#1 - 05/09/2008 at 16:38
This is an open discussion, please express your views for and against the following statement:
We should aim to release the client as an "Added bonus" and not as the whole point of the website. We will soon be doing mass marketing compaigns and email mailshots once the IM'ing and Applications are launched. This is in conjunction with email tools and various other applications available on ClubTropica, in my opinion this website is very powerful on its own. Once it has built up a huge reputation and user base, this is the best time to start introducing the client. I have seen and read many comments on other websites saying it would be very interesting if we aimed into a community based social networking and meeting new friends website aiming at welcoming myspace, facebook, bebo, users( and googlemail, business users, many other sites with app addons with abilities to purchase ANDcash out isla's).. but not to take over these companies. So to have the abilities to use all sites people use today on ClubTropica linking in to us (and linking out). As the client is near completition, I do not think it should not be launched however I do feel it should not launch as big scale as it were originally planned. Alot of people these days frown upon others spending their lifes on online virtual worlds as of 6 months ago (Due to Press coverage etc), however the new 'in' thing is social networing, meeting new friends, blogging, widgets and youtubes, forums/groups, creating websites, earning money, and creating pages made to your own way. ClubTropica has tried to continue development in this recent trend.
This is an open discussion, please discuss if you feel above is correct, wrong, half right, half wrong. No decisions have been made, we want to hear your views both as a user, and to the success of ClubTropica. Keeping in mind, whilst 12k users on ClubTropica were expecting a huge client based site, with the mass market campaign to over 5m users, keeping our fun close knicked community full of activties and multiplayer games, I think this may be a better direction.
As mentioned, if you disagree, please say! I want to hear your views before I speak to the other Company Directors with my thoughts.
Best,
James x
#2 - 05/09/2008 at 20:13
I like the idea, but after the disappointment of the client by many of clubtropica users including myself, it would be pretty hard to get a good reputation by the amount of times you let the users down. However, that obviously could change if these applications are as good as you say they are. Hopefully users won't want the client as much after these applications.
#3 - 05/09/2008 at 20:28
Hi,
I've always said that I believe that ClubTropica was a website designed with the idea of a big community. I'd love to start seeing some new faces around the site as I feel that it's just the same sort of people coming on and socialising with each other, The website has taken a big transformation from v1 to v2, I feel that the new version is more people based and therefore I don't see at the moment that the client is completely necessary. I have to disagree with your feeling that ClubTropica is already a powerful site, yes there is things to do, but once everyone has explored those things people will start to get bored and leave very quickly.
I have to agree with you when you say, "Once it has built up a huge reputation and user base, this is the best time to start introducing the client.". I feel that this would be a very good for ClubTropica as more users would be attracted to the website for the extra features incl. the client.
I like the idea of ClubTropica turning more into a social networking website, but I fear that it would:
A) Destroy the community side of the website, I think that social network websites are normally for your original friends to keep in touch and not many people would add new people (just my view on it).
B) Cause alot of work for you guys at ClubTropica, you think, you have to keep up with the other social network sites whilst maintaining a 'one better' on them.
Bringing in third party websites I can see being a hassle, aslong as you do it properly (get permission etc.) I feel that it would be great!
Me, being a member of the CT community since the start, can only see great things coming out of this, aslong as the social network side of things doesn't interrupt the whole community/making new friends thing.
Thanks for the update and I wish you all the best in the future,
TMan xx :P
#4 - 05/09/2008 at 20:42
Also, what I forgot to say was, maybe when people should have the option when they sign up to chose between Community or Game and whatever they pick, they receive all the news articles/updates that are important to that 'side' of the website. Obviously they will be able to pick both and have access to them all, then allow under 16's to join, just as the game side of the website (client, restricted profiles etc..).
Just an idea..
#5 - 05/09/2008 at 22:29
I haven't read it all yet, just the first few lines, but - not being rude - but if the site is the main feature it needs major upgrades...
#6 - 05/09/2008 at 22:31
Can't you just release the client?
#7 - 05/09/2008 at 22:33
Sean: No.
Az: More detail would be appreciated to back your point and help improve the site.
Thanks
#8 - 05/09/2008 at 22:35
* a lot :)
Oh and please don't send hundreds of "Your friend has invited you to x" emails.
Hmmmm I don't think it would work without the client, because there are too many competitors, and nothing makes CT stand out.
I have so many suggestions that I can't explain. Like the layout of the site is too complex (yes complex) it needs to flow more, and be smooth and less bulky. (See I told you I can't explain it). It needs to use more apps, which are useful and not made for the sole purpose of being apps or making the site "web 2.0". Everyone hates that term and the fat 50 year old man who created it.
Anyway I didn't really give any ideas of much but there you go.
#9 - 05/09/2008 at 22:39
Thats handy to know.. CT aims to stand out by trying to offer as much as it can under one roof, for example it offers Domain registration, abilities to earn isla's (and soon cash out to money), ability to make your profile designed to the way you like it, ability to add applications using API's like facebook (Good news, as ClubTropica has an email system we won't be allowing applications to flood peoples emails ;]), oh ofcourse the email features, the IM features, we are hoping to get Voice Enabled Chat very soon aswell..
What features do you think should be added to make CT stand out more? Whilst there are a number of competitors out there, I do still feel we have the upper edge of having some rather easy to use features for example you don't need to learn CSS like on MySpace, and you can design the page just as you like it unlike Facebook, however you have the popular features of application creation on facebook, aswell as the the full use of MySpace type features. In regards to the design, alot of pages need updating still and in progress however ofcourse this design may not be everyones taste and quite possibly modified in the future, but compared to the previous it's deffinately an improvement. ;]
Ofcourse eventually the client will be launched, but with more of a push on the website features than it being a virtual island.
Any other views or comments to make CT stand out?
Thanks again Az!
#10 - 05/09/2008 at 22:45
Maybe this is my preference, but the (I hate the term) pagination needs to be changed, and landing pages need to be introduced (landing page does not always mean a page with junk on that no one uses).
Nothing seams to be integrated. If I want a domain, I don't know where to look, I think I saw it under "My Account" like a month ago. A problem you may have is not being able to step back and see the site from the outside. There should be a community landing page, when a user clicks "community" from the nav bar. Here widgets can be displayed (when the site becomes more popular):
Popular groups, Random Groups, Search Groups. Popular chat rooms (AJAX, JSON and PHP ASSOC > JSON makes it very easy to make a good one :)) Popular profiles etc.
(Don't worry, the landing page is a portal so it isn't ott, you can shove whatever you want on their as long as they are connected).
Now don't get me wrong CT is better than a lot of places out there and has a lot of potential but just trying to make it better. My ideas might be totally crap though so it's best to ask other people.
Product: 
