Gamingparents.org Created 18 years ago2006-08-22 01:28:49 UTC by satchmo satchmo

Created 18 years ago2006-08-22 01:28:49 UTC by satchmo satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2006-08-22 01:28:49 UTC Post #194092
I am starting an online community called www.gamingparents.org. It's created for older gamers (like myself) who are about to become parents in the near future.

Here is the general organization for the site. Please offer any suggestions. Thank you.
News
Gallery
  • Screenshots
  • Desktop
  • Hardware
  • Members
  • Misc
Forums
  • General Discussion
  • Gaming
PC (shooter, rpg, strategy, modding, misc)
Consoles (shooter, sport, racing, etc)
Hardware
  • Parenting
Gaming (good, bad, ugly)
Internet (MySpace, blogs)
Media (movies, music, books)
Misc
GP Game Ratings
  • Recommendation (poll)
7 and up
12 and up
15 and up
18 and up
Game Reviews
  • PC (shooter, rpg, strategy, misc)
  • Consoles (ps2, psp, xbox, xbox 360, gamecube)
Hardware Reviews
  • PC (graphics card, peripherals, misc)
  • Consoles (controls, ...)
Non-Gaming Parents
  • Introduction
  • Glossary
  • FAQ
satchmo satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-22 02:00:18 UTC Post #194094
Can't connect. Either the DNS is fuxt or your server is fuxt. If you've only just bought the domain, it should work in a few hours, to a day.
m0p m0pIllogical.
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-22 04:09:38 UTC Post #194098
Put in a section for how gaming destroys lives and that GTA is worse than AIDS.
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-22 06:30:56 UTC Post #194106
Put in a section for how gaming destroys lives and that GTA is worse than AIDS.
Only if it's played by the wrong people.
As a parant you can explain - for example - that GTA is just a game and you should not act like you do ingame in the reality.
I played GTA, and well, you don't see me running around killing people on the street, matter of fact, you don't see me at all! :o

Satchmo: I think it's a great forum idea (even though I'm just 14 myself)
because if parants present PC/video games for their childs they are also responseble for the posseble consiquenses.
Madcow MadcowSpy zappin my udder
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-22 06:32:45 UTC Post #194107
Are you kidding? Have you ever played AIDS? If you never played in that how can you tell it's better then GTA!
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-22 07:16:13 UTC Post #194111
I can't imagine someone producing a game with the title 'AIDS', even if it was a mispelling of a game about personal trainers
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-22 07:28:54 UTC Post #194112
??
Is AIDS a game?
Madcow MadcowSpy zappin my udder
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-22 07:32:07 UTC Post #194114
yea, it's about the aftermath of one of the GTA games :nuts: :P
Penguinboy PenguinboyHaha, I died again!
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-22 07:59:00 UTC Post #194119
Great idea, Satchmo. :)
Really, it's about fucking time the parents got a better, more realistic view of the gaming world..
Daubster DaubsterVault Dweller
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-22 08:38:00 UTC Post #194121
NOBODY UNDERSTANDS US KIDS!!

Looks cool, and I agree w/ Daub. Too bad I'm 14 though :D . Even if it's not a forum for kids, it would be interesting to simply read through it.
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-22 09:41:05 UTC Post #194127
Can I join and have a loud voice spewing out biased opinions even though I'm just 16?

I know what's best for kids EVERYWHERE!!!

Seriously though, good idea, I'd love to pitch in if you need help with anything.
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-22 09:52:09 UTC Post #194128
just mention how much you love valve in every paragraph, you'll do fine.

mumble content contributor you didnt get those in my day mumble mumble
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-22 10:11:38 UTC Post #194129
Can't connect.
I haven't put anything up yet. It's only at the planning stage.

When I came up with the idea for this gaming community, I was planning to serve the need for all of us (you guys, in particular). Sure, you play a lot of games now as adolescents, but what's going to happen twenty years from now? Are you all going to stop playing HL3/HL4 immediately once you turn 34? I don't think so.

There is such a void in the online community serving older gamers (like myself). When this current gaming generation grows up, my community is going to be the new "geek heaven" for all the gaming adults who love to share their gaming experience with their children.

I can't wait to have my son/daughter play my custom maps I made for HL1 and HL2. It'll be such a bonding experience.

TWHL is the first online community that I ever joined. Mapping for HL1 started it all. You guys are some of my closest friends, that's why I came back for your opinion. I would love to have you contribute (perhaps even moderate) my community.

Imagine that, a fourteen year old moderating a community for thirty-somethings. It's the perfect chance for you to get back at your parents for not letting you play games.

Of course, I would expect certain amount of maturity if you want to be a moderator.
satchmo satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-22 14:22:45 UTC Post #194166
Honoured that you approve of us, anyway. Keep us up-to-date.
Seventh-Monkey Seventh-MonkeyPretty nifty
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-22 15:18:42 UTC Post #194182
Have you actually bought the domain yet?
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-22 16:08:28 UTC Post #194186
Sounds like a very interesting idea. The only suggestion I have is maybe narrow the forum sections down a bit. It will make the community on the site feel larger if less sections on the forum are available, and encourage more interaction :)
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-22 16:36:23 UTC Post #194190
ya, consolidated forums = win

maybe just narrow it down to
General Banther
Computer stuff
^ Online gaming
^ Non Online gaming
^ tech
^ etc
Parenting stuff
^ games for your kids
^ effects of gaming
^ general good parenting stuff
^ logical arguments against washinton
^ etc

maybe a bit more subsectioned if 3 fourms are too few.

and I would be a proud content contributor to your site. I can be as mature as any adult when im not in a happy go lucky enviroment that is built for bouts of sillyness
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-22 16:38:55 UTC Post #194191
Have you actually bought the domain yet?
Yes, I am the proud owner of www.gamingparents.org

I get my hosting from Surpass Hosting. It's a very good and reputable company.

It sounds like the first step to create the community (after paying for the domain name) is to download and install Apache and MySQL on my computer.

Then, I'm using Joomla and phpBB for my site. I've read some guides on these tools, and they seem very easy to use. With my existing HTML and CSS knowledge, I shouldn't have much problem creating the community (I hope).
satchmo satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-22 16:41:24 UTC Post #194192
its going to be a bit hard to run a site off a comp in your home. the bandwidth would be a bit to low
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-22 16:50:14 UTC Post #194194
Probably, yeah. Cable?
Seventh-Monkey Seventh-MonkeyPretty nifty
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-22 16:51:47 UTC Post #194195
its going to be a bit hard to run a site off a comp in your home. the bandwidth would be a bit to low
No, the local server is created for the sole purpose of testing the site and design. Once the site is up and running flawlessly, I'll upload the files and publish them.

The real server that handles the traffic is at Surpass Hosting. It has a bandwidth limit of 200 GB per month and 5 GB of storage space. I think that's plenty for a start-up community. I can always upgrade my hosting if the traffic gets busy.

By the way, how heavy is the bandwidth traffic at TWHL? Does it use any PHP tools? Like Mamba or Joomla? Does Seventh code it himself?

I like the consolidation suggestions. Three forums sound good:

General Discussion (any topic)
Gaming (discussion about your favorite and current games--you as a gamer)
  • PC
  • Consoles
Parenting (parenting stories and opinions--you as a parent)
  • Children and Gaming (share your children's gaming experience)
  • Misc (general parenting tips and experiences)
satchmo satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-22 17:09:12 UTC Post #194196
Seems like a good idea, I guess this is where all the questions about php suites and forums came up :)
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-22 17:09:59 UTC Post #194197
As for the color scheme for the site, I plan to use one similar to TWHL. I want to pay tribute to my favorite games of all time--Half-Life and Half-Life 2. Orange with black menu (with pale-yellow menu text) should be clear and distinct. A touch of gray (to similate the Black Mesa science lab feel) should be in place too.
satchmo satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-22 17:11:51 UTC Post #194198
Interesting project Satch, still aint working though. :)
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-22 17:23:11 UTC Post #194199
By the way, how heavy is the bandwidth traffic at TWHL? Does it use any PHP tools? Like Mamba or Joomla? Does Seventh code it himself?
20GB/month is our limit. I think you'll be fine :P

All custom-coded, PHP-side. atom did most of this incarnation as a "my first PHP" thing. I'm re-writing it at the moment.
Seventh-Monkey Seventh-MonkeyPretty nifty
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-22 19:13:14 UTC Post #194209
still aint working though
I am at work now, and I have to finish my book first before diving into this project.

I have too many things all going on at the same time right now. I have to control my excessive motivation sometimes.
I'm re-writing it at the moment.
Impressive. If I run into any problem with PHP coding, I'll be sure to seek advice here. :quizzical:
satchmo satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-22 19:45:04 UTC Post #194213
Whats the hosting per month?

If you waited i woulda suggested dream hosting. It would cost about 15 US dollars a month, with hundreds of gigs of bandwith a month (and it keeps getting bigger), and you have tons and tons of space.
Luke LukeLuke
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-22 19:54:52 UTC Post #194216
I'm getting $6 a month for 200 GB of monthly bandwidth.

That's a pretty good deal I'd say.
satchmo satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-22 20:05:14 UTC Post #194218
Very good :P

And for now, it should be good.
Luke LukeLuke
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-22 20:41:54 UTC Post #194223
If atom and Seventh don't mind, I am going to incorporate some features of TWHL into my site design.

For example, I love the "Hello <user>! This is your ##th login." message. It's very endearing and welcoming.

I also like the newest member welcome message.

Both of those are going to be elements of my community. Of course, it won't be a mapping community, so other aspects of the site design will be quite different.

I won't publish the site for another three or four months, so be patient. The link will be dead in the mean time.
satchmo satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-22 20:56:43 UTC Post #194225
ooh, 200Gb monthly, nice price, but I can get unlimited for 6 as well

chris@infanethosting.com

email him. I think the offer is still valid, Im planning on getting one from them myself either way though
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-22 21:38:56 UTC Post #194228
Surpass Hosting has been around for years now, and they have unfailingly provided amazing support and service. I think I'll stick with them.

Thanks for the offer. :lol:
satchmo satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-22 23:16:11 UTC Post #194230
Would there be some sort of age limit applied to the forum? It sounds like a fun and informative place to be and I'm sure many other 14-year-olds here, at TWHL, would enjoy being a part of this as much as I would :) .

Its all up to you though :) .
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-22 23:19:58 UTC Post #194231
Get a girl pregnant and you can join.

Seeing how your here, its safe to say i can join. :>
Luke LukeLuke
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-22 23:35:33 UTC Post #194233
Would there be some sort of age limit applied to the forum?
No, I don't want to be discriminatory. Anyone can join and become a member, although I am designing the site for an older audience. Some of the topics in the forum will be about parenting experiences.

I am trying to sell it to the gearhead parents who don't want to give up gaming once they are suppose to be responsible adults.
satchmo satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-23 03:07:18 UTC Post #194238
I am trying to sell it to the gearhead parents who don't want to give up gaming once they are suppose to be responsible adults.
It's not always because of the kids, Satch. :)
Sometimes it's just the job. They come back home really tired and haven't got the energy to play anymore.
Daubster DaubsterVault Dweller
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-23 08:26:24 UTC Post #194254
If you need design, CSS or HTML suggestions, I'm all there, :) . I suggest putting up an information front for gamingparents.org so people know it exists.
Make it state the purpose of the website and an approximate ETA on the actual content.

With 200GB bandwidth per month, you can afford pretty heavy traffic, I wouldn't worry about that.

And yes, limiting the forum to a maximum of 4 sections would be a good idea. Too many sections make a site very confusing and almost always makes it seem empty.
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-23 09:20:40 UTC Post #194260
Sometimes it's just the job. They come back home really tired and haven't got the energy to play anymore.
It's just the opposite for most gaming adults. My clan mates and I are most likely going to fire up HL or CS after a long and stressful day at work. It's hard for my wife to understand why I want to shoot someone in the head after working for fourteen hours straight, but it's a tremendous stress reliever for me.
I suggest putting up an information front for gamingparents.org so people know it exists.
Make it state the purpose of the website and an approximate ETA on the actual content.
Great minds think alike! I was just about to do that before I read your post.
If you need design, CSS or HTML suggestions, I'm all there, smile - :)
I am actually starting a graphics competition for the header graphics of the community. The rules are listed below:
  • It has to have the words "Gaming Parents" in the traditional Half-Life 2 font and kerning.
  • The background should be mainly orange, like TWHL. The color of the text should be some variation of black, but I would allow some creative leeway.
  • The border should be somehow HL-themed, it could be Xen-related, Combined-styled. . .whatever. But the border has to fit well with the font and the background. I don't want to make the theme too gritty for the site (not like Snarkpit), but bright and happy like TWHL.
  • It should be a relatively high-quality JPEG, of the dimension 800x200.
Post your final work at imageshack, so we can all browse the thumbnails at this thread.

Thanks in advance to all the contributers. I'll let the competition run for a month (deadline September 30th).
satchmo satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-23 16:28:53 UTC Post #194283
I quickly put up some info about the community, and now it's ready for viewing. :)

www.gamingparents.org
satchmo satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-25 02:36:58 UTC Post #194461
Great idea, but I totally disagree with your design scheme, especially if you're targetting an older audience. I'd say go for something a little more professional, rather than spew the fact that you love Half-Life. :P

If this site is to be read by parents of all ages, I would cater to them by creating an easy on the eyes, professional and sleek looking site. I would also work hard on the layout and functionality of the site, to ensure that it's easy to use and easy to read.

As for the idea itself, I think it's awesome. A lot of parents are pretty retarded when it comes to games, in the same way that they were retarded when movies got more violent, or when the VCR became popular.
AJ AJGlorious Overlord
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-25 06:35:03 UTC Post #194482
I must agree with Anty on the design and colour scheme. Black-on-Orange looks pretty... soggy. I'd much rather prefer a more neutral white/gray silvery scheme, with a fancy 2.0 look. My header will be in shortly.
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-25 07:14:15 UTC Post #194487
Agreed.
Tons of Hl-Related sites use that exact theme.
Try something more original.
Daubster DaubsterVault Dweller
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-25 07:17:35 UTC Post #194488
User posted image


I'm not too happy with how it turned out, but it's a general idea. 800x200 is really big, by the way. When you get to making the site, make sure it's smaller than 800 pixels wide, so you cater for people using 800x600 as their resolution too.
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-25 09:53:49 UTC Post #194501
I quite like Zombie's header, actually.

Do you guys really think 800x200 is too wide? I figure it is still able to fit onto the screen for those with 800x600 resolution.

I made a few of my own, but I want your opinion on them. They don't look as nice as Zombie's, but I am just throwing ideas out.

User posted image


This one uses the background from a screenshot within HL2. I don't know whether I can use it legally for my site, since Valve mappers designed the HL2 train station.

User posted image


This one uses the background from my very first map (submitted right here at TWHL). It's got the HEV HUD on it, which I like. It also (by chance) got the year of my birth as the health level.

I like Zombie's idea of adding ".org" at the end to emphasize the URL of the site, so I made this one:

User posted image
I would also work hard on the layout and functionality of the site, to ensure that it's easy to use and easy to read.
I picked out this Joomla! template out of hundreds because of it's straight forward organization and layout. It's got the menu, login box, and latest news and posting up-front. I could just keep the color scheme, even though that's very easy to change.

Tell me what you guys think. I may change a lot of things according from the feedback I get. Thanks, and I would love to see more of your own creations too.
satchmo satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-25 11:21:34 UTC Post #194508
Having a screenshot as a background for anything on a site is an awful idea, because it;
a) Steals attention from the logo itself
b) Often gives stark contrasts from the text, making it harder to read
c) Is almost impossible to "fit in" with the rest of the site.

The template is alright, I guess. Some of the fonts needs changing and a few more "flashy" additions'd be nice.
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-25 11:43:01 UTC Post #194509
Thanks for the suggestions.

What sort of "flashy" additions do you have in mind? I am planning to add thumbnails of the latest gallery submissions to the front page also. That should keep the appearance of the front page continuously changing.
satchmo satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-25 12:30:38 UTC Post #194516
If the screenie is blurred and the text - blended, there's no problem with a screenshot as a background. :

User posted image
Daubster DaubsterVault Dweller
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-26 22:13:09 UTC Post #194697
I think it's feasible to utilize screenshots as background. The new Steam site use screenshots as background. I think as long as it is done tastefully (and with the contrast lowered or the brightness modified), it can be done successfully.

By the way, what's everyone's opinion on the header options we have so far?
satchmo satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-26 22:28:55 UTC Post #194699
Go with ZLs, and then theme the site around it.

I like steam's. In fact, on the Garry's mod site, the depth blur looks awesome.
http://gmod.garry.tv/

Its random, so keep refreshing for more.

Or even the front page he has. The Fire hydrant is sexy.

http://garry.tv/
Luke LukeLuke
Posted 18 years ago2006-08-27 02:30:10 UTC Post #194712
Fine, for headers it works. But as for backgrounds to actual content...
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