Too many different forums. Maybe condense some of them?

[jread]

I have found over time that forums seem to do better when they aren't divided up into many different categories. It seems that the more they can be condensed, the better they are. It makes it much easier for the users to keep up with everything this way. Also, if you look at some of the forums on this site, many of them receive very few posts. I run my own forum on another site and it used to be divided into many categories. I found that by condensing things, people liked the layout better and it was easier to navigate (even if I had to move some moderators around).

Some suggestions for this forum:

1. Merge "The Laboratory" and the "Suggestion Box" together. Maybe call the new forum "Suggestions and Site Development".

2. I would merge all four forums under "Shrink's Sofa" together. However, it would still be great to merge "Online Tests", "Psychology Links" and "People and Psychology" all together into one forum, whether Gender Studies stays separate or not.

3. "Entertainment" and "Sports" should be merged. "Geeky Gadgets" and "Science" should be merged. The "Pub" and "Playground" should be merged.

4. "The World" and "Rants and Raves" could probably be merged into one forum called "World Issues and Debates", or something like that.

5. The "Mature Audience Only" forum should stay the way it is for obvious reasons :)

Here is my example of a new forum layout:

Engine Room:

- Introductions
- Suggestions and Site Development


Shrink's Sofa:

- People and Psychology
- Gender Studies (or this one could be merged as well)


Life, the Universe and Everything:

- Entertainment and Sports (or just "Entertainment")
- Science and Technology
- The Local Pub
- Philosophy and Spirituality
- The Atelier
- Web Links

Flamethrower:

- World Issues and Debates
- Mature Audience Only




I'm not saying that I have all the answers or anything, just giving suggestions based off of over 7 years of forum/messageboard experience. I'm sure others may have a better way to do it... just wanted to get everyone thinking about it.

[Claverhouse]

'Velcome, return of old fliend' ( Dr. Chou En Ginsberg )*

:laser:


Claverhouse :ph34r:

* British joke. Don't bother.

[cjs55]

My opinion (which I'm sure no one cares about):

1. Yes
2. No (Just too much traffic on these threads)
3. Yes
4. No (Rants and raves really needs to stay seperate. Its a good place for people to post ridiculous stuff and just vent. I wouldn't want to integrate it into anything else)
5. Yes

[Solo]

My opinion (which I'm sure no one cares about):

1. Yes
2. No (Just too much traffic on these threads)
3. Yes
4. No (Rants and raves really needs to stay seperate. Its a good place for people to post ridiculous stuff and just vent. I wouldn't want to integrate it into anything else)
5. Yes

I pretty much agree with that. There is just too much stuff to combine the shrinks sofa. The links could be put together but people and psychology needs to stay as is. The flamethrower definetly need to be left alone. The threads in rants and raves usually have nothing to do with politics and aren't debates.

[jimkopelli]

Prove brokenness before trying to fix.

[2hype]

It does seem like there are an awful lot of forums. I can't keep up with them all.

[Star]

It does seem like there are an awful lot of forums. I can't keep up with them all.

It's really very easy if you use the 'New Posts' (while logged in) and 'Today's Posts' (in guest mode) links in the top navigation bar.

I think the categories are fine the way that they are, though I'd like a section added for discussion between female INTPs.

[jyakulis]

It's really very easy if you use the 'New Posts' (while logged in) and 'Today's Posts' (in guest mode) links in the top navigation bar.

I think the categories are fine the way that they are, though I'd like a section added for discussion between female INTPs.

Well, then we get one for males! Equal rights after all.

[file cabinet]

I think the categories are fine the way that they are, though I'd like a section added for discussion between female INTPs.

that's what the Gender forum was for originally then it was changed for some reason.

I agree with point number 1.. and point number 3[except I think local pub and playground don't need to be merged].

when I personally browse the forum I just go here http://intpcentral.com/ then go backward around 50 - 100 posts.

there has been discussion about this before.. maybe this time something will be done about it.

[int]

I've been looking over a few threads for re-organizinig. Seems some people want more fora(?) :unsure: and some want less(?). Great! :unsure: :D :mellow:

[Claverhouse]

If it was happening, more would be the way to go*: but it's just the endless rehashing of a subject that gets tiring.

That said, the sooner Gender Studies returns to women only the better; and no --- registered --- males allowed to post there. Why shouldn't they have a league of their own ?

But no need for a men-only forum in return. [ shudders ] I'm sexist and I'm proud.


Claverhouse :ph34r:

* And more organised.

[SensEye]

3. "Entertainment" and "Sports" should be merged. "Geeky Gadgets" and "Science" should be merged. The "Pub" and "Playground" should be merged.
Vehemently opposed to the latter. The playground is the one area of the forum I never visit and it gets lots of traffic. The junk in there needs it's own section so it can be conveniently ignored. There are lots of things in the pub that interest me.

[heeroyuy]

I don't see how it's hard to keep up, anymore and it would be too large, but too many fewer and I can't easily get a general idea of topics by the newest one in each forum. That's my opinion.

[Star]

That said, the sooner Gender Studies returns to women only the better ...


Well I think there would need to be a forum for discussing relationships as well, since that seems to be a huge topic here. I think the current problem is more that relationship discussions are under the same heading as gender studies than that men are allowed to post there.

So I would like:

- female intp subforum
- relationships subforum

[mgb]

Well I think there would need to be a forum for discussing relationships as well, since that seems to be a huge topic here. I think the current problem is more that relationship discussions are under the same heading as gender studies than that men are allowed to post there.

So I would like:

- female intp subforum
- relationships subforum

oooo, the first trial of sub-forums. It's probably the best idea in this case actually. I don't think it should be blocked for males though. Just have them know that their opinion aren't neccessarily appreciated.

[Claverhouse]

oooo, the first trial of sub-forums. It's probably the best idea in this case actually. I don't think it should be blocked for males though. Just have them know that their opinion aren't neccessarily appreciated.
Perhaps a front portal displaying one of Valerie Solanas' various manifestos might do the trick.



Claverhouse :ph34r:

[garak]

1. Merge "The Laboratory" and the "Suggestion Box" together. Maybe call the new forum "Suggestions and Site Development".

Sounds good.

2. I would merge all four forums under "Shrink's Sofa" together. However, it would still be great to merge "Online Tests", "Psychology Links" and "People and Psychology" all together into one forum, whether Gender Studies stays separate or not.

Definitely sounds good. A forum just for links seems pretty stupid to me.

3. "Entertainment" and "Sports" should be merged. "Geeky Gadgets" and "Science" should be merged. The "Pub" and "Playground" should be merged.

Yes, maybe, no. Many of us are interested in science but the computer nerds are a more distinct subset. Then again, it's not that busy of a forum. I dunno, perhaps.

Playground is intended for useless threads -- hardly a good companion for the "talk casually about random stuff" forum.

4. "The World" and "Rants and Raves" could probably be merged into one forum called "World Issues and Debates", or something like that.

As mentioned .. rants and raves really should be separate, and besides, it has nothing to do with "The World." It's a "vent" forum.

[int]

If it was happening....
Well, something is. fc and I have shared a few PMs and some thoughts and have looked over a few other threads dedicated to the topic. That's why I responded here earlier...Some people want more. Some want less. Some want nothing to change.

So some I'm watching this "less is more" thread with interest. :mellow: :)

[jimkopelli]

The Psychology section gets a lot of traffic... merging it probably isn't a good idea. The two links sections could probably go together, though...

While we're thinking about subforums, what about making the Sports section a subforum of Entertainment? I don't really think it gets enough traffic on it's own to merit being on the front page.

I don't see much of a problem with anything else.

[Trolsk]

Zedo once offered to redesign the forum. I don't know about you, but I like the idea.

[jread]

So it seems that while we all have different opinions, there is a consensus that certain forums should be merged together :)

[YardGnome]

It does seem like there are an awful lot of forums. I can't keep up with them all.

Check out the UserCP area and click on subscriptions. It keeps track of all the threads you have participated in, and lists them in order of activity...