Feature on Landing Page That Shows Who is Currently Online Browsing The Forum?

Not to be too critical, I appreciate anyone who makes the effort to build a community, but I would have used PHPBB to do this site. It's free and has lots of features like that, plus you're able to search topics, there's a member reputation system, real-time chat, lots of user end options and add-ons.

I have made many forum sites myself for the online gambling industry including the forum for King Neptunes Casino with that program, it's terriffic, easy, and feature rich, you are absolutely right Rick.

To answer your question Spart, yes. It is relatively easy to do and I plan to launch the feature very soon. I've been tackling a list of features this week. @RickK, I too have worked with PHPBB, SMF, etc... The reason I chose to develop this site from scratch and create a custom software is because the other free forum softwares may be great for user functionality, but lack severely in SEO (search engine optimization). Plus, I like the idea of anything's possible with creating your own. It may take longer to produce but the end result is always more customizable and expansive. You would pay a lot of money for a forum with SEO like this one. Like VBulletin or IPBoard, you just can't get a tailored software with open source, free products. That's why they're free. But you may not know this, but this site actually uses the same templating engine as PHPBB. And I don't like "chat boxes" very much. That's why I implemented a STATUS feature, cause its something that is open to everyone at any time and isn't reliant on who's online. Your messages will all get read no matter what. I am rapidly expanding many features on the site and will soon be launching a freelance business to offer the same for other webmasters/developers along with basic forum/blog skinning. But for now, Prometheus-Movie.com is a great place to develop a totally new forum software. All major sites that make a ton of money and rank high on Google are ones that are made custom. It's a massive industry. We'll get there RickK, don't worry. Just keep suggesting useful features you think would be useful and I will do what I can to make this forum as enjoyable as possible.

[quote]@RickK, I too have worked with PHPBB, SMF, etc... The reason I chose to develop this site from scratch and create a custom software is because the other free forum softwares may be great for user functionality, but lack severely in SEO (search engine optimization).[/quote] That is a FANTASTIC point BH, and I can definitly confirm THAT part of it as well. I ran a board for the CBS re-make of Hawaii Five O and did so because the site CBS originally developed themselves for it was so bad it had almost no functionality to it, they weren't getting any properly targeted traffic and SEO is the entire KEY to this. Due to time restrainst at work I had to pass the job onto a business aquainatance but SEO is 100% the key to any Forum site's success right now. That and SOLID subject Matter and Material...or Substance if you will.

Yep, SEO is everything today. Too many sites pop up now. Like just look at how many "Prometheus" fan sites have come online in the past 6 months. And they think the domain name is everything to SEO - but its not. And some of the new Prometheus sites own several different variations of the same "Prometheus____" domain name. Before people were creating wesbites like crazy, you could get traffic alot easier, especially cause most niche sites (like this one) had very little competition. Now, its just so easy to create a website/forum, thanks to these free open source softwares. So, if everyone uses a free, open source software, how will any of them stand out? That's why we have managed to stay ontop - because I didn't want to "go with the flow" and just make a cool theme for a blog or forum software, I wanted to create something unique and something new. And because of that, I was able to make a light-weight, powerful and high SEO blog and forum with a very easily managable template. But, you normally have to pay quite a bit for that. And a lot of these sites just do this as a hobby. However, content IS everything, not just smart coding. Look at AlienPrequelNews.com. It's hard to get a blogger site high on google, but they constantly had great, new, exclusive content and that helped them stay high up in the rankings. Content and smart coding and design all go hand in hand. The trick is to create a strong balance between all three and offer a real unqiue experience to the end user, which is what I am trying to do with Prometheus-Movie.com.

tagging, linking, coding, indexing, and content. Plus...The more original and varied well tagged material or content the better. Also there are tricks to listing SEO content for optimization which are important as well...Key Wording is massive, but being "appreciated for original copntent by the SE's" is what's most important to the any site developer/optimizer I presume.

Epicgames forums has a feature were a small circle is displayed alongside a users name - if it glows green they are online and logged in, if it is empty they are not. A simple but effective way of showing who is and who isn't online. might be worth implementing something similar.

Yes, I plan to implement an online tracking function. I also like the idea of an indicator in posts whether a member is online or not. I might add a green button, or a green border around their profile pic, or something of that nature. @Spart, yes. There's a lot to SEO and keywords is everything. Over use however is viewed as spam to SE's. So, you can't just fill a page with the word "PROMETHEUS" over and over. But yes, I plan to run a small freelance business which delivers SEO performance with eye-catching designs and unique Blog, Forum and CMS software to enthusiastic webmasters, businesses, and individuals looking to start up or re-invent a website.

You know a Green/Red, Online/Offline button like in Cisco's WebEx would be awesome. Speaking of Webex how hard would it be to link something like that to the site so staff members can chat in real time and not plug up the PM system? I mean I need to yank my Snorked tubercle from Sparky on occasion. He likes playing with it for some reason, I keep telling him he's gonna go blind, but he don't listen.....lol

Spart, you forgot about that Midget Wrestling site and the New Kids on the Block as well....you do have your hands full.

How about a world map icon to click on and see were every one is located. if it can be done ??

I like the idea of that ncc1701...i also i figure i will probably leave this site well alone towards the end of may for fear of major spoilers just before the general release. Although most here are sensitive to that you never know what newcomers may let out of the bag.

The staff and I will be watching every new thread. If a thread comes up that contains spoilers, the title of the thread will be edited to show " [SPOILERS] " beside the title. So don't worry about that.

well that's reassuring bughunter i was concerned a little about that i do intend on getting a first day release seat in the best cinema i can find within reasonable distance.