated software that makes such a site possible. You are ahead of the times in ways we can't dream of, yet, you invite us into the process. I'm particularly happy to read the part I quoted above. The design should, always, help reveal how "cool" we really are. That, IMHO, goes to the heart of the fuss over the last major changes in the intro pages. Your ad hoc board of directors were not convinced the splashy style, ok, slightly trashy style, didn't undersell us a bit.

                                                          True, the "style" of the whole operation, as revealed by the high-energy, splashy preview vids and by the high-energy and outrageous shows in Vegas, begs a splashy, even "retro" feel, for the site, and the "IFM" somber, artsy, and reverential style isn't needed either. Let's hope we can find something unique and trend-making, rather than following, in the new design.

                                                          I think you are on the right track talking "white-space", etc.

                                                          I know you have my confidence and that of thousands of others that you and Waffy and the rest are achieving great things.

                                                          By the way, a long time ago, subscribed to another ground-breaking Aussie site that focused on webcams. They, too, were always evolving their technologies and I know, for sure, that part of their business plan involved licensing their software product to other sites for other purposes, ie., business webcamming. Let's hope your efforts can go far beyond operating this single site and can be licensed, with style mods, to other sites!

                                                          Best,
                                                          Rob (FloridaRob = NorthCarolinaRob)

                                                          Comment


                                                            #30
                                                            a dream comes true. the videos in dutch ! even undertiteling would be great. biljarter

                                                            Comment

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