Favourite Websites

[samureye]

I'm currently planning a large website and want to know what your favourite big sites are, I need a look at the design. Currently I am looking at wired.com and g4tv.com and plan to make a sort of hybrid. Any help would be great.

[rabidbadger]

What kind of site will it be? (Don't feel the need to be specific, the specifics are your business until launch) But, generally, a community site? News site? Aggregate site? What do you have in mind other than "large"?

[samureye]

I took a deeper look at Wired and I really like the site and the way it operates from the front page. I am thinking that there will be a lot of emphasis on community(people make accounts and can comment on stories or just be able to post on forums). As for site content, galleries will be a main part of the site. It would be sort of like a magazine format, would have articles, but doing this would not guarantee content everyday, so I think having a general blog or specific blogs would be a good idea. Again, check wired.com

[rabidbadger]

I used to LIVE on wired.com. Back in the bubble days. But they sold off/traded their domain, or something, an only recently got it back...

Either way, haven't been there regularly in quite a while. A link might take me there once in a while, but not in my bookmarks...

But still. Are you wanting to compete with wired? Sounds like you are after an engadget/Digg/wired/Cnet type audience which is already very filled. You would have to offer something extra special to compete. I have some Ideas, if you wanna PM me...

Meanwhile see Dailykos.com, not so much for their politics, but for the way the site/community works. Most probably one of the best "large" community sites as far as "undercode" that I have ever seen.

[samureye]

Oh, no, while there MAY be a tech aspect of the site, it's not competing with these guys, in fact, not even geared towards a US audience. I obviously don't want to talk too much about it in the open (i'm paranoid like that, don't want people stealing the idea or anything) but I was more interested in the design more than anything. See, It'd be like doing a magazine, would have columns for certain things, but I was trying to figure out how to go about that and keep regular content, so that's where I had the idea of having a central blog with random crap, similar to how g4tv.com has thefeed. It would be a good way to have content on a regular basis while anything more serious would be its own column. Sorry if i'm too vague, but a tech site this is not, not geared to Americans even (though more than welcome).

[samureye]

Looked at dailykos, it's sort of meh - I was thinking of doing blog format, but something like wired or g4tv.com for a main page is more suitable. I was thinking the blog thing but then decided to just go for it, and I'm seeking to make this sort of a business which I would do part time. So a full featured site may be more in order with blogs as part of it to complement.

[rabidbadger]

If you didn't sign up at dailykos I can understand the "meh" especially since the color scheme sucks. But... The cool thing about it is that they have basically found the "secret ingredient" and combination of how to add a couple of their own articles (diaries) every day or so, but then... the audience, viewer, readers, whatever, add to the site with their own diaries, therefore creating content for each other...and the commenting method has been refined to the point of effortlessness. I so wish Digg and Slashdot would adopt their method. And remember, with every page view is an ad view...

That's what pays da bills.

[samureye]

Nah, can't go for that, my audience will more be like leeches, hopefully giveaways, contests, forums and content will do that. It's difficult to figure out the logistics of the site though. I mean, if we do a section for politics and it goes as site.com/politics, that means any articles in politics would go there, but we have no guarantee of articles being posted in articles every week, so a political blog could accompany it and keep the articles seperate to the blog. Ugh, my head is spinning all over again thinking about this.

[rabidbadger]

I had no intention of suggesting a political bent, just that you mentioned wired, g4, etc.... was just thinking out loud that user created content in general would be a good way to go for any site, with any content...even if it is just a part of the site.

[samureye]

I agree, but that could be a feature down the road or something. Initially and throughout emphasis has to be on our content pushed out.

[rabidbadger]

OK. Back to the original question:

MacNN.com
Digg.com
Twit.tv
RoughlyDrafted.com

[samureye]

Twit is cool, I'd be doing a show that would be online and possibly on television so I was looking for a way to do that as well. Roughly Drafted seems like a blog, nothing special but if you have some blogs that are really something I'd love to see it. Investigating macNN now, seems really nice.

[rabidbadger]

MacNN used to be a more detailed website, more news, more discussion, etc.. but they became a rather elaborate blog in the last year... Not a bad thing, makes it easier for them, Still, they have a wonderful community in their forums. Second only to here that I have ever found...

Yeah, I'm a mac guy, so I go to those sites, but even though Roughly Drafted seems like just another blog the articles are well written, and well researched, so invites me to return. (It is an advocacy site, so it has it's detractors, but I have rarely seen anyone legitimately refute his facts.)

As far as HUGE sites to emulate, the New York Times is major, very clean and well organized for something so massive, and ArsTechnicha is both beautiful, well focused, and nicely organized. As well as being very thourough with reviews and such. Trustworthy. Key point in any site if you want longevity.

[samureye]

Seen ars, MacNN seemes OK, can take a few ideas. As for NYT, I just like the layout of articles.

[rabidbadger]

Guess we need to know more specifics so we can help...

[samureye]

Well, back to the wired I guess. In all fairness, I think this is sort of an original-ish concept, so there may not be anything like it.

[samureye]

Can we get a bump?

[canadaneedsmusic]

drudgereport.com... yes, its just words on a white page, so I'm sure its not what you're look for. But I know I love how simple it is. I would stick with simplicity anyway you design it, I know thats going to be a major part of my site when its designed.

[samureye]

Hey, SA (http://somethingawful.com) was a re-design. It's interesting.

[samureye]

Drudgereport is...nothing...

[canadaneedsmusic]

Yes, I know, but it gets 420million views a month and is a major force in the news world... I was just trying to say that a very clean and simple website with solid content is what I would go with.

[samureye]

Regardless, it's not what I'm going for. I'm thinking blogs and things like wired.com and g4tv.com