Forum Subsections

[Ned_Flanders]

This was brought up in the closed beta, and I'm going to bring it up here too:

IMO we have WAY WAY WAY too many forum subsections.

Point No 1.

For a start, in Hardware we have a Network Interface Card forum (Description = "Discussions about network interface cards, configuring networks, and more.")

Then we have an entire Network section, devoted to WLAN, WAN, LAN etc

There seems to be a massive overlap between them.

^^^ That's just one example of many.

Point No 2.

In the software forum, there are 15! subforums for Windows XP alone. 8 for Win2k. AND Linux is just a subforum in Other software? What?

Point No 3.

Games section is a complete mess.

In the general section there are some odd forum names: "Hints about Empire", "Games for Acorn machines", "Games Diplomacy" etc etc?!

Console Platforms we have consoles missing (Playstation 1, Megadrive / Genesis...) and then console manufactures like Sony...since when is Sony a platform?

The list goes on and on and on.

IMO the forums won't work like this, noone will know where to post

How about (in this order)

CPU's (Anything related to CPUs)
Video Cards (Anything related to Video Cards)
Motherboards / Chipsets (...)
------------------------------------------------------
RAM / Memory (...)
Harddrives / Storage (...)
Optical / Removable Storage (inc USB sticks etc)
------------------------------------------------------
Network (All network questions)
Sound Cards
---------------------------------------------------
Operating Systems (Subtopics - Windows 9x, Windows 2000 / XP, Linux...and other questions can go just in the root sub forum)
Games / Software (Games was a popular forum in the old forum, but it was hard to find)
-----------------------------
Other (Sub forums needed, like CE, ...
----------------------------------------------
The Other (Yes, I think this should be the way forward...)
------------------

Please reply with opinions as this is a matter I feel strongly about.

 

[pat]

Same for the motherboard section. Why many subsection that nobody would care to read... me first. Put just one general section for motherboard too.

 

[Ned_Flanders]

lol - Editted! How crazy of me

 

[pat]

First, it was Rugger, now I have to cover your sorry @ss too

 

[pat]

But seriously, having everything in the same forum will help to avoid cross posting. And a question about an Abit with nvidia chipset could easily be answered and resolved in a thread about the same problem in Epox motherboard. When it is relative to chipset, then every motherboard brand can be subject to the same problem. So, an answer with" Update your drivers" can fit for one problem with many board.

 

[Ned_Flanders]

Exactly! That kind of problem will be the case all over the forum if things carry on the way they are.

 

[pat]

I will post everything in the general discussion anyway. It is where it has the more chance to be seen.. In other board, with the same arrangement, mods are always moving post to appropriate subsection... Don't know if the mods here will do the same.. and if yes, for how long...

 

[Ned_Flanders]

Layout MK II:

(Main Hardware)

CPU's
Graphic Cards
Motherboards and Chipsets
------
(Secondary Hardware)

RAM / Memory
Sound Cards
Harddrives / Storage
Optical Drives / Removable Storage
Peripherals / Other Hardware
------
(Networking)

Network
------
(Overclocking)

CPU's
Graphic Cards
Motherboards
------
(Software)

Operating Systems:
Subforums = "Windows 9x", "Windows 2000 / XP", "Windows Vista", "Linux", "Other operating systems"
Games
Software / Applications
------
(Other)

The Other


Note: No consumer electronics section, we're a PC hardware forum!

 

[steve_sa]

All good points, Ned Le's address and discuss them one by one, to see if we agree.

Point No 1.
For a start, in Hardware we have a Network Interface Card forum (Description = "Discussions about network interface cards, configuring networks, and more.")

Then we have an entire Network section, devoted to WLAN, WAN, LAN etc

There seems to be a massive overlap between them.

NIC is a component so it does fit within hardware. Note that hardware is now narrowly defined, and does not include systems (except homebuilt) printers, etc. which moved to CE. At the same time, TG has started a new section (or site) about Network (TomsNetworking.com) so we wanted to have general categories about Networking to go with that section. Imagine those sections needing to be more tightly coupled at some point, so we want to grow the Network section accordingly.

Point No 2.
In the software forum, there are 15! subforums for Windows XP alone. 8 for Win2k. AND Linux is just a subforum in Other software? What?

We have not started a full fledged Linux forum(z). The content exists, but something that would be launched upon demand, etc. What you see in Linux is just a small sliver, and it is what you already had.

Point No 3.
Games section is a complete mess.

I would need a good gamer to help organize that section. I agree that it could be organized better. Volunteers?

IMO the forums won't work like this, noone will know where to post

Then we improve it But we need to understand where we get the most bang for the buck

Please reply with opinions as this is a matter I feel strongly about.

I know you do and that's good. Shows you care about the new forumz

 

[steve_sa]

Same for the motherboard section. Why many subsection that nobody would care to read... me first. Put just one general section for motherboard too.

Hi, Pat. I appreciate your point. At the same time, I run other forum sites and people do care about specific motherboards. That mostly applies to newbies (not like some of you guys) who don't know the intricacies of chipset, etc. etc. All they know is that they bought xyz motherboard from newegg. They feel very comfortable if they find sections dedicated to their board.

I run HP MediaCenter at home. You might say I run a MediaCenter PC, but to my insecure self, if I find a discussion of "HP" MediaCenter I would be very very happy, since I cannot tell the different between MC aspects and PC aspects of some bug.

In any case, these are my opinions. I am sure others have different thoughts.

 

[Ned_Flanders]

I really don't think sub section, after subsection is the way for organise the forum.

You're basically trying to get each Toms Guide site its own forum (Tomshardware Guide, TomsNetwork, Twitch Guru etc), and it just won't work like that. It's too fragmented.

There isn't the traffic (and even if there was I don't think it would make a difference) to have forums so specialised. Take Anandtech for example - I'm nmot saying we go to that level of simplicity, but it is a start.

IMO we had too many sections in the old forum, and now we have x10 that amount. Why is there a need for a RPG, FPS, Strategy sub forums when a simple Games forum would work.
Why is there a need for all these motherboard types (yes, you say it is easier for newbs to ask questions), but it makes us (the people giving the answers) MUCH less likely to check the sub, sub forum they posted in.
I know I won't bother.

 

[Ned_Flanders]

I know from the closed BETA that the search feature won't search the entire forum and the subforum (Hardware, Network, Mobile....) so (taking the Network as the example) a user would need to search both the hardware>Network and Network> ... to find answers.

This will also lead to double posting in perhaps 3 -4 forum sub sub sub sub (or what ever) sections.

As you may be able to tell, I can go on whining about this forever

 

[Spitfire_x86]

We don't need any sub sections. The older forum had too many sections, which nobody used.

The new forum has even more sections, and it introduced subsections. I don't think I've ever seen such a messed up sectiom like the gaming one in any forum.

 

[jiffy]

Understatement Ned! I’m all for a couple new features, but gees.



What I like about THG.

1. One click and I could see all subjects.

2. If there was a post to one of my interest I could click in and see what was what and decide if I was going to participate.

3. If I had a question I knew where to post it and my only concern was, “is this a stupid question or was it already asked”.

4. I could check in to THG and in two seconds see if there was anything new or of interest and be out in no time at all with out feeling I missed anything. Even had time to glance the Other real quick.




What I don’t like about TG.

1. What happen to the H in THG?

2. Have we been invaded?

3. Looks like any other place now, just more confusing.

4. To much of anything is not good.

5. Why so complex?

6. I thought most of us here used the computer to much and needed to get a life. Now it’s obviously who takes the cake.

 

[pat]

Same for the motherboard section. Why many subsection that nobody would care to read... me first. Put just one general section for motherboard too.

Hi, Pat. I appreciate your point. At the same time, I run other forum sites and people do care about specific motherboards. That mostly applies to newbies (not like some of you guys) who don't know the intricacies of chipset, etc. etc. All they know is that they bought xyz motherboard from newegg. They feel very comfortable if they find sections dedicated to their board.

I run HP MediaCenter at home. You might say I run a MediaCenter PC, but to my insecure self, if I find a discussion of "HP" MediaCenter I would be very very happy, since I cannot tell the different between MC aspects and PC aspects of some bug.

In any case, these are my opinions. I am sure others have different thoughts.

Ok, then if there was an icon, or something that would indicate new post is such subsection, that would help. I have no clue if there is something new posted in the Asus or Abit subsection, without actually go and check.

..

 

[RichPLS]

I agree with Ned, to many sections, mean that the techies won't troll through them to answer... attention span to short...
Less subsections, means post your problem in the MOTHERBOARD section, and it will be answered...
I mean, what self respecting techie is going to wade through a HP Media Center sub-section!! :roll:

 

[RichPLS]

Ned, SUB-SECTIONS would be OK, if the General MotherBoard section (for example) contained a grouping of all the motherboard sections, So you could post in the General section, or get better coverage so to speak by posting in the specific manufaturer sub-section...
So visiting the General Mobo would list all subsections in that section.
That sounds like a winner to me...

 

[Snorkius]

The little page icon changes color from white with unread posts.

 

[Ned_Flanders]

It sure does.

 

[Ned_Flanders]

I never said I wanted to get rid off all subsections, just ones that arn't needed and ones that are duplicated else where - i.e Networking

 

[steve_sa]

Ok, then if there was an icon, or something that would indicate new post is such subsection, that would help. I have no clue if there is something new posted in the Asus or Abit subsection, without actually go and check.

..

Pat, great idea, and that is coming

 

[steve_sa]

Ned, SUB-SECTIONS would be OK, if the General MotherBoard section (for example) contained a grouping of all the motherboard sections, So you could post in the General section, or get better coverage so to speak by posting in the specific manufaturer sub-section...
So visiting the General Mobo would list all subsections in that section.
That sounds like a winner to me...

Rich, great idea. We kind'a have that now but could improve it. On top of "General Motherboards", click on "Motherboards & Memory"... it then focus on that category only. Then instead of showing collapsed subforums, we can show them all expanded (since that's all there is on the page)

 

[Ned_Flanders]

you say the hardware section hasn't really changed? For a start the most popular hardware forum is at the bottom of the page (Video Cards), the Overclocking section for CPUs has a sub *groan* section for AMD chips. but not for intel?

Get this - The top category is labeled "CPU's and Components", surely all hardware is a component and should be in that category? Infact, I suppose I'm meant to post Video Card questions in the Other Components sub forum? as "All other components not covered in the above."
____________________________________________

If you want to have TG run 7 different forums here that's fine, but don't let the sub forums blatently operlap - If we have a Networking forum, I say the hardware section should not have a network subforum.

The Games forum, even though I see you tried to clean it up, is still a joke! If anyone could be bothered posting in the correct section, it would take them at least 5 minutes to find it! - And as other users have stated, there is no why they'd be checking all the subsections.

...could go on and on and on (Why do we even have a CE forum?)

 

[Wolfy]

Agrees completely with the OP. The Games section (the only section I usually poke my nose into) is in complete disarray. I'm pretty sure things motored along quite nicely in there when it was just called Games.

 

[steve_sa]

Agrees completely with the OP. The Games section (the only section I usually poke my nose into) is in complete disarray. I'm pretty sure things motored along quite nicely in there when it was just called Games.

Ned and Wolfy, would you collaborate and come up with a structure for games section that we can look at? It is quite easy to move things around to make it work for you guys. Need specifics, not generalities.