I didn't vote yet. The byline is a tough call. I'll need some time to think this one over.
I suggest others do the same.
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Given the choices, I think you guys should ditch any byline. It leaves more mystery for people to poke through. Having a Nikeish phrase like "Why die?" would look out of place and maybe silly to the scientists in the forum. That presentation would work with college type kids or young adults, though. I think the logo and the web url is enough.
I'd like to see what else Duke might come up with...he said he'd give it another try...bust, Duke!
The goal would be, it seems...to make the first impression consistent with the goals of the Institute, meanwhile remaining attractive and memorable enough such that a reader might find it worthwhile to poke around a bit more at the site. I'm confident that if people didn't think this was, as Duke might say: "nerdsville," first time visitors might look around and find a topic they enjoy enough to feel the need to participate or make a contribution. Considering most of the traffic originates from the "nootropic," health, and diet subsections; that could tell us where to start: where we can have the biggest chance for impact. A possibility for an article could be nootropics, diet, health, exercise, etc...maybe that would attract a lot of interest in other topics like Life Extension and Immortality? That's how I first came across these ideas, through supplements and nootropics.
Many visitors of the health forums find the messages there generally relevant enough to compel them to poke around and often ask questions. That is, if they don't get sick to their stomach from the...past saga..I think it's time to put that even farther behind us...maybe move the "Chronicles" to a members only or even full members only section? So that way, at worst, you get a new set of registrants to witness a consequence of being perhaps the most advanced Internet forum community in the world based on real human relationships and the first to have to weed out a hidden commercial interest. This is perhaps the only Internet forum I know of that is led by real individuals rather than screen names...so that equates to a credibility thus far unmatched on the Internet; I can also see why it might be important to not compromise the byline for "looks" sake ...but in this case, I don't think it's really a question of the credibility of the message itself, but of finding the most appealing way to present it.
Edited by nootropikamil, 30 June 2006 - 06:19 AM.