@Hisaishi:

For starters, I'm glad you kept the news in there. I don't know if there will be weekly notes from the Bossman in the future, but I liked that, too.

The part that I wasn't too keen on was the Top 8 submissions to the site. These things already have exposure. If you do add things about what's going on at theO, I think it should be more than just the Top 8. Maybe have some submissions selected at random, or staff picks.

@Japan:

YES! I'm all for that idea! I can't tell you how many times I've been disappointed in an anime. And how many times I've seen an anime that hasn't gotten the hype it deserves. Same goes for manga and video games.

@Keba Si Rota:

We'll take any critiques you have and try to apply them. It's still very much a work in progress.

I would like fanwords back. Perhaps an anime, video game, or manga review section? Cosplay section of sorts...I miss how this site used to have anime reviews.

I got my first issue of theO's newsletter yesterday. I was wondering if you're accepting feedback on that, because I have some suggestions.

This isn't exactly related to the topic, but I do like the Twitter link on the side. If that account gets updated frequently, I'll follow it!

I've seen multiple sites with Twitter feeds off to the side, showing the latest tweets from the site. One of those would look pretty nice.

We should make it really colourful and attractive! ^__^

@edisshort:

I like the idea of AMVs too (just made one for my own personal enjoyment the other day :D), but then there's the whole thing about legal tape. But yes, the caption battles should be brought back :D And I don't know if video games were previously allowed for the battles, but given that they're part of the fandom here on theO, I think game images should be included as well. Just my two cents.

Also, and this is kind of off-topic, but it's maintenance-related. I can't reach the new category page for Sam & Max :/ (it's finally been added! :D) And I know there's fan art there because I changed the category on some of my works (there are about 11 of them). It's just a blank page when I click on the category name.

I know i'm placing an idea up AGAIN but I went through this entire comment section and saw a really good one. Adding polls would be really awesome! You can vote and since I really like going on the quizzes, it could be great if there could be a poll once a week because i'm always waiting for new quizzes!

@edisshort:

Everyone have great ideas. I think cons were talked about before if I recall correctly. Like I think there used to be theotaku gatherings too. But either way I think it's a good idea.

Hi I'm back again too To get the community news more active, Hisaishi's idea of bringing back the caption battles was a really good idea. And I also like bringing back the featuring of AMVs too. Here's something that's never been done before and would be a really quick thing to do-how about making a list of anime/game/comic conventions that are happening that month around the world? That way people easily find out which cons are happening in or around their area and in the comments it would be easier to organize meetups. All you'd have to do is copy the list of cons from here

Hello back again XD Another idea is that we could have the option to schedule posts like they do on deviantart and on tumblr so that people can plan things ahead for times that they're not here and so they don't have to spam when they get back (or when we just have a general back log of art ^^;) and keep activity going and not be as 'dead', it might also make the site itself less dead.
I would like this as I can have things ready and post things and I like posting on both dA and here but unable to due to not being here at that time

I went through all of the comments, and there were some pretty good ideas that I'd like to highlight.

edisshort
State Alchemist (Otaku Eternal)
"....You have to have everything right within the user's view. And since theotaku doesn't see much activity anymore, it'd be great to showcase older artworks and have it randomize each day so it grabs the user's attention. And then when you scroll down, you can also view newer artwork. I also think bringing back the cosplay section would be a REALLY great idea..."

saijinto
Hylian Knight (Otaku Eternal)
"....the return of featured art work, as well as showcasing older work is a really great idea, maybe dub that area" Memory lane" or"blast from the past! Also maybe having a daily theme to increase site involvement i.e caption battles every thursday, music from animes, and possibly some back ground provided on the anime its from, that would help introduce people to new animes, that could be "Music mondays"(alliteration isn't really necessary though haha)..."

bibi201
Otakuite
"...idea of changing the background for it for different holidays like Christmas and Easter. And I really liked the idea of changing the normal background to a different colour, not always just blue (even though I really like blue, I like a dark blue better) And maybe for every season you can change the colour. Like Summer can be yellow or orange and Spring can be green."

Ritona Raito
Hunter (Otaku Eternal)
"...it'd be cool to get something where you can find out what's going on within the community that's being hosted or promoted through other people's worlds. Like I know during the holiday seasons there are several users on this site that host secret santa exchanges, and year round some people even house graphic competitions and exchanges outside of TheO's submissions. It'd be handy to have a feature to where that kind of happening would be updated so more people could be aware about it and participate..."

and lastly,
The Mask
Detective Mask (Otaku Eternal)
"....I believe the site should now maximize further on the surge of social media in today's world. Aside from the FB plugin, you can also place a Twitter feed on the right column for the latest tweets of the official site. Place Like, Share, or Tweet buttons in key places of the main page as well as in each individual fan work.

A monthly site poll could be another way of making things a bit more interactive. The question could be anime-related, art-related, or life-related, though it would have to made in such a way that it can be inclusive for every member in the site regardless of country of origin...."

The ideal thing would be to have a responsive layout so that people like me [who check theO on their smart phones hehe] can have a comfortable view of it.
Also it should become a landing page. For example, instead of having those large thumbnails for each section there should be a slideshow showing latest/top graphics and art work. And a vertical menu on top for each section. So that user just click on the tab and the page slides down to respective section.

Sorry for this long boring explanation ^^; I am a CS major and currently studying UI and UX, so this just happens.

Anyways, whatever TheO does, it is the best! ^^

Cheers!

P.S. Mailing List is totally cool.
P.P.S. Apart from Facebook and Twitter, they can create account on instagram, pinterest and tumblr and use HootSuite to manage all at once [again sorry ^^;]

I really like the idea of changing the background for it for different holidays like Christmas and Easter. And I really liked the idea of changing the normal background to a different colour, not always just blue (even though I really like blue, I like a dark blue better) And maybe for every season you can change the colour. Like Summer can be yellow or orange and Spring can be green.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again:

BRING BACK CAPTION BATTLE!

I'd like the feature item back, as it gives people more exposure and something for people to aim for, especially given that here hasn't got anything like a DD. What some people have already mention is like extra sections like cosplay, writing and also maybe animating and crafts, it might bring in more people to the sight.
I haven't really got anything to suggest, but good luck with the re-vamp :)

Maybe change the blue lol.

I'm gonna reiterate what Sol has already said... I was a fan of the featured works section as well as the smaller thumbnails with the potential to scroll.

I don't know if this last idea would ever work, but it'd be cool to get something where you can find out what's going on within the community that's being hosted or promoted through other people's worlds. Like I know during the holiday seasons there are several users on this site that host secret santa exchanges, and year round some people even house graphic competitions and exchanges outside of TheO's submissions. It'd be handy to have a feature to where that kind of happening would be updated so more people could be aware about it and participate. (Maybe? I could just be rambling...)

I agree with a lot of the points already made.

I particularly like the idea of random works getting featured, not just new works but old ones as well. I feel like there's a lot of work that doesn't really get the attention they deserve and a featured art or artist thing would be cool.

Like on the side of the page where a random work was featured, I miss that dearly. Also miss the Top 8 section of all the wallpapers, mobile wallpapers (which should be expanded to include more than just iPhone/iPad, cause not everyone has/uses these phones or tablets), fan art, and fan comics/manga (which is under rated here and good fan stories don't get the attention they deserve,same with e-cards), and e cards.

I also think that maybe theme integration is a good idea as well. The honest fact is theO doesn't change much and maybe some seasonal themes can be used to liven things up. Just a thought there and another user (or users) brought it up before me. Thought I'd say something too. I agree with the idea. Especially around Christmas. A red and green site would be festive with lights and trees and the mascot with a santa hat (and similar layout for other holidays as well. Ie: Pumpkins for Halloween.)

Oh and thought I should mention, make theO more mobile friendly. I browse the site frequently on my Blackberry and find it annoying to keep scrolling/zooming out to read or view everything. It gets old. Also make the comment box mobile friendly as well. It would be nice. Also I'm sure I'm not the only one who view theO from their mobile/tablet. Just a thought anyways.

Make the rules visible/linkable on the main page regarding different submissions.

I also miss the cosplay section. It was awesome to see people being creative. Plus the photos were stunning. It was one of things I liked about theO back in the day.

I agree with smaller thumbnails, site would load faster.

Another thing I'd like to bring up while I'm here is make theO more anti art theft. Awhile back I had my work stolen and I contacted Adam and nothing seemed to get done (but they did get taken down awhile back thanks to the help of my friends). But that really isn't the point.
The point is to make theO a more active and diligent place in this area and when a suspicious work is reported, there should be a team of users who reviews the reported works carefully and then decide on what action need be taken. Again this is just a thought and something a lot of people here could benefit from.

This is all I can think of at the moment. I hope my thoughts were insightful and helpful. Thanks for reading.
~Judai

Personally, I'd like to see more features of user's work. I also miss when written work was featured too instead of all being crammed into worlds where it barely sees the light of day unless you have tons of subscribers.

Also, something I tried to set up with my Facebook group was artist features where a piece of art (Not always new) would be spotlighted and reviewed to boost artist visibility. Maybe that would be a good idea?

One major thing that I suggested quite a while ago was a proper help centre where an FAQ could be housed and support tickets could be raised. Back when I was a chat mod half the new folks hadn't got a clue where the rules were either, so maybe better rules visibility too?

Here's another idea, though this may be a bit ambitious. Why not integrate the home page and the main backroom page? This idea is based on the current system in Pixiv.net.

The thing is, I tend to go straight away in the Backroom section of the site for updates in my pieces, so I may disregard the main page. By integrating both pages, I think it would improve the browsing experience of the users in the site.

The thing with this idea though is that this would require a major site renovation rather than a main page renovation alone.

In the longest time that I've been a member, I barely received any email from the site. So I'm not really sure if delivering news direct to e-mail would be a wise idea.

Also, I think that in today's age, mailing lists have started to become less preferred in favor of social media accounts. I even know some people who have a Facebook account but don't know how to effectively use an e-mail.

I think the site is taking a step forward by having Twitter and Facebook pages. That's how the Internet is already; it can no longer be ignored.

As for my answer to the question, I think you should keep the sections for Fan Art, Fan Comics, eCards, Quizzes, Wallpapers, and Mobile Wallpapers. I would suggest featuring four of the newest entries for each section, or four of the top-rated new entries instead. (Although with the pace in which the fan works are being submitted now, I doubt if the latter suggestion would progress.)

I guess the anime news section should be phased out eventually as well. Though people still read it, I think it's no longer feasible to keep this feature running in an age where people tend to get their news quicker than ever through their Apps. It would be better if the FB and Twitter pages would post these news instead, with a direct link to the news source.

And going back to my previous point, I believe the site should now maximize further on the surge of social media in today's world. Aside from the FB plugin, you can also place a Twitter feed on the right column for the latest tweets of the official site. Place Like, Share, or Tweet buttons in key places of the main page as well as in each individual fan work.

A monthly site poll could be another way of making things a bit more interactive. The question could be anime-related, art-related, or life-related, though it would have to made in such a way that it can be inclusive for every member in the site regardless of country of origin.

That's what I have so far. I hope they were insightful.

I think the main page would have a section for Fan Art, Wallpapers ect. Then maybe a place the show cases the challenges that are happening? Then may be quick links to things.

I raise my glass to the whole idea of showcasing older art, and not just popular artworks either. It should be random to a degree. Perhaps a few older works could be showcased at a time, or there could be some way to automatically cycle through random works on the homepage. I'm having a hard time describing this...

Also, to whomever suggested themes for some days - that sounds like fun. I think TheO should think in terms of making this place more interactive for its members, ways we can get to know and have fun with different members. What about seasonal themes? Like, when Christmas rolls around the corner, TheO could put some sort of theme/challenge/contest for fun?

Maybe the homepage could have an equal amount of space for each section because it sometime really annoys me that the news section dominates nearly half the page and that the things people are usually more interested in usually just show 1 or 2 new ones that take up barely any space.

I think Saijinto has some really good ideas! *3*

And I agree 100% with edisshort! When I look at the homepage (which I rarely do, I'm usually looking in the backroom) I just look at the news, and if it doesn't sound interesting I just go back to my backroom. I don't even scroll down. I think the site would benefit greatly from the smaller thumbnails and to just have a homepage where you don't scroll down, or if you do, then there is more art to look at.

I also agree with the cosplay thing. That was one of the things that brought me to theO. There was awesome fanart, awesome wallpapers, and awesome cosplay. Lots of users want to showcase their cosplay but don't know how because it's not exactly fanart, and it's boring when it's just in our 'worlds'.

I don't really have any ideas for myself, I just think a lot of the comments already posted have some great ideas! XD

I think before the page was revamped. 4 or 5 popular works for each section and then when you click on the section link, you get directed to the recent submissions.

As for the comics and quizzes, I'm not too sure. Perhaps the way it is set up now? Fan Comics and Quizzes next to each other with 1 thumbnail each.

I think smaller thumbnails could work well, sometimes the images look stretched or distorted which makes the front page lower quality.

Also I think bringing some sort of featured art spot back would be great, but maybe limit it in some way. For example, if a members work is featured, then they can't have another feature for a while perhaps. I don't know how this would work exactly, but I hope you see what I mean. It may encourage people to submit more if they see that the feature isn't limited to the most popular artists. It could also be a good way of showcasing newer member's art. Sometimes people just check the art of the people they are subscribed to, and having a feature could introduce new art and new members to a wider audience.

I like the idea of showcasing older art/walls/ecards etc too.

I also like the link to the news section. I probably wouldn't read it in an email but I do check it out on the website.

Anyway, I look forward to the update!

I totally agree with edisshort's idea of randomly showcasing older pieces of artwork. Over time, a lot of really good wallpapers and fan art drawings can get forgotten, so that would be a good way to expose them to more people and get them more attention. As for getting rid of the news feature, I'm pretty okay with that. It seems like most of the stories in the news section is stuff that's reported on the Anime News Network site. I check that site out at least once a day, so a lot of the stories I see here are pretty much old news to me by the time I see them.

Other than that, I don't really have any suggestions for how to improve the main page.

Um...Where is the mailing list?

Make subscribe button bigger, and make things more streamlined but other than that everything can stay the same.

I agree with Sakaira. I'm not too keen on having to check my email for the news. I'd rather have it right there as soon as I open the page. I really miss the grey scheme that you guys used to have. But it would be really outdated if you reverted it back.

This is gonna sound confusing, but in an ideal world, I think the main page would have a more column/row layout instead of giant box thumbnails everywhere. We're lazy and it's easier to just see them instead of scrolling down. To be honest, theotaku's my home page but unless I see something new or interesting I go straight to facebook or tumblr instead. You have to have everything right within the user's view. And since theotaku doesn't see much activity anymore, it'd be great to showcase older artworks and have it randomize each day so it grabs the user's attention. And then when you scroll down, you can also view newer artwork. I also think bringing back the cosplay section would be a REALLY great idea. And it'd be great to have a fanfiction/writing section to showcase writers' work. :)

Definitely a good question. I'm not entirely sure what would be best for the home page. Definitely looking forward to seeing what you come up with though.

You lost me on subscribe.

Update wise. Hmm.. I vaguely remember when the site had its gray scheme, but I was content with all the changes. You're removing the news section? Honestly, I like that probably because I can still read the news without going to my email (laziness). If you do remove that from the main page, maybe give it a separate tab like near the wallpaper/fanart.

Maybe have a random feature at the top, where every few hours or so it'll randomly display a fan art/wallpaper/ecard/fan comics/quizzes/ maybe even member. Then below have columns of each section, first one can be featured work of that section and the rest new?
Ex: [featured fan art of past 3 hours] [new art] [second newest] [third newest]

Ah... I dunno. Do whatever you want.

I agree with Keba; I can't see the subscribe button and, while it's not necessarily anything specific to the homepage layout, I do miss the caption battles.

Mmm, yes. One of the things I never really liked about the main page were the huge thumbnails that took the place of the categories. I miss being able to scroll down on the front page and see all of the awesome without flailing about on a massive thumbnail.

In my perfect homepage world, all of the small thumbnails would be back, but they would scroll horizontally, endlessly, and I could up my convenience level to about 115%.

Not to mention, I miss the submission highlights; featured stuff was pretty cool. Not saying it was perfect, but it gave some people a goal to strive for and when it was around, I was always trying to do better with my eCards and stuff for it.

Well I'm sure whatever you guys decide to do will be awesome! Group discussion can be fun as mentioned below or maybe a small area where you can see the new profiles (I know you have a section for that but maybe it will make them feel special )

Wait. You have a mailing list? I don't see the link to subscribe to it.

For the main page, I like seeing the links to each section. Maybe the more popular sections should be listed first so people that want to go there wouldn't scroll down as much. Or maybe you should reduce the size of the icons for Fan Art, Wallpapers, et cetera, so that the viewer can see them all at once. Maybe then there could be three in a row instead of two.

Something that I'd like for you to keep is the site updates at the top. Maybe if you aren't using it for news anymore, you could open up posts for bug reports or category suggestions. I also miss those discussions, caption battles, and World highlights. Of course, there could be new news features as well. I have a list of them, but I can't seem to think of them all right now.