"MFGG Main"

[Mario]

For some reason I never noticed this til now, but this is just so weird.



I don't really get the icon at all- which is OK on other skins I guess, at least on Doomship Gloom that I'm using ( ). I'll get back to that later. What I really gotta point out is the text.

"MFGG Main"

What? Is that something anyone calls mfgg.net? It's so weird. I know "Main Site" and "MFGG Main Site" are common terms for it, but I guess it kind of implies we call the other parts of MFGG things like "MFGG Forum Site", "MFGG Wiki Site", "MFGG Discord Site" to the point where we can shorten "Main Site" to just "Main"... which isn't how we do things at all so it's bizarre. I get why we don't just call it "Home" cuz that could confuse people into thinking the link goes to the forum index page, which a lot of software just calls "home."

The worst part of it all is that "MFGG Main" and "Main Site" have the same amount of letters so it'd just fit fine to put "Main Site" there. We don't need to tell people it's for MFGG because, look:



a big "MFGG" logo is RIGHT ABOVE IT.

Basically let's re-do this. It's just weird and doesn't make a lot of sense.

Anyway back to The Graphic. I think we might be at the point where it'd make sense to have a consistent icon for each aspect of MFGG. The Forums, Discord, and Wiki links all have pretty nice icons on the main site and it'd be cool to do the same for the main site and make those icons consistent throughout the MFGG Universe. Icons are great visual indicators of what something is but it becomes a lot less useful for that when we aren't consistent with them.

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Anyway this rambling got me thinking that maybe we should re-consider what we call the "main site." I think it might be better if we don't designate any part of MFGG the "main" part of it- especially when the "main site" does a bad job of being a hub for all of the community aspects- many events don't end up on there until late in the event! I'm sure this is pretty annoying for people organizing these events. Anyway that's a bit of a tangent there. Really I think we could call it something like the "MFGG Database" or "MFGG Archive" that explains what it is better than just "main site" or w/e and doesn't give it any kind of special priority over anything else.

[Evil Yoshi Toes]

I always thought the icon was a little weird but never really thought about it enough to realize how confusing it would be to someone who doesn't know what the button does. I definitely do agree about consistency as well. If the main site was always represented by a yellow toad's house then it would be fine but that is not the case (nor should it be because that doesn't make sense considering the main site's purpose). We should use consistent icons on each section of MFGG and on each skin to link to them together, so if we used a little icon of Toad Town for the Forums section we'd have to make sure Forums is always under an icon of Toad Town no matter where you are and no matter what skin you are using.

I think we need to have a better way to link people to the different branches of MFGG in general. A kind of streamlined Mario 64/Sunshine sort of HUB world separate from the main site that links all the parts of MFGG in a clear way and doesn't have as extreme a hierarchy among the main components of MFGG. We could call the main site the Database and the forums the Community, or something like that (I strongly believe we should stop calling the forums "forums" because most people now won't even know what that means). Of course this probably wouldn't be possible until the new software is written, but I do think this type of change is essential to keeping MFGG alive.

[Shadow Administrator Drei]

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Another alternative name I think that fits more the nature of the uploads is MFGG Resources, since Database sounds like a catalogue of intentionally selected content.

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[СМБХфан]

Putting "Main Site" or "Home Page" would actually be a good idea for the text. It fits well and isn't as awkward as "MFGG Main,' as well as having the exact same amount of letters.

Trolling, how not to behave!

Spoiler

If I were to give you a rating, it would be -1 out of 10.

mfgg is bad i hate it cuz meiro is totes terre sonac IS betar!!

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[Syaxamaphone]

Now that I have been made aware of this I can't not notice it every time.

I think adding something like "Back to" would also be good because it really drives the point that you're going 'back to something else', in this case the main site.

Maybe "Back to Main Site" or "Back to Home Page" would be good. Maybe the first once since Home Page might get confused with the index of the forum.

imo anyway.

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[Thunderbro]

I didn't bat an eye to that when I saw it, being a member here for a long time. However, I can definitely see how this could be confusing for new users.

The power of teamwork will eventually pull us through

[Fun With Despair]

Yeah it does come off as pretty weird. "Mainsite" has been so ingrained into the lexicon of the place that it's interesting to take a step back and realize how nonsense it would be to some random new guy. I'm all for a rename of that icon.

EDIT: After clicking out of the thread, I also realize how weird it is to have this cartoony MFGG MAIN thing but have "MFGG Forums" next to it in like the blandest font.

[Mario]

I always thought the icon was a little weird but never really thought about it enough to realize how confusing it would be to someone who doesn't know what the button does. I definitely do agree about consistency as well. If the main site was always represented by a yellow toad's house then it would be fine but that is not the case (nor should it be because that doesn't make sense considering the main site's purpose). We should use consistent icons on each section of MFGG and on each skin to link to them together, so if we used a little icon of Toad Town for the Forums section we'd have to make sure Forums is always under an icon of Toad Town no matter where you are and no matter what skin you are using.

I think we need to have a better way to link people to the different branches of MFGG in general. A kind of streamlined Mario 64/Sunshine sort of HUB world separate from the main site that links all the parts of MFGG in a clear way and doesn't have as extreme a hierarchy among the main components of MFGG. We could call the main site the Database and the forums the Community, or something like that (I strongly believe we should stop calling the forums "forums" because most people now won't even know what that means). Of course this probably wouldn't be possible until the new software is written, but I do think this type of change is essential to keeping MFGG alive.

Love these ideas!

The Shadow Administration approves this message.

Another alternative name I think that fits more the nature of the uploads is MFGG Resources, since Database sounds like a catalogue of intentionally selected content.

Resources is a great name for it!

EDIT: After clicking out of the thread, I also realize how weird it is to have this cartoony MFGG MAIN thing but have "MFGG Forums" next to it in like the blandest font.

I think it makes some sense, the icon means you're going off-site and the regular link means you're sticking in the same place. But it is weird how many times it says MFGG up there- big MFGG logo, MFGG Main icon, MFGG Forums link, and now I'm in the MFGG category in the "MFGG Main" thread- that's a lot of MFGG!

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""We choose to go to the [Suggestions board] not because it's easy, but because it's hard; because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win."
- John F. Kennedy"
- gothgirlgangblastermaster

[SonicKade2048]

*confusion intensifies*

I don't see what the big deal is over one small icon. Yes, you're making a suggestion to change it and are stating your opinion on why you dislike it, but in my personal opinion it doesn't seem like that much to get upset over. I've never had a problem with the icon in the first place (mainly because it never shows up in the theme I use), and while I do agree it's jarring with the actual themes used (give or take how "MFGG MAIN" looks on other themes), it doesn't seem that important to make a fuss over.

"Why does it matter?" is the question I'm trying to ask.

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[rollerC]

"Why does it matter?" is the question I'm trying to ask.

Because this is a Suggestions subforum, and he's making a suggestion?

I, for one, agree. When I first joined, the whole layout of MFGG was confusing to me in general, and I've stated before I don't really trust dark themes on websites. There were a lot of times when I'd click "MFGG MAIN" thinking it would take me back to the forum index, and then I'd end up on the mainsite which I don't really use. I will say it's better than other forums I'm on, where the branch at the top will include the mainsite (as in mainsite > forum index > subforum > etc.), and it's very nice that it's distinct from everything else in the header, but it isn't amazing at conveying where it goes to, even if it is cute art.

I'm on the MarioBoards, Minus World, and the Bell Tree Forums as rollerC if you wanna check me out.

[Fun With Despair]

There were a lot of times when I'd click "MFGG MAIN" thinking it would take me back to the forum index, and then I'd end up on the mainsite which I don't really use.

This is actually a legitimate concern yeah. I've done the same not even thinking even though I know what the button is for. Even if it said MFGG MAINSITE it's better than the vague terminology it uses now.

[Mario]

*confusion intensifies*

I don't see what the big deal is over one small icon. Yes, you're making a suggestion to change it and are stating your opinion on why you dislike it, but in my personal opinion it doesn't seem like that much to get upset over. I've never had a problem with the icon in the first place (mainly because it never shows up in the theme I use), and while I do agree it's jarring with the actual themes used (give or take how "MFGG MAIN" looks on other themes), it doesn't seem that important to make a fuss over.

"Why does it matter?" is the question I'm trying to ask.

lmao if you don't like to read suggestions don't visit the sugestions forum

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""We choose to go to the [Suggestions board] not because it's easy, but because it's hard; because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win."
- John F. Kennedy"
- gothgirlgangblastermaster

[Hyper]

These are very good points. When I started porting themes, I tried to follow the New MFGG theme's "MFGG Main" icon to make it uniform without any questions. I can get these modified accordingly.

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Main Site | YouTube | Bluesky | My OC

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[Hyper]

I have made some changes with the themes so all of the main site URL will say "Main Site".



Unfortunately I am not able to find the font for the New MFGG main site button. I tried to stay consistent with it.

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Main Site | YouTube | Bluesky | My OC

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[Mario]

I have made some changes with the themes so all of the main site URL will say "Main Site".



Unfortunately I am not able to find the font for the New MFGG main site button. I tried to stay consistent with it.

yeah that makes a huge difference, nice work so far

Proud member of the Shadow █████████████

Interested in web development? Check out Super Mario Web Development. Wahoo!

 

""We choose to go to the [Suggestions board] not because it's easy, but because it's hard; because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win."
- John F. Kennedy"
- gothgirlgangblastermaster

[Pedigree]

I think I like the look of the tiny yellow house icon with plain text that says Main Site next to it better than the Toad House. Maybe we can make it uniformly that throughout.

I'm referring to this:

 

[Syaxamaphone]

This would be a pretty easy/good fix I think.

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