# New homepage and updated links



## pjk (May 14, 2019)

I've implemented a new portal homepage, quite similar to the homepage 8+ years ago. 
https://www.speedsolving.com/

Currently it shows 2 featured videos, along with the latest posts on the forum. The idea is to introduce new people to the community, but also provide a useful homepage for all members. If you have any feedback what you think should be shown on the homepage, please let me know. 

The forum used to be at /forum, but now the forum sits in the root. The forum homepage is at:
https://www.speedsolving.com/forums/

Threads URLs have changed slight to:
https://www.speedsolving.com/threads/new-speedsolving-chat-discord-free-puzzles.73557/

All old URLs should redirect and work fine, but please report if you notice any broken links or issues. Thanks.


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## ImmolatedMarmoset (May 14, 2019)

There isn’t a good way to get to the weekly competition page. I haven’t found it at least. Other than that, good update!


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## GenTheThief (May 14, 2019)

ImmolatedMarmoset said:


> There isn’t a good way to get to the weekly competition page. I haven’t found it at least. Other than that, good update!


directly edit the URL to www.speedsolving.com/competitions?


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## pjk (May 14, 2019)

ImmolatedMarmoset said:


> There isn’t a good way to get to the weekly competition page. I haven’t found it at least. Other than that, good update!


Are you referring to the www.speedsolving.com/competitions or the weekly competitions forum?


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## Mike Hughey (May 14, 2019)

pjk said:


> Are you referring to the www.speedsolving.com/competitions or the weekly competitions forum?


I think he means the www.speedsolving.com/competitions; with the previous homepage you had a huge easy button to get there. Is there one on the new homepage?


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## ImmolatedMarmoset (May 14, 2019)

Mike Hughey said:


> I think he means the www.speedsolving.com/competitions; with the previous homepage you had a huge easy button to get there. Is there one on the new homepage?


Sorry I was unclear. Yeah, I meant speedsolving.com/competitions. I bookmarked it but it’d be nice to have another button for that. Maybe in the menu?


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## Tabe (May 14, 2019)

On the home page of the forum, it's auto-playing whatever video is there. Is there a way to not have it autoplay? Or, at the very least, respect the pause button to the side of the video (currently that does nothing)?


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## GenTheThief (May 15, 2019)

Tabe said:


> On the home page of the forum, it's auto-playing whatever video is there. Is there a way to not have it autoplay? Or, at the very least, respect the pause button to the side of the video (currently that does nothing)?


From experimenting with the pause/play button, it seems not to be for the video but rather for the autoplay. After like 15 seconds the video automatically switches from the Stanley video to the Feliks video, but if you pause it, then it won't automatically switch.

Also, this belongs in pjk's "new forum home page and links" thread. reported


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## pjk (May 21, 2019)

ImmolatedMarmoset said:


> There isn’t a good way to get to the weekly competition page. I haven’t found it at least. Other than that, good update!





Mike Hughey said:


> I think he means the www.speedsolving.com/competitions; with the previous homepage you had a huge easy button to get there. Is there one on the new homepage?


At the bottom of the homepage there is:
"Join our weekly competitions - compete with others at home, get weekly practice in your favorite events, and win prizes for competing!
Can you recommend a better place to put it, or I can make an image and put it in the sidebar. Let me know your thoughts on the best location for it.



Tabe said:


> On the home page of the forum, it's auto-playing whatever video is there. Is there a way to not have it autoplay? Or, at the very least, respect the pause button to the side of the video (currently that does nothing)?


The noise is muted by default, do most people not prefer autoplay? I've thought auto-play is a cool way to introduce new users to some of the awesome speedsolving records. What do others think about this point?

Keep the suggestions coming, would like to make the homepage as resourceful and useful as possible for you guys. Thanks.


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## M O (May 21, 2019)

@pjk I noticed the same issue with weekly comps being harder to get to, maybe add a hyperlink to comps under "more" in the upper bar, or even make it an extra option, as there also is a link to "WIki" in the top bar.


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## Mike Hughey (May 21, 2019)

pjk said:


> At the bottom of the homepage there is:
> "Join our weekly competitions - compete with others at home, get weekly practice in your favorite events, and win prizes for competing!
> Can you recommend a better place to put it, or I can make an image and put it in the sidebar. Let me know your thoughts on the best location for it.


This is a link to the forum competition page; the old home page had a link directly to the competition website. It seems like those two things have different purposes:
1. The link in the new page is not a bad option for someone who is totally new to the site and wants to check out various competitions.
2. The link in the old page is aimed more at someone who regularly comes back and wants easy access to compete in the main weekly competition for the week.

I would think that a link directly to the competition website (like the old homepage had) would be better implemented as an obvious menu choice on the main menu for the whole site (including the homepage).




> The noise is muted by default, do most people not prefer autoplay? I've thought auto-play is a cool way to introduce new users to some of the awesome speedsolving records. What do others think about this point?


I know I personally have always hated autoplay, especially when I'm on a phone. Some of us still don't have unlimited data, you know, and it also slows everything down if you happen to have a slow internet connection. I've always personally thought it was rude of websites to do autoplay. It's easy enough for me to reach up and play it if I actually want it. But autoplay on the homepage is not as bad as autoplay elsewhere would be - it's easy enough for me to avoid the homepage as a regular here.


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## ImmolatedMarmoset (May 21, 2019)

pjk said:


> At the bottom of the homepage there is:
> "Join our weekly competitions - compete with others at home, get weekly practice in your favorite events, and win prizes for competing!
> Can you recommend a better place to put it, or I can make an image and put it in the sidebar. Let me know your thoughts on the best location for it.
> 
> ...


Yeah. I’ve never seen that link before. I am on an Ipad, so that may have something to do with it, but I agree with Mike. It’s not accessible enough and is not the right kind of link in my opinion. I don’t think you should remove that link, but could you also but a link in the menu bar like the one for the wiki? I don’t know how difficult that is, but that would be optimal in my opinion.

EDIT: I forgot to mention, a link to the competition website in the menu bar.


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## Kit Clement (May 22, 2019)

I'd say that a weekly competition link could probably replace the box for newest members -- it's almost always a collection of letters since new members often don't have avatars.


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## pjk (May 24, 2019)

Mike Hughey said:


> This is a link to the forum competition page; the old home page had a link directly to the competition website. It seems like those two things have different purposes:
> 1. The link in the new page is not a bad option for someone who is totally new to the site and wants to check out various competitions.
> 2. The link in the old page is aimed more at someone who regularly comes back and wants easy access to compete in the main weekly competition for the week.
> 
> I would think that a link directly to the competition website (like the old homepage had) would be better implemented as an obvious menu choice on the main menu for the whole site (including the homepage).





Kit Clement said:


> I'd say that a weekly competition link could probably replace the box for newest members -- it's almost always a collection of letters since new members often don't have avatars.





M O said:


> @pjk I noticed the same issue with weekly comps being harder to get to, maybe add a hyperlink to comps under "more" in the upper bar, or even make it an extra option, as there also is a link to "WIki" in the top bar.





ImmolatedMarmoset said:


> Yeah. I’ve never seen that link before. I am on an Ipad, so that may have something to do with it, but I agree with Mike. It’s not accessible enough and is not the right kind of link in my opinion. I don’t think you should remove that link, but could you also but a link in the menu bar like the one for the wiki? I don’t know how difficult that is, but that would be optimal in my opinion.
> 
> EDIT: I forgot to mention, a link to the competition website in the menu bar.


I understand and agree. I've been hesitant to link directly to the competition site due to the confusion of creating a new login (I'll PM you soon Mike). Tons of people visit the site only to find their SS login doesn't work. Working on this now.

I've went ahead and added a Weekly Competition image to the sidebar as @Kit Clement suggested. Will this be sufficient for now until we resolve the single login issue?



> I know I personally have always hated autoplay, especially when I'm on a phone. Some of us still don't have unlimited data, you know, and it also slows everything down if you happen to have a slow internet connection. I've always personally thought it was rude of websites to do autoplay. It's easy enough for me to reach up and play it if I actually want it. But autoplay on the homepage is not as bad as autoplay elsewhere would be - it's easy enough for me to avoid the homepage as a regular here.


Good point, I went ahead and removed the featured header for now. Not sure how useful that is anyway and distracts from the purpose of the homepage for returning users.

Keep the feedback coming, thanks.


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## M O (May 24, 2019)

pjk said:


> I
> 
> I've went ahead and added a Weekly Competition image to the sidebar as @Kit Clement suggested. Will this be sufficient for now until we resolve the single login issue?
> .



the sidebar is awesome thanks a lot!


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