Proposal: Forum Reorganization

[Write]

So basically the entire board is being rearranged because you're not liking the status of the general sections?

The only pointless threads I see are those longrunning, generic threads like "saddest anime", "anime that made you laugh your ass off XD", and the sort. These threads don't entice discussion at all, yet have been left open for ages. It's mainly just circlejerking over popular opinions. This plan seems like it'd create MORE of that, which is my only issue.

[relentlessflame]

Originally Posted by Write

So basically the entire board is being rearranged because you're not liking the status of the general sections?

...As I said, the rest of the available staff reviewed and commented on this proposal before we even brought it here. And besides, it's a proposal.

I don't know why you are framing things in this way.

Originally Posted by Write

The only pointless threads I see are those longrunning, generic threads like "saddest anime", "anime that made you laugh your ass off XD", and the sort. These threads don't entice discussion at all, yet have been left open for ages. It's mainly just circlejerking over popular opinions. This plan seems like it'd create MORE of that, thats my only issue.

There are a lot of people who like those sorts of threads, though, and the discussion that ensues. What this would do (among other things) is allow those threads have a place on the forum, but not mixed in with other threads that do "entice discussion".

Everyone has different opinions about what is "pointless".

[Haiprbim]

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

What this would do (among other things) is allow those threads have a place on the forum, but not mixed in with other threads that do "entice discussion".

Everyone has different opinions about what is "pointless".

Actually, if those threads would indeed be pointless, doing so would be a positive thing as well, since those "pointless" threads would not be mixed with other "not pointless" threads.

It is a both way win.
For those who don't find it pointless, they would visit that part, others won't.
Issue solved.

[Ledgem]

Originally Posted by Haiprbim

However, I would have a section called Support with a few sub-forums where Tech, Account, and possibly any other help and support could be given.
A section that would be purely help-focused, for both searching and giving it.

Not a bad idea. The current tech support forum setup is split between three forums, dealing with downloading, playback, and general tech support. Back when this forum was new BitTorrent was new for fansub distribution, we were still dealing with different versions of XviD and DivX (H.264 wasn't in use yet, let alone the standard), wireless networking was new to a lot of people, and we were just achieving operating system stability with Windows XP. All three forums received a fair amount of activity. Since then BitTorrent has become standard and the various BT clients have stabilized by quite a bit; playback is no longer problematic; and it seems like computers have become a lot more trouble-free. The three technical support forums don't receive much traffic these days, and could easily be consolidated into one.

[Haiprbim]

Originally Posted by Ledgem

Not a bad idea. The current tech support forum setup is split between three forums, dealing with downloading, playback, and general tech support. Back when this forum was new BitTorrent was new for fansub distribution, we were still dealing with different versions of XviD and DivX (H.264 wasn't in use yet, let alone the standard), wireless networking was new to a lot of people, and we were just achieving operating system stability with Windows XP. All three forums received a fair amount of activity. Since then BitTorrent has become standard and the various BT clients have stabilized by quite a bit; playback is no longer problematic; and it seems like computers have become a lot more trouble-free. The three technical support forums don't receive much traffic these days, and could easily be consolidated into one.

Totally agree and I'm glad that I got a response to that post.
Summing up those forums would be a wise move if you ask me.

[relentlessflame]

One of the other staff also recently proposed a similar move re: Technical Support that would just lock Playback Help and Download Help for posterity, rather than merging them. So I tend to think combining them going forward makes sense.

[Daniel E.]

Originally Posted by Write

So basically the entire board is being rearranged because you're not liking the status of the general sections?

No, you are simply making that assumption.

Some of these changes have been brought up before, and others were actually suggested by members in the past. What Relentless is doing now is basically put all of these together and see what people think about them.

[Haiprbim]

Originally Posted by Daniel E.

What Relentless is doing now is basically put all of these together and see what people think about them.

Summing that up, it is a Re-Collecting of Members' Opinions.
Sounds nice to me, taking others' opinions in account multiple times.

However, it also means that since this is now available, we can expect members to be against it, otherwise it would be useless, or be just a confirmation of what members previously thought.

Note to everyone: If you want to share your own opinions/suggestions regarding this, make sure the post itself is quality-made and that you have a back-up for your ideas, you now see why.

[Write]

Originally Posted by Haiprbim

Note to everyone: If you want to share your own opinions/suggestions regarding this, make sure the post itself is quality-made and that you have a back-up for your ideas, you now see why.

It's quite difficult to back up an opinion with anything other than my personal feelings on the matter. Nobody is telling you to take me seriously, I'm just speaking objectively as someone who's new to the site.

Originally Posted by Daniel E.

No, you are simply making that assumption.

Some of these changes have been brought up before, and others were actually suggested by members in the past. What Relentless is doing now is basically put all of these together and see what people think about them.

The opening bit in the OP is why I asked. Is it not true or...? No one has answered that yet.

[relentlessflame]

Originally Posted by Write

The opening bit in the OP is why I asked. Is it not true or...? No one has answered that yet.

What opening bit? Do you mean this?

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

Over the last few months, the staff have been discussing some ideas about ways to address some of the sometimes crowded/messy nature of "catch-all" sub-forums like "General Anime" and "General Chat", and also to clean-up some of the lesser-used sub-forums based on changes in the forum dynamic over time.

Yes, that's exactly what happened. We started discussing it in mid-January based on feedback that was received (though splitting out Light Novels was also discussed before then). We discussed various ideas, and even updating the test forum to see what it would look like in practice. And then, once it seemed like no one had any further input, what we had as a concept was posted in my opening post as a proposal.

[creb]

I've always wanted a General discussion sub forum for other types of tv shows that aren't anime, but I guess that can fall under the "Entertainment" forum.

[Write]

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

What opening bit? Do you mean this?

Yes, that's exactly what happened. We started discussing it in mid-January based on feedback that was received (though splitting out Light Novels was also discussed before then). We discussed various ideas, and even updating the test forum to see what it would look like in practice. And then, once it seemed like no one had any further input, what we had as a concept was posted in my opening post as a proposal.

Maybe I phrased the question wrong. All I was asking was if the state of the general sections was the source of all of this.

I'm not implying that you came up with this as some shorthand method of reducing threads like the one I made the other day...

[Solace]

Originally Posted by Write

Maybe I phrased the question wrong. All I was asking was if the state of the general sections was the source of all of this.

I'm not implying that you came up with this as some shorthand method of reducing threads like the one I made the other day...

There is no source. This isn't the first time we've reorganized the forum. We're constantly assessing what works and what doesn't work, but we often do it behind the scenes and over a long period of time before coming to any agreements and informing the community of our plans.

There are several sections of the forum that we think are out of date, could be expanded or collapsed, created or removed, etc. That's all there is too it.

We're not going to change the entire forum just because of topic quality. We have other options for that kind of thing.

[Haiprbim]

Originally Posted by Solace

There are several sections of the forum that we think are out of date, could be expanded or collapsed, created or removed, etc. That's all there is too it.

I would not remove any of the sections that currently exist.
Instead, I would sum those "dead" ones together. Of course, they would need to have at least one thing in common so we could link them together.

[Solace]

Originally Posted by Haiprbim

I would not remove any of the sections that currently exist.
Instead, I would sum those "dead" ones together. Of course, they would need to have at least one thing in common so we could link them together.

You mean like a locked archive? I'm not too keen on legacy sections kept purely for the sake of nostalgia.

[Haiprbim]

Originally Posted by Solace

You mean like a locked archive? I'm not too keen on legacy sections kept purely for the sake of nostalgia.

Nostalgia was not my point.
I do not see a section in these forums that is completely gone.
Summing up multiple of less-visited forum sections would balance the activity with one already-existing active forum section, which is more or less the main point.

If you would delete some less-active sections, you would have to delete them all, since the only way to balance the activity is to either delete fully or sum up (probably fully as well).

[Solace]

I can't recall the last time we outright deleted a forum. Well, not intentionally anyway.

I wouldn't worry too much about that. We're more likely to just consolidate sections than remove them entirely. Nothing is set in stone yet.

[Haiprbim]

Glad to hear that.
As I've had a chat with one other member just a little while ago, forums are a thing that must flow, nothing must be set in stone, not even the rules. (those change the least)

[GHDpro]

Originally Posted by TheFluff

nuke the fansub groups forum or make it read-only, it has absolutely no activity and no reason for existing anymore (fansubbing is dead, no point in trying to animate the corpse)
it gets like one post a month outside the "help wanted" and "plz2sub this obscure 70's show" threads (that nobody even reads these days), and that post is usually retarded

I agree. I don't think it should be merged (and certainly not deleted), but it can be made read-only and stuffed a forum level lower (as a subforum of ... something).

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

One of the other staff also recently proposed a similar move re: Technical Support that would just lock Playback Help and Download Help for posterity, rather than merging them. So I tend to think combining them going forward makes sense.

That would be me. And merging is a fine idea too. If anyone is interested in them, any old threads in those sections are only going to be found through a search option likely anyway, so it doesn't matter what forum the threads will be in.

[Haiprbim]

Originally Posted by GHDpro

I agree. I don't think it should be merged (and certainly not deleted), but it can be made read-only and stuffed a forum level lower (as a subforum of ... something).

By "Read-only", do you mean that there would be a selection of overall most helpful/strong threads that would become Sticky/Locked?
Sounds interesting.