Presentation is everything, suggestions!

About This Message Board
1

OK, I have a suggestion for organizing the MB frontpage. We all need to realize that the MB is intended as a great way to discuss Cecil’s column and the Mailbag responses. As great as MPSIMS is, its secondary and maybe doesn’t deserve to be presented on a level surface.

Since the addition of IMHO and the other minor updates the forums have been listed in alphabetical order, in contrast to the old method.

Current:
[ul]
[li]About This Message Board[/li][li]Comments on Cecil’s Columns[/li][li]Comments on Mailbag Answers[/li][li]General Questions[/li][li]Great Debates[/li][li]In My Humble Opinion[/li][li]MPSIMS[/li][li]The BBQ Pit[/li][/ul]

Past:
[ul]
[li]Comments on Cecil’s Columns[/li][li]About This Message Board[/li][li]General Questions[/li][li]MPSIMS[/li][li]The BBQ Pit[/li][li]Comments on Mailbag Answers[/li][li]Great Debates[/li][/ul]

The Omniscient Method (ie the future):
[ul]
[li]Comments on Cecil’s Columns[/li][li]Comments on Mailbag Answers[/li][li]About This Message Board[/li][/ul]
[ul]
[li]General Questions[/li][li]Great Debates[/li][/ul]
[ul]
[li]MPSIMS[/li][li]In My Humble Opinion[/li][li]The BBQ Pit[/li][/ul]

Note I placed Comments on Cecil’s Columns on top, mainly to draw attention to it, and hopefully get the newbies to visit it first and see what the whole premise of this place is. Followed by Comments on Mailbag Answers much for the same reason as the first, and to give a little more attention to the SD Science Advisory Board and SDStaff which they deserve. Of course rounding out the truely Chicago Reader based forums and administrative activity with ABTMB, since it has an official attitude. And maybe some of the newbies will read it before posting questions that belong in it in GQ.

Note the spacer, I’m sure that in UBB this was a feature many other MBs used, and I presume that vB can impliment it as well.

Now for the two forums dedicated to the intellectual growth of the memebers. General Questions and Great Debates further the goal of fighting ignorance, and deserve a opportunity to be given additional notice. GQ is the more fruitful of the two, and is a proxy for Cecil and deserves top billing.

Additional spacer.

And Finally the 3 forums built for general chatter and other minutia, MPSIMS, IMHO and The BBQ Pit. MPSIMS is obviously the granddaddy of the forums and needs top billing, and the BBQ Pit will just relish the opportunity to be the Omega of this list.

As you can see I see 3 distinct genre of forums, and as such I say, “why fight it?”. Lets organize these things and see if it makes for a more efficent and pleasent experience. It probably won’t effect most of the already addicted Dopers, but I think it would alter the progression of a newbies exploring and hopefully get them to focus on a broader range of topics. It also might prevent cross posting to the wrong forum if its clear to the uninitiated that the moods of these genres are distinctly different.

Any opinions?

2

“Comments on Cecil’s Columns” and “Comments on Mailbag Answers” are the most interesting forums, in my opinion. Hopefully, giving these top billing will elicit more responses from the masses. (Yeah, I know, if I want more topics in these forums, I should start 'em myself. So?) I dunno if such a little thing as reworking the front page will help, but it seems like it’s worth trying.

3

I’d say you’r missing Cecil’s columns. Sure it’s not a forum, but a lot of people start at the forum page. Play to your strength.

4

Disclaimer: I am not an administrator, only a moderator (on probation) so my opinions are in no way official or representative of the ideas of the SDMB management.

I see some merit to Omniscient’s ideas.

Here’s where I disagree:

About This Message Board is an important forum, that everyone should check when they come to the board, for announcements etc… It might not be the most important thing in the Straight Dope universe, but it probably is the most important thing in the SDMB universe.

Secondly, I would be tempted to group the fora in this fashion:

About This Message Board

Comments on Cecil’s Columns
Comments on Mailbag Answers

General Questions

Great Debates
In My Humble Opinion

MPSIMS

The BBQ Pit

GD and IMHO are both debates, one important, one not so important.

BBQ Pit is for flames, which is different enough from MPSIMS that it could be in its own category.

I’m sure there are many other opinions on how the fora should be arranged. I’m happy enough with the order as it is now.

Fora can be grouped in “categories” (for an example, see the vBulletin Community Forum), so that might be something to consider.

5

Arnold, I hear ya, but I gotta disagree. The point you bring up concerning ATMB was one I considered specifically, and I chose to leave it as last in its catagory for a reason. If the forum was more geared toward getting newbies off to a good start I’d most certainly agree with placing it first. It however is mostly concerns brought up by regular posters, or test threads. As such it is to random and non-specific for top billing. Now one point I think would be much more useful, and address your concerns, would be if the FAQ was more prominently displayed. That I believe addresses your concerns about people visiting first. Lets face it, regardless of where you place the forum, regulars aren’t gonna start in ATMB unless they enjoy seeing the test threads and other minutia. UBB had a item which kept everyone updated on messages by placing a mailbox on the forum homepage, IIRC vB had a similar feature that posted a bulletin atop all of the forum’s thread listings. Considering that I think it makes your “that everyone should check when they come to the board, for announcements etc.” statement moot.

Now, you’re suggestion of using ctaegory headings is a excellent one, although I’m not immediately sure what you’d title them.

About creating the volume of categories you mentioned, it seems pretty silly. You have 6 categories for 8 forums, thats excessive. I still feel my grouping is ideal. If this spurs some comments from others I’m willing to listen.

Hoping to get an opinion from the admins and other regulars

6

It seems to work fine the way it is.

Just my opinion.

your humble TubaDiva
Administrator

7

It works for the regs who know their way around, but I sure don’t see much traffic in Cecil’s or Mailbag’s forums. The newbies are frequently posting to the wrong forum, generally putting everything in GQ keeping manny very busy. Now, you may feel that every new user is dumb as a box of rocks, but I’m thinking the board could be more streamlined and get everyone off to a better start. I guess if you’re satisfied with maintaining the status quo, so be it, but thats not a positive thing IMHO.