Rename AndroidForums.com to Daily.Net

[Rob]

Let's face it: the height of Android excitement is behind us. The smartphone market has matured. New Android announcements just don't hit like they used to... and that's okay. Android will always have a special place in our heart, but as technology enthusiasts, we want and need more.

I'm proposing that we rename Android Forums to The Daily Net, reincarnating our beloved site into a broader community for Tech Enthusiasts. The Daily Net sounds somewhat like an official news source, and that's great- "citizen journalism" on social media platforms like Twitter and Reddit have become the world's most valuable and popular source of content.

"The" is us, as a community, driving the conversation conversation.
"Daily" suggests there's always a reason to come back and see What's New.
"Net" gives a tech-centric community network vibe.

We'll still need to figure out how to organize the site and prioritize tech help and support, something on which we've historically thrived.

Desperately want to keep Android Forums? Let me know!
Have your own idea for a new name? Submit it as a suggestion!

 

[Unforgiven]

why not make the Daily Net as the main site with Android Forums as its main sub forum. then you can branch out from there. this way we can still call Android Forums, Android Forums

The androidforums.com domain name wouldn't be going away, it would still redirect here. This would be more of a rebranding of the site here to be inclusive of more technology.

100% the domain will redirect for eternity.

 

[The_Chief]

@Rob have you checked the copyright for The Daily Net? Since there is already a website TheDaily.net, I'd hate to run afoul of any legal team itching for a fight. Maybe EverythingTech dot net or whatever...

Have you considered paring it down, as @MoodyBlues suggested; retiring the forums (fori?) for obsolete devices; and making AF a subdomain of the new site? Other subdomains could feature automotive, audio/video, space vehicles, etc. Enthusiasts of those topics could populate & moderate their respective areas, with the top domain reserved for the latest general tech news.

 

[Brian706]

I like the idea of broadening the scope of the site; we need new users. Android forums will always hold a special place in all of our hearts but imo, it will always be Android Forums to all of us old timers, regardless of branding. We can still have an Android section(s), surely?

In it's current state, the site is mostly a small group of loyal users, and people joining to ask what notification icon is in their partner's screenshot. Those people don't stick around. Even as is, the site is way more "off-topic" than Android focused. The problem with changing the focus but leaving the name the same is that it won't really attract new, non-android users.

 

[Rob]

@Rob have you checked the copyright for The Daily Net?

I noticed TheDaily.Net but I don't think we'd be in the same "industry" so don't think there would be a problem. They can't trademark our domain name, so if nothing else we'd just go by Daily.Net or The.Daily.Net.

That being said, I'm off the name change thing for now. Too much other stuff to do and accomplish before setting our sights on bigger things!

 

[Milo Williamson]

I think that I am With Brian.

We also can have to change our name with something more sight seeing that can be easier to remember, or we can book mark it and just be as is.
And have it stronger more then a connection towards just as is ya know.

Right now I just sort of know what kind of stress web sites and administration can do to a person, thank goodness I stepped away from that place.

 

[nickdalzell]

Oh God please no. Daily Net sounds so....bland. Like everything else in society these days. It also sounds too close to 'the old net'.

If the website changes, what happens? What do I do when I type in 'androidforums.com' and get a 404? I don't do Twitter or Facebook (can't even login if I wanted to) and I don't know any forums where people here also visit. At one time long ago Moody was on DTVUSA but I don't think that forum even exists today. I don't want to lose the last vestige of a good era like everything else and this is so poorly timed given I just completed my 2009-14 tech setup in my life. I don't want to see another site get catered to the stupid out there who can't pay attention to anything longer than a TikTok video.

Not all of us are 14 and under Zoomers. Some of us are older and set in our ways. If this site becomes so unfamiliar to me I suppose it's back to howardforums.com for better or worse.

 

[Rob]

howardforums.com

LOL OMG I haven't heard that name in so long! It's still around? I remember when I was first starting out in tech blogs/forums, nearly all of the leaks came from there!

Then it just seemed to kind of disappear as newer and cooler and faster moving sites ate its lunch. We were one of them. And the circle of life continues.

 

[nickdalzell]

Yup it's still around and so is the other forum I visit, Buggies Gone Wild Golf Cart Forum, both still using vBulletin.

There's still posts but it's odd how many old users still have their avatars set to an old HTC Desire or BlackBerry Pearl.

I personally try to steer clear of any sites that cater to the 'instant gratification/faster moving/modern' crap. I hate them. Heck, whenever I use Reddit I use old.reddit.com because the modern layout hurts my eyes. I hated flat UI design back in the 80s and don't want to revisit it now. Forums are the only form of 'social media' I care about.

The way you got the forum looking now actually works best with my Windows 7 computers. The colour and scaling are just perfect. No more blinding white with pastels. Like old AF but with the goofy round avatars though. That's still grating to me. If square avatars could be done and also add in some forums for the retro tech lovers in us, that'd be nice. There ain't any forums for those of us who love our 2010 tech. Plus such additions would keep me from being that old curmudgeon who laments the stagnation of tech and I could find myself right at home. MacRumors has the PowerPC sub-forum, so a sub-forum list for older phones, tablets, or laptops or retro gaming, or vintage radio and TV would be a welcome addition. For the VWestlife's, Shango066's and RadioTVPhononut's in all of us.

 

[treb1797]

Not a fan of the name change idea at all honestly.

 

[Unforgiven]

Off topic posts removed

 

[Milo Williamson]

Changes the idea though, you know the entire world will be like "Huh, I thought this was the AF,where did my post go?"
You honestly got to know on how many newbies we have down here.

 

[SamuraiBigEd]

Off topic posts removed

So not much has changed in my absence?
runs and hides....

Seriously though, I'm good with the change, after all it is Rob's baby.

 

[treb1797]

So not much has changed in my absence?
runs and hides....

Seriously though, I'm good with the change, after all it is Rob's baby.

Typical corporate America right. Ask you what you think of something while they're going to do it their way not matter what

 

[Rob]

My brain keeps coming back to this...

 

[mikedt]

My brain keeps coming back to this...

The obtrusive and unacceptable ads still need fixing. Especially when they prevent the forum from working correctly.

 

[SamuraiBigEd]

 

[Milo Williamson]

XenoForums in black, at night...

See image above.

Android fourms duration of the day, Skywalker.

 

[Milo Williamson]

Wait....
I meant xen forms, but xeno does come from "human" as in "Xenophobia" so....

 

[Rob]

The obtrusive and unacceptable ads still need fixing. Especially when they prevent the forum from working correctly.

I asked our ad company about these and they said the ads showing now are the same as the ads showing before. Not sure how the ads are suddenly intrusive if they didn't change anything on their end? Maybe I need to add more usergroups to the blocked ads list?

 

[olbriar]

I appreciate the checking. The ads I was getting were in the way to read and respond to post. That can't be a good thing. Albeit, I blocked them straight away and don't know how they are behaving now.

 

[mikedt]

I asked our ad company about these and they said the ads showing now are the same as the ads showing before. Not sure how the ads are suddenly intrusive if they didn't change anything on their end? Maybe I need to add more usergroups to the blocked ads list?

The ads are intrusive because they seriously impair and break functionality of the forum. This only starated happening when AF updated Xenforo. I try not to block ads on AF, because I understand that's how it needs to monetize and stay in business. But if I can't freely use the site, I may have to block the ads.

Like here where the navigation buttons are mostly hidden by an intrusive Google ad for a VPN service, and can't be tapped/clicked without activating the ad...

 

[nickdalzell]

Maybe if the ads didn't get sourced from AdSense (literally the worst!)? Why not perhaps a site sponsor banner like Buggies Gone Wild has? Or just a single banner ad period not sourced from the worst, bottom of the barrel site ever?

 

[Rob]

View attachment 165927

This is helpful. Looking into it.

Maybe if the ads didn't get sourced from AdSense (literally the worst!)? Why not perhaps a site sponsor banner like Buggies Gone Wild has? Or just a single banner ad period not sourced from the worst, bottom of the barrel site ever?

We use a company called Freestar. They backfill with Adsense when they don't have ads to show, which is what 98% of big networks do. I'm open to banner sponsorships if you have suggestions!

 

[SamuraiBigEd]

I get the popup to disable adblock plus every time even though it is disabled. I also see no ads on desktop, haven't tried mobile. Frankly, I gave up using mobile because ads everywhere are so intrusive it makes the sites useless.

 

[Bearsyzf]

Yeah i gave up on the Mobile.