40 replies to this topic

[JCRendle]

CommanderBond.net was once the premier news source for everything James Bond, it now seems to just link to news from other sites and this is unfortunate. I can understand that the old editors are busy with events in their off-line lives, but surely there are members of this forum who are able to take up the mantle and bring CBn back up to it's standard from the golden days.

We are currently getting "Skyfall" news in think and fast and it's the perfect time to bring back the main site.

The last main article was April last year, almost a year. I am willing to contribute, who is with me?

[thecasinoroyale]

I'd love to help bring the news back to the fore-front of CBn, as it's a shame the news started to slip due to busy schedules!

I'm here to help if required, especially in the Anniversary year!

[Vauxhall]

Not sure how much time I'd be able to commit to this, but I am very supportive of the motion!

[Wade]

I'm in!

[Trevelyan 006]

CBn Just Hasn't Been The Same Since...
I Admit, I Miss The Glory Days Myself, And I'd Back This Idea!

Edited by Trevelyan 006, 13 March 2012 - 07:38 PM.

[Dustin]

I'd love to contribute a lot more. But I'm afraid my work (as unlikely as that seems to be) will prevent me for at least another couple of months from reliably involving myself on a more frequent basis. On top of that I plan on moving in the next few months to a new home, which will involve all kinds of inconveniences. Once that is behind me I should be able to help out with the odd thing.

[JCRendle]

Can we get the mods in on this, letting us know how, if able, we'd be able to submit articles for the main page. I could start on an introductory article with the current info on Skyfall.

[Marketto007]

Totally agree. I won't say I help because I already have JAMES BOND BRASIL and write daily news in English would be a little tricky for me. Anyway, I surely miss the good old CBn.

xxx

[zencat]

I'm not sure the CBn main page will ever be what it was. It just takes an enormous commitment. People talk about doing something, but it doesn't happen. Besides, face it, MI6 has really stepped up their game and become the pre-eminent Bond news site. They would be tough to top.

What I've been arguing behind the scenes (for two freakin' years!) is to turn the CBn main page into an aggregator news website -- you know, pull in headline RSS feeds from a choice collection of Bond sites like: MI6, 007 Mag, Official Site, My Book Bond blog, IFP, Illustrated 007, The Gaming site, James Bond Brasil, etc. Then we have a one stop place where you can see ALL of what's going on in the Bond world. There is currently no aggregator Bond site. I've been dying for one! I'm sick of having to visit a dozen Bond sites a day, and I miss things because of this. I tried once to suggest this to the 007 fan club website and they shot me down with, "We write our own news." Have you been there lately? Daniel Craig is apparently the new Bond!

I've also been shot down here with exactly the same reaction. "We'll just do better." But, again, it's been two years and all that has happened is the main page has been left to decay. It's now an embarrassment. I've even wondered if we shouldn't zap the main page all together and make CBn just a forum like AJB, because we are still the best Bond forum.

Now, it can be an aggregator site AND also have a section for CBn specific scoops and interviews, etc., including the stories here you guys are talking about contributing. But it wouldn't be dependent on this, and with the feeds, it would update everyday, maybe several times a day, all by itself. It just seems like a great idea to me that would once again make CBn a destination Bond site. See what's happening EVERYWHERE in the world of Bond at the CBn main page.

Now everyone can tell me how wrong I am, and I'll see you in another year.

[thecasinoroyale]

That's the stuff zencat...your idea sounds great and I for one will back it all the way as much as I can. My passion for Bond and CBn is strong, as is everyone's here, and I know it can be rebooted from a tired and worn-out 'Brosnan CBn' to the snappier and fresh 'Craig CBn'.

Let's do it!

[zencat]

That's the stuff zencat...your idea sounds great and I for one will back it all the way as much as I can. My passion for Bond and CBn is strong, as is everyone's here, and I know it can be rebooted from a tired and worn-out 'Brosnan CBn' to the snappier and fresh 'Craig CBn'.

Let's do it!

It is a great idea, gosh darn-it, and I can't tell you how many times I've pitched it to the Team and have been shot down. I even drew up a new main page design, showing how each feed could have it's own box with the website logo, etc.

When it comes down to it, I just want this as a Bond fan. It's NEEDED. The fact that it can revive CBn's main page is a bonus. Heck, if CBn doesn't do it, I would encourage someone else to do it.

[JCRendle]

I do like Zancat's ideas, bringing together news from other top Bond sites (which would bring them more traffic too) as well as articles drawn up by CBn's contributors.

The main problem I have, looking at the site recently, is that there's no mention of Skyfall with known facts other than Sony will be distributing the film, the title hasn't even been announced on the page.

We could at least update the headers with "Skyfall" instead of Bond 23, Carte Blanche instead of Project X etc.

[Dustin]

I suppose it would be a step in the right direction, establishing a hub for the broader range of news in Bond. This seems like the most effective way to reboot the main page with the limited time and workforce. Original content could gradually be expanded as the thing moves along.

[thecasinoroyale]

Tell us what we can do and we'll do it zencat!

[zencat]

Tell us what we can do and we'll do it zencat!

Hey, I wish I knew how to make this happen.

Maybe this thread will help.

[Simon]

It is curious, and then perhaps it is not.

I was probably one of many that noticed the decline in action or notable contributors and suggested the front page should give up the articles, and focus on the News Feeds. And now, I was recently of the same opinion as zencat that the front page should be little more than the Forums front page. Only esterday I was thinking I would change the Favourites URL to that of the Forums and save myself a click. (I am That busy!)

Thing is, aside from Jim, the stalwarts of yestermonth have all but disappeared. I am thinking Blofeld's Cat, Asterisk and a handful of others. These guys were key and while Life moves on, one has to know of the various people's motivations and committments. And maybe right now, in the anniversary year, there just aren't any resources who also have the very necessary long term abilities and committments to progress anything meaningful.

These forums are the best. The MI6 home page is full and updated, but is veritably littered with typos and shoddiness. Maybe the former glory of the genesis years of this site are behind us, in the same way as the 'attack team' of the sixties tore up the cinematic world with the first five Bond films. Never to be repeated.

While I have forwarded the odd article in times past, heaven only knows what is involved with the current moderator's tasks, those of Jim, in reading through the crap - and all of it at that - to keep this place in its current state.

I don't know, but I can sympathise.

[marktmurphy]

What I've been arguing behind the scenes (for two freakin' years!) is to turn the CBn main page into an aggregator news website -- you know, pull in headline RSS feeds from a choice collection of Bond sites like: MI6, 007 Mag, Official Site, My Book Bond blog, IFP, Illustrated 007, The Gaming site, James Bond Brasil, etc. Then we have a one stop place where you can see ALL of what's going on in the Bond world.

Sounds like a great idea: I'd very much enjoy that. It'd be good to see the new posts from sites like Illustrated 007 or Book Bond which one doesn't really check regularly: even though I'm interested in the content they naturally don't have constant updates to check for because of their subject matter.
So does that mean you'd see a headline and then click through to the site it's on?

[thecasinoroyale]

I think it needs something...anything...just for more current, up-to date and breaking news in a format Bond fans can enthuse over.

As stated before, 'Skyfall' and 'Carte Blanche', two big Bond news items, haven't made it into sections on the CBn main page. Just to keep on top of updates and things.

Full of ideas now, just wouldn't know where to start...!

[zencat]

What I've been arguing behind the scenes (for two freakin' years!) is to turn the CBn main page into an aggregator news website -- you know, pull in headline RSS feeds from a choice collection of Bond sites like: MI6, 007 Mag, Official Site, My Book Bond blog, IFP, Illustrated 007, The Gaming site, James Bond Brasil, etc. Then we have a one stop place where you can see ALL of what's going on in the Bond world.

Sounds like a great idea: I'd very much enjoy that. It'd be good to see the new posts from sites like Illustrated 007 or Book Bond which one doesn't really check regularly: even though I'm interested in the content they naturally don't have constant updates to check for because of their subject matter.
So does that mean you'd see a headline and then click through to the site it's on?

Exactly. It would work just like any RSS feed. You'd see a handful of headlines, an image from article, and maybe the first few lines or even the full first paragraph. That's just an adjustment. A click takes you to the site if you want to read on. And I like the idea of having a collection of individual boxes containing each site's feed. Not a stream like we have now.

And, yeah, that's the point of a good Bond aggregator site/page. You see the whole Bond universe in one shot -- films, books, games, artwork and collecting. We could even have a Google search feed set up to find anything "Skyfall."

It would also just be a great way to unify and showcase all the great Bond sites. The CBn main page still gets a lot of traffic, and people should know about sites like Illustrated 007, etc. It would be a service to Bond fans.

[Vauxhall]

My concern over aggregating other articles is that CBn could end up redirecting visitors to sites on other sites which are riddled with inaccuracies and flawed speculation. As a starter, it would be nice to have a page on SKYFALL which contains all the confirmed information we have about the film. That may just be a pipe dream though!

[zencat]

My concern over aggregating other articles is that CBn could end up redirecting visitors to sites on other sites which are riddled with inaccuracies and flawed speculation. As a starter, it would be nice to have a page on SKYFALL which contains all the confirmed information we have about the film. That may just be a pipe dream though!

Well, we'd have to choose reliable sites, not junk. But I think people understand that websites are responsible for themselves. And when we have an assortment of reliable sites, you can see in one place if a bit of news has been confirmed or debunked by another site. And there would always be the official site sitting right there too.

Just imagine the main page when big news hits and all the sites cover it. That would be beautiful. I also think the chosen sites might step it up because they'd want to be the first up on CBn.

[JCRendle]

How much work would it take to do this?

[zencat]

Unfortunately, it might take a lot of work as it will mean a main page redesign. So all this is easy for me to say...

But we are not even to the point where the amount of work is an issue because, as I've said, I've pitched this idea again and again to the CBn Team and each time it has been shot down.

[DamnCoffee]

Well, I think it's a great idea. I'm for it.

[zencat]

Well, I think it's a great idea. I'm for it.

Thank you, Mharkin.

[zencat]

Here was my design idea from January 2011. The website links here are just suggestions, and I now think the boxes can be slimmer and maybe more of them, much like a Google start page. Or have multiple feeds per each "dossier". Here's part of what I said about this back then:

This is just a crass mock-up, but use some imagination and apply some clever design to this templet. Maybe let's make each of the RSS boxes look like folders -- Dossiers if you will. Maybe they are grayed out and when you roll over each they come to life. Maybe name them something fun or add a distinct image to each -- the CBn man holding a book -- holding a Wii, etc. Also, I don't know how it will all look in the flesh, but maybe we can add more feeds. Or we can swap things around -- maybe the forums "folder" is up top. I don't know. But this is the general idea.

Someone with talent...please feel free to improve on this. Maybe we can submit the design to The Admiral.

Attached Files

•  NEW CBN.jpeg   124.88KB   23 downloads

[JCRendle]

I've pitched this idea again and again to the CBn Team and each time it has been shot down.

That was when there was a chance of the site restarting. As this seems unlikely, and with the support of the forum members, it may have a better chance now.

Also, the old MI6 website address, MI6.co.uk, now redirects to the main CBn site - so we may get traffic from their old members looking for news now Skyfall is filming,

[JCRendle]

Someone with talent...please feel free to improve on this. Maybe we can submit the design to The Admiral.

Can't say i'm talented, but here's how I see you're idea. It shouldn't mean a major redesign...




Uploaded with ImageShack.us

[zencat]

Ah, yes, very nice.

[JCRendle]

I missed off the add section, but that could be under the forum posts.