11 thoughts on “Talentopoly – A Community For Programmers, Designers, And IT Professionals”

  1. What is your initial impression of Talentopoly?
    I think that it is a unique site for people that are in web design and technical things it gets them to think outside the box, and allow them to have some sort of control over their profile, without actually having their own web page so to speak.
    As a programmer, designer or an IT professional, is this a site that you would be interested in joining? Why or why not?
    If I was into that sort of thing yes. But that is not my thing, I would be interested because, first off it is only by invite so it is private and that means that not too many people would be able to scam because it is not public that way. It also gives you a way to plug your business if you have one or allow people to get help from you.
    Do you feel that you already easily find good programming, design, or IT articles, tools, etc. on the web or would a resource like this be potentially valuable?
    It would be potentially valuable, because alot of times when I need help with stuff like that, I have to go through people I know or find them on craiglist, and some of them dont be licensed and they are cutting corners.
    How often do you check sites like Hacker News, Reddit Programming, The Changelog, Smashing Magazine or other sites about programming and design?
    I dont because I never knew about any of those sites. I am not a person that is into stuff like, I am sorry that is my opinion.
    Please share any additional feedback or comment you may have.
    Just if this is something for you, than I suggest you check it out if this is your thing. It sounds good and it sounds like a good opportunity for people that are interested.

  2. What is your initial impression of Talentopoly?
    First impression: Visitors can’t miss your mission statement on the home page, so it’s easy to tell what your site is about.  It’s a community for IT professionals of various stripes.  What I don’t immediately know from the home page is whether this is set up more like a social networking site, a database, a message board, or what.
     
    This may sound like I’m nitpicking, but one of my first thoughts was that your name in the upper left margin is too small.  On the other hand, your mission statement is too large.  It’s kind of overkill.  Also, I’m not sure why some words are italicized.  My next thought was that the site is very plain for a community that’s supposed to attract graphic designers, programmers, and the like.  My third thought was that you should move your three main tabs–“Measure your reach,” “Learn and improve,” and “Get found and Discover others”–to the top of the page.  This would allow you to fit your three selling points–“Connecting Talent,” “Gated Community,” and “Our Ethos”–above the fold.  My final thought was that you’re hiding your “About,” “Blog,” and “Chat” tabs way down at the bottom of the page.  These should also be moved up to the top.
     
    As a programmer, designer or an IT professional, is this a site that you would be interested in joining? Why or why not?
    I don’t fit into one of those categories.  I write web copy, do SEO, and have a few business ventures on the web.  But even if your site catered to my own interests, I probably wouldn’t join simply because I have no way of really previewing what you offer.  I can see that you would allow me to post a profile and resume, but there’s no search feature that would really allow me to connect with people who could be useful to me.  I also see that you have what looks like a message board (under “Chat”), but it doesn’t look like anyone is really participating there yet.  Perhaps you offer other features that I could only access as a member, but if I can’t see what they are, I have no incentive to join.
     
    Do you feel that you already easily find good programming, design, or IT articles, tools, etc. on the web or would a resource like this be potentially valuable?
    Again, I’m not a programmer or designer, but since I have several web sites, I do sometimes have questions about coding issues and other technical aspects, and I can say that I’ve never had much problem finding the answers.  There seem to be tons of resources on the web for all kinds of questions about different programming languages, graphic design, etc.  I was once on the verge of teaching myself C++, and everything I wanted to know about it was available for free at various sites with tutorials.  So, just as a casual user, I can say that I’m finding everything I need right now.
     
    How often do you check sites like Hacker News, Reddit Programming, The Changelog, Smashing Magazine or other sites about programming and design?
    I don’t.  As I said, that’s not really my field. I had a look at those sites, though, and they’re all pretty bare bones except for Smashing Magazine, so I think you might have a good shot against them if these are your competitors.  Also, it doesn’t seem that these sites allow users to create profiles, so you have an advantage there, too.
     
    Please share any additional feedback or comment you may have.
    I decided to have a look around.  I started with “People.”  It was hard to figure out how much could be done with the profiles because most of the users hadn’t filled them out completely.  It would certainly be nice to have a way to search through and filter them, though.  Next, I looked at “Resumes.”  Again, I think it would be a lot more useful if you had a search feature so that potential employers could more easily identify candidates who meet their requirements.  Otherwise, I doubt anyone is going to want to waste time searching through hundreds of random resumes.
     
    Next, I clicked on “Measure your reach.”  Oh, wow!  Look at that neat little diagram!  Kind of cool.  But…why doesn’t the diagram contain active links?  What’s the purpose?  Is this just to show me all the possibilities for what I can do at your site?  Clicking on “Learn and improve,” I saw what looks like a demo of how your site works.  Apparently, users can post questions, and other users will have opportunities to vote them up and answer.  Finally, “Get found & Discover others” appears to be just an illustration of a selling point.  In fact, I can see now that these three tabs, which I thought would link to other pages, are actually just somewhat clever little designs to advertise selling points.  The problem here is that if users don’t click on them, they’re not going to see those selling points.
     
    Next, I scrolled down to what I had previously thought were your selling points–“Connecting Talent,” “Gated Community,” and “Our Ethos.”  I expected these to link to something also, but they did not.  Honestly, I would redesign all this.  Figure out what your best selling points are and display them neatly and clearly right upfront–one, two, three.  No forcing users to click here or there to see them.  Then put your “About” tab or an FAQ tab at the top, where potential users can click to find out more.
     
    Scrolling to the bottom, I clicked on “About.”  This is way too brief and plain.  You’re missing an opportunity to elaborate on what makes your community so great and why potential members should join.  This is the time to go into detail about those selling points and/or explain who’s running the show here, how you got into the business, and where you came up with this idea.  And who do I contact, by the way, if I’m experiencing technical errors?  I don’t see any way to contact you.
     
    In contrast to the rest of the site, the blog looks more professional.  And–what do you know?–the latest post (from 3/18/11) has the makings of a really good “About” page.  Truly.  You need to take the basic ideas represented here and move them to “About.”  Otherwise, the blog looks fine, and I like that it opens in a new window.
     
    I skipped “Privacy” and “Terms” since that’s legalese and headed for “Chat.”  Ah-ha!  It looks like here’s the heart of your community.  Why are you hiding it all the way at the bottom of the home page?  Isn’t the whole point of this site that it’s a community for IT workers?  This tab needs to be right at the top of the page so potential users can see what you offer and jump into the conversation.
     
    Bottom line: Compared to your competitors’ sites, you seem to have a good idea.  On the other hand, I didn’t think much of most of your competitors’ sites.  They were very bare bones.  I’m not that familiar with your target market and what’s available to them.  To an outsider like myself, it seems that there are already plenty of places for programmers and designers to communicate, look for jobs, and get help.  However, I don’t know if there are any sites that enable users to do all of these things at once.  If there aren’t, you have a competitive advantage.  Still, I think your site could be a lot more appealing, especially since you’re hoping to attract design professionals.  I’d revamp your home page as outlined above and make sure potential users know exactly what services they can expect from your site.  I know it’s invite only, but people need to know the extent of what you offer or else they may not be motivated to sign up.
     
     

  3. What is your initial impression of Talentopoly?

    Usefulness standpoint:

    I like the idea, and I like the way it comes across on the home page.  At first I was put off by the fact that it’s a “gated community,” but after reading some of the points under “Why use Talentopoly?” I understood why you chose to go that route.

    Design standpoint:

    I like the top half of the page.  It’s simple and sends a strong message about what Talentopoly is about.  As a designer, I have a few things to point out that I think even non-designers will see. 

    First, there’s the logo.  There’s nothing unique about it – it looks like it was just typed out.  If I’m looking for a community of designers, I would expect a little more creativity here.

    Second, the People and Resumes tabs under the logo bother me, because they don’t meet up with the bottom of that div.  Just a minor annoyance, but it keeps attracting my attention.

    Next, I think I understand why you put the “What’s on Talentopoly?” section on the main page, but it definitely adds clutter where none is needed.  Perhaps is the “People Who Liked this Post” was full, the page would look more balanced.  Another tactic would be to divide this section into thirds, and display three posts.  Example:

    |  Wireframing for web…  |  Another article…. |  Yet another article… |

    Take out the links/number of views/number of likes, etc.  Keep it simple.

    Finally, the advert on the bottom of the main page creates a lot of empty space to the left.  It looks very awkward from a design standpoint.

    As a programmer, designer or an IT professional, is this a site that you would be interested in joining? Why or why not?

    Absolutely.  My curiousity is peaked.  I currently don’t have an outlet to meet other designers or web developers – most blogs don’t give you the opportunity to interact or share much information, you’re just reading the post and commenting on it.  Plus, I’m already affiliated with forums (for various cms/apps I use), so this would be something different and possibly, useful.

    Do you feel that you already easily find good programming, design, or IT articles, tools, etc. on the web or would a resource like this be potentially valuable?

    Well, I can usually do a quick Google search to find any articles I need, but again, there isn’t that opportunity to interact, learn and share information with similar-minded individuals.


    How often do you check sites like Hacker News, Reddit Programming, The Changelog, Smashing Magazine or other sites about programming and design?

    I check Smashing Magazine weekly or more, depending on what project I’m working on. It’s one of my favorite sites.

    Please share any additional feedback or comment you may have.

    Ok, after I signed up for an invite, I was notified I could access all areas of the website, I just couldn’t interact.  The tabs at the top of the page only take me to profiles and resumes/requests for work.  Where is the link to the main content – the part where we interact?  I was able to find it after clicking the post in the What’s on Talentopoly? section, but it should be much more easily accessible to users!  Also, I could only sort by new, popular or uncommented topics.  I would expect some type of organization so that I could separate design information from IT information.

    The lack of organization means I’m a little lost in navigation, and turns me off from using the site.  Even tags would work, but I don’t see a tag cloud.  I would like to see separate parts of the community for designers versus developers and web design versus logo design.   Same with the resume and people sections – how do I sort them?

    Also, the blog seems like a separate site.  I would like to see it dressed up in a similar template to match the main Talentopoly site.   Same with the chat section – I can see it’s hosted on another site.  Surely there is a forum script you can integrate into the main site.  This just looks unprofessional.

    I also found a CSS error.  When I click login on a post page, the “copy to clipboard” icon and the white space next to it floats over the login popup.  Check that z-index!

    In the description you stated, “The questions section is another useful area of the site. This is not a place to troubleshoot code but rather to ask questions that have opinionated answers.”  Where is this section?  It sounds very useful, but I couldn’t find it.

    Where’s the Facebook integration?  Twitter is nice, but Facebook integration is really valuable for me, as I’m sure it is for many others.

    On a positive note, I like the detailed profiles and the tabs look good with the exception of the home page.

  4. What is your initial impression of Talentopoly?
    I must say that I am impressed. The layout is neat, the colours awesome and the fonts superb. This website seems to be pretty unique, professional and well designed.
    Good use of space and colours.
    It is also straight to the point. It is a community of programmers, designers and IT professionals. I know that if I am not one of those I am not welcome, you narrow down your target audience a lot and thus keep focus on your main audience.
     
    As a programmer, designer or an IT professional, is this a site that you would be interested in joining? Why or why not?
    Yes, I would consider joining in, but not now. I would want to wait for a bit until it becomes more popular.
    But, this website seems to be pretty professional as stated above.

    Do you feel that you already easily find good programming, design, or IT articles, tools, etc. on the web or would a resource like this be potentially valuable?
    This website could be potentially valuable, as you need to submit a “work sample” which will allow the top-notch of their discipline to be encouraged to join in. Furthermore, this website would narrow down, by a lot, the various different sources found on the internet. If I am looking for some programming tools, I believe your website will enable me to find what I’m looking for much easier, because of less spam and less content. It narrows down the possibilities.
    Although it could be argued that the website has already tons of programming, designing, and IT content, an efficient filter is what is lacking, your website could be it.

    How often do you check sites like Hacker News, Reddit Programming, The Changelog, Smashing Magazine or other sites about programming and design?
    I myself am doing a software engineering course at university, and I very often check for programming resources. I would say at least thrice a week at the minimum.
     
    Please share any additional feedback or comment you may have.
    One thing that I find missing is your logo. Why don’t you have one? The logo represents the company, it is the same as your face. If you don’t have a face and only a name, your value decreases by a lot.
    I would also like a screenshot as to what is inside your website. I am currently thinking about some sort of forum? I might be wrong, and if you had a screenshot, it would clarify as to what I can expect.
    Your “Follow Us on Twitter” link could be put in the header, no one really looks at the footer, and a lot of people will miss it.
    I really like your “resume” section, people can actually advertise themselves, it is a good opportunity for people of high technical skills to be known to the world. And vice versa, employers can look for skillful people on your website.
    Do you have a search function? To find a specific person or specific domain? I did not register so I don’t know. I just know that you show 64 pages under the “People” tab. I don’t see the purpose, as I know I won’t look into 64 pages, one by one. Consider either putting them into alphabetical order, into categories or using a search engine.
    I hope those feedbacks will help you. Good luck with your website!
     

  5. What is your initial impression of Talentopoly

     let me start by saying i am not going to hold back on my opinions good or bad. my intention is to help you however i can as well as the people who will be visiting your site.

    main page cons:
     i think your main page is way too simple looking for professionals to take serious. i think it is some what boring to look at and does not inspire confidence or professionalism. i have seen this similar design on many sites. other sites such as smashing magazine and reddit programming have logos, why don’t you. i think it would only increase your image and name.

    main page pros:
    the main page is user friendly and easy to navigate. it is very easy to tell what your about and what you are offering and trying to accomplish. people know if they are the targeted audience for this site right away.

    inside the site cons:
    the only small issue i have is that it comes off a bit dull and drab except for the profile pics.

    inside the site pros:
    it is exactly as advertised as far as keeping people current and up to date. it could help others in the field find new or better jobs. it’s great for people with like jobs and interests to connect and talk about things a lot of other people would be bored with. the best thing is the lack of unwanted advertisements.

    i think this site needs a little touch up on the main page but the inside is great. i would rather be here than say reddit programming or hacker news. their sites do have a bigger following but it makes it harder to search and find the info your looking for. this is a more intimate site to share and stay current.

    i think you ahve a good thing here. if your itention is to stay a smaller more intimate site then you don’t really need to change anything.

    thanks for letting me voice my opinion.

  6. What is your initial impression of Talentopoly?                                                                                                                                                     That this is a great  social network for IT profesionals.  It has Twitter links, pictures, QA, and resume posts.  Ironcially IT pros often find it difficult to find jobs because they are often posted as ads in a variety of websites.  I think this is a great idea for IT pros to communicate Hot Jobs and get more feedback from other IT pros searching for work.  I really like the pictures and ease of resume reviews.
    As a programmer, designer or an IT professional, is this a site that you would be interested in joining? Why or why not?
    Yes, becuase wwb deisngers often live in closed environments constantly on the computer.  So as a programmer or web designer I could chat and meet people interested in the same things as I do. Most Facebook sites are’nt categorized and this site makes it easy to have your resume reviewed, your pictures seen, and job offered.  As well as being to meet more people in same interests.  Following blogs or Twitter makes this a real steal of oppurtuinity for web desingers or pros to find work and chat.
    Do you feel that you already easily find good programming, design, or IT articles, tools, etc. on the web or would a resource like this be potentially valuable?
    It is easy, but also difficult because of the number of ads.  This all takes time and computer pros look for specifics.  IN other words as a programmer I could make some real cash web designing because of my resume, but at same time I would have to look at ads of other offers.  This Twitter thing and resume post makes doing a little more easy.
    How often do you check sites like Hacker News, Reddit Programming, The Changelog, Smashing Magazine or other sites about programming and design?
    Frequently run across while web searching other sites for outsourcing.  As most new websites or outsourcing companies use IT pros for their designs and software.  In fact most of them do.  So in general I don’t really use these sites myself, but I run across them constantly.  These people have skills that valuable, they can work independtatly, and earn big money.  As far as Smashing Magazine I am often referred to it from my international website review job consistinting mostly of information and data entry.  So I often see or hear or visit these sites because they rule all the data bases and actually program software for many outsourcing companies worlwide.
    Please share any additional feedback or comment you may have.
    I did NOT see any job offers.  It looked like to me that this is more social network for people, but same time they have resume posts.  It would a good idea to publisize referral links off data base sites, employment ads, or other magazines.  This would give more job offers to job seekers by making employer seek top candidates through Talenpoly.  The blogs were great.

  7. What is your initial impression of Talentopoly?
    I thought that it wasn’t attention grabbing enough for me but on the other hand I like that the homepage isn’t swamped with information. I found the information on the homepage to be a little vague upon scrolling down the page I thought that you really delivered the meat and potatoes of what your site is about. I much rather see that on the homepage with a professional setup/ layout.
    As a programmer, designer or an IT professional, is this a site that you would be interested in joining? Why or why not?
    I like that you have a site to match people with users and those who need information. If would probably join the site but its hard to understand the breakdown of your website. You just have to tabs that say people and users.

    Do you feel that you already easily find good programming, design, or IT articles, tools, etc. on the web or would a resource like this be potentially valuable?
    It should be no concern if I can find great info on the web. If this is your market then you should make sure people find that information on your site. Make your website a one-stop shop drawing in more people.
    How often do you check sites like Hacker News, Reddit Programming, The Changelog, Smashing Magazine or other sites about programming and design?
    Being that you site subject matter is not anything that I am familiar with I do not visit those sites at all.
    Please share any additional feedback or comment you may have.
    I don’t understand the need for a invite request. It seems as if your limiting people from access to your website. What information do you have to look over. All you ask if for the basics. I requested an invite and because I have to wait it seems like so some might think I’ll just move on to another site. The wording on the request info seems a little wierd, “secret passageways.” Most people already know that  they will not have full access to a site until they sign up.  You sites need to be more fun and creative, it doesnt seem interactive or easily understandable. I don’t get the two tabs a the top, people and resumes. Who are these people? Does the people who post resume only post for potential work or do they also share information? A sample video would be great becuase it seems you limit the working of your site to point it may not seem worth signing up. The site starts off with such a nice blue color and cool “paper” design then it sort of fades into a washed out white website. You say to have a look around but to be honest what is there to really look at beside just people. I must be missing something but you site needs more umph to it. I would suggest adding some contact info because I did not see any. You should also consider moving your chat and blog information to the top of your homepage. Don’t leave the goodies of you site for someone to find put them out there for everyone to see. I would also like to see font changes, more colors and bold layout. For a site who wants tech savvy people, your doesn’t really reflect that creativity.

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