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New Soul Strut Web Site - October 2014

RAJRAJ tenacious local 7,782 Posts
edited September 2014 in Strut Central
First off, I want to thank all of you profusely who still come here and call Soul Strut home. In a time when Internet forums are dying, DJs rarely spin records, and self promo has gone the way of social media, I thank you for still kicking around.

Soul Strut turns 15 next month. I was faced with a dilemma (as I approach 40!) to keep the light on or retire the site. As I looked back and started to reconnect with heads, I realized that I am extremely proud of my Soul Strut heritage and value the good times, lessons learned, knowledge passed, and friends made.

So... I have been working hard to redesign the site. Rather than fight the fight and compete with the 1,000,000s of apps and Wordpress Fly by nights, I decided to give the new site more of an archive feel... a celebration of 15 years of record talk.

Here's what I have in store for the new site:

Responsive mobile friendly design ....

Community (forums). Two skins. One that is responsive for iPad and iPhone. and the Classic Mode, for you old heads who still like tables and locations.

Instagram integration. #soulstrut

Classic mixes: I am going through over 1,000 mixes sent to me over the years and picking the best and most relevant (interesting). They will be posted on Soundcloud and archived on the site with an embedded player.

Classifieds. Pondered whether to keep at it.... noticed that it's still being utilized and with it being free, still a viable options to promote your eBay, Discogs, Set Sales. The design is simplified and clean.

No ads... Never... Unless they give me crazy loot.

That about does it. My kids growing up has allowed me to have more time on my hands and reconnect. With that I have some more ambitious plans with the Soul Strut 100, blogging (do they still so that?), new mixes, Soul Strut pride.

More importantly.

I would like to hear from you, your thoughts on a better experience. Or a not to do.'s.. The new site takes liberties with modern web design and development technology... which scares some people. But at almost 2015, I think it's time.
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  Comments

  • DB_CooperDB_Cooper Manhatin' 7,823 Posts
    SOULSTURT POR VIDA! Glad to hear it!

    b/w

    RAJ said:
    My kids growing up has allowed me to have more time on my hands and reconnect.

    This actually happens? Oh thank god.
  • RAJRAJ tenacious local 7,782 Posts
    DB_Cooper said:
    SOULSTURT POR VIDA! Glad to hear it!

    b/w

    RAJ said:
    My kids growing up has allowed me to have more time on my hands and reconnect.

    This actually happens? Oh thank god.

    Yeah man... 8 and 10 are good ages. How much longer you got? :beer:
  • DB_CooperDB_Cooper Manhatin' 7,823 Posts
    RAJ said:
    DB_Cooper said:
    SOULSTURT POR VIDA! Glad to hear it!

    b/w

    RAJ said:
    My kids growing up has allowed me to have more time on my hands and reconnect.

    This actually happens? Oh thank god.

    Yeah man... 8 and 10 are good ages. How much longer you got? :beer:

    :oof: My first is 15 months.
  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    Think about the redesign as the way to transform the way the mobile digging experience...!

    You could perhaps create a site that would allow people to build their own Soulstrut to showcase their gems & holy grails. All in one tap!
  • JimsterJimster Cruffiton.etsy.com 6,952 Posts
    THANK YOU RAJ - KEEPER OF THE FLAME.
  • HollafameHollafame 844 Posts
  • parallaxparallax no-style-having mf'er 1,266 Posts
    Looking forward to it. Thanks Raj.
  • Big_StacksBig_Stacks "I don't worry about hittin' power, cause I don't give 'em nuttin' to hit." 4,670 Posts
    parallax said:
    Looking forward to it. Thanks Raj.

    b/w:



    Viva Soul Strut and Raj Mahal, the 'Strut Father'!!!

    Peace,

    Big Stacks from Kakalak
  • BeatChemistBeatChemist 1,465 Posts
    As a proud (mostly) lurker and (occasional) poster around here, this makes me happy. So many jokes and slang and memes (before we called them that lol) over the years. This place had a serious influence on my overall internet experience as a 20something.

    Thanks Raj.

    I am super excited to see the new design!!
  • Controller_7Controller_7 4,052 Posts
    A few suggestions:

    1. Rename site. Maybe something like "Vinyls Closet"
    2. Get more dudes involved. Not enough dudes on here. Sometimes I can't tell if I'm on Vinyls Closet or Design Sponge.
    3. Make a dedicated section for CDs. I mean, shit, music comes out of them too. Maybe call it "Plastics Cubby."
    4. Can you like make the site not on the internet? Like a mailer or something that I can read while dropping a deuce? I used to set up my desktop in there, but I decided it wasn't worth moving it back and forth if I'm only going to be in there for four hours a day.
    5. Did I say more dudes? It's like all chicks posting on here.
    6. Can you make a daily podcast of the message board? You reading it. Or a robot. I'm not picky, just a bit lazy.


    On a serious note...
    Yay. More mobile friendly is good because I pretty much only come here on a phone. The mixes on soundcloud are great. Sounds like things are headed in a good direction. This is the only site I check every day.
  • dayday 9,611 Posts
    I mostly lurk these days, but I will always be around until someone says last call.



    DB_Cooper said:
    SOULSTURT POR VIDA! Glad to hear it!
  • RAJRAJ tenacious local 7,782 Posts
    Oh and I have paid Faux Rillz and Noz to make a comeback.

    Is this how the dream of a Bernard Purdie-focused Myspace dies?
  • pcmrpcmr 5,591 Posts
    this is so incredible
    seriously thank you for all the efforts and years
    a blog i contrbute to just did a site redesign and it worked wonders
    i will try to contribute more and promote the fuck out of it
    SS por vida
  • youngEINSTEINyoungEINSTEIN 2,443 Posts
    Thanks RAJ for all the hard work!

    Excited to purchase the SOULSTRUT 15 tee.

    Peace, stein...
  • fishmongerfunkfishmongerfunk 4,154 Posts
    thanks for all the years, and here's to keeping this going. i have made a lot of invaluable connections on this board and learned so much in my time here and i truly believe that i am better person for having been here.

    thanks raj.
  • DORDOR Two Ron Toe 9,903 Posts
  • deezleedeezlee 298 Posts
    Yeah man thanks Raj.

    this site rules.

    yeah keep the mixes, people ask me about music all of the time and i always point them to the soulstrut mix section.
  • dj_cityboydj_cityboy 1,477 Posts
    mobile is kinda fuct for me. I created a bookmark on my iPod5, when I arrive at the site I am logged in, when I click MENU to access the site it logs me out and asks me to log back in again (I have auto-log in selected) but never seems to allow me to access the site just the main page.. when I log back in everything is accessible..

    anyone else experiencing this?
  • LoopDreamsLoopDreams 1,195 Posts
    Glad to know you head back to the Strut when there's time on your hands... means good things for the future. Thanks for what you built and fostered throughout the yrs. It may not be the same as it was, but neither are we I guess. As it should be.
  • ketanketan Warmly booming riffs 3,164 Posts
    Thanks, Raj! I learn a lot here. And I laugh a lot.

    You should totally feel comfortable having a donation drive once a year. I think we all trust you to improve the site experience (TM) or just cover your costs. I'm going to send you something soon, anyway...

    Will people please start listening to more current hiphop and r&b? I fear that Bassie was lost to the great Ferguson SS K-hole Webchat of 2014... I need people like you to tell me what I'm missing. What are all of you young people and riff raff listening to?
  • cookbookcookbook 783 Posts
    ketan said:

    You should totally feel comfortable having a donation drive once a year. I think we all trust you to improve the site experience (TM) or just cover your costs.

    We let RAJ win the Fantasy Football league every year for a reason! ;-)

    b/w

    Thanks for all that you do sir, including Commish duties.
  • sticky_dojahsticky_dojah New York City. 2,136 Posts
    day said:
    I mostly lurk these days, but I will always be around until someone says last call.
  • MoogManMoogMan Sao Paulo, Brazil 1,173 Posts
    J i m s t e r said:
    THANK YOU RAJ - KEEPER OF THE FLAME.

    Ditto!
  • motown67motown67 4,513 Posts
    I still skim through the Strut every day. Good to hear that it will keep going and I'm ready for the new version. Thanks Raj.
  • kalakala 3,361 Posts
    motown67 said:
    I still skim through the Strut every day. Good to hear that it will keep going and I'm ready for the new version. Thanks Raj.

    to the exponential !

    :feelin_it: :killin_it: :shh:
  • El PrezEl Prez NE Ohio 1,141 Posts
    Dope!
  • leonleon 883 Posts
    Great news! Hope the improvements will attrack new visitors. Really grateful for your dedication to keep the SS spirit alive! Peace, Leon
  • DelayDelay 4,530 Posts
    I can't wait to go through all those old threads and mixes. Great idea Raj!

    You might want to make a glossary of inside jokes for new users.
  • RAJRAJ tenacious local 7,782 Posts
    Delay said:
    I can't wait to go through all those old threads and mixes. Great idea Raj!

    You might want to make a glossary of inside jokes for new users.

    I am going to archive the best of the pre-2005 threads (I have them on a CD). But that will take me a minute and won't be on the site immediately. BUT it's in the cue.
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