Forum "Update"

[dude_56013]

See that is way too many forums!

I'm sorry, but you should look around at other better-performing forums. This is not too many categories by a long shot, David. Plus, if you factor in some of the condensing we talked about AFTER I posted that picture, there's a few less categories, after that.

Agreed - I personally don't see the need for a massive overhaul at all. If it ain't broke, then don't fix it... and the current arrangement seems to work pretty well to me.

If it was my choice and I was making changes, then I'd probably do the following (I'm not campaigning for this to be implemented at all, this is just my personal take on it!)

- Merge shared hosting and dedicated hosting, these sections both seem quite sparse as it is and I don't see the need to separate them.
- Remove the communications / AIM section altogether, in my mind this is a bit unnecessary - technical discussion of messaging software could either go in general hardware / software or programming depending on what's being discussed, and sharing of names could just go in the social lounge.
- Merge server admin and networking, server admin doesn't seem that "used" and would probably mostly fit in networking anyway.

I'd then probably pull all the sub-forums out of the general section (this makes them easier to find and I'm not a massive fan of sub-forums anyway!)
- I'd put gallery in the general section
- Processors I'd put in the technical section
- Overclocking I'd merge with processors, there's only 7 topics in it and that hardly seems worth it!
- Reviews I'd put in the general section
- Media I'd probably merge with general software (it seems a bit of a niche category to make into it's own section?)

As said above though, that's just my personal take and I don't think there's a NEED to redesign the layout at all. Sure I'd change a few things around if I was in charge, but everyone will have their preferences and it's up to David how he decides to organise things!

I feel that it is quite broke, in terms of organization and effectiveness. That's why I did a total overhaul. I'm sorry, but to stay at the top in the forum world, you have to make changes at points.

I don't think that's too many forums, it looks great to me. Right now we have too few forums, too many subforums under the General Hardware and Software section taking away from the main focus of ComputerForums - computers.

I know it will never happen but that screenshot is what CF should be.

Yup. That's pretty much it. You've said it all, Neon!

 

[tom-knox]

-
Sorry post became irrelevant

 

[JogaBonito1502]

Check out this forum guys: http://www.ocforums.com/

It is a very successful forum that I was active at one point. They have a ton of divisions and it keeps everything neat. I don't see why our list, condensed a bit, should be a problem.

 

[~NeonFire372~]

I think having specific computer-related sections would encourage activity outside the Social Lounge. When Reviews and Overclocking were added, they were added in the sense of an after-thought, hidden under the standard General Hardware and Software forum - if we put more emphasis on various specific forums instead of the one general forum, the forums as a whole would be more appealing to new members and current members.

I admit I make the majority of my posts in the Social Lounge, but I still think an overhaul would be great for this forum. It seems like everything here has been virtually the same (minus small things like custom avatars, the rep system, bigger avatars, etc) from when I first joined in 2006 to now.

 

[Trivium Nate]

just another idea thats going to be ignored

 

[JogaBonito1502]

just another idea thats going to be ignored

I highly doubt that.

 

[worshipme]

Check out this forum guys: http://www.ocforums.com/

It is a very successful forum that I was active at one point. They have a ton of divisions and it keeps everything neat. I don't see why our list, condensed a bit, should be a problem.

You were active there? What was your user name?

EDIT: Stupid question

 

[JogaBonito1502]

You were active there? What was your user name?

EDIT: Stupid question

I was active for about 10 posts in one thread.

I couldn't get used with the amount of people in that forum. It's hugeeee!

 

[tom-knox]

Right, so this is not on the "never gonna happen" pile so can we try and come to a conclusion about a forum re-shuffle. Based on what i can see in web archives the site has been largely the same for the last 6 years

 

[dude_56013]

(Delete->)General(<-Delete)
(Delete->)Technical(<-Delete)
(Delete->)Webhosting(<-Delete) (replace with the following:->)

Hardware
-> General Harware (all other inquiries)
-> System Building/Upgrading (questions/opinions/advice/etc)
-> Overclocking
-> Cooling
-> Modding
-> Galleries

[Three notes on the above. First off, I think that a sub-forum for system building/upgrading would be AMAZING. Yes, they could easily just be started in "general", but I think that for those who are very good at recommending/putting systems together, it'd be a nice sub-forum. There are few forums out there who have this sub-forum. Secondly, the gallery thread could stay right under the "hardware" section, or, each gallery could be dumped into it's appropriate sub-forum. I think it should probably just stay right under "hardware". Thirdly, I didn't re-include the processors thread. It does not matter to me one way or another, but personally, since it probably isn't any more popular that a MB/RAM/GPU sub-forum would be, I don't think it needs to be here. I think that general hardware would be just fine.]

Software
->General Software
->Operating Systems (could have forums under this that are "Windows, Mac, Linux", but they might not be utilized enough)
->Applications (could have subs in here for "media apps" and "office/business apps" or you could do "office/bus apps", graphics/photo apps", "audio/video apps" or something, too, if people felt they were needed)
->Security/Anti-Virus (I think this would be kind of nice...a decent possibilty)
->Programming

[Some notes: As you can see, a lot of rearranging and condensing. These are less frequented and don't need a ton of expansion/detail. The same for the following:]

Networking/Internet
->Home/Office Networking
->Servers (or "Server Admin.")
->Web Programming
->Web Design/Review
->Hosting

[Notes: As stated above, it doesn't need to be as expanded as it is now. Networking/internet stuff isn't frequented as much as hardware related stuff, so a little condensing wouldn't hurt, IMHO]

General (or "Other")
->Social Lounge
->Rules (I think this would be a nice feature, but it could stay in the SL or go in introductions or something)
->Introductions
->CF Comments/Suggestions
->Buy/Sell/Trade (or whatever you want to name it)

[Notes: I think this would be very good. A nice little cap to the rest of the forum]

Right, so this is not on the "never gonna happen" pile so can we try and come to a conclusion about a forum re-shuffle. Based on what i can see in web archives the site has been largely the same for the last 6 years

Well, based on the above (my original post) and these...:

I think having specific computer-related sections would encourage activity outside the Social Lounge. When Reviews and Overclocking were added, they were added in the sense of an after-thought, hidden under the standard General Hardware and Software forum - if we put more emphasis on various specific forums instead of the one general forum, the forums as a whole would be more appealing to new members and current members.

I admit I make the majority of my posts in the Social Lounge, but I still think an overhaul would be great for this forum. It seems like everything here has been virtually the same (minus small things like custom avatars, the rep system, bigger avatars, etc) from when I first joined in 2006 to now.

I think we could condense that list a little. For example I think we could do without an intro and rules forum

That's a good point. I didn't really look at that bottom one. I was concentrated on the hardware. I'm not good with websites and stuff, but could those 3 "web ..." forums be condensed into 2 or maybe 1 forum? Or are they really different things? Cooling and OverClocking could really go together as well as Modding and Galleries (since after all you will post pics when you mod something).

I think we could condense
->Home/Office Networking
->Servers (or "Server Admin.")
into server and network management

I agree. It looks good, but it need some condensing. As it is, we have about five fourms that are very active, and others that get posted in once or twice a day... Stuff needs spreading out in some cases, and condensing in others.

I don't think that's too many forums, it looks great to me. Right now we have too few forums, too many subforums under the General Hardware and Software section taking away from the main focus of ComputerForums - computers.

I know it will never happen but that screenshot is what CF should be.

...I'd say we've narrowed it down to this (give a reason why any more should be added/deleted/condensed; note if I've missed anything please):

(Delete->)General(<-Delete)
(Delete->)Technical(<-Delete)
(Delete->)Webhosting(<-Delete) (replace with the following:->)

Hardware
-> General Hardware
-> System Building/Upgrading
-> Overclocking/Cooling
-> Modding
-> Galleries

Software
->General Software
->Operating Systems
->Applications
->Security/Anti-Virus
->Programming

Networking/Internet
->Servers and Home/Office Networking
->Web Programming/Design/Review/Hosting

General
->Social Lounge
->CF Comments/Suggestions
->Buy/Sell/Trade