Front page reshuffle

[U-96]

Looks nice, I like it.

Does this mean the focus will be on more articles? How about some hints about what's in the pipeline? /forum/smile.gif

U-96

[SysOpt]

Thanks, glad you like it. The focus will in fact include many more articles than in the past. Basically these will be analyses of new technologies, concepts, a new way of doing something, commentary on the industry, trade show coverage, etc. You will begin to see more guides pop up, like everything you need to know about a motherboard (features, components, etc.) to make an informed decision, how-to guides (dual celeron overclocking, component installation, Linux installation / Samba setup, etc.). And we'll also still be focusing on reviews and are working on boosting our manufacturer relationships. You should start to see more pre-release products, graphics cards, motherboards, hard drives, CPU's, etc.

But the focus won't be on gaming. It really never has been. Sure, we use Quake2/3 or some other 3D game to benchmark a graphics card or show off the resolution, but we want to leave the application up to the audience, rather than telling you what to do with the information we give you. And we also want the site to be something that you can use from work to gain important knowledge as it pertains to your job, as well as a place to hang out after work and on the weekends to tweak your home system and make intelligent component selections.

Of course, one of the major aspects of the site which will be strengthened is the community involvement. Right now we have over 900 products reviewed in the user reviews section, submitted by SysOpt users, we've reached over 50,000 message posts and 4,200+ users in the message board since the Ultimate Bulletin Board software was put into place in February, and we'll continue with other surveys/polls to let you express your opinion to others and share your knowledge. Of course, ResellerRatings.com is an offshoot of the site, and has about 1,000 hardware resellers evaluated, and the site's backend will be redesigned soon to offer increased functionality and to squash the bugs.

And as always, I welcome your suggestions!

Thanks,

Scott Wainner
Editor-in-Chief
SysOpt.com, ResellerRatings.com
EarthWeb, Inc.


[This message has been edited by SysOpt (edited 10-06-99).]

[U-96]

Thanks for your comprehensive reply, Scott. Sounds like a great plan.

I'm glad you have decided to concentrate on the hardware/OS side of things. Sysopt does it very well, and without the patronizing tone used on many other sites. I don't think I've ever seen anyone flame someone because they didn't know what EIDE or RAMBUS was. This is a great place for beginners and experts.

I guess you noticed that I hang around in the Gaming Forum occasionally /forum/wink.gif
As you say, more focus on gaming and allied stuff is pointless. So many other dedicated sites exist for that. However the Gaming Forum is useful for resolving general configuration/hardware problems and general discussion of what's new/good/bad, just like any other dedicated Forum. If I want reviews and screenshots, I go somewhere like Gamespot: with their paper-publishing connections, they often get all the best scoops anyway. I hope you get similar results by your closer co-operation with hardware manufacturers.

Indeed, I often use my knowledge gained from Sysopt articles and members to help people on game discussion boards. If I can't help them, I like to send them here /forum/smile.gif

As regards work, Sysopt has helped me advise on hardware upgrades, fix Windows (lots), plug security holes and get some contract work on the side.

(Feel free to use that as a satisfied customer endorsement!)

Here's looking to the future!

U-96


[This message has been edited by U-96 (edited 10-07-99).]