Combining Forums

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Combining Forums
Tweet Topic Started: Mar 29 2013, 08:46 AM (885 Views)
Indy	Mar 29 2013, 08:46 AM Post #1
You're BANNED! Posts: 8,083 Group: Admin Member #326 Joined: January 10, 2007	Some of the posts here this week have got me thinking -- What do you all think about possibly combining some of the lesser active forums? There are a lot of forums that either don't get any activity or get so few posts that it's easy to overlook them when they could be the start a really interesting thread. I think we could get more horse-related discussions here if topics were more centrally located. We're not as big of a community as TOB is, so having all these forums kind of dilutes things. 12 forums is a lot. I propose that we combine some of the lesser active forums to make a few more powerful super forums. Like combining Feed & ER into a Health Care forum. Maybe all of the competition oriented ones (Show Ring, Dark Side, Shed Row, Driving Force) together. Things like that. Thoughts?



kbrethauer	Mar 29 2013, 09:05 AM Post #2
Shunnnnn the unbeliever. Shunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn. Posts: 404 Group: Members Member #1,406 Joined: August 16, 2007	I think it is a great idea!



BABYGREENTB	Mar 29 2013, 09:11 AM Post #3
It'll be an adventure! We're going on an adventure! Posts: 2,312 Group: Members Member #927 Joined: April 3, 2007	Agreed! Good idea Indy!



ShadowMare	Mar 29 2013, 09:12 AM Post #4
We're on a bridge, Chaaaaaaaaarlie! Posts: 217 Group: Members Member #5,345 Joined: October 1, 2011	Indy, I know I'm not on here much, but your suggestion seems very good to me. I think we'd all "see" more posts that can be missed and often subjects actually are "mixed". I recently had a question on leather care...wasn't sure if that should only be in "tack", or in the "barn aisle" or what. How about these? Health Care (to include ER, Feed, Grooming, Farrier questions, Vet questions, etc) Show Ring and Racetrack (All competitive showing, racing, eventing, driving, etc) Tack (questions on saddles, bits, bridles, fitting, asking advice/comments on pix, etc) Farm & Ranch (barn management/upkeep, ranch/farm upkeep/management, other livestock) Hay Loft (general discussions or other horse related things which do not fit in the other categories) Memorial Garden (announcements of equine or other pets who have crossed the rainbow bridge) It's still six categories, but that's easier to follow and respond to than twelve, I think. Anyway, I know I mostly lurk, but there's my idea about the main discussion categories. I think making the groupings simpler we should get more discussion going and everyone can follow what's "new" more easily.



gunnar	Mar 29 2013, 09:43 AM Post #5
You're BANNED! Posts: 6,490 Group: Members Member #236 Joined: January 8, 2007	Good plan!



SnackPack	Mar 29 2013, 10:22 AM Post #6
You're BANNED! Posts: 4,570 Group: Members Member #238 Joined: January 8, 2007	I think it's a great idea. I miss posts in other forums because I tend to stick only to the Hay Loft and The Barn Aisle.



smorse	Mar 29 2013, 12:25 PM Post #7
Shunnnnn the unbeliever. Shunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn. Posts: 414 Group: Members Member #74 Joined: January 6, 2007	GOOD IDEA



WhySoSerious	Mar 29 2013, 01:18 PM Post #8
Off visiting Candy Cave, be right back. Posts: 1,363 Group: Members Member #5,227 Joined: March 21, 2011	sounds like a good plan to me!



Reynard Ridge	Mar 29 2013, 01:26 PM Post #9
Drivin' The Short Bus Posts: 2,934 Group: Members Member #237 Joined: January 8, 2007	Given the size and activity of the community, one could argue that one forum with all posts in one area would be sufficient. Or, "horse related" and "non." Just my opinion, of course, and worth exactly what you paid for it.



jn4jenny	Mar 29 2013, 01:59 PM Post #10
Is the meadow on fire? Posts: 1,777 Group: Admin Member #893 Joined: March 18, 2007	An awesome idea, Indy. Based on how we already use the forum, I agree with RR: the only forums that get substantial traffic are Hay Loft, Barn Aisle, God's Garden, and all/most of the existing classifieds forums + help forums. We could easily retitle Barn Aisle from "unmounted horse-related discussion" to just "horse-related discussion" and that would cover the swath of other forums that rarely get used.



Indy	Mar 29 2013, 02:09 PM Post #11
You're BANNED! Posts: 8,083 Group: Admin Member #326 Joined: January 10, 2007	I like the idea of keeping things simple and just having two main forums (aside from the claassified & help forums which should probably stay as-is; Gd's Garden as well). Given that most of the active threads are in Barn Aisle & Hay Loft, we could probably just re-route the few active/recent threads in other forums to the appropriate new forum so that nothing current gets ignored. Honestly Barn Aisle has strayed pretty far from the "unmounted" theme since most of us post updates on our horses & day-to-day riding in there. If it comes a time where people start wanting more specific forums, like if there suddenly is a ton of activity on one subject that could be broken out into it's own world, then we can modify things but maybe we could try the two forum idea for a while and see how it goes?



Trialbyfire	Mar 29 2013, 02:33 PM Post #12
You're BANNED! Posts: 5,272 Group: Members Member #250 Joined: January 8, 2007	I am relatively indifferent so long as having only two forums doesn't make the board an uninviting place for new posters - e.g. if it seems too much like a "private club" it may deter otherwise normal people from coming over here from COTH. (Because we're all normal over here, right? ) As I said, I really don't care personally, but I wonder if it would make things more active to split up the Barn Aisle into 2-3 categories so that people are "forced" to use other areas of the board rather than put all horse related topics into the one forum -- maybe something like ShadowMare proposed -- Horse Care (to include ER, Feed, Grooming, Farrier questions, Vet questions, etc) Show Ring and Racetrack (All competitive showing, racing, eventing, driving, etc) - questions about things like "what's new in the ring", who's going to what shows, show updates and brags Personally I don't know that there are enough tack issues to warrant its own sub-board, but maybe it could be a combination of general updates, but also schooling/riding issues/questions, tack and farm all rolled into one?.....no idea what it could be....though...maybe "Barn Aisle" is still good? (Obviously I stink at being creative). I like keeping the Hay Loft and also the Memorial board.



RHowell	Mar 29 2013, 05:33 PM Post #13
You're BANNED! Posts: 6,794 Group: Members Member #138 Joined: January 7, 2007	I'd go even further--I think Health Care can go into "Barn Aisle"



Barn Girl	Mar 29 2013, 06:57 PM Post #14
It'll be an adventure! We're going on an adventure! Posts: 2,347 Group: Members Member #1,230 Joined: July 5, 2007	I like the idea of fewer categories. I think 2-3 would be sufficient, plus memorials, classifieds etc.



Indy	Mar 29 2013, 07:05 PM Post #15
You're BANNED! Posts: 8,083 Group: Admin Member #326 Joined: January 10, 2007	We could do something like Competitive Edge - for all show/event/racing type discussion Barn Aisle - for all general horsey discussion, including health care and tack Hay Loft - for all non-horse topics Plus the classifieds, memorial, and help topics remaining as is



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