Talkfreelance's future, your thoughts?

It's been quite a few months (I officially took over this forum back in early december last year) and since then we have seen an amazing amount of activity. I would like to thank everyone for the amazing contributions they have given to this community, it definitly shows!

So this begs the question, what next? I had been planning to keep the forum going like this for the remainder of the year (a standard forum with the addition of the tutorials and some other features through the dropdown at the top). However times have changed.

Early next year i was planning to revamp the community so to speak and turn it into a portal e.g Like sitepoint.com or daniweb.com. The design of tf would remain much the same, same colours and style but the index page wouldn't be the forums but a portal containing links to articles, blog, community and perhaps a directory of resources.

I'm throwing this out into the open, it's going to happen sooner or later and will be a mammoth project! I will be hiring tarun to complete the job and i'm sure it can only add to this wonderful community not detract. So my question to you is, what do you think of turning tf into a portal? Do you have any of your own ideas you would like to put forward?

All feedback is welcome! Whether it's good or bad. My vision for tf a year down the line is something close to sitepoint.com (But more targeted at freelance designers), I want tf to be the site people think of first when they say "freelance"

i think its a great idea. . . aslong as you dont do a neverside on us

i think its a great idea. . . aslong as you dont do a neverside on us

I couldn't think of anything worse! I reckon it would take about a month or two to complete from start to finish. The forums will stay just as they are (Not like what tutorialforums did) and then perhaps a 30 min downtime while we switch over or what have you.

sounds good, not sure how long i could go without posting on TF lol

A crack down on the dodgy forum games in the General forum, instant ban for anyone who starts one.

Rule with an iron fist and all that.

Note: although I'm trying to make a point, most of this post should be taken lightly

It's a good idea, though you need the articles and resources first, that's why my own site is still a forum too and the backend isn't finished either, ofcourse.

So make sure to plan it first (you probably already did that, just pointing it out )

can i make a plea (sp?) . . . . . please dont let the tutorial section be filled with stupid techno junk tuts, where there are 15 differnt tuts to do the same thing which is make a big ugly swirly sig background, i think you know what im talking about

can i make a plea (sp?) . . . . . please dont let the tutorial section be filled with stupid techno junk tuts, where there are 15 differnt tuts to do the same thing which is make a big ugly swirly sig background, i think you know what im talking about

There won't even be a tutorials script i doubt. It will mostly be well written articles talking about coding standards, some design elements (Not the tutorials you see pasted around the web) seo, marketing and business.

The blog section will be dedicated to our team of writers, who will post new articles/blogs/blurbs what have you on a daily basis.

The resources directory will be a complete backend for freelance resources categorised into sections, such as designers, programming, scripts, payment processors, message boards etc.

Then of cours there will be the community (as the hub of the website) with the main page being a portal showing latest posts, members and leaderboard advertisements.

thats good to hear, infact thats exactly what i was hoping you had planned - i think it will work out great like that, the resources section sounds really usefull too

sounds like a good future to be expected