Too many forums??
#1
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Is it me, or are there just too many forums now. Do we really need a Forum for every single subject out there? Most of these forums could simply be threads in the Other forum or elsewhere.
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The tough thing is that OTHER is SO active that many threads get lost in the shuffle.
Many of the new forum areas aren't meant to be huge traffic areas, more like encleves for people to disucss topics which otherwise would get lost.
Many of the new forum areas aren't meant to be huge traffic areas, more like encleves for people to disucss topics which otherwise would get lost.
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If I had my way I'd ditch all of the forums that aren't directly related to DVDs and/or movies. This is DVDTalk afterall. Of course, mine's not the popular opinion.
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Originally posted by gotdvd?
If I had my way I'd ditch all of the forums that aren't directly related to DVDs and/or movies. This is DVDTalk afterall. Of course, mine's not the popular opinion.
If I had my way I'd ditch all of the forums that aren't directly related to DVDs and/or movies. This is DVDTalk afterall. Of course, mine's not the popular opinion.
#5
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Originally posted by gotdvd?
If I had my way I'd ditch all of the forums that aren't directly related to DVDs and/or movies. This is DVDTalk afterall. Of course, mine's not the popular opinion.
If I had my way I'd ditch all of the forums that aren't directly related to DVDs and/or movies. This is DVDTalk afterall. Of course, mine's not the popular opinion.
#6
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Well, the whole question is: Just what should DVD Talkers discuss at DVD Talk?
* Only DVD-related material
* Stuff tangentially related to DVDs (home theatre stuff, movies that will eventually be on DVD)
* Anything
Normally, option #3 would seem strange. But the DVD Talk community has developed far past DVDs... which is a good thing, since DVDs really aren't too interesting these days. The format is established and bargains are almost nonexistent. I don't want to think about how much traffic DVD Talk would still have if restricted to one of the first two options. And given the quality of that discussion, I think that avalanche of posts behind door #3 deserves to be allowed somewhere.
The problem, of course, is how to sustain this traffic without <b>gkleinman</b> going backrupt or the server going belly-up.
- David Stein
* Only DVD-related material
* Stuff tangentially related to DVDs (home theatre stuff, movies that will eventually be on DVD)
* Anything
Normally, option #3 would seem strange. But the DVD Talk community has developed far past DVDs... which is a good thing, since DVDs really aren't too interesting these days. The format is established and bargains are almost nonexistent. I don't want to think about how much traffic DVD Talk would still have if restricted to one of the first two options. And given the quality of that discussion, I think that avalanche of posts behind door #3 deserves to be allowed somewhere.
The problem, of course, is how to sustain this traffic without <b>gkleinman</b> going backrupt or the server going belly-up.
- David Stein
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<b>Sparky189</b> & <b>gotdvd?</b> I guess you were semi-serious at best but, aside from the server-related reasons that David Stein mentions, how can the mere fact of the existence of alternative forums detract from your personal enjoyment of those that relate to your DVD interest?
#9
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Originally posted by Sparky189
Maybe the name should be changed to something other than DVDtalk..
Maybe the name should be changed to something other than DVDtalk..
But seriously, I really only check out the DVD related items. Including Talk, Bargains, Home Theatre, other bargains, and then the Other because you just never know what you'll find there and worth a good laugh.
But it doesn't hurt anyone that there are a myriad of misc forums. I can just ignore them and there's nothing lost. Besides, Geoff can make more $$ with a wider variety of topics.
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Originally posted by Sparky189
Maybe the name should be changed to something other than DVDtalk..
Maybe the name should be changed to something other than DVDtalk..
#11
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The more specific forums we have the better. Having too much crap in other, it's tough to find the threads you want. Having specific forums allows you to find what you are interested in, and totally avoid topics you don't care about. It's also quicker to hop between 3 or 4 forums than to have to skim through 5 pages in other to find the three threads you want to read.
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Originally posted by BoatDrinks
Hi! I was wondering if Fe(NO3)2 was a good solution for wheat from the Baltic region?
Oh, sorry.
I was looking for the Lithuanian Hydroponics Forum.
Hi! I was wondering if Fe(NO3)2 was a good solution for wheat from the Baltic region?
Oh, sorry.
I was looking for the Lithuanian Hydroponics Forum.
still waiting for the DVD/CD Club Forum,
If topic deserves a seperate forum, this one does!!
#14
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I just wonder what new members think when they see that half the site has nothing to do with DVDs. Especially when the non-DVD related half gets the majority of the traffic.
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<b>TCHJ</b>, what did <i>you</i> think about the variety when you first started coming here?
Personally, I came for the coupons on the Bargain Forum and only later started investigating the various additional forums. Until I did I paid absolutely no attention to their respective relative popularity.
Aside from the Other Forum, <i>even today</i> I couldn't tell you what forums were the more "popular" or higher traffic, although I am aware that the Internatonal Forum is low traffic. I just feel no pressing reason to compare the stats.
So, to answer the question, I can't see how more choice could put off a newbie: the site has what would be expected from its name.... and more. <i>Oldbies</i> can make personal choices where to read and post so there shouldn't be a problem IMO
(And don't forget, everyone, that the DVDTalk site is not restricted simply to the forums. Anyone seen the <A HREF="http://www.dvdtalk.com/">frontpage</a> recently?).
Personally, I came for the coupons on the Bargain Forum and only later started investigating the various additional forums. Until I did I paid absolutely no attention to their respective relative popularity.
Aside from the Other Forum, <i>even today</i> I couldn't tell you what forums were the more "popular" or higher traffic, although I am aware that the Internatonal Forum is low traffic. I just feel no pressing reason to compare the stats.
So, to answer the question, I can't see how more choice could put off a newbie: the site has what would be expected from its name.... and more. <i>Oldbies</i> can make personal choices where to read and post so there shouldn't be a problem IMO
(And don't forget, everyone, that the DVDTalk site is not restricted simply to the forums. Anyone seen the <A HREF="http://www.dvdtalk.com/">frontpage</a> recently?).
#16
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Originally posted by benedict
<b>TCHJ</b>, what did <i>you</i> think about the variety when you first started coming here?
<b>TCHJ</b>, what did <i>you</i> think about the variety when you first started coming here?
International
Will Click...
TV Talk
Video Game Talk
Book Talk
All About Movies
The PC forum was still strictly DVD-ROM matters only, and Other was still one of the "quiet" forums. So, back then, it was still pretty heavily DVD oriented, the other areas seemed decidedly "tacked on" just for completeness' sake.
Now, on the other hand, the non-DVD forums make up at least half of the "forums" part of the site, and Other accounts for over 40% of the entire forum's posts. The other "non dvd" areas account for a bit more than 10% of the posts, and that's not even taking into account that a lot of the threads in the "DVD related" forums (e.g. DVD-ROM and PC, Stores Forum...) aren't actually DVD related. Even the "flagship" forum, DVD Talk, only accounts for a little over 15% of the posts on the forums.
To me, that just seems... well, weird, that a DVD site's forums section has more stuff about non-DVD related matters than it does on the actual focus of the site...
#17
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Originally posted by TheyCallHimJim
Well, that was a loooooong time ago Then, we didn;t have:
International
Well, that was a loooooong time ago Then, we didn;t have:
International
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Originally posted by scott27
JMO, but I don't see how you can include the International DVD forum as non-DVD related. Just because it doesn't deal with R1 discs?
Originally posted by TheyCallHimJim
Well, that was a loooooong time ago Then, we didn;t have:
International
Well, that was a loooooong time ago Then, we didn;t have:
International
And, FYI, I'm in the UK, so anything outside of R1 is especially interesting to me. In fact, the International forum was created as a result of demand from the many international users of this site... most of whom have now realised that this site is so USA-dominated that they're just as well off looking at more local sites. If I have anything DVD-related that I actually need an answer to, I ask on on of the UK sites that I frequent, because I know full well that nobody even bothers reading the International forum anymore.
#20
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When I was a kid, we only had 1 forum. It was big, made out of wood and had big, sharp, rusty metal edges that poked out. When you turned it on there was a big rush of air and tremendous roar as the bellows started. You had to wait 15 minutes for it to warm up, and by then you'd already forgotten what you were going to do with the forum once it got running in the first place.
I think extra forums are fine, as long as they're being used. Adding more forums to DVDTalk is like when a store starts selling new items. Maybe people buy, maybe they won't, but it's just a bit of expansion.
Other forums keep the DVD forums on topic and keep people from having to go into the Otter Farm and wade through 130, "Look at my belly button" threads to find what they were looking for.
I think extra forums are fine, as long as they're being used. Adding more forums to DVDTalk is like when a store starts selling new items. Maybe people buy, maybe they won't, but it's just a bit of expansion.
Other forums keep the DVD forums on topic and keep people from having to go into the Otter Farm and wade through 130, "Look at my belly button" threads to find what they were looking for.
#21
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Originally posted by BoatDrinks
Hi! I was wondering if Fe(NO3)2 was a good solution for wheat from the Baltic region?
Oh, sorry.
I was looking for the Lithuanian Hydroponics Forum.
Hi! I was wondering if Fe(NO3)2 was a good solution for wheat from the Baltic region?
Oh, sorry.
I was looking for the Lithuanian Hydroponics Forum.
#22
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Originally posted by TheyCallHimJim
Now, on the other hand, the non-DVD forums make up at least half of the "forums" part of the site, and Other accounts for over 40% of the entire forum's posts. The other "non dvd" areas account for a bit more than 10% of the posts, and that's not even taking into account that a lot of the threads in the "DVD related" forums (e.g. DVD-ROM and PC, Stores Forum...) aren't actually DVD related. Even the "flagship" forum, DVD Talk, only accounts for a little over 15% of the posts on the forums.
To me, that just seems... well, weird, that a DVD site's forums section has more stuff about non-DVD related matters than it does on the actual focus of the site...
Now, on the other hand, the non-DVD forums make up at least half of the "forums" part of the site, and Other accounts for over 40% of the entire forum's posts. The other "non dvd" areas account for a bit more than 10% of the posts, and that's not even taking into account that a lot of the threads in the "DVD related" forums (e.g. DVD-ROM and PC, Stores Forum...) aren't actually DVD related. Even the "flagship" forum, DVD Talk, only accounts for a little over 15% of the posts on the forums.
To me, that just seems... well, weird, that a DVD site's forums section has more stuff about non-DVD related matters than it does on the actual focus of the site...
#23
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Originally posted by TheyCallHimJim
And, FYI, I'm in the UK, so anything outside of R1 is especially interesting to me. In fact, the International forum was created as a result of demand from the many international users of this site... most of whom have now realised that this site is so USA-dominated that they're just as well off looking at more local sites. If I have anything DVD-related that I actually need an answer to, I ask on on of the UK sites that I frequent, because I know full well that nobody even bothers reading the International forum anymore.
And, FYI, I'm in the UK, so anything outside of R1 is especially interesting to me. In fact, the International forum was created as a result of demand from the many international users of this site... most of whom have now realised that this site is so USA-dominated that they're just as well off looking at more local sites. If I have anything DVD-related that I actually need an answer to, I ask on on of the UK sites that I frequent, because I know full well that nobody even bothers reading the International forum anymore.
#25
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I don't really have a problem with the number of forums. Some seem a bit superfluous, but as time goes on and they lack popularity, I am sure they too will get the axe. It is nice that geoff actually tries to provide a wide variety of content here and listens to users suggestions. It is always worth giving something a try.
J
J