[ActiveMining] The Official Active Mining Discussion Thread

[kslaughter]

Here's my attempt at a logo:



Sticking with the "three boxes on top of eachother" theme.  It's a 3D model so you can pose it/light it however you want.   (It's still in the process of being rendered so it's pretty grainy at the moment)

I really like this.  This would be good on some videos as our opening logo.

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[WikileaksDude]

Here's my attempt at a logo:



Sticking with the "three boxes on top of eachother" theme.  It's a 3D model so you can pose it/light it however you want.   (It's still in the process of being rendered so it's pretty grainy at the moment)

I really like this.  This would be good on some videos as our opening logo.

Dear based kslaughter, good to see you swimming with the sharks (this thread).

[Ytterbium]

It's nice work but not viable as a logo, it relies far too much on colour and detail and wouldn't work at a small size.

Nice 3D work though, very impressive.

Eh, I dunno I think it looks fine at a small size:


The shadows are a bit much, but they can be taken out. You can also render it with flat colors, etc

It's an extrusion of this basic shape:



It's actually easier to do a full 3D render like the above then a fully flat-colored 'vectorized' version of the 3D logo.  Except for the render time, of course.

[N_S]

All of what I'm seeing here is certainly a step in the right direction.

Well done.

[hazryder]

It's nice work but not viable as a logo, it relies far too much on colour and detail and wouldn't work at a small size.

Nice 3D work though, very impressive.

Eh, I dunno I think it looks fine at a small size:

It doesn't work in black and white, loses legibility in small sizes, is overly complicated and forces the rest of the branding to be massively redesigned.

There's a reason almost every successful logo is a flat vector image, they're just all-round better.

[N_S]

There's a reason almost every successful logo is a flat vector image, they're just all-round better.

It's pretty tough to argue with this. They're easier to re-size, display in any media form, and are universally easier on the eyes.

[SoylentCreek]

It's nice work but not viable as a logo, it relies far too much on colour and detail and wouldn't work at a small size.

Nice 3D work though, very impressive.

Eh, I dunno I think it looks fine at a small size:

The shadows are a bit much, but they can be taken out. You can also render it with flat colors, etc

It's an extrusion of this basic shape:


It's actually easier to do a full 3D render like the above then a fully flat-colored 'vectorized' version of the 3D logo.  Except for the render time, of course.

I do not typically do 3D logo's, simply because they are more trouble than they are worth, and they typically come across as dated.  If I were to do it, I would suggest loosing the shadows and harsh gradient.  Also, a cleaner font would look better.  Something like this is what I'm thinking.

[Ytterbium]

Yeah, flatshaded versions can be done, i.e:





That's just quick and dirty, the dark lines in the second version were done with a quick photoshop filter, but that's the general idea.

[lewicki]

If Lewicki is reluctant to transfer it to Ken for whatever reason, I'd be happy to design a not-quite-the-same-but-very-similar logo

I don't have a license to use that one.  Last time I put it up, lewicki got all pissed off, after he told me that he would sign it over to ActM.

lol shrewd move by lewicki. I personally wouldn't touch the logo after that manoeuvre.

After offering to redesign his entire front end using his current website for free, I was turned down. Since I have no say on the web site, and the main reason why was doing this for free in the first place was to improve shareholder value by generating more sales and in effect paying myself through dividends; I would no longer be paid anything for the work that I have done. I have said multiple times to Ken that I would give him the content (Logo, etc.) if he pays me what I payed for them.

I will give him everything (logo, etc.) if he pays me what I payed for it. I think that that is more than fair.

[SoylentCreek]

Here's another one that sort of follows the 3D look, but simplifies it a bit more.

[BlockChains]

I think Ken has the right priorities. I'd like to point out that AsicMiner has yet to have an official website and grew to be a multimillion dollar business in the bitcoin world. While websites are nice and help with being taken seriously, it doesn't really matter that much in this specific sector at this time.

If there's a product available that  can be shipped immedietely and has even a shred of an ability to make ROI in a timely manner, they will be sold out in nanoseconds.

Obviously, as the market gets more saturated with mining hardware options then marketing and professional branding will start to move to the top of the priority list. For quite a while in this sector, once a plethora of immediately available miners are available to choose from, it will be $/GH and Watts/GH that determine the best sellers. Not the ones with the prettiest cases and websites.

1 year out, marketing will start to matter more. Consider the "war" between intel and amd. Both offer pretty much the same thing with only slight differences and so they really have to market the shit out of their product so that when the consumer goes to make a purchase they go, "Well this has Intel and I swear more people have that because its good." Really it's just that subconscious marketing echo from all the commercial exposure they've had rattling in their head making them swing that way at the point of sale.

tl;dr The asic mining sphere is still too nascent for web marketing to be of much importance

[SoylentCreek]

Last post before I head off to bed.  Here's two mockups of the current site with my two VMC logo's, the first of which is tweaked so the color flows better with the rest of the site.

[somestranger]

BlockChains, you are ignoring the whole reason we need a flashy looking website which is to attract large amounts of preorders! Just look at how many idiots fall for BFL's scam because they have a pretty website. ASICMINER waited until they had large amounts of hardware up and running before they sold it, and it was immediately available (they only sold it once they could get more than it would ever mine... 20BTC blades anyone?). Getting preorders locked in now will give us a very nice revenue stream once we get chips from eASIC. If we don't get the preorders, then our competition will and then we will be left with nothing.

[tom.hashemi]

BlockChains, you are ignoring the whole reason we need a flashy looking website which is to attract large amounts of preorders!

Are you advocating scamming people for your personal gain?

Don't follow the logic there - preorders does not equate to scamming.

[VinceSamios]

Yes, lewicki web site looks good; however, it is an unproven site.  Our current site is making 8X times what we are spending on advertising.  Also, there have already been some licensing problems with the site that lewicki developed.

I understand the fear of moving away from a site that converts profitably (believe me, I know this fear) - but if this site is converting at 8x profitability, imagine what a good site would do. I'm an expert on CRO and believe me when I say your current site is one of the worst I've seen. To fear change is to fear success.

I also understand the existing site might have some useful backoffice functions, in which case lewicki's design could be ported to the same content management system.

For every problem there is a solution.

[VinceSamios]

BlockChains, you are ignoring the whole reason we need a flashy looking website which is to attract large amounts of preorders!

Are you advocating scamming people for your personal gain?

Don't follow the logic there - preorders does not equate to scamming.

Unless = BFL

[jinyoubei]

The best I've seen so far.

I figured that I would take a crack at this.

[EskimoBob]

I completely understand, why Ken is not going with Lewicki home made back-end. NB! I am not talking about UI here.

PrestaShop has been tested in real life use by thousands and for longer Lewicki shopping cart has existed. It sure sounds like needed back-end functionality is not there either. etc etc.
Lets be honest, Lewicki shopping cart is not even in alpha stage Again, I am not talking about UI - the shiny stuff you see.

It is/was total waste of time, energy (and money) to invent your own shopping cart system, when you can use rigorously tested and well documented (and free) shopping cart engine with all the back-end bells an whistles you need to run your business - process orders, handle inventory etc.

Yes, I agree, some parts of the current shop do not look good but this is the UI problem and not the core/engine, what ever you like to call it, problem. 

Who is VMC client? Is it a eye candy seeking 16-18 year old, with severe ADD, because of overusing "social" media and needs this shit to slide, bounce and shine on his/her "smart phone" idiot slab, phone s/he is drooling over all day long, oblivious to what is happening around her/him?
Fuck no!

The look is not so important as reliable technical information, delivery dates that are met and equipment that works, are way more important in this case.

Actm/VMC are not selling shiny dildos with blinking lights. This product is überspecific hardware and chips, that can do only one thing - mine bitcoins.

This pages needs:
1) get me the information I need to make a decision - do not force me to click for every bit of useful info
2) Make it easy to order - one page no more than 3 clicks do get me out the door
3) give me a personal page I can see my order status

Everything else is waste.

I agree, this site can not look like shit. But, if it looks like shit, it needs a new skin, and not an home made shopping cart engine.

Lewicki did a awesome job but it was a wrong job. He should have painted the siding, not start build a new house

BTW, Ken, can we expect financial reports by 15 or are you going to jerk us around again with bull shit excuses.
One more thing. one month Income/Expense report, with out any info for previous periods (year to date), is not! a balance sheet. Just a reminder, so you know.

[somestranger]

BlockChains, you are ignoring the whole reason we need a flashy looking website which is to attract large amounts of preorders!

Are you advocating scamming people for your personal gain?

No. I believe ActiveMining will be shipping miners by December, but all of the competition is taking preorders so if we don't we will get left behind.

[EskimoBob]

When pricing equipment, please go to http://mining.thegenesisblock.com/ > Mining and have fun.
Set delivery date to December and it is not looking good at all

Is diff increase now around 60-70 or even more?