This Forum

I didn't know where to put this topic so thought I'd pop it in here and, if it's in the wrong place, I'm sure the Mods will re-locate it.

I think this is a truly lovely forum, but I don't find it easy to navigate because there too many sections which, quite honestly, could be cut down by half.

For example:

Introductions
General Chat
Fun & Games, any kind of entertainment
Photography
Cookery & Recipes
Literature, poems and stories
Hobbies, Gardening and DIY (arts, crafts, hobbies)
News, Debate and Discussion
Help & Advice

This is meant with the greatest respect, but what do others think? For me, there are too many sections to trawl through.

Re: This Forum

Hi Molly I appreciate large sites with many sections can be a bit confusing to begin with but as a site grows having many sections actually makes it easier to find those topics which really interest one.

I joined one of our sister sites 'Dogsey' soon after its inception, it now has over 25,000 members with many people who post daily and it has more sections than 50's all full of posts . It would be very difficult for people there to find and follow the topics which interest them if they were all squashed into a few threads in a couple of sections. As 50's grows it will probably need more sections not fewer

Re: This Forum

I find the layout very easy to navigate, if sections were reduced surely it would involve more searching for threads?

If you wish to try shorter sections, click on the minus sign on the right of each section heading, this will hide the content of that section until you click on it again to open.

It does take a while to get used to a new forum especially if you have been a member of another forum with a different layout.

Re: This Forum

Well I come under the heading of "Thick Mick when it comes to finding my way around sites( No offence intended Jemflux)and it took me a while but I have almost got the hang of it now. If Annie can do it so can every-one.

Re: This Forum

There are plus and minus sides for lots/few forum sections (as we can see from your original post and the replies) and we actually had a lot more sections than this at one point - but we tried to condense them into a more manageable number

However, we need to have enough sections that cover all interests - for example in your list you are missing a Pets & Animals section... and a lot of people here have pets. You also combined entertainment and games sections... but the games sections can get a lot of posts in it, which could be a chore for anyone wanting to only read the entertainment/tv/music threads.

So we have to strike a balance - it can be a bit of an art getting the sections right

Having said that, we could probably get rid of the discussions and/or debates section now - and just merge those threads back into the general chat section... if everyone else feels we don't need them. They were brought in when we had someone here who posted a lot of not-so-serious stuff in the general chat section (some might say it was spamming) but that member is no longer here so we could go back to what we it used to be like. What does everyone else think? (Maybe I should post a thread about that specifically?)

Re: This Forum

Maybe current affairs/discussions/debates could be merged leaving general chat for more light hearted chat.

Travel and holidays could come under leisure?

Re: This Forum

I am not a whizz with forums, but I have found this one and Dogsey to be just about right and quite easy to navigate. I don't go first into the sections when I log on. Usually, I find the quickest and easiest thing is to go to my "control panel" and look to see if there are any additions to the things I was looking at/interested in last time I was on. I then go into "latest posts" which will give all the new topics and posts. Any that interest me, I add to my subscribed threads (whether I respond to them or not). They then appear in my "control panel". If I have time I then go into the sections - in case I have missed anything.
Is this what others do. I don't think I miss many things doing this, but I could be wrong.

Re: This Forum

Oddly, I do exactly what Aerolor does as I find it most convenient: first Control Panel, then Latest Posts; works for me. On a slow night I might look at some of the sections I normally
disregard in the hope of an interesting discussion. I'm quite comfortable with the format as it is now.

Re: This Forum

I really like it as it is to be honest.
I find it easy to navigate whatever browser I am using.
It is a matter of familiarity, one gets to know where everything of interest to that person is and goes to it.

The parent boards have enough sections in them to find a suitable place to post anything really, although I have struggled to find a home for my review of Engineering Fluid Mechanics by Hiroshi Yamaguchi.

Of course I would really like a proper football thread but realise that is just a selfish whim as there are not many members who are really sad like me about the great game.

That said I hope we can have an update sectionl for the new season that covers all divisions of interest.

Re: This Forum

For what it's worth, everything seems to be grand as it for me, some sections I don't go near because I've no interest in the subject, gardening or cooking for example, but others look forward to these posts. Of course if the wife asks me to ask a question for her then I will seek the help of the members who frequent those sections. As for the discussions and debates I think as we all get older the less we want to argue about things we can do nothing about, I mean whats the point?.