At what point does this place need multiple categories
Thursday, August 15, 2002 by Istari | Discussion: WinCustomize Talk
I kind of like that the message board is a single entity. But the popularity of this place is starting to make it hard to manage. If I set my settings to be 5 days worth of posts I get hundreds of them now. Does anyone else but me think that it may be time to think about having different message board groups?
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paxx
Reply #2 Thursday, August 15, 2002 6:00 AM
Reply #2 Thursday, August 15, 2002 6:00 AM
Noooooooooo! Gosh I hate multiple categories msgboards. Too complicated for my simple mind. If anything, limit the page to a certain number of lines (say 50), with a link for next 50, previous 50, etc.
But no categories, please.
But no categories, please.
MikeB314
Reply #3 Thursday, August 15, 2002 6:05 AM
Reply #3 Thursday, August 15, 2002 6:05 AM
I prefer it without categories myself. The trick is to visit it several times a day so you can keep up. 
Koasati
Reply #5 Thursday, August 15, 2002 8:38 AM
Reply #5 Thursday, August 15, 2002 8:38 AM
I don't like msgbrds with catagories..........what would be great is if the envelopes wouldn't stop working after a week, requiring me to delete my WC cookie and starting over...... 
kith
Reply #6 Thursday, August 15, 2002 8:42 AM
Reply #6 Thursday, August 15, 2002 8:42 AM
One Msg Board, doubt if people would follow the categories anyway...
Jafo
Reply #7 Thursday, August 15, 2002 10:20 AM
Reply #7 Thursday, August 15, 2002 10:20 AM
The board works just fine the way it is......as alike the old Skinz.org one as it can be...and that was such an important part of of the olde Skinz...
I think the Janitor is looking into the cookies and envelopes situation, too....
I think the Janitor is looking into the cookies and envelopes situation, too....
Tarkus
Reply #8 Thursday, August 15, 2002 4:53 PM
Reply #8 Thursday, August 15, 2002 4:53 PM
I think *now* is the point. Imagine Usenet (or even news.stardock.com) with everything placed in a single category. And this place ain't getting any less popular.
migellito
Reply #10 Thursday, August 15, 2002 5:17 PM
Reply #10 Thursday, August 15, 2002 5:17 PM
hmm.. the only way i think it might be appropriate is 2 categories:
technical questions
everything else
that might work ok.. but both would need to be accessible from the front page
technical questions
everything else
that might work ok.. but both would need to be accessible from the front page
paxx
Reply #11 Thursday, August 15, 2002 8:56 PM
Reply #11 Thursday, August 15, 2002 8:56 PM
This is a far cry from Usenet, please. We don't need categories. We may need an option to read the last 50 messages and so on for people who don't come here every day. But categories, no.
T-Man
Reply #13 Thursday, August 15, 2002 9:03 PM
Reply #13 Thursday, August 15, 2002 9:03 PM
I've been tossing around the idea myself about adding another message board section. There are pros and cons both ways. But I think I'm tending to agree with paxx that maybe we should add some features like displaying x number at a time and doing a next/prev. And maybe a few other things as well.
wulfn1
Reply #14 Thursday, August 15, 2002 9:36 PM
Reply #14 Thursday, August 15, 2002 9:36 PM
I agree with paxx,
A link to "next 50" or "View thread" (for those topics with alot of discussion. The latest ten to twenty posts being available on first page , with bulk of thread linked) might make it neater.
Either way I'm happy, as long as I get to read . (we need a big cheezy grin emot.)
A link to "next 50" or "View thread" (for those topics with alot of discussion. The latest ten to twenty posts being available on first page , with bulk of thread linked) might make it neater.
Either way I'm happy, as long as I get to read .
(we need a big cheezy grin emot.)
dendillon
Reply #15 Friday, August 16, 2002 1:15 AM
Reply #15 Friday, August 16, 2002 1:15 AM
What about color coding the topics for particular categories?
or
What about having check boxes with different categories of topics (Site issues / Rips / Software / General / etc.) then we, in our account management area, can decide which ones we would like to be shown, sort of how the skin libraries work?
or
What about having check boxes with different categories of topics (Site issues / Rips / Software / General / etc.) then we, in our account management area, can decide which ones we would like to be shown, sort of how the skin libraries work?
dendillon
Reply #16 Friday, August 16, 2002 1:16 AM
Reply #16 Friday, August 16, 2002 1:16 AM
The check boxes would be around the "Message" box that we type in or a drop down menu.
feline
Reply #17 Friday, August 16, 2002 10:24 AM
Reply #17 Friday, August 16, 2002 10:24 AM
one basic problem with categories, or classification, is that any thread with more than about 10 posts tends to get WILDLY off topic, so the clasification wouldnt really be correct any more
as for getting more popular, having been here since nearly the beggining, the number of active people on the message board hardly seems to be growing at all.
as for getting more popular, having been here since nearly the beggining, the number of active people on the message board hardly seems to be growing at all.
bakerstreet
Reply #18 Friday, August 16, 2002 10:32 AM
Reply #18 Friday, August 16, 2002 10:32 AM
I don't like categories unless they are really, really necessary. At devart theyhave so much crap *cough* content of varying interest that you about have to have them, but here everything is either on-topic, or off-topic in a community kinda way. If you add a poetry section, then maybe, but in that case I would scream and run away anyway...
Jafo
Reply #19 Saturday, August 17, 2002 1:04 AM
Reply #19 Saturday, August 17, 2002 1:04 AM
Towards the end, Skinz.org had 2 sections [only] to the board...lasting most of its existance with only one, like here.
OK, there are times when a whole swag of 'new' posts turn up seeking help, etc, and often doubles [which I delete to keep things tidier], but mostly it's just the same bunch...mostly skinners/content providers keeping in touch, just like on skinz.org mk1.
Worst problem with 'compartmentalizing' the board is that things and/or people will get 'lost'....[I do already on Deviantart].
I'm all for the Status Quo....[maybe not the long hair and tight jeans, but you know what I mean]...
OK, there are times when a whole swag of 'new' posts turn up seeking help, etc, and often doubles [which I delete to keep things tidier], but mostly it's just the same bunch...mostly skinners/content providers keeping in touch, just like on skinz.org mk1.
Worst problem with 'compartmentalizing' the board is that things and/or people will get 'lost'....[I do already on Deviantart].
I'm all for the Status Quo....[maybe not the long hair and tight jeans, but you know what I mean]...
MikeB314
Reply #20 Saturday, August 17, 2002 8:06 AM
Reply #20 Saturday, August 17, 2002 8:06 AM
First off, I think it's clear that the majority of posts are new users who can't figure something out.
Given the general focus and clarity of the typical newbie post, I doubt that their choice of message board would be very accurate anyway. If we had two sections, then the person who doesn't know you need a program to use a skin is probably just going to post in both places. Of course, Jafo could always clean those up, but I don't think we need to create any more work for him.
Also, I think if links to FAQs and Stardock newgroups were more prominant on the main message board page, the frequency of these posts may decrease. On the other hand, if peple can't read the top of a library page, which says "These skins need this program", then chances are they aren't going to notice links to FAQs or newsgroups either.
I guess you just can't win. But basically, I like the board with one category like it is now. I find mutliple categories confusing, and new users would likely find them even more confusing.
MikeB314 realizes the verdict is pretty much in, and there won't be any new categories, but he wanted to throw his 2 cents in anyway.
Given the general focus and clarity of the typical newbie post, I doubt that their choice of message board would be very accurate anyway. If we had two sections, then the person who doesn't know you need a program to use a skin is probably just going to post in both places. Of course, Jafo could always clean those up, but I don't think we need to create any more work for him.
Also, I think if links to FAQs and Stardock newgroups were more prominant on the main message board page, the frequency of these posts may decrease. On the other hand, if peple can't read the top of a library page, which says "These skins need this program", then chances are they aren't going to notice links to FAQs or newsgroups either.
I guess you just can't win. But basically, I like the board with one category like it is now. I find mutliple categories confusing, and new users would likely find them even more confusing.
MikeB314 realizes the verdict is pretty much in, and there won't be any new categories, but he wanted to throw his 2 cents in anyway.
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Reply #1 Thursday, August 15, 2002 1:54 AM