first month end review (after migration feb 2009)

[stog]

hi
as we approach the end of my first month at the helm of fibsboard, i thought it might be useful to check in and alert you to the stats i shall occasionally be putting here.

i trust the changes made, meet with your approval, for example the moving of the Recent Topics to a central position on the front page, as opposed to a block on the right hand side. Apart from the misc articles on the random front page images, that appear under the guise of "Reader's wives", i have started to clear up other article categories too, eg reviews where i have added a section for book reviews, please feel free to comment and add your own suggestions.

other visible changes include adding fibsleagammon and fibsonacci links to the "Featured sites" on the front page (allowing the board to function better as a backgammon portal along with FIBS status, repbot stats, tourneybot and repbot info), adding a collapsable webradio area, and making other blocks collapsable. free fibs client software downloads are now prevalent where paying money site links are located. News ticker addedto top of forum index. the ability to subscribe for $5 a year as well as voluntary donations, which give us a VIP donor group, rewarded with a very special badge Behind the scenes is  a triple backup setup for the forum which is hosted on unlimited space/bandwidth.

re advertising, it looks as if the days of the paid BG sites ads are thankfully numbered. you will have noticed we have introduced a donation/advertise campaign to allow fibsboard members to advertise their thing or donate. this could allow for more interesting ads than the present google ones. we have also added a small ads section, so if you want to recycle books or boards, contact us (giveaway items are free to advertise)

more on finances here.

i shall put up a poll re the the recent topics placement here, and if you want any other polls setup on layout or other issues feel free.

new "other games" categories chess, GO and scrabble allow comment and interchange i hope.

any other comments/suggestions will be gratefully considered.

i urge all members to re-bookmark their link to Fibsboard so that you alight on the new front page .....reasons here