I'll jump in here just to repeat what Sean said - THANK YOU for all your comments. The fact that y'all have taken a few minutes to write down what you like and don't like about BnA means the world to us, because it means you care about this stuff! I'm really happy that the community is on the BnA priority list for the coming year, and look forward to implementing a lot of the adjustments/changes you've all mentioned to make the BootsnAll boards the best they can be. (Really, you're talking about many of the same things we just talked about in our year-end meeting - it's spooky, almost as if you were there...)

Keep the suggestions coming, folks, we really want to hear from you - no matter whether you think your idea is a minor thing, or a major overhaul, all ideas are on the table right now!

It's already been brought up in this thread and everyone knows the Insider system needs to be upgraded and you've been talking about it for at least 3 years. Maybe its time to do it. I don't mean any offense here but you guys know what you need to improve and while its great to ask for opinions and get feedback, why not start with that which you've already been putting off for years?

How's about the rest of this stuff?

You guys did the big color change this past year and while its nice that you have an eye for the aesthetics I'd rather have the usability and features given priority.

My biggest suggestion is that you give your community manager more time to be a part of the community. People seem to think that the mods are responsible for alot more than they are. Jessie's the go between for the community/mods to the owners and I think it'd be great if she had more of an opportunity to be involved in the community on a daily basis. "The office" of bna has taken a big step away from these forums and it would be nice if someone from your company was really still personally involved. Please note this isn't a criticism of Jessie, I know that she has many other duties in your company and her forum duties are only a piece of the pie. I think if the community manager were more involved on a daily basis people would be more forthcoming with suggestions to improve and you'd have someone who could work on those improvements daily and thus things wouldn't take years to get done. Besides, its good PR to have someone who works for your company really ingrained in the community in a social as well as advisory and commercial sense.

I don't mean to be negative here but I've seen several years of you asking for suggestions that you think are great and you're gonna do it and yet they don't get done. Sure, some things do but call me an optimist, I think you guys have more in ya than that.

Thanks for linking to that list from earlier this year Callilucy. I feel good looking at it because we got a tonne of that stuff done. Still a few more to go as well as what gets added from this thread.

I have been around here for over four years. I've tried to contribute what I can when I can. I can't say I've ranged all over spreading whatever wisdom I may have possessed. Here is what I think... in brief on off the cuff. I have put no thought into it.

There is a glut of info, but it is a very niche market of info. I think we have to be content with part of that. I don't think you folks were looking for the two week tourist crowd when you started this. That is where the ThornTree excels. You set out (it seems to me) to grab the more longtermers. They are, by nature, a rather flighty and fickle group. They move on. They get whatever info they can and then move to somewhere else and hear about something else and go there. It's just the way of your market.

You need to get you word out there more. I agree that you need to chase the technology. Many people have said that we need a bigger base here. That is accomplished by finding a larger audience. Podcasting is the way to go. I follow a Podcast by two yutzes who watch LOST. These guys are NOTHING special but they are well known in their niche because they chase the technology and keep things fresh.

Your plan has always been that you want to let the personality of the masses dictate the personality of the site(within the limits of friendly discourse.) This has kept you all mum. There is no personality here. The increasingly disaffected Joe has been your voice. He is (and, Joe, I love you man...You rock) is just a long time poster. You need to develop a personality.

What the hell with the All London line? Or the All Kilimanjaro line? And thanks to whoever said that the "Still alive and kicking" or whatever it's called now is insulting. I think it used to be called the "Gray Haired Death Watch Travellers" originally.

Multimedia time on the site. Pictures are cool. But it's time to spice up the site with some moving images.

I hate the colours here. Place looks sort of lifeless.

I have deleted four paragraphs now trying to describe how I think that there should be more life breathed into the posting. Hotheads and assholes? no. Salesmen? no. But we're just a little too nicey nicey here. Nice to have a little edge.
D

Piecar just voiced a big part of why I'm encouraging a bigger role of community manager. It would help give you some personality and some humanity. Also having a real live person being a part of the daily interactions here could help liven things up if they get a little boring or just plain give you a better pulse of the community.
Having a C.M with more time for the community would also be able to spend time chasing that technology (ie. doing the podcasts, sending stickers or whatnots to travelling members for your guerrilla marketing).

See, two issues- one solution. Don't tell me, I know, I'm a genius.

Previously, I restricted my remarks to comments regarding the EVE community board that is the heart of this site. But what the hell. You asked for honesty, and I'm taking a break soon anyway...

quote:

Originally posted by Sean:
I want to be a part of, and help build a community that is "the best" English Language independent travel resource and community on the web.

I believe you. And, as a fella who's first business was a dot com, I appreciate how long you guys have been at it and the culture of net friendliness and accessibility you've adhered to. But...

In order to accomplish the above goal, you're going to have to completely re-haul your approach, reshaping this site around the community and trimming the unused excess that litters the navigation at the top of the page. Honestly, I never leave BnA's EVE forums, as the rest of the site looks more like a hodgepodge of adverts rather than a community-driven portal. Perhaps your page hits data shows otherwise, but I imagine others feel the same.

Travel insurance? Hostel/hotel booking? Come on. Drop that nonsense. Hostel, hotel, insurance guides and reviews are one thing, booking is another. There are a dozen more entertaining databases that BnA could host that would 1.) naturally precede from the community and 2.) bring in a larger share of ad revenue.

The site needs to be simplified. And I'm not talking about the forum structure. There is a saturation point for side bar navigation, and there is such a thing as overkill when it comes to multi-column navigation. It lacks unity of design (a design that should, again, precede from the forum design.) Click on the "Hostels" tab. Now click on the "International Airfare" tab. See what I mean? The current structure is, I'm afraid, reflective of the site's somewhat schizophrenic atmosphere.

Are you building a community portal centering around the free exchange of travel information (which counts on ad revenue and the occasional promotion for income) or are you building a hub for travel-related goods and services? It looks like you're trying to do both, but I'd submit that you have to choose between the two.

If a brand stands for everything then it stands for nothing. You need to limit what goes beneath the "BootsnAll" branding, and, in my opinion, drop the goods & services angle or continue such offerings under a different brand.


/End screed.


Oh, and while you're at it, find a Czech wife (or nanny) for Static. Someone who would really rule it over him. This would do nothing for BnA, but it would please me immensely.

I've been using bna for what seems like forever (ok, almost 4 years) and I have to say my MOST favorite feature is: if you post a travel question on the boards, you WILL get a response. Period.

Best members: Not condescending/judgemental to other posters.

Keep up the great work.

I agree with several other posters - there are too many individual forums, they need to be combined a little...

I do however disagree that the Hostel Booking side of things needs to be scrapped - I use that all the time and find it much easier to use than other Sites that I've tried...so please don't get rid of that!!

I find this place one of the friendliest forums around...and I know if I post a question or a comment I'll get a reply, and that's nice to know!!

My only gripe is that I haven't managed to get over to the BnA Office for a coffee with all you guys!!

quote:

Originally posted by DreamerHelen:
I do however disagree that the Hostel Booking side of things needs to be scrapped - I use that all the time and find it much easier to use than other Sites that I've tried...so please don't get rid of that!!

It's a third party service, which is one of the reasons I don't care for it. Incidentally, it's the same system used by Hostels.com and a hundred and one others. So if BnA ceased using it, you'd be able to find it elsewhere.

Here's the system unfettered by third party logos.

I'm all for grabbing revenue from wherever one can, but in this case I think such services detract from BnA's branding as a community-driven portal. The reviews and search results are not informed by or the result of this community's collective recommendations. If they were, and booking was offered as a supplemental option, that would be a different story. As it is now, however, the system is wholly unrelated to BnA's community.

Tickles and Helen - Glad you like what we are up to and appreciate our booking services. Please do come by for a coffee sometime.

Continental Ops - thanks for your comments.

- Navigation - yes - we can use way better UI and integrate the community components of BootsnAll. Lots of improvements to be had.

- Booking services - Well - you are right and you are wrong on that one. It is a significant revenue source for us and if we shut that down, we'd have to shut down BootsnAll most likely or not have any employees cuz we'd be able to pay no one.

As for it being the same as Hostels.com - that is not true either. Yes - we are a partner with them, but we are also a partner with other booking engines and list more than just the inventory on the site you mentioned.

As for not providing any extra value, I disagree with that as well. We have unique parts of our hostel section that don't exist on partner sites, plus the booking section is right here on BootsnAll so lotsa travellers use it - so folks that are familiar with BootsnAll - and want to support this community - we appreciate you using our hostel booking system.

COps - If you are really in Prisa's basement (Is that still Seattle - not sure where she)), why don't you come down to our Holiday Party on December 1st? I'd love to buy you a beer or 2 and talk more about this and other things. Your thoughts and opinions are interesting.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. It is awesome to learn from you, as well as talk about an action plane to evole. If you are still lurking and want to drop a compliment or a bomb....go for it!

quote:

Originally posted by Sean:
COps - If you are really in Prisa's basement (Is that still Seattle - not sure where she)), why don't you come down to our Holiday Party on December 1st? I'd love to buy you a beer or 2 and talk more about this and other things. Your thoughts and opinions are interesting.

I appreciate the offer, but she rarely lets me out for the evenings. I have to yell until my throat goes horse just to get a pail of water lowered down to me.

So Piecar and I aren't invited for coffee? Guess we're supposed to stick to the excellent stuff rather than the not as excellent, eh?

Julie,

Not at all - you of course are invited as well. Didn't mean to exclude anyone - she just mentioned it.

Aww, thanks Sean. I'll definitely see you at the party.

Well, figured i'd throw my 2 Cents worth in....

The good:

The forum users. There is very mucha community atmosphere, a friendly, tolerant nature among those that post here. People help when they can and 99% of the time teh advice is sound. I've had the pleasure of meeting fellow Booties over here in the UK, The US, Canada, New Zealand and Australia and I'm always in awe of how wonderful these folk are.

I feel like I can have a go at answering questions without being shot down if others dont agree with what I say. I like that I have time to think of a decent answer and it not be lost under a pile of one line meanngless crap (Yes, TT I'm talking about you).

I like the fact there is a strong sense of community here and maybe that should be played up more. People WILL go out of their way to meet you, do want to get together for a drink and most of all LOVE to talk travel with people who are actually interested!

The Bad:

I agree with others about increasing the number of members here. Sometiems I'm lloking for a good discussion on a topic here and the thread may only have 3 posts in 3 days and quickly dies a death.

There's certainly a good deal of knowledge here but its quite confined. As you point out, RTW travel seems to be the hot topic. An area where there is experience among the members and would be rtwers come searching for advice. Maybe its an area that could be highlighted or exanded?

Way too many forums onteh discussion boards. I feel like I get lost sometimes wading through and forget the some of them even exist. Personally I think that having just a few strong,w ell frequented forums works best for ewveryone. Heck, I hardly even check half teh forums and I might be able to answer the odd question in them - It must be frustrating to ask questions and have so few people even look at them let alone answer!

I certainly tried to spread the word about Boots where I could whilst on my travels. You guys gave me a load of business styled cards where I could just write down my details to give to otehrs I met while travelling - I must have given out a tonne of those cards, I'm not sure anyone would have looked up the sight from them but it certainly seemed like a great way to promote the sight and community while I was away - I'm sure others wouldnt mind having a few of these to hand out while on a rtw and its a great way to spread the word about the site.


Hostel Booking

My biggest concern about teh hoste booking part of teh site is taht there's so few reviews of the hostels that I find myself going elsewehere for the info. The result of that is when I want to post a link to a hostel, I tend to use other sites where those looking can geta feel for teh place and how others felt about it quickly and easily.

BnA outside BnA

Maybe you guys could do more with the resources available outside of the site itself. How many people are aware there is a BnA Flickr group out there? There's a Facebook group that if someone from the company wante dto get involved with I'm sure coud do something constructive with it. Maybe there could be some more integration with Flickr and Whygo? There seems to be a tool there that isnt being used to its ful effect. Maybe even the BnA parties could be utilised more especially in attracting newish members to stick around more, afterall, its the community aspect that Boots prides itself on - Sell it!