Sensors Forum and threads that cut across multiple domains
Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)
Posts: 23,514
I thought the Sensors Forum was a good idea and hope that my questions about appropriate content didn't add to the ambiguity leading to its withdrawal. This issue does accentuate the fact that the forum software is beginning to creak and groan a little under the breadth and depth of topics present here. When postings cut across several domains, it's hard sometimes to know which forum is most appropriate. Some new users respond to the challenge by cross-posting in multiple forums, which is against the rules.
If Parallax is shopping for new forum software to meet these expanded needs, there's one feature I'd definitely consider looking for. I guess you could call it "automatic cross-posting", for want of a better term. It would work like this:
1. All new threads would be posted in a single "submission forum".
2. When posting, the user would check one or several boxes pertaining to the topic(s) most closely associated with his post. These topics would correspond to the forums we now have and maybe more. (The moderators would have the power to alter these selections and to lock them out of further edits by the poster.)
3. Each thread would appear in all the forums for which boxes were checked, and each reply would also appear in all those forums. In other words, there would be a single collection of threads, each thread being assigned one or more virtual "forums" in which to appear.
This would satisfy several objectives:
1. Threads cutting across more than one domain (e.g. IR obstacle detection => BASIC Stamp, Robotics, Sensors) would appear in multiple forums automatically.
2. The problem with cross-posting would disappear, since every thread is potentially a "virtual cross-post".
3. Replies made to a thread in any forum appear in all forums where the thread is visible since, in reality, there's only a single thread.
I don't know if forum software that works like this is available anywhere. If it is, the job of integrating the current forum with it could be enormous, unless some sort of import facility comes with it for bringing in the DotNetBB stuff. I would hate to see the current forum shunted away into a separate archive. After all, who ever visits the "BASIC Stamps Archive" (or even knows it's sitting there at the bottom of the page)?
Thanks,
Phil
If Parallax is shopping for new forum software to meet these expanded needs, there's one feature I'd definitely consider looking for. I guess you could call it "automatic cross-posting", for want of a better term. It would work like this:
1. All new threads would be posted in a single "submission forum".
2. When posting, the user would check one or several boxes pertaining to the topic(s) most closely associated with his post. These topics would correspond to the forums we now have and maybe more. (The moderators would have the power to alter these selections and to lock them out of further edits by the poster.)
3. Each thread would appear in all the forums for which boxes were checked, and each reply would also appear in all those forums. In other words, there would be a single collection of threads, each thread being assigned one or more virtual "forums" in which to appear.
This would satisfy several objectives:
1. Threads cutting across more than one domain (e.g. IR obstacle detection => BASIC Stamp, Robotics, Sensors) would appear in multiple forums automatically.
2. The problem with cross-posting would disappear, since every thread is potentially a "virtual cross-post".
3. Replies made to a thread in any forum appear in all forums where the thread is visible since, in reality, there's only a single thread.
I don't know if forum software that works like this is available anywhere. If it is, the job of integrating the current forum with it could be enormous, unless some sort of import facility comes with it for bringing in the DotNetBB stuff. I would hate to see the current forum shunted away into a separate archive. After all, who ever visits the "BASIC Stamps Archive" (or even knows it's sitting there at the bottom of the page)?
Thanks,
Phil
Comments
The Sensors forum concept had been brought up many times in the past along with ideas for other forums like electronics and For Sale. The main problem from my own personal perspective as a moderator is maintenance. With so many forums it’s hard to read every post, yet if we don’t we may miss an important question. Sometimes we find off-topic threads and move them.
Additional forums are an on-going discussion currently though recently we’ve cut down on the number of forums instead of increasing them. For example there is no longer a Scribbler Forum. Now it is handled in the Robotics forum. No doubt better software could make things easier for everyone though we have to consider the possibility of moving the current message base into a new package if possible.
If replies cross-posted automatically as you mentioned in your ideal forum software package I would almost be for it. It would eliminate the main complaint from cross-posting now, which is answering messages in two places. Of course, we have to consider that most people cross-post because they want the most possible coverage for their message and so it is likely all check-boxes would be a common thing.
As a long time customer and supporter in the Forums your opinion is well-respected and of course, we will continue to try and provide the best customer solution that we can. Feedback is always appreciated. Take care.
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Chris Savage
Parallax Engineering
I wouldn't mind visiting it, except all the names are changed to "Archiver". This makes it rather difficult to figure out what is happening in a thread, so I never go there.
As for a new forum software, I wouldn't mind if all the old post couldn't be included, as long as the names (and preferably avatars) were preserved for future reference. My 2c.
One is that our forums are primarily a support tool, and are handled by support people. Another view is that they provide tremendous marketing value for Parallax, and although they are not an advertising tool, they do allow us to neatly divide up product lines and draw specific attention to certain types of products (Sensors, for example).
What are your perspectives, as customers?
Ken Gracey
Parallax, Inc.
The only problem I see is that there may be some confusion between questions
based on different micros, namely Propeller and Basic Stamp.
The issue of knowing not knowing where to post a specific question could become
a little more problematic. If I'm using a PING sensor with a Propeller, do I post it
to the "Sensors" forum, or to the "Propeller" forum.
OBC
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I see where your point is, and ideally there would be a Sensor solution for multiple platforms. That said, there are some sensors that simply may not work on one platform verses another platform and in that case it might be obvious. Alternatively it's not too difficult to adapt code from one platform so that it may be used on another platform. Doing so helps in part of the learning process and usually leads to a better understanding of the device.
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Beau Schwabe
IC Layout Engineer
Parallax, Inc.
If there was a sensors forum they could post them there.
I like the idea of a sensors forum too.
Bean.
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1. A welcome screen every time somebody visits the forum for the first time that day
2. A screen when registering. This could creatively be hid by doing something like "Page loading. Please wait" and having the page wait for about 20s before moving on
3. An automatically generated message to all new users via PM.
Each solution should have the four or five most important rules of the forum listed in short, concise sentences. Addition links would be good, but the user should be able to scan quickly and get the gist.