The New v8 Sub-Forums

[Bob Isaac]

How many times do you want to split the atom? vBulletin is so versatile, but as a forum grows you need to manage things into easy-to-find forums and sub forums (fora?). I think it is much better than it was, as long as users post in the correct forum.

I have at the last count about 73 forums. The most important feature is the search feature. vB's native search is not too good, and MySQL's search function is only marginally better. I see Actinic is using Google's search feature. I have not looked at that, but how up-to-date is it?

Bob

[pinbrook]

I see Actinic is using Google's search feature. I have not looked at that, but how up-to-date is it?

its only as up to date as googles cache of thesite.

But this is better than nothng as often if you are searching for an old post ie you know you've seen if before - you have a good chance that it will be cached.

I use the google search alot and it does work

[wjcampbe]

Apparently it does not matter, but I would also have gone for the middle jobbie.

We have a more complex (and more capable) product, we need a more complex forum structure to handle the resulting diversity in topic.

Like the others here who frequent other forum sites, I find the inability to quickly re-organise to category/multiple topical subcategory boards strange. Resource Zone has done this using vBulletin since forever.

[chris ashdown]

I hate Hate Hate the new forum. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE go back two weeks and forget this crazy change for changes sake

[chris ashdown]

The thing that jumps out to me is KISS Keep it simple stupid, Ask a forum how to do something and you will get led up every garden path going

Just sit back and look at what you have, its ment to be a forum to help people of all skills and user awareness

The moans started that people were looking or asking in the wrong areas or not using the search properly

I thought the search facility was solved in that better help or Knowledge base were going to be implemented or both

Now everyone wants their own forum layout and change what was simple and easy to understand into this abortion. The experts may be happy but I wonder how many questions are never going to be answered as they are in obscure area's

[RuralWeb]

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE go back two weeks and forget this crazy change for changes sake

I too found nothing wrong with the "old" forum

[remmo]

I really like this new look... Keep it up Chris

[wjcampbe]

I wonder how many questions are never going to be answered as they are in obscure area's

None at all.

I will be surprised if there is anyone who regularly answers questions that does not use the 'New Posts' link - which brings up all the new posts ordered by timestamp.

[chris ashdown]

None at all.

I will be surprised if there is anyone who regularly answers questions that does not use the 'New Posts' link - which brings up all the new posts ordered by timestamp.

Exactly bill its these very people who want the change but do not use the front page

[TraceyHand]

Exactly bill its these very people who want the change but do not use the front page

perhaps...but the change isn't necessarily designed just to make the forum look pretty or make the questions easier to answer...it's supposed to make the answers easier to find too, isn't it?

[chris ashdown]

Agreed but before if you came to the forum and entered say the V8 section you would find two things
Number one the answer to your question (hopefully)

Number two you would glance down all the latest V8 questions and find information about lots of different things you had not thought to ask or bugs or whatever that people thought to write in about

Once you break these things up you especially loose Number 2, who wants to keep going back to the main screen to change sections to just browse

Again the regular user's who form most of the answering people dont really use this section they just grab all the questions and select the ones they like. This means if Jonty, Lee, Bill or anyone else doesn't like to answer the message could soon slip into obscurity as your not monitoring the whole site where as before it stuck out as a 0 response

I am more concerned for the new or infrequent user to get help than the seasoned proffessionals

If you were all to turn off your new post facility for a couple of days I am sure you would see my point of view

[TraceyHand]

This means if Jonty, Lee, Bill or anyone else doesn't like to answer the message could soon slip into obscurity as your not monitoring the whole site where as before it stuck out as a 0 response

ok..I see your point.
but, at what point do "Jonty, Lee or Bill" need to monitor the site?

If they choose to go looking for questions to answer, they can. I'm having trouble trying to verbalise what I'm trying to say here (emotional day..long story lol) but "seasoned users" are quite able to find the new posts to answer, if they choose to do so, by using the "new posts" facility.

And new users can more easily find a previously answered question about, for example, Paypal or protx, if they only have the "psp" forum to search (granted, it'll take time for that to be effective as it's still a new forum)

Perhaps, if we're in a V8 forum, it'd be possible to have some sort of link from one V8 subforum to another without coming back out to the main forums?
Or not.. I don't know

Either way...is it the responsibility of forum users such as Lee and jont to be tracking "0 reply" posts?

JMO, obviously

[Mike Hughes]

The thing to remember is that if a question isn't answered by any of the forum members then after two days Bruce or whoever's on actinic duty steps in and provides an answer.

Mike

[chris ashdown]

Agreed mike but two days is a long time for some questions

With the old forum it was simple and quick to run down the last two pages of questions and see any that had zero responce and try to help if possible (not often in my case)

With the sub divided forums no one is going to go through all the v8 forums or simular

I all you guys and dolls turned of the new posts facility for today and tomorrow then respond back I think you will see my point

Again I say KISS

[TraceyHand]

With the sub divided forums no one is going to go through all the v8 forums or simular

the people who are paid to will

I can see we're going to have to agree to disagree here, Chris