Purpose of Regional groups? WHy so many different sections?

[Captain Obvious]

I guess it has been described before, but what is the current purpose of the regional groups?

With the social section, get-togethers are posted.
In the Shop experiences section, all shops are discussed. Since it is easy to go from Pueblo to Denver, it should be a combined section for everyone to easily see. Most of us will travel when they want to find the best shop for what they are getting done.
Most of the posts in the regional sections are social type events, so only cause the moderators to have to combine and move threads around.


The regional description also indicates get local help, but really, who hasn't driven over an hour to pick up a buddy whose bike has broken down? And if someone is stuck in the mountains, should they post in the mountains section to fin close help or the Pueblo section since that is where they are from? (in my example)

Overall, I like the site, but it really seems that we have to many sections. If we were to stream line the forum sections, it would make it easier to find new posts and enable us to see posts we might miss.

[Devaclis]

Oh, and I agree

[Captain Obvious]

Why not combine the 2 entertainment sections into one section?
Combine all the reginal sections into 1 large section of "FOR BIKE RELATED POSTS" keep the general discussion for non=bike related, social is its own.
I have always wondered why the "Everything Else" section is at the bottom of the screen, it is the most used section. It should be at the top. It would be more used if all bike related posts (regardless of location) and all non-bike related discussions were right next to each other and at the top of the screen.

Does the marketplace and the bodega really need to be separate categories? I presume the Bodega was named that because marketplace was already taken, which indicates someone making decisions kind of thinks they are the same thing, but wanted to create different sections. It is all related to commerce. Buy, sell, shop review.

If we could streamline the main page, overall navigation would be made a lot easier, moderators would have to babysit and move threads less, etc.

But that is just me.

[Captain Obvious]

Oh, and I agree

Hahaha, shut up with your stupid picture! But thanks for agreeing.

[Captain Obvious]

This is one of the boards we have back home.
http://www.blokessportbike.com/

It ended up being where all the misfits from another local board went. We had less policing, more open standards, and only a couple moderators who actually had to work. The flow was pretty easy to follow and you don't have 30inches of scroll bar (like we do at COSBC).
BSB aint perfect, but it is streamlined and easy to use.

[dm_gsxr]

I just click on "New Posts". There generally isn't enough traffic between the times I scan the site to be more than a page and there are times when no new posts have been made.

Not like some forums I'm on where a post disappears off the sub-forum page in a day or less.

Carl

[rforsythe]

Short version: The regional forums exist because when you have a board with 4,000 relatively local people on it, they tend to want to get together in their own areas. We tried combining them once and quite a number of people freaked out over it.

'Everything Else' is at the bottom specifically to drive more activity into the other groups first where it belongs. Think about it. This is also a motorcycle club, and having motorcycle-related areas first makes sense.

Marketplace is for commercially-related posts, Bodega is for private-sale postings. They're separated to emphasize that point.

All in all it's streamlined, and segregated the way it is for good reasons. It's evolved this way over time. Yes we could put 10 forums under one section, but in my opinion that will only clutter the page and actually make it harder for people to post things in the right place, in effect increasing our workload as moderators. Also I looked at your other board; we used to be smaller like that, but the addition of forums over time has necessitated the layout we have now.

While I see what you're saying, I don't agree. Simple as that.

[Devaclis]

Annnnnd, it will stay this way.

If you don't like it, start your own damn board, this is not a democracy. change, Baaaad!


/CSC

[Captain Obvious]

Short version: The regional forums exist because when you have a board with 4,000 relatively local people on it, they tend to want to get together in their own areas. We tried combining them once and quite a number of people freaked out over it.

So you have local sections and the description is for "plan local rides or get local advice/help." but then there is also a Social Events section "Open-invite social activities". Remove the plan local rides then all you have let if local/advice help.

'Everything Else' is at the bottom specifically to drive more activity into the other groups first where it belongs. Think about it. This is also a motorcycle club, and having motorcycle-related areas first makes sense.

Fair enough.

Marketplace is for commercially-related posts, Bodega is for private-sale postings. They're separated to emphasize that point.

Why not combine all into one commerce section, leaving them separate then?

All in all it's streamlined, and segregated the way it is for good reasons. It's evolved this way over time. Yes we could put 10 forums under one section, but in my opinion that will only clutter the page and actually make it harder for people to post things in the right place, in effect increasing our workload as moderators. Also I looked at your other board; we used to be smaller like that, but the addition of forums over time has necessitated the layout we have now.

While I see what you're saying, I don't agree. Simple as that.

Fair enough, but with the current layout, the front page is 3+ screens long.

For riding events. Riding is referenced in social, also used in each of the regional, also canyon carving, trips and touring, and then nothing but two. Seems again, that splitting it out to streamline has only made it more confusing. Where would I post a 2 up ride leaving from CS, picking up members in Denver, that would last for the weekend. We would camp and hit some twisties? This is a VERY common type of ride.

I can tell you've decided, but it seems to be "over-streamlined" to the point of giving everyone thier own little bathtub to play in.
Even Wikipedia has had the issue before.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Templat...any_categories

I am just asking, the front page is not very user friendly and one of the prime purposes of an application is to be user friendly. I am not trying to piss you off, I know a sensitive person could take it that way, but just voicing my .02 as a new user who has been around the block before. Just a bunch of different blocks.

[Captain Obvious]

Annnnnd, it will stay this way.

If you don't like it, start your own damn board, this is not a democracy. change, Baaaad!


/CSC

Quit poking the bear, I am asking a legit question.

[Devaclis]

I hear ya. I just see the same replies to the same questions throughout each year. Change here is hard fought and rarely won.

[Captain Obvious]

I hear ya. I just see the same replies to the same questions throughout each year. Change here is hard fought and rarely won.

Just asking.

Join us or die.

[Mother Goose]

Short version: The regional forums exist because when you have a board with 4,000 relatively local people on it, they tend to want to get together in their own areas. We tried combining them once and quite a number of people freaked out over it.

TOTALLY off topic.... but how many of those 4,000 are actually active? I've always wondered what that number was.

[Devaclis]

Threads: 22,165, Posts: 315,726, Members: 4,541, Active Members: 1,182
Welcome to our newest member, ChrisCBR

[Devaclis]

What defines Active? Posts in the past 10 days? Number of posts?

[Captain Obvious]

TOTALLY off topic.... but how many of those 4,000 are actually active? I've always wondered what that number was.

Not really off topic as the size of the membership is used as a reason to explain the set up.

Many forums keep ex-members listed as members so they can show a larger member base. Used sometimes for selling ad space, increasing site stats, etc.

[denverbusa]

I dont want to FIND a post about what I am looking for by scrolling through pages of southies or northies posts to figure out if it is for my area or not. I zoom to the section/ area I am looking for. and BAMMM there it is, cool.

I don't mind scrolling down a page to get to the section I want if I dont have to scroll through ten pages of nonlocal rides / social stuff I would have no interest in. If someone posts in the wrong section well then their ride or social event will be pretty boring and they will either figure it out or move along.
If they can't figure it out then maybe they are not smart enough to be on this board and they should move along and make their own misfits site where they can hang out with other misfits. So be it.
That is my .02 and it is the reason I do stay here.

Mark

[rforsythe]

What defines Active? Posts in the past 10 days? Number of posts?

Can't remember offhand. I will say that it's a misnomer in that we have a lot of people here that never post, but watch the site and show up to events and rides, and it's impossible to quantify that number.

[PhL0aTeR]

i hate denver.... why would i want to see post from there? Of course i hate the springs too, but im here, so...... Regional forums FTW.....

Oh, and i also have the "new posts" link bookmarked and thats where i start my perusal.... never more than 3 pages in a 24 hour period.

[Brat]

i would like to add, a nice ol random, SNARF.

[JohnEffinK]

i would like to add, a nice ol random, SNARF.

^^^^ Yeah.

John

[shift shiftly]

I THIRD THAT MOTION!! motion to dismiss.....


Shift,,,