Some Refresh, Huh?

[z28luvr01]

Over the years, Cheers and Gears has strived to be come the best place for GM Enthusiasts to gather on the 'net. While news is a huge part of this, it isn't everything. C&G boasts one of the most tightly-knit communities on the web. You've all stuck with us through the good times and the bad. As a show of gratitude, we gladly take the wraps off of a redesigned Cheers and Gears aimed at making your experience here as enjoyable and as fun as possible.

The first thing you notice is the spiffy new front page. While the layout is similar to the last one, a lot more information is available right at the tip of your mouse pointer. From the front page you can now login to the site, check your PMs, see who's online, and check the calendar for upcoming events. Is this information too much for you? No problem...just click the arrows towards the top of the page to hide the left and right columns. Both columns can be accessed at any time throughout the forums by clicking these same arrows.

A brief rundown of some of the new features here on C&G:

Chat

C&G now has an IRC chat room fully integrated into the site. It requires Sun's Java Runtime Environment, freely downloadable at http://www.java.com. Once you have the JRE installed, just click on the chat link to enter the C&G channel on the IRC server. All that's needed next is for you to identify yourself. Type "/nick <your-username>" in the command box, and begin chatting with your fellow C&G'ers.

Shoutbox

Holler at your C&G buddies with the new Shoutbox. Just click on the link, type a short message, and send it. It's simple, yet unexplainably addictive.

C&G Drives

A new section of C&G, dedicated to well-balanced automobile reviews written by our members. Critiques of all makes and models are welcome. For starters, see my review of the 2005 Nissan Xterra.

Member Marketplace

Looking to buy, sell, or trade something? Do you have an ATV or 11 year old Grand Am sitting in your driveway just begging for a new owner. Tell us about it and watch it move.

So that's about it. Take the new C&G for a test drive and let us know what you think.

[mjdecker]

Looking good!

[Croc]

OK...I'd love for the side menus to stay open all the time, but they hide themselves upon every page load. I don't see a "View New Posts" function either. Otherwise it looks good.

[mjdecker]

OK...I'd love for the side menus to stay open all the time, but they hide themselves upon every page load.

I 2nd that...

[Variance]

The front page looks really (pardon the pun) professional grade.

A thing I noticed is that the text starts at the very top of a post now. It used to be spaced from the top. In other words, everything seems more wrapped around the text, if that makes any sense.

Edited March 4, 2006 by Variance

[Croc]

I've noticed the top header goes to the site main page instead of the forum main page by default now...blech not a fan of that change as I have no use for the main page...straight to the forums for me! So much easier clicking that big blue header than the tiny "Forum" button way to the right...

meh maybe I'll get used to it......

[Nick]

Woah...bring back the "view new posts" link...I'm lost without it...

[z28luvr01]

OK guys, a couple of things:

1) The new site required me to make a change in the way the board handles cookies. Those that are having problems with the menus hiding themselves, delete your cookies/temporary internet files. Then close your browser, and open up a new one to go back to C&G. Log in and hopefully everything works. NOTE: they won't stay open in the forums as currently configured. Only on the home page. I can change that behavior, though.

2) I added the 'View New Posts" option at the top of the page. Some of the formatting looks diffeent in the forums because the forums run inside the new portal. It's a price to pay for having the menus available everywhere. I can turn it off though easily and make the foums look the way they used to, but you'd lose that ability.

Thanks for the feedback, guys. This new portal is infinitely configurable, and I sure wasn't going to get everything right at 2:30AM

[usa1]

Thanks for the upgrades. This site is among my favorite ones around. Keep up the good work.

Mark

[!!!TED!!!]

Thanks for all your hard work z28luvr01!

[Guest Josh]

Z Rocks.

One thing I did notice, not sure but. The "Active Users Online" on the index.php lists the site as 55 people online. The forums count 66.

It seems as if there might be two different counters here and if you combine the visitors on the index.php with the forums visitors there are 100+ members on C&G right now.

Make sense?

[NOS2006]

Looks great! I came on while you were in the midst of working on it and was like whoa! Shoutbox!

Then.. CHAT?!

Overall, great job.

[NOS2006]

I've noticed the top header goes to the site main page instead of the forum main page by default now...blech not a fan of that change as I have no use for the main page...straight to the forums for me!  So much easier clicking that big blue header than the tiny "Forum" button way to the right...

meh maybe I'll get used to it......

Motion seconded.

[trinacriabob]

Nice job...I like the log in feature on the home page as well as the calendar...those always come in handy.

[Drew Dowdell]

Nice job...I like the log in feature on the home page as well as the calendar...those always come in handy.

Pages take fooooooreeeevvvverrrrr to load.... and dance around a lot.

[Flybrian]

Even more new features like:

GM Resources/Guides - an ever-expanding up-to-date collection of platform, drivetrain, and miscellaneous information.

C&G Design Showcase - Featuring all past winners of our design competitions.

Garage - Upload pictures of your cars in our C&G Reader's Rides photo album.

[Guest Josh]

That XP Guide has TONS of potential. Given the talk on the board previously of it in the Lounge...wow it could be one helluva collection.

[Cory Wolfe]

Member Marketplace

Looking to buy, sell, or trade something? Do you have an ATV or 11 year old Grand Am sitting in your driveway just begging for a new owner. Tell us about it and watch it move.

Why do I have a feeling that... somehow... that was directed at me? I don't have an 11 year old Grand Am for sale... What are you smoking? As of Saturday, the headgaskets had arrived and the GA went into the garage. It is... take a breath... officially unofficially not for sale anymore. This upcoming weekend... it shall have new headgaskets and we... for sure... will know if that is all it needs... or not. We shall find out, comrades!!!

Neat changes, though. I'm afraid I don't know when I'll have time to check them out, though...