Is the LEGO Pirates Forum too chaotic? Are sub-forums needed?

[Mazin]

Don't know if this matter was questioned before and is there sense and possibility to ask... but don't You guys think that this Forum is a little bit too chaotic and it would be good to create some divisions/ sections.

I know that Pirate forum is just a part of Eurobricks forum. But it's very big and crowded part though.

It's very hard to find recent topics after even one day.

And I am sure that also beginners, new members, have a lot of problems to see if some topics were already created or simply - to "walk around" and find interesting things that will make them stay here for longer.

[Mister Phes]

We've tried this before. And really, it doesn't make a difference in forum performance.

If we have the sub-forums people complain the forum is too confusing or too time consuming to navigate.

If we don't have the sub-forums people raise similiar complaints like you have done.

Really, it's a lose/lose situation, whatever we do half the people will be unsatisified. But whatever, lets add a Poll to your thread and see what everyone else reckons.

[Ye Olde Pirate]

This is a very good idea. I'm okay with the way the forum is now but, if done it would be alot more organized.

[Mazin]

Good idea for the poll!

Well, there will propably always be someone satisfied and unsatisfied as You said. But as for me, I haven't been to the Forum for a long time and I am completely "blind"... especially that my "search" functions don't work.

Couldn't even find my previous posts and topics.

And now, as we are running this Forum for more than 3 years, we have hundreds of topics, posts and even more members it's starting to get too complicated I think.

An un-subforumed Forum ( don't know if this word even exist but had to figure something out ) would be good when it started, and it wasn't to crowded.

And there is always option to search for recent topics, or just watch the thread, get e-mail notifications.

But I think that need of sections for polls, for articles, advertisements, reviews ( and MOCs of course ) is urgent.

Edited December 7, 2008 by Mazin

[Mister Phes]

Forum activity has certainly increased since the last time we tried this and there is a higher volume of new posts.

However, it requires time to move the threads to a new forum so it's not something that can be done in seconds and it won't be a consideration unless a great number of users feel that it will definitely improve their browsing experience. So don't expect it any time soon.

[Bonaparte]

Funny to see this discussion. We had exactly the same one 2 years ago. Actually I pushed for having a complete sub-layer in the pirates forum. If you dig hard you can find the discussion probably on page 40. But after trying that for some time we went to the situation we have today. Having multiple sub-forums proved to be too complicated for several non-hardcore pirate fans of EBs. They lost interest and stopped posting in the pirates forum for several reasons one of them being it becoming all too specialized. Moving to the situation of today has resolved that problem.

For me, the solution is not just reading the first page of the pirates forum, but also look a bit deeper and go to page 2 and 3. And for those who missed something, we've got a lot of indexes and the classic-pirates portal to give you a good overview of the interesting stuff.

[Mazin]

Well I am sure that's not an easy and fast work and I don't don't even know if its technically ( and financially ) possible. Just wanted to make a proposition

[Sir Dano]

I'll probably get banned for this, but oh well.

If a subforumed Pirate forum be what ye seek, why not give t' 'Cove a visit?

[Adam]

Yes, this has been discussed before...

I'll probably get banned for this, but oh well.

If a subforumed Pirate forum be what ye seek, why not give t' 'Cove a visit?

Hmm. So you suggest that we visit a dead site that gets about 4 posts on a good day?

[Mazin]

For me, the solution is not just reading the first page of the pirates forum, but also look a bit deeper and go to page 2 and 3.

Yeah... but sometimes You have to dig up to 20 or more pages and this takes a lot of time. And we actually have 65 (!) pages and there sure will be more. Some interesting threads simply dissapear because after two days You have dozens of new topics, reviews, or very popular polls.

How many of them have been silent for months or even years, confusing people if they should or should not write anything new in them after such a long period of time.

And I don't say that this forum looks bad, or looks bad to me. But couple of changes could be nice.

Perhaps it would be possible to have simple listing of topics that we have now... and a new sectioned version below? Where listed would be like "just" up to 10 pages of most recent topics...

Just a crazy idea

Edited December 7, 2008 by Mazin

[Adam]

Yes, not that much work, indexing 10 pages of topics. I'm being sarcastic.

[Buttons]

Well don't we allready have the PTV sub-forum?

[Mazin]

Yes, not that much work, indexing 10 pages of topics.

I already said I know how much work this gonna take

But better to think about eventual changes now than later, when there will be lots and lots of topics to work on.

Edited December 7, 2008 by Mazin

[Wes]

I'm with Mister Phes and Bonaparte. Subforums aren't needed and have already been tried once and would just be a lot of unnecessary work.

[Mister Phes]

I'm not phased whether we have sub-forums or not, I'm just not going to be the one who moves all the threads.

I disagree with the statement "They lost interest and stopped posting in the pirates forum for several reasons one of them being it becoming all too specialized. Moving to the situation of today has resolved that problem."

Indeed they did make such complaints but removing the sub-forums did not encourage these people to return to make regular contributions, nor did the forum participation levels increase or decrease as a result. We simply attracted newer users to fill their place. The only noticable participation increase arose in the wake of the upcoming 2009 Pirate theme, so I've taken several initiatves to capitalise upon this and attract as many people who want to discuss the new sets as possible - seems to have worked well too!

[Sandy]

My opinion about this is that most of the other sections of these message boards don't have subforums either, so why should Pirates be treated any differently? What would the subforums contain, anyway? Easy navigation is very important for forum-goers, as others have said, and multiple subforums only hinder navigation.

Sure, the topics aren't in perfect order, but that's what the search function and the indexes are all about. And every message board in the whole internet has the same problem.

It's really nice that people suggest improvements to the boards, but in my opinion creating subforums is just too much of a hassle for no real gain.

[Adam]

I already said I know how much work this gonna take

But better to think about eventual changes now than later, when there will be lots and lots of topics to work on.

Did I ever suggest that you did not? No, I do NOT think sub-forums are needed; if someone wants to revive a year old topic on page 32 just so they can say "WOW, dude, i thnk this is awesome!", then they should find that topic themselves.

[Paul cantu]

I don't think the forum is too chaotic but it definately needs a subforum for mocs. Or if anyone could post mocs in the moc categories it would be easier to view pirate mocs. That is my only complaint.

Edited December 7, 2008 by Paul cantu

[Captain Zuloo]

I'll probably get banned for this, but oh well.

If a subforumed Pirate forum be what ye seek, why not give t' 'Cove a visit?

No, you should be shot.

I don't think the forum is too chaotic but it definately needs a subforum for mocs. Or if anyone could post mocs in the moc categories it would be easier to view pirate mocs. That is my only complaint.

I can see what you're saying, but I have a big argument here:

• Would you like to be the Mod or Admin that has to move poorly posted items into their correct sub forums? And would you like to be the one to move them all initially? I don't think you realise how lucky we are and how good our members of authority are to us. Do you realise how much of their lives they commit to making our browsing experience as good as possible? You know the saying "With great power comes great responsibility"? That x1000 is what our Moderators and Administrators have. HEAPS of responsibility. We shouldn't ask for such a huge feat to be achieved, especially at a time like this with PTV ending and new pirates almost on the shelves.
  Another thing, before I went to broadband, it took me at least 2 minutes most days to open up the frontpage of Eurobricks. So adding even more pages to load would be really unfair on anyone unfortunate enough not to have a high speed connection.
  

Edited December 8, 2008 by Captain Zuloo

[Adam]

I agree, Zuloo- although many also recognize their arguement, they're not in a position of power, and wouldn't have that responsibility. They shrug it off with, "I know it's gonna be a ton of work," or something, so why should it be a mod or admin getting even more work on them?

[Bonaparte]

I don't mind doing work, so if there are very good arguments for separating the MOC's then it will be done no matter how much work it is. But I still remember not so very long ago the pirates forum was getting 10 posts per day. Now the new sets are out and we've reviewed and discussed all of them. Once most is said about them, there's not so much interesting to discuss except for MOCs. For the moment, I still feel that on the long run the current structure is best. However, I'm for sure reading all the arguments in this thread, and many times in the past I've changed my opinion based on good arguments. Right now I see very good arguments which are valid at this moment in time, but I'm doubting if they are still valid in a month from now when PTV has ended and most is said about the new sets.

[Capt. Kirk]

I don't mind doing work, so if there are very good arguments for separating the MOC's then it will be done no matter how much work it is.

--> I'm a new member on this forum, so I respect every thing that is said bij the Admins & Mods and other members. But I think that 1 subforum for MOCS & WIPS want hurt... I find it handy. But that's because I build MOC and I'm not the collector. For all the rest... then they should find that topic themselves. And yes there is a possibility that the same question comes twice or more... but what the f*ck. You can't expect that somebody first surfs the hole forum before posting his/her question. If we all show a little bit of tolerance... there are no problems... my guess.

--> I also build space-mocs and on classic-space they work with sub-forums... and it seems to work (MOC Announcements, Spacewerks (unfinished MOCs or WIPs), Research and Design (Building techniques, tips, tricks and theory), Mutant Hive (For MOCs with clones). I personaly find it handy. But I don't need that many sub-forums on Classic-Pirates, just one for MOCs or WIPs.

--> But I think the personal preference depends on the nature of the member... organized or not. Maybe a simple conclusion, but if you're a organised person you MAYBE like sub-forums and if not that organized, it doesn't matter. This is just a thought... no a fact and this has been said without wanting to hurt someones feelings !!!

But I still remember not so very long ago the pirates forum was getting 10 posts per day. Now the new sets are out and we've reviewed and discussed all of them. Once most is said about them, there's not so much interesting to discuss except for MOCs.

--> I think this is normal... if there is something new under the sun the replies go skyhigh and once you discussed it, what more can you say. For me as a new member...I see POLLs about ships and sets that are from my dark-lego-ages... I don't know sh*t about the old pirate sets... so what can I say. I just read and lurk at that moment.

For the moment, I still feel that on the long run the current structure is best. However, I'm for sure reading all the arguments in this thread, and many times in the past I've changed my opinion based on good arguments. Right now I see very good arguments which are valid at this moment in time, but I'm doubting if they are still valid in a month from not when PTV has ended and most is said about the new sets.

--> Create a subforum for MOCs and WIPs...

Edited December 8, 2008 by Capt. Kirk

[Captain Blackmoor]

I see no reason removing the subforums, everything works fine for me. I can understand some people think it is chaotic but so long as I can find what I want on Classic-Pirates I'm satisfied with the forums.

Edited December 10, 2008 by Cap'n Blackmoor

[Mister Phes]

Interesting, 75% of voters feel the need for at least one sub-forum...

[Captain Green Hair]

The whole forum seems a bit chaotic from time to time, but still i find what i need.

I don't think more subforums would improve things, we have the indexes for MOCs and what not, that should be sufficient.

More forums would also not speed up the search program to find things i think.

I've been here over 12 months.