It's Real: UrsusMaximus.com

[octothorpe]

OK, so I purchased the domain. From the thread Building a Better Bear411, I got a lot of positive feedback. I am gonna do this.

There are a lot of features that will go into the site. Some will make the initial cut, some will be added to the list of potential future upgrades. At this time, I'd like to outline the basic themes:

• This will be a bear site, foremost. This means everyone is invited if you feel "bear identified" in any way, or are an admirer of the same.
• The primary purpose will be to foster community, not just hook-ups
• There will be free and paid accounts
• While I can't commit to this, I will try to make sure the free members never get their services cut. However, Paid/donating members will get perks
• The User Experience will blow the doors off any existing site to date.
• Don't expect much at first, but *do* expect new features to be implemented rapidly.

Now it's your turn. There are a lot of you out there who have talent. I'm not able to create this by my self, so I am asking for volunteers. I would like to have people dedicated to creating a quality site, who share in this Vision Thing. I need coders, artists, database admins, and writers. I'll be handling the Information Architecture, and standards. Soon, I will also need a handful of beta testers. It's going to be a hell of a lot of work, but it will be worth the effort if we can foster a community. Chosen volunteers will be rewarded in some way, *at least* with a free (full) account.

All past and future posts on this topic will be tagged as "ursusmaximus", so you can easily follow along.

What say ye?

.

Comments

[bix02138.livejournal.com]

sign me up!

i can help with writing, suggestions and vetting (beta testing).

i can also help with approvals and/or identification issues.

just let me know when.

Aye

[notdefined.livejournal.com]

Whatever my limited talents may provide sir.

[pagerbear.livejournal.com]

I can help with writing and testing.

[low-fat-muffin.livejournal.com]

I'll donate to the cause as much as you'll let me. :) I can do artwork, coding, writing, etc.

[sunsmogseahorse.livejournal.com]

Hey, I wanted to reply to your last post but I wasn't sufficiently caffienated when I read it. Now, strong cup of tea in hand, here goes.

This is a great idea. I really love bigmusclebears.com. It's aimed at a subset of bears, not so much in the exclusionary sense but in the sense of specialization. Bill and Andy's format is excellent. I like the messaging aspect to it, that not that much in profile creation is forced-choice and that one can write a lot or a little depending on what they want.

I had a profile on bear411 for about ten seconds, quite literally. Their format was just too horrible to look at and trying to create a profile was wholly unpleasant. Feh.

Build a better beast for the general bear crowd. I'm all for it.

[gotmoof.livejournal.com]

Its exciting to see someone taking the balls to move forward to create a better site for users.

I offer my help in whatever way I can.

[pagerbear.livejournal.com]

Oh, and I'll gladly drool over screen any images submitted for profiles.

[mh58.livejournal.com]

Beta tester here. And of course helping out the hubby.

[theoctothorpe.livejournal.com]

Fantastic. I'll let you know. At the moment, we're still in the über early planning stages. I want to take a day with my (pen and paper) notebook, and do some general organising and mind-mapping.

One of the features I want to have is a weblog, and keep it updated daily. Another "perk" idea would allow paid members to also have weblogs. Yeah, I know many people already have LJ, or TypePad, etc, but it still may be useful, *and* I will provide RSS feeds so *unlike* LJ, you can actually follow along.

[thikstache.livejournal.com]

Woo Hoo...this is so great! A couple nights ago, I was talking to this guy on Bear411 about how all these puter Bears should get together and take all the best ideas and put it in one place.

Hell, let me know how I can help out. And thanks so much for putting yourself out there for this!

Re: Aye

[theoctothorpe.livejournal.com]

Danke. Your help on the back-end (ahem) will be of *much* use.

[bix02138.livejournal.com]

very cool (all of it).

perhaps in the planning stages a passworded blog of mind-dumping would be useful. you might include the thoughts you want batted around, as well as any architecture you might devise (comments for shape, content, context, ease) which you want looked at. i suggest passwording it so that you can know who's viewing and commenting, based on previously-expressed desire to be of assistance.

this is exciting.

[ptownnyc.livejournal.com]

If I had any of those particular technical skills, I'd be happy to help you out :(

Re: Aye

[notdefined.livejournal.com]

Understood, I'll let you know what I come up with. -G-

[pagerbear.livejournal.com]

You can be legal counsel for the site. And help me drool over screen profiles.

[tbone1961.livejournal.com]

you and me both. i feel very inadequate!!

[theoctothorpe.livejournal.com]

Help is always good! What can you do(aside from that thing with your tongue)?

[gothikcub.livejournal.com]

i'd love to help, although i might only be able to beta test it. bear411's system has been getting on my last nerve for months...i'd love to usher in something more user friendly!

[theoctothorpe.livejournal.com]

Oh, I already have a basecamp set up for it, so the chosen volunteers will be able to communicate. If you haven't yet, check out http://basecamphq.com/

Good gods, I just pimped a 37Signals joint. Shoot me now. (actually, their stuff is pretty good, although Jason has become mad over the years)

[ptownnyc.livejournal.com]

woohoo!

[wonderboynj.livejournal.com]

Count me in amongst those who can offer their limited services :)

[rootbeer1.livejournal.com]

I'll help with testing, feedback, etc.

[pagerbear.livejournal.com]

Every web site needs a trombonist, doesn't it?

[bitterlawngnome.livejournal.com]

My training is in publication and website design (look & feel stuff) and there's the photography thing also. But I don't mind doing grunt work of any kind either.

Um...

[otterpup.livejournal.com]

I'd volunteer, but I don't think I really have any skills... um... yeah.

But I can cheerlead for you!