OT: new forum

[Grunff]

Hi all,

I'm posting this here because I know many of you are interested in this subject.

We have a new project, a web based forum for discussing green issues, topics such as energy consumption, peak oil, recycling, sustainable living etc.

Obviously the majority of you prefer Usenet to web forums - I understand this, and feel much the same way. However, the reality is that far greater numbers of people are more comfortable with web forums than with Usenet.

The main purpose of the forum is to provide an online resource on all topics green, hopefully focusing more on the science and engineering, and on factual content.

As always, a forum is only as good as the people posting on it. I hope we can make this one a good one. If you're interested in contributing, please take a look, register, and have your say.

for reading.

[Andy Burns]

If web fora would allow openid rather than requiring individual signup they might get more "custom". x-no-archive and Google's apparent determinism to ram deja far enough into the ground make lack of archiving less of an issue.

[Grunff]

We have tried this in the past with several forums (I know it's fora, I just feel silly saying it :-). The problem is that you get a huge amount of spam - the web attracts a hell of a lot more spammers than Usenet.

We're going to archive all old content, and make it searchable. In addition, any posts/threads that are deemed to be particularly useful will be archived in a Resources forum in each section.

Nothing is perfect, but a web forum can be made to work very well if done with thought and consideration.

[Andy Burns]

I don't know whether you discourage potential users and abusers in the the same ratio, on balance, I doubt it.

[Grunff]

One thing we've done to mitigate the effect is to have "sign me in automatically" - once you've registered, you can tick a box on the login screen that leaves you permanently signed in, so you never have to bother again (as long as you're using the same browser on the same machine).

[Steven Briggs]

In message , Grunff writes

Nice idea. But, what I hate about nearly all web forums is the that they are split into many sub fora. You've got 25 FFS.

The best, by far, Internet forum I use is

One main discussion forum, one classified forum. The forum is very busy, typically 2-3 screen fulls of topics a day, but is a damn site easier to flick through than all these separate sub fora. Very quick answers and lively discussion.

Plus no silly space wasting sigs, no f***** avatars and other pointless screen clutter. Jump in to any topic area you like. Bit like good old usenet really, one broad home for all related issues.

[Grunff]

Ok, this is a fair point. I actually agree with you on this, but conventional wisdom is that it is better to section things off so that it is easier for people to read stuff that interests them, and avoid stuff that doesn't.

Having said that, I am quite amenable to the idea of merging all the forums - does anyone else feel the same?

Ok, I'm also amenable to the idea of switching off avatars. I'm not sure about sigs - even Usenet nettiquette allows 4 lines! We do have html switched off in the sigs, and have them limited to 255 characters, so they shouldn't get too big.

I would really like to hear more opinions on these matters, especially sub-forums. If there is any kind of consensus, I'll merge them.

[meow2222]

thats only true where the subject areas are neatly divided. In practice thats too often not so. When its not so, what should be clear and simple becomes a total mindfck.

A good solution may be to use a minimum number of divisions.

You've got transport, energy and new ideas...yet its easy to think of subjects that would qualify for all 3 of those.

I detect another trap, that of listening to those that dont like the first idea and changing it. Much good software has been screwed up that way. Generally only those that dont like the setup will voice it, you dont get balanced data in feedback.

Tastes vary, I'd make all these personal viewing settings.

I note your page looks a mess with images turned off, and I cant see any sense in having images on with a text forum myself.

Beware of feedback, too much software has been thus ruined.

NT

[Grunff]

I've merged a few of the forums, and got rid of many of the sections. This is easy to do at this stage, while the forum is relatively empty. We could always re-section later if volume became so high as to require it.

This is very true, but since this is a hobby project rather than work, I have the luxury of dabbling :-)

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember Grunff saying something like:

Ir's doecuma, eifhr enoufh.

Aory, it'acy tray thanta ona Rabhaorh