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Too many top-level forums? — Parallax Forums

Too many top-level forums?

BumpBump Posts: 592
edited 2011-10-08 11:11 in General Discussion
Are there too many top-level forums? Does this cause concern to the intrepid forumista when they're trying desperately to keep up with the hubbub going down on these wide-open forums? I've heard some concern on this subject matter from others, and the moderator monkeys also desired less territory in their habitat.

I'm looking for suggestions; if you'd like to offer an assist, now is the time and we'd be appreciative.

  • General Discussion (maybe a name change?)
    • Sandbox (Chatterbox)
  • Propeller Chip
    • Propeller Meet-up
    • Spinneret Topics
  • BASIC Stamp
  • Education (Stamps in Class)
  • Robotics
  • Projects
    • Completed Projects
    • Builders
  • Classifieds
That is what I have so far for the main top-level forums and their associated sub-forums. I am at a loss for what exactly the best thing to do is in regards to Wireless, Sensors, and PropScope.

No that's not true, PropScope was requested to change; it will become a new forum called 'Test Equipment' which would be open to logic analyzers and other such test equipment. Less specialized, more broad.

Wireless could become 'Wireless & Communication', and we could add prefixes to both that forum and Sensors for different types of programming languages. But that would cause some ambiguity and confusion.

I also have requests for other sub-forums, such as 'Renewable Energy'.

Comments

  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2011-10-07 11:34
    If you are really into playing "whack-a-mole" with the forums isn't it easier to leave the structure as it is rather than have a complicated tree of sub-forums to visit?
    I'm all for a little renaming. Like "propscope" to "test equipment" if the title is a little limiting.
  • wjsteelewjsteele Posts: 697
    edited 2011-10-07 11:36
    I think they're fine... the "What's new" button at the top really helps out!

    Bill
  • BumpBump Posts: 592
    edited 2011-10-07 12:29
    Heater. wrote: »
    If you are really into playing "whack-a-mole" with the forums isn't it easier to leave the structure as it is rather than have a complicated tree of sub-forums to visit?
    I'm all for a little renaming. Like "propscope" to "test equipment" if the title is a little limiting.

    Personally I'm not very keen on the whole sub-forum structure either. It tends to hide more than it does to help.
    "I was looking for the.. oh it's gone, where do I go now?"

    The other way, with regards to breaking down the structure is to merge the forums; however some subjects just don't blend and the currently separated content would sashay unhappily.
    Seeking ideas, because there might be more forums getting added... yay?
  • icepuckicepuck Posts: 466
    edited 2011-10-07 12:35
    Since Parallax sells solar panels the addition of a 'Renewable Energy' forum would be the most logical choice.
    -dan
  • mindrobotsmindrobots Posts: 6,506
    edited 2011-10-07 12:49
    "Renewable Energy"?

    How about something more generic: Power Sources or Energy Sources...so the Li-Ion boards and other power sources (flux capacitors) on the drawing board have a place?

    ...and of course, there will need to be an "Airframes" forum
  • BumpBump Posts: 592
    edited 2011-10-07 12:57
    mindrobots wrote: »
    "Renewable Energy"?

    How about something more generic: Power Sources or Energy Sources...so the Li-Ion boards and other power sources (flux capacitors) on the drawing board have a place?

    ...and of course, there will need to be an "Airframes" forum

    Yes, 'energy' or 'energy sources' (something along those lines) would maintain the concept behind general topics vs very rigid specialized forums; that's a fantastic suggestion.
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2011-10-07 13:05
    The forum works fine as it is. If you split things into subforums, how will you ever deal with the zillions of threads that already exist? It will end up being a mess. But this is coming from someone who hardly uses the main forum page anyway. All my forum browsing is done via the "What's New?" button. The only time I visit the main page is when I start a thread of my own.

    If people want subcatgories, they should be encouraged to use the tag feature when they post.

    -Phil
  • ratronicratronic Posts: 1,451
    edited 2011-10-07 13:13
    General discussion
    Propeller
    Basic Stamp
    Robotics
    Sensors/Wireless

    I think that everything could be placed in just the above.
  • Dave HeinDave Hein Posts: 6,347
    edited 2011-10-07 14:14
    I almost always use the "What's New?" button, and I hardly notice that there are sub-forums. The only time I jump directly to a forum is when I want to go back to a thread that I read a few minutes ago, and it's no longer available through the "What's New?" button. It would be nice to add a "Today's Posts" button so we could see threads that are no longer "New", but have been posted within the past 24 hours.
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2011-10-07 14:33
    Dave, the 24-hour function is already there. Just put this link in your bookmarks:

    -Phil
  • WBA ConsultingWBA Consulting Posts: 2,936
    edited 2011-10-07 15:07
    The "What's New" button is the only button I hit routinely. The listing as shown on the General Forums page is just fine for me. When I do go into a specific forum, it is usually because I am hunting for a thread that I posted on last, and it doesn't show up in the What's New search results.

    I have occasionally went into a forum and clicked on a random page just to revisit some old threads. For example, I clicked on the Page 11 button in the Propeller forum and caught the thread for the announcement of the PropGFX binary release and remembered that I hadn't made my PropGFX stackup out of my M44D40+ modules like I was wanting to.

    .....Thanks for the link Phil! That's what I needed for my Blackberry and Nook to save me a couple clicks.
  • SRLMSRLM Posts: 5,045
    edited 2011-10-07 15:33
    I just use the "What's New" button, and it's always exciting to see what language will appear...
  • HannoHanno Posts: 1,130
    edited 2011-10-07 18:24
    Whatever you do- please don't break links to existing posts...
    Hanno
  • davejamesdavejames Posts: 4,047
    edited 2011-10-07 18:38
    ...for what it's worth, the Forum is fine as it stands.
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2011-10-07 19:35
    It's rare to see such consensus in a forum thread. I think the message is clear, "Bump, it's fine the way it is. Please don't screw with it."

    -Phil
  • PJAllenPJAllen Banned Posts: 5,065
    edited 2011-10-07 19:43
    Yes...
    No...
    Maybe...
    Could you repeat the question?

    Maybe people would take notice of other forums if they didn't have to go to the herculean effort of pressing Page Down, the equivalent of cleaning the Augean stables, to find them ("Oh, bother.")
    Many aren't concerned with anything "below the fold" as we used to say in the newspaper days.
  • $WMc%$WMc% Posts: 1,884
    edited 2011-10-07 20:01
    Bump
    '
    Leave a good thing alone.( The forums )
    '
    Work on the Hardware end or the lack there of.
  • Zap-oZap-o Posts: 452
    edited 2011-10-07 20:43
    I am sorry but I also agree with most. If it aint broke dont fix it.
  • HumanoidoHumanoido Posts: 5,770
    edited 2011-10-07 23:43
    A green forum for apps that deal with saving and monitoring the Earth would be useful. I recommend a forum for people running their own small business and selling a product made with or for Parallax processors, sensors and parts, like a board.
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2011-10-08 01:10
    Sub-forums successfully killed the SX. But then again, Parallax actually created an entry point that made it hard to find in the Forums>General Forums structure.

    Actually I was pondering the opposite. It seems that the Propeller might actually do better if we had more forums that were language specific - C, Forth, PropBasic, Spin. You really don't want to unintentionally rebuff the new user as you loose more new users. Some of the Forums may seem too advanced and too high minded for new people to feel comfortable in asking for help.

    Why don't we have a 'Getting Started' Forum? Many websites do so.
  • RS_JimRS_Jim Posts: 1,773
    edited 2011-10-08 06:16
    Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) wrote: »
    Dave, the 24-hour function is already there. Just put this link in your bookmarks:

    -Phil
    Thanks Phil, I just emailed that bookmark to my new android phone!
    Jim
  • mindrobotsmindrobots Posts: 6,506
    edited 2011-10-08 06:22
    I was thinking instead of new/more forum categories, maybe a search that REALLY worked. It's a pain to keep going to Google, doing your search to find a thread and then going to the forums. It's a double pain for those of us with attention defects...we often go searching and end up wandering off into the forest for a while!
  • RDL2004RDL2004 Posts: 2,554
    edited 2011-10-08 06:43
    I pretty much think it's okay the way it is. Maybe some condensing and renaming is in order.

    I kind of think that Parallax Semiconductor should be a separate entity altogether and moved to its own forum connected directly from the Parallax Semiconductor web site.

    Also I think something like this would be a good idea, maybe the wording could indicate a new thread would be a better idea, I don't know.
    OldThread.jpg
    797 x 106 - 65K
  • potatoheadpotatohead Posts: 10,261
    edited 2011-10-08 08:57
    I don't see the number of forums being a problem. The new posts function works well enough to see the goings on. Drilling down to sub forums really only makes sense at higher traffic volumes, IMHO.
  • jazzedjazzed Posts: 11,803
    edited 2011-10-08 10:17
    I minimize the ones i don't care about. There are advantages and disadvantages.

    To me there are too many forums in General Forums though ... for example Test Forum could be moved somewhere else. Also I keep seeing some threads pop to the top of forums that are not even related to the forum ... especially in Robotics.

    RDL2004 wrote: »
    I kind of think that Parallax Semiconductor should be a separate entity altogether and moved to its own forum connected directly from the Parallax Semiconductor web site.
    I agree completely on this point.
  • kwinnkwinn Posts: 8,697
    edited 2011-10-08 11:11
    I took a look at the number of postings in September for the General Discussion (168 posts), Propeller (190 posts from Sep 8-30), Robotics (34 posts), Sensors (22 posts), Wireless (17 posts)

    IMHO the General Discussion and Propeller forums should remain as they are. Both have a healthy amount of activity. I don't really care if General Discussion is renamed to Sandbox or Chatterbox, but I see no reason or gain by doing so.

    The Robotics, Sensors, and Wireless forums could be combined into a single forum called.....wait for it...... Robotics, Sensors, and Wireless since a number of sensor and wireless postings are often related to use on robots, and some wireless postings are related to communications with remote sensors.

    If you take a broader view of what constitutes a robot a lot of the other projects that use sensors and wireless like home automation and remote monitoring/controls could also be considered a form of robotics.

    Education and Basic Stamp could also be combined into a single forum.

    Completed Projects should probably remain a separate forum.

    But please....No sub-forums!
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