Regarding Sub-Forums, Moved Threads, and overall forum structure...

[Gaillo]

OK, everyone.

Since JohnQPublic created a group of new sub-forums (Critical Current Events, sub-divided into Gulf Oil Spill, Etc.) and the mods have moved several threads into the new sub-forums, there has been quite a bit of feedback by forum members questioning the whole situation. I'll attempt to give a clear explanation of the situation, and the intent behind it.

First off, there is NO requirement that you post in the correct sub-forum, if you want to post any topic in General Discussion, please feel free. The moderators general policy after discussing the issue is to NOT move threads out of General Discussion until they reach at least page 2, unless there is an overwhelming reason to move it. After the thread has run it's course on General Discussion, making it to page 2 or 3, we will move it to the correct sub-forum if the thread warrants it.

This is being done for 2 reasons. First off, we are attempting to make the forum a better source of information, with more easily locatable materials on the topic you are searching for. The second reason is that, due to the high-volume of posts in General Discussion, many threads are quickly lost and perhaps do not receive the attention and further posting that they might deserve. By moving older threads to the appropriate sub-forum, it is our hope that members will be more likely to continue reading and posting in those threads.

I'm hoping this clears up any confusion about today's events, I'm going to sticky this here and in the Board Communications sub-forum for a few days so everyone has a chance to read it. Please feel free to add your 0.02 to this thread, the one in Board Communications will be locked and for notification only.

-Gaillo

[Neuro]

Fair enough I was the one who suggested this change. But a great many of the threads at page one in GD was moved to other subforums today... Overzealousness of the moderators?

[Gaillo]

Fair enough I was the one who suggested this change. But a great many of the threads at page one in GD was moved to other subforums today... Overzealousness of the moderators?


Possibly a combination of overzealousness, combined with a desire to start the new sub-forums off with some content. This will NOT be our general policy - as I previously stated the mods have discussed the issue and decided to (generally) wait until a thread reaches page 2 or 3 of General Discussion before moving it.

[Neuro]

Great! I would still desire a few less subforums... :oo-->

[Gaillo]

Great! I would still desire a few less subforums... :oo-->


I'm sure you're not alone in that. We're trying to find the right balance here, it can be tricky.

[MAGNES]

This is being done for 2 reasons. First off, we are attempting to make the forum a better source of information, with more easily locatable materials on the topic you are searching for. The second reason is that, due to the high-volume of posts in General Discussion, many threads are quickly lost and perhaps do not receive the attention and further posting that they might deserve. By moving older threads to the appropriate sub-forum, it is our hope that members will be more likely to continue reading and posting in those threads.

-Gaillo


Very true and many related threads even duplicates.

Good threads disappear in GD, too many lame threads, people not clicking
page 2 , etc, spoke about this here, bump the good threads and connect
the dots to related info, people have to get involved here,
http://gold-silver.us/forum/general-discussion/almost-half-of-the-threads-moved/msg63718/#msg63718
any board communications threads should be moved immediately IMO, not redirected, just moved, same thing with bitching threads, move them to board communications not redirect. That's my nickel rant, thanked the admins here
in link above and said a bit more, this place has been a work in progress from
day one when there were no sections, consider this and take it easy on the admin here, in many cases you can't win.

[Neuro]

I also realize that this is work in progress.

Here are a few suggestions. all the precious metals subsections can meld into one, apart from maybe the numismatic section, which is different in nature from the rest. The news section can meld into GD. The different subsections of the conspiracy section can be melded into one. I don't really think that the conspiracy section should be a different one from general discussion though...

[Silver Baron]

Not being familiar with the software being used or the amount of configurability or ability to run scripts, I am probably asking too much, so please excuse me for intruding in grown folk's business.

I like the idea of sub-forums or categories for every post though, at least as intended when created by the author (yet subject to change by mods, of course).

If they have a category from the start it won't be a surprise to me when it is moved, and Hopefully It would cause less work for the mods to clean up as each mod could cover their own assignment of sub-forums and easily identify a post that didn't belong.

Plus, If I'm lurking exclusively in the Zionist forum (just chillin'), I don't have to wait for something new to die down in the general forum before I'd see it.

This would still allow me to and drill in to specific topics more as I have time in the sub-forums, and take a break on those I am feeling heavy on for a moment.

Some posts may really fall into a 'General' category as opposed to just simple lazy categorization, but all future sub-forum categories should really be determined well in advance and then locked, as it would be difficult to classify or reclassify all the older posts as a newer possibly better fitting of sub-forums were thought of. Adding new ones later would be trouble, I think and they seem like they are all pretty well decided anyway, plus a few good new ones that have been mentioned lately.

*A Super-view or Roll-up page could then be scripted as the main view which would grab the most recently created/modified posts from each sub category, if they were last modified within a week (or whatever criteria TPTB decided on). This would still obligate everyone to read everything and force us all to be well-rounded. Nothing would get buried or censored, though it may be hard to keep up with everything or filter stuff out manually.

*So then, maybe even better would be to set a cookie that remembered which sub-forums you had check marked from a list, and then only pull from those sub-forums on each visit.

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_mUjBpHQiRKw/Sce6JDlokRI/AAAAAAAAAJU/ds-X3WIHzqg/jesus-cookie.jpg (I would like a tasty GSUS cookie please?)

[Glass]

I always search new posts. That generally gets me across the new stuff quick. I like the way things are evolving here. The structure is now largely unique to GSUS and not so much borrowed anymore. I also like some of the new sub forum topics. It should generate lots of good information. There has been a lot of effort put into shuffling posts as the structure gets expanded. I hope we can keep that work load to a minimum for the mods from here out. I agree that there could be too much choice in sub forums for some topics but I guess we can see how it goes. I think its pretty darn good so far.

[Spectrism]

I went down the front page of the general area.

8 of 36 threads were about Jews. Perhaps we can shuffle them to a special "I hate Jews" area?

[Bullfrog]

Less stickies! More flavor!

[sirgonzo420]

I went down the front page of the general area.

8 of 36 threads were about Jews. Perhaps we can shuffle them to a special "I hate Jews" area?




Only 8 of 36?

LOL.

[keehah]

I'd prefer we just ask (and mod if so desired) the two or three members here who are the cause of much of this problem to improve their habits.

Rather than start thread after thread on the same topic, use their previous thread on the topic and post a reply. This is both a better way to store the info, see a narrative or arc in the event.

[crazychicken]

Instead of a large effort to rework much of the forum to deal with the problem, I'd prefer we just ask (and mod if so desired) the two or three members here who are the cause of this problem to improve their habits.

Rather than start thread after thread on the same topic, use their previous thread on the topic and post a reply.


Two thumbs up for that idea!

CC

[Libertarian_Guard]

I went down the front page of the general area.

8 of 36 threads were about Jews. Perhaps we can shuffle them to a special "I hate Jews" area?




Only 8 of 36?

LOL.


Typical of a slow day.

[keehah]

Perhaps adding to existing threads could be encouraged with a 'view last post' feature.

I know of another site that has a thread on the oil spill over 300 pages long! Won't that be a nice thing in the data base 5 years from now.

[Ponce]

Well, if you are complaining about to many postings about the Jews then don't look at me.........I only post about the Zionists.

[DMac]

There is an "ignore" feature to the forum, for those who support censorship.

[Spectrism]

There is an "ignore" feature to the forum, for those who support censorship.




It has nothing to so with censorship. The message is very simple: make this place a trash basket and you will only attract those who like to crawl through trash.

The man who smells like trash does not mind the smell of trash on his surroundings.

[Neuro]

So without censorship what is the solution?

[Spectrism]

So without censorship what is the solution?


Good question. Maybe no easy solution, but the idea of sub-forums goes a long way to sorting through the "trash". Obviously one man's trash is an other's treasure and we are all entitled to our own preferences.

I am concerned that we are driving away talented sources of information and insights with our biggotted enunciations. Self-policing should be done and I think this is also the idea of the "karma". The tipping point occurs when the highest-rated karma poster is also among the most biggotted.... as obviously there is agreement. When that happens, this trash heap loses all good.

When I drive through poverty-ridden neighborhoods and see the litter displayed in yards, sidewalks, street gutters... I know what kind of people are inhabitting that neighborhood and I know why they live in poverty. People who pay attention to picking up the trash in their yards are typically those who have principled concepts of order, health, cleanliness and personal care. But when the neighborhood is overrun with slobs, it is time to move out.