New Unofficial Oculus Rift Blog Online - What do you think?

Post by **oculusriftfan** » Fri Jan 25, 2013 10:09 am

Hello Everyone,

We would like to introduce ourselves formally as the new kids on the block. We have started the Unofficial Oculusrift-blog where we will aim to provide the 3D community around the clock coverage of everything to do with the Oculus Rift.

Like most of you, we are eagerly anticipating our Developer Kits and as soon as we have our hands on them, we will be showing off all kinds of crazy tests. We are a couple of hardcore gamers who have been dreaming of VR for a little too long.. Interviews will follow shortly as we start to attend Expos and conferences.

We would thoroughly like to hear everyone's thoughts as we are aiming to provide a comprehensive blog that will collate the internet's info on the Rift.

Thanks and we look forward to hearing back from you all. http://oculusrift-blog.com/

Post by **virror** » Fri Jan 25, 2013 10:15 am

Looks nice! Good to have a place that collects all the relevant information on in one place.

Post by **snorelab** » Fri Jan 25, 2013 10:25 am

Looks like a good start.

Once the dev kits are out in the wild and people start cobbling together solutions for games it would be nice to have a section for getting yourself up and running with such and such game, providing a step by step and links to drivers, etc. Would that fit within what you're aiming to provide?

A blog has an advantage over a forum like this one as you could post the guides in a nice easy to read format with comments relegated to the bottom of the page.

Post by **oculusriftfan** » Fri Jan 25, 2013 10:33 am

Thanks guys, very good points and I will take them on board. check back in an hour or so to see some improvements! I will be diligently updating the blog over the next few days so all thoughts and improvements will be considered.

Post by **Bretspot** » Fri Jan 25, 2013 10:43 am

Personally I'm not a huge fan of those fancy front ends on blogs. I like the simpler design that sites like engaget or slashdot have.
But I look forward to checking it out. Hopefully you get some exclusive content.

Post by **oculusriftfan** » Fri Jan 25, 2013 10:55 am

Thanks Bret, is this the overall impression with most readers?

Post by **ftarnogol** » Fri Jan 25, 2013 11:50 am

yeah, I'd prefer a "regular bog view". It's more user friendly and it will increase your pageviews

Post by **Delryn** » Fri Jan 25, 2013 12:35 pm

I agree. I know the flashy animated page probably required a lot of work to get going, but I'd really prefer something in the style of the oculus rift news page on your site.

Though for that page you need longer previews, and better cropped pictures. This can be solved by letting the blog poster choose what should be the preview, and letting them provide the teaser image.

Post by **oculusriftfan** » Fri Jan 25, 2013 1:16 pm

Thanks everyone, i will have a rethink about the look. Shame as i really liked it

The second layer is much more blog like so perhaps something like that.

I have removed my signature as i do not want to be though of as spamming the forums

Post by **Namielus** » Fri Jan 25, 2013 1:29 pm

I agree that it borders spamming, when you register on a forum just to advertise your own website etc.
But at the same time the blog is dedicated to the Rift so it evens out somehow.
Besides you have been straight forward about your intentions, that's the right way to do it.

I mean you aren't spamming the Oculus Rift forum to promote a competing product and spreading lies.
Still, if you start making some other posts on this forum so that its not 100% about your own blog, it will look more beneficial to you. You will be contributing to the forum itself that way. Then when you get a few posts to your nickname it wont stick out so much.

As for the blog design I happen to like it the way it is. I understand peoples wishes for a simpler/sleeker look but I just like it.
Takes it above being any other blog.

Post by **Mystify** » Fri Jan 25, 2013 1:30 pm

You should add a link to the OP though. I have no clue how to find your blog.

Post by **virror** » Fri Jan 25, 2013 1:34 pm

As Namielus said, as long as you act as a "normal" forum member here and contribute to other posts i dont see why you cant have that in your signature.
Also please add it to the op at least so i can find it again : )

Post by **oculusfan** » Fri Jan 25, 2013 1:57 pm

How do we get to the blog? I'd like to see it.

Post by **frakur** » Fri Jan 25, 2013 2:39 pm

Looks good! I'd be sure to read this regularly if you manage to put the latest news up quickly.

Re the design - maybe you could combine the home page with the news page? Have the slidey thing at the top, and a regular blog view underneath.

Post by **Bretspot** » Fri Jan 25, 2013 2:53 pm

I found it in my history for anyone looking for it.

http://oculusrift-blog.com/

Post by **spire8989** » Fri Jan 25, 2013 2:58 pm

Meh, I like your current style. If people want a plain blog format they can click the links below. Maybe add some excerpts to the listings when you're on the plain blog page though.

It probably won't score very high on Google, there isn't much SEO, but it has a nice style...

Post by **Mystify** » Fri Jan 25, 2013 3:09 pm

It has style, but it doesn't feel very functional. I can't skim the article titles, I have to hover over your images, have them animate out, then wait for the actual information I want to fade in. When I go to an article, there is no way to easily navigate to the prev. or next article, There is also a lot of noise when you do get to an article. I don't need to see the tags and author and the rest of that information before the body of the article, it just distracts from the actual information. The twitter/reddit feed doesn't need to be above the "Recent Posts" and such. Its not visually separated out, and the tweet format just makes the text look messy there, further contributing to the visual noise. The recent posts and archives are much cleaner, and more relevant to the site. put them at the top of the column, and have the feeds lower down.
Longer blog posts would also help things. Right now, they just get swallowed up by everything else going on, but if there was more meat to them it would be less of an issue.

Post by **German** » Fri Jan 25, 2013 3:21 pm

Road to VR is the superior for Rift coverage.

Post by **oculusriftfan** » Fri Jan 25, 2013 4:00 pm

Thank you everyone for your response. Rest assured, from this day forward i will be an avid member of this commity and i will aim to provide updates as fast as humanly possible.

I chose to remove the link from my signature while i speak with Neil over the weekend as i really dont want to give myself or my blog a bad name.

Post by **Naru** » Fri Jan 25, 2013 4:04 pm

I second everything Mystify said. It just needs to be more functional. When reading an article though, I couldn't help but feel there should be a bigger connection with the author. I'm thinking you should be more professional and attach your real name as author, it's just more professional for a news blog. Especially later on when you get to doing interviews. A username or "Admin" just doesn't cut it anymore, or at least not for me.

Post by **oculusriftfan** » Fri Jan 25, 2013 4:16 pm

Thanks Naru and Mistify, you have raised some very good points which i will start on tonight.

This is my first blog and so i am still getting to grips with some of the finer details but i will make sure that with all of your help, the end result is a pleasure to navigate. Having my name is something i hadnt even thought of until you mention it, so thanks again!

Post by **cybereality** » Fri Jan 25, 2013 4:38 pm

Well I personally think this is a great idea, but please talk to Neil first before plastering the forum with links.

Normally its not an issue for veteran posters, but if you just create an account to promote another site that could be considered spam.

Post by **oculusriftfan** » Fri Jan 25, 2013 5:28 pm

I wholeheartedly agree cybereality which is why i tread carefully. I was sure to contact Neil when i posted for the first time to let him know of my intentions.

I have no plans to bombard these forums spammy links.

Post by **oculusfan** » Fri Jan 25, 2013 8:57 pm

On the homepage, when I move my mouse over an image and it brings the story to the forefront, the text is blending into the background image making it very tough to read the headline.

Post by **bobv5** » Fri Jan 25, 2013 10:14 pm

Could be intresting, if you can get content that is not available elsewhere.

As for the layout, I block scripts unless I have a good reason not to. That makes the fancy stuff look bad. My vote is for traditional blog format. I allowed the scripts just to see how it looked, and it was kind of slugish on my laptop. Relevant specs are Intel core2, 1.66GHz, not a great machine, but a website should be usable on far weaker.

Post by **2EyeGuy** » Sat Jan 26, 2013 1:05 am

It doesn't seem at all like spam to me. People are being too paranoid.
People post links to other sites about the Oculus Rift all the time on this forum. It's normal.

I like the blog, but I think it should have the animation at the top with a normal text blog underneath instead of just the animation.

I liked the twitter feeds on the side.

Post by **MSat** » Sat Jan 26, 2013 1:58 am

I think the site has potential. Here are some suggestions:

As 2EyeGuy said, the blog should probably continue underneath the animation. The animation portion should probably only contain the top stories (not necessarily the most recent). On top of that, I think the animation should automatically cycle, so that you don't have to move your cursor over each one, unless you didn't get a chance to read the description, or if you want to click on the link.

Having to use a facebook account to comment is a no-go for me. Actually, I no longer comment on any blogs that require a login account period. All too often do we hear about sites being compromised, and while I tend to use different user names and passwords for the various sites I frequent, managing them is a PITA (yeah, I can use a manager app, but I don't want to). If spam is a concern, I think there are better ways to manage it. After all, I still see it frequently enough on sites that DO require accounts. Hack-A-Day seems to manage ok without a login.

Other than that, the site seems pretty cool and high tech, though the name is just a *little bit* cheesy

Just my 2 cents, FWIW

Post by **oculusriftfan** » Sat Jan 26, 2013 3:04 am

Thank you all for your valuable suggestions. It appears as theough the general consensus is that the animation landing page should go so i will be looking into viable alternatives.

As for the FB login, is this a common feeling that people would avoid commenting if they had to login? I prefer the look of the prevoous comment system that didnt require a login so im kind of happy to read that.

I figure it must be worth while keeping the Facebook Like buttons below the articles.

Thanks again everyone! I have tided up the menus and photos considerabley and will be adding a couple more articles over then course of the day.

Post by **oculusfan** » Sat Jan 26, 2013 3:15 am

MSat wrote:I think the site has potential. Here are some suggestions:

As 2EyeGuy said, the blog should probably continue underneath the animation. The animation portion should probably only contain the top stories (not necessarily the most recent). On top of that, I think the animation should automatically cycle, so that you don't have to move your cursor over each one, unless you didn't get a chance to read the description, or if you want to click on the link.

Having to use a facebook account to comment is a no-go for me. Actually, I no longer comment on any blogs that require a login account period. All too often do we hear about sites being compromised, and while I tend to use different user names and passwords for the various sites I frequent, managing them is a PITA (yeah, I can use a manager app, but I don't want to). If spam is a concern, I think there are better ways to manage it. After all, I still see it frequently enough on sites that DO require accounts. Hack-A-Day seems to manage ok without a login.

Other than that, the site seems pretty cool and high tech, though the name is just a *little bit* cheesy

Just my 2 cents, FWIW

I agree with everything except having the top stories auto rotate. I hate trying to read a headline and then the image rotates on me.

Post by **oculusriftfan** » Sat Jan 26, 2013 9:20 am

We have added a few unique articles since last night and tweeked the menu while i think of a replacement. At least you can scroll through the main menu now.

Watch this space..

Post by **Dycus** » Sat Jan 26, 2013 7:32 pm

Hello oculusriftfan, your blog has been brought to my attention and I must regretfully inform you that I will have to seize it and the URL. I have contacted your web host and will begin the domain transfer shortly.

Naw, just kidding. Great blog, welcome to the forums! I like the clean style you're using, looks good.

Post by **cybereality** » Sat Jan 26, 2013 8:07 pm

ROFL!!!!!! HAahhhAH!!!!

Post by **zemmix** » Sat Jan 26, 2013 8:51 pm

I have to say I too would prefer a classic blog view format. You can keep the front page the way it is with the animated picture/slideshow at top but below that a list of all the stories so I can quickly scan and see if there's anything I want to read. Or a link on the front page to an alternate classic blog view page. Just my opinion.

Post by **MSat** » Sat Jan 26, 2013 9:51 pm

zemmix wrote:I have to say I too would prefer a classic blog view format. You can keep the front page the way it is with the animated picture/slideshow at top but below that a list of all the stories so I can quickly scan and see if there's anything I want to read. Or a link on the front page to an alternate classic blog view page. Just my opinion.

Yeah, the main page should contain all the stories below the animation so you don't have to click on the specific topic you want (though it should still be an option).

Post by **2EyeGuy** » Sun Jan 27, 2013 3:36 am

Dycus wrote:Hello oculusriftfan, your blog has been brought to my attention and I must regretfully inform you that I will have to seize it and the URL. I have contacted your web host and will begin the domain transfer shortly.

Naw, just kidding. Great blog, welcome to the forums! I like the clean style you're using, looks good.

Yet OculusRift.com is allowed to stay.

Post by **oculusriftfan** » Sun Jan 27, 2013 5:57 am

Dycus, I think you owe me..... another pair of pants.

Im going to make a few changes today. Thanks all

Post by **Dycus** » Sun Jan 27, 2013 7:35 am

2EyeGuy wrote:
Dycus wrote:Hello oculusriftfan, your blog has been brought to my attention and I must regretfully inform you that I will have to seize it and the URL. I have contacted your web host and will begin the domain transfer shortly.

Naw, just kidding. Great blog, welcome to the forums! I like the clean style you're using, looks good.
Yet OculusRift.com is allowed to stay.

The guy who made that didn't post here so I could fake-hassle him.

oculusriftfan wrote:Dycus, I think you owe me..... another pair of pants.

Im going to make a few changes today. Thanks all

Sorry for the scare! I found it funny. Maybe I have an odd sense of humor.

Post by **Kirito** » Sun Jan 27, 2013 10:36 am

good job mate spread the word acros the world

Post by **geekmaster** » Sun Jan 27, 2013 12:54 pm

Can you put a link to your blog in your first post in this thread, so we do not have to google it to find it? Thanks...

Post by **oculusriftfan** » Sun Jan 27, 2013 12:58 pm

@geekmaster, im avoiding placing a link in my post because i really don't want to be flagged as spamming the forum. I am a newcomer here so my reputation is paramount.