Frankly, I am a bit ambivalent about website change of this nature. Predominately, people learn to go to various slots to get various kinds of information and input. Parallax needs some structure to monitor stats about the interest of its products.
For me 'General Discussion' is pretty much the same as 'The Sandbox'. I just suspect that every time you change format and enforce some sort of policy change, you loose some people that feel they are not being accommodated. I don't think it is as easy to bring back people by rolling back changes.
There are other factors.
In the beginning, I really enjoyed digging through PDFs to give others answers and to learn something. But as I did more and more of this, it became tiresome. Also, my answers were not quite as good as others. So, the forums have served and served well their support purposes for me - but I don't visit anywhere near as often. In other words, Parallax has to always have a significant focus on attracting and helping newcomers. The old timers know their way around and become less active even though they may be very involved with using Parallax products on their own.
I seen this my self and I wonder if this a good thing or not
There are other factors.
In the beginning, I really enjoyed digging through PDFs to give others answers and to learn something. But as I did more and more of this, it became tiresome. Also, my answers were not quite as good as others. So, the forums have served and served well their support purposes for me - but I don't visit anywhere near as often. In other words, Parallax has to always have a significant focus on attracting and helping newcomers. The old timers know their way around and become less active even though they may be very involved with using Parallax products on their own.
I think the best part of the Sandbox was the fact that non-Parallax stuff could be discussed without the poster feeling he was talking out of turn or abusing the Forum rules/guidelines.
A truly "General Discussion" area would serve the same purpose without adding further subdivisions. Maybe just keep the present title and get rid of the qualifying by-line.
I suppose that I've never taken the Parallax only rule seriously, but the simple fact is that 'The Sandbox' has had a long history of being far more informative than the vast majority of strictly moderated Forums. Topics of any sort seemed to get intelligent, creative, and informative answers while allowing some joking around.
My own sense is that Forums are generally over-moderated and boring or very free-wheeling and interesting. I think there is a 'health consensus' on the Parallax Forums about which items are appropriate and that replaces much of the need for a Big Brother type of moderator.
Either bring the Sandbox back, or change the definition of General Discussions... Most that visit here are the engineering types, think like engineers, talk like engineers and interested in engineer type things. Posts completely unrelated to electronics and this field in general are very few IMHO, e.g. cats bumping heads, politics, Justin Beiber Smile, and scantly clad women (diaper wearing twins accepted of course) and for this reason I typically enjoy reading the off topic posts.
I guess what I'm saying is, I would like a place to post and read random stuff. The members seem disciplined enough to keep it in check IMO. If you are worried about server space maybe you can make it a condition of this "Sandbox" that posts older than X months will be deleted since it's intended to be an off topic section.
Perhaps renaming General Discussion to General Parallax Discussion; {Topics related to the use of Parallax products but not specifically addressed by an individual forum}. And adding Sandbox; {Open forum for everything not related to Parallax or Parallax Products}.
I like the sandbox concept. Sometimes I just want to have a place to babble with friends and "family" I've come to know. How I do like to babble.
I vote bring back the SandBox and place it immediately under the General Parallax Discussion.
I'm shocked that PJ Allen hasn't opined. He's the unofficial Category Cop. Heaven help the poor git who posts something not within the specified guidelines.
What would I do? I'd loosen the guidelines on General Discussion. It takes a critical mass of readers and posters to make a forum work. Having both General and Sandbox is too fine a distinction and too fractionating, imho.
Also, I've see what happens when there are no controls at all, and it isn't pretty. In fact, it would be unworthy of Parallax to host or tolerate such a forum.
I don't mind erco's family pics too much. He correctly identifies the subject matter so that those not interested never need click in.
Ok so there is no but. If the powers-that-be decide to just "loosen" the guidelines for the General Discussion to allow for Off topic discussion then it should be mandatory to add an [OFF TOPIC] type icon like the [SOLVED], [UNSOLVED], and [IN PROGRESS] styles.
Naturally my vote (if it matters) goes to my original comments earlier in the thread.
Love the feedback, and this is why we open these types of discussions up to everyone here.
:snooty: First Off - No one was doing anything wrong, nor was there any notable pestering/bickering going on; that's not the purpose of this inquiry. We just wanted some feedback, since there were a few requests to sort out fluff from eng/prog.
=D Solution - As per suggestions and interest in maintaining the general discussion as it, with it's place of honor, and to easily maintain this effort; we will be adding a few Prefixes to the GD to help...
:cat: Some suggestions of prefixes we've been kicking about thus far:
Rave, Rant, Sandbox, Off-Topic, Cool, Cute, Random, FYI, LOL, Leisure, and a few others.
Thank you all, and as always feel free to keep up with the suggestions and point-out when things don't seem right. We'll do our best to help :zombie:
A sandbox by any other name... 'Not sure it matters what you call it. There's nothing wrong with "General Discussion" IMO; but it's still the sandbox. Whatever you name it, though, please keep it topmost. I think it having it there really has worked for keeping non-Prop topics out of the Propeller Forum.
Someone posted, "I'm shocked that PJ Allen hasn't opined."
Rather?
Speak of the devil and he will appear.
The thread's title is about feedback regarding re-instituting "The Sandbox", but it's not clear to me what's being/been proposed.
If the choice is between making General Discussion true to its description and to add/resurrect The Sandbox for the "other stuff" or re-labelling General Discussion as The Sandbox and omitting the 'Parallax-related' caveat - then I choose the former (i.e. the first option.)
I'd like to see a lot more Parallax emphasis, product focus, in all the major categories.
:cat: Some suggestions of prefixes we've been kicking about thus far:
Rave, Rant, Sandbox, Off-Topic, Cool, Cute, Random, FYI, LOL, Leisure, and a few others.
Comments
For me 'General Discussion' is pretty much the same as 'The Sandbox'. I just suspect that every time you change format and enforce some sort of policy change, you loose some people that feel they are not being accommodated. I don't think it is as easy to bring back people by rolling back changes.
There are other factors.
In the beginning, I really enjoyed digging through PDFs to give others answers and to learn something. But as I did more and more of this, it became tiresome. Also, my answers were not quite as good as others. So, the forums have served and served well their support purposes for me - but I don't visit anywhere near as often. In other words, Parallax has to always have a significant focus on attracting and helping newcomers. The old timers know their way around and become less active even though they may be very involved with using Parallax products on their own.
I volunteer to nitpick the details of said rant.
Paul
A truly "General Discussion" area would serve the same purpose without adding further subdivisions. Maybe just keep the present title and get rid of the qualifying by-line.
Cheers,
My own sense is that Forums are generally over-moderated and boring or very free-wheeling and interesting. I think there is a 'health consensus' on the Parallax Forums about which items are appropriate and that replaces much of the need for a Big Brother type of moderator.
I guess what I'm saying is, I would like a place to post and read random stuff. The members seem disciplined enough to keep it in check IMO. If you are worried about server space maybe you can make it a condition of this "Sandbox" that posts older than X months will be deleted since it's intended to be an off topic section.
I vote for this wording !
What would I do? I'd loosen the guidelines on General Discussion. It takes a critical mass of readers and posters to make a forum work. Having both General and Sandbox is too fine a distinction and too fractionating, imho.
Also, I've see what happens when there are no controls at all, and it isn't pretty. In fact, it would be unworthy of Parallax to host or tolerate such a forum.
I don't mind erco's family pics too much. He correctly identifies the subject matter so that those not interested never need click in.
Ok so there is no but. If the powers-that-be decide to just "loosen" the guidelines for the General Discussion to allow for Off topic discussion then it should be mandatory to add an [OFF TOPIC] type icon like the [SOLVED], [UNSOLVED], and [IN PROGRESS] styles.
Naturally my vote (if it matters) goes to my original comments earlier in the thread.
Paul
:snooty: First Off - No one was doing anything wrong, nor was there any notable pestering/bickering going on; that's not the purpose of this inquiry. We just wanted some feedback, since there were a few requests to sort out fluff from eng/prog.
=D Solution - As per suggestions and interest in maintaining the general discussion as it, with it's place of honor, and to easily maintain this effort; we will be adding a few Prefixes to the GD to help...
:cat: Some suggestions of prefixes we've been kicking about thus far:
Rave, Rant, Sandbox, Off-Topic, Cool, Cute, Random, FYI, LOL, Leisure, and a few others.
Thank you all, and as always feel free to keep up with the suggestions and point-out when things don't seem right. We'll do our best to help :zombie:
I second and third this opinion!
KK
Rather?
Speak of the devil and he will appear.
The thread's title is about feedback regarding re-instituting "The Sandbox", but it's not clear to me what's being/been proposed.
If the choice is between making General Discussion true to its description and to add/resurrect The Sandbox for the "other stuff" or re-labelling General Discussion as The Sandbox and omitting the 'Parallax-related' caveat - then I choose the former (i.e. the first option.)
I'd like to see a lot more Parallax emphasis, product focus, in all the major categories.
Don't forget "Twins"
bwAAAAHAHAHAA! I love your avatar!!
Bring back [The Sandbox]. I love this forum and having
a Sandbox gives me a place to put silly ramblings and
ebay bargain hunt posts.
Perhaps we could also benefit from a new section called
[The Catbox] all the Smile could default to this ..LoL
Having your post shifted to [The Catbox] would be quite
an insult.
Hey!
I loved those pics and vids of the twins. This alone is reason enough
to bring back the sandbox. :-)
Love it!
BTW, good to see you back online Holly - hope all is well.
Paul