To many sub forums!

[Kudzu]

Maybe it is just me? But I really don't like the changes with all these sub-forums that have been added. I really liked this forum but now I find I rarely come here because it is to hard to read.

I don't read a lot of the groups on here. So I can't/won't use new posts. Just to many new posts on subjects that don't interest me to have to look through to find the ones that do.

So I have to browse the forums that do. But look at the Woodworking, there are 15 (+/-)forums there. Granted I don't want to read each one but there are at least 5 I have to go through. I like to read about the hand tools, but the same thing. It's been micro manged to point that I have to go through several forums there too. Then there is the boat building and .....

If I want to read what really interests me there is 20+ forums I have to go through and that is driving me away. I really wish you would merge most of these back together and not subdivide this up so. There is a lot of different forums here and a lot of interests, but they don't have to be so divided into such small interest groups.

Maybe I am the in the minority but it has ruined what was one of my favorite forums. I find I rarely read it anymore and that is a real shame!

[Groggy]

It depends also on your browsing behaviour. Some people use iSpy to browse the forums, some use the New Posts search, others use a single forum link like yourself. Personally, I use iSpy then go to particular forums to browse.

The admins may wish to consider looking at consolidating some of the newer forums that have had little use since their creation.

[Waldo]

It's too big, but then maybe it needs to be, nothing on anyone but it's getting a bit away from it's original idea of woodworking, now we have soft furnishings

Don't bite me, hit me, shoot me just saying.

(hope this isn't construed to be a general post - if so delete it)

[Calm]

Greg is there any way that Kudzu can "not view" woodwork sub forums that he is not interested in. I think you can click on the top right of the Woodwork area and hide it but can you do that to sub forums inside the area.

If you get my drift.

[Wongo]

Jeff,

I don’t know why you won’t use new post. Normally you get around 100 new posts every 24 hours. Each post has its title and topic. You look at the topic first then look at the title. If you like it, right click to on the link to open it in a new window. When finished, find the next one and drag the link to the same new window and so on.

It doesn’t take much effort really.

Cheers and keep reading.

[Wongo]

Forgot one thing. I always go to my user CP first to see new posts of all the thread I am subscribed to.

[prozac]

The forum topics have probably increased in line with the large number of new members.

prozac

[HappyHammer]

It might be worthwhile looking at how many post each forum and sub forum get in a month to see if they justify there existence. It must add to the workload of the admins too?

......... now we have soft furnishings

We don't really do we...you were just joking right Waldo....

HH.

[kiwioutdoors]

Yeah I hate the new look too way to much crap and far too much of it not related to activities in the shed any way thats my 0.2c worth.

[Groggy]

The extra forums had become necessary. For every person that wanted just one big forum there were others that wanted the forums to be more specific. I think that in general it worked (just my opinion). However there may be a few that can't be justified on their own.

To answer David, there is currently no way the forums can be filtered. The mods and admins had a look at that a while ago and while there are some add-ons that give some relief to the members they make the overall system more unstable.

It would be nice to have your cookies keep a list of forums to suppress but it simply isn't available (yet).

[Cliff Rogers]

I like it all sorted the way it is.
If I don't follow a particular subject, I don't have to wade through a heap of posts about stuff I'm not particularly interested in.

[BobL]

What would be nice would be if one could register for specific forums and completely eliminate other forums from the main webpage. The whole forum functions would only then operate on the elected forums ie new posts etc would only work on the the registered forums. No headings for other forums should even appear on the main page. This would enable the user to declutter their desktop and head straight to the range of things that would interest them.

One should also be able to create ones own forums eg STUFF by specifing you want sub-forums from a range of forums.
hand tools, home made rigs and jigs and banana bending forums in the one forum.

A condition should be made that forums that have less than say 10 threads per month are subsumed into a general forum for that group of forums.

Some clever web programming is needed for this.
my 2c worth
Cheers

[Tankstand]

I love it the way it is!

Just hit new posts, look at the right hand column, avoid the sections I'm not interested in, click on the ones I am! How hard is that?

[kekemo]

Yes..... great to be able to express one's point of view with out any malice or ill-intent.....

I actually agree.... that there are too many sub-forums...I joined for WOODWORK....ok there are lots of different sections or woodwork...but one commonality WOOD…..

.....I am quite happy to look for another forum or use Google or search engine to find out topics related to metalwork....caravanning...plumbing....electric's…. etc.....best example is Whispering Woman....(yep I'm never one to whisper)....but can't see any point not being included in the general section.....if we separate here…..does this mean we don’t want equality or we want to be superior…..my honest opinion,.,…more people read the general section…..so that’s where I post now….I don’t want to appear any different to anyone else……Just want to chat….,,discuss……,& admire other woodworkers talents…..

While I'm at it....I really believe an “instant chat section” would be great.....
I feel numbers are dwindling because of some threads are superfluous & at other times the tread gets hi-jacked…. never-the-less we all try….we can also, all be “trying”
So my wonderful friend’s ……. Hope you will all still read my posts…. I feel the less crowded & few sections ….the more response you will actually get back!

Cheer to everyone KEKEMO

[Kudzu]

Each to his own! As I said, I may be in the minority here.

I am a Moderator on another woodworking forum. Our forums is not this heavily trafficked and we have been debating about cutting down the number of forums. This forum was used as an example of how not to do a forum. Of course some of our members would like to see more than we have and would loved it here. I know there is no pleasing everyone and I don't expect change just because I said I don't like it.

As for the new posts, I am not here every 24 hours. So I am looking at 200-400 posts to search through. Some people probably don't mind, I hate it. So I won't do it. As I said I just find I come here less and less now and thats a shame.

Never heard of iSpy but I will look into that.