Brainstorming on the future evolutions of Design Addict  

And I'd Like This...
OK.. just joking ;o(

Pardon my ignorance...
but can someone give me a clear example of what to type to post a picture? I am computer usage functional but not terribly savvy on 'code-y' things. Just type me out what to put in the screen and what on the screen should be removed to change it from a text example to the real thing.
Also I agree with everyone above pleaseohpleaseohplease do not have avatars, dorky emoticons or fancy blinking, colored text. I will have a an allergic response and need to be medicated!

Images in posts
it's a basic HTML image tag which is I actually type it here an image appears and not the text of the tag. This web page has a simple explanation of how you write one. Basically it these pointy brackets placed around the following text
IMG SRC="http://www.designaddict.com/img/head_designlogo_addict.gif"
between the quotes is the URL of any image on the web. In the example above it the DA logo. You can get the URL of any image you see on any web page by [control] clicking on the image (on a Mac). You see a pop-up of choices one of which it 'copy image address' that copys the URL you will then paste between the quotes in the line above and enclose in the pointy brackets and you will get...

...that ta da!
http://www.w3schools.com/html/html_images.asp

And if you're lazy, like me
use photobucket and get that extra bit of type after the pic.....
What is that ?
(I'll use JCs method from now on..thanks )

Thank you, James
much obliged
And to give it a try....

Nifty!
I feel all techno-weenie-ish now!

Me too !

...

Rock on O and Gerrit close...
...to get the cigar add
IMG SRC="http://www.dwr.com/images/features/f_0086.jpg"
and surround this whole line with the pointy brackets
In the new DA I'll show you how to make each image a link to the in this case DWR site for the nelson bench.

Just one thing
One thing that I would like to say quickly without reading the all thread. (If I am not responding to something important that has been said just let me know).
When I asked if Design Addict was going to become a wiki site I was actually hoping it wasn't going to. So I am happy it isn't going to become a wiki. In Design Addict I like to read what Patrick an Alix (the authors) write or choose to publish. I wouldn't like DA's content to be managed by other people. The same would be for other creative fields. If I like a musician or a book writer I wouldn't like a remake of their music or their books by other people.
What I like most about Design Addict is the fact that it is genuine, cool, does not use aggressive styles, it is well structured, easy to navigate, glossy, it has a nice graphic design, it reflects politeness and respect, it supplies accurate information.

How do you classify the Design Addict Atmosphere/Air?
It also could be titled:
Design Addict Style - Design Addict forums Style. But It sounded too popular.
((It was intended as a: theorist question category #2 ;))
I thought about this before.
And when I read DA have a -high snob factor-, I don't know... I didn't think like that.
I don't like much classification because they are very simplistic, and don't tell all the true...but, it also could be helpful. Especially at this point of change of DA. -As part of-future developments of DA- to see where are we now. (or where do we think we are). And in which direction do you think must go?
How would you describe the atmosphere generated by DA?

Forum tools
Let me say some things I've been thinking:
APRECIATION
Very nice the division between:
Interesting subjects and popular threats
ABOUT YOUR PROPOSAL IN DIVIDING BY CATEGORIES.
I like it.
But, Which will be the name of sections/categories?:
If the categories will be:
#1 - General
#2 - technical
#3 ? Theoretical
and that's all, not much than 3 or 4 I think it's OK.
If not it could happen what Koen and Gerrid said.
PROPOSING:
NO CATEGORIES KEY
But it could be better to have the option if some one dosen't want this division to have a key to put all the threats as are today.
SUBCATEGORIES KEY
And If you need more categories Sub divided them
For example:
Category Theoretical and pressing on Theoretical subcategories:
-Ethics
-Education
-The copy and maybe subsubcat. -copyright
-Etc
(I think I saw it in HOWforum)
ABOUT ADDING OTHER TOOLS
I do use the search tool, I think it's not so bad, sometimes work, sometimes doesn't. May be it's hard to find the right key-word. Your search tool works in 'chronological order' instead of the most relevant.
I think the point it's that's OK, but not enough.
I think that you must Add other tools.
I use amazon.com very often as a kind of a public library. I think we could learn from them. They have many different searching tools, and if you look for something, but not found, then use other or other or other.
You said: 'We rather have less functionalities than an impressive series of imperfect tools.'
I think you could include 2 OR 3 new tools, If they are needed as we saw. And If in the beginning they don't work so good, nobody honest will care. At least in the beginning in a beta period. And erase one of them if was not good.
Cont.

forum tools 2
I've been doing homework visiting other forums and I found some tools that can be useful.
THE POSSIBILITY TO SEND PRIVATE MESSAGES:
(to say for instance:, Hey Peter, you are too rude....), etc.
PLUS THE TITLE, A SUBTITLE OR A DESCRIPTION
Sometimes it's needed (to say for instance: IKEA SHAME...subtitle: OPTIONS ON SHELVING), etc
THE POSIBILITY TO MARK TO WHOM ARE YOU REAPLIING:
When a threat gets lots of replies, and you needed to answer to one of the first replies it's not easy to understand to whom or to what are you answering.
RATING THREATS:
There are some that must stay in the ?hall of fame- are so great, so smart, so...DA...,
But are forgotten, or missed. Find the way to left them alive. May be rating them. Or I dont know how. May be rating them as in amazon.com. So each one that considers great one threat could voted.
COULD ORDERING THREATS IN MANY WAYS:
Now the threats are automatically classify by: date of last post.
But other way could be classifying (clicking on the upper line) by the most read.
SO pressing on readings, put first the one with more readings
SO pressing on replies, put first the one with more replies, and so on.
RANDOM THREAT
(only a the good ones I mean)
Put one old/interested threat on the bottom line, with a title like 'random interested threat'.
So this will update an old forgotten but very interesting threat.
Are we making this too complex?
Don't be afraid on adding some tools, they could be avoid if are not useful at all.
Are some ideas to think them about.
I just hope one or two could be helpful.

Sketching.
I agree with dcwilson on the need of sketching.
What about using VERY SIMPLE programs, such as ?paint- from windows, (in windows: Start/programs/accessories/PAINT), or
As the same in ?palms- the sketching program.
They are not so good, Are not the same than a pen and a paper, but are better than nothing...
I don't think it will be complex to put it.

Dear Gustavo,
Thank you...
Dear Gustavo,
Thank you very much for your research and proposals. There are many good ideas in your post. We will add them to the recap which we are working on before we launch the new tools to be implemented on DA. Thank you again!!!