Adding depth to the forum

Ideas for making the forum better or fixing problems.
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Harry
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Adding depth to the forum

Post by Harry »

This forum (phpBB 3) has incorporated within it subforums. What this means is that a hierarchy can be created that makes for an easy drill down approach in finding information. This means we can have hundreds of forums that are nested inside of other forums which keeps things from becoming overwhelming.

If anyone sees a good opportunity for a new forum or subforum just ask and we will look into adding it.
I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints the sinners are much more fun...
Muller
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Re: Adding depth to the forum

Post by F.C. »

Yeah... I mentioned it over at BYMC and no one so much as acknowledged it, but it would be a great addition to have a section where those of us with a shop/studio/whatever can set up and allow others to stop in and visit, hang out (so to speak) and see how their operation is set up for function and whatnot. It would also be a place where those individuals can post projects they're working on, show the evolution of teh project from start to finish, then, once it's completed transfer that project's "meat" (as it were) in either a gallery or Knowledge Base section culled of all the chit-chat and be photo represented from a start to finish aspect utilizing the best pics posted. Then, once it's moved to archive, the shop's bench is clean again till another project gets under way. A lot of personal one on one teaching can be accomplished within those individual shop threads. More often than not, I tend to seek out individuals I know has the experience to assess what it is I'm having difficulty with rather than throw'n it out there in the wind for everyone's .02 cents. Just a thought... I personally would love to visit each of y'all's digs. See'n what a man works with says a lot about the man, how he's organized, what his thought processes are, priorities, etc., etc. A fella can learn a lot from just a walkabout through another man's digs by comparing how he does it with what you've been doin. And, too, it would give us an opportunity to see the current work on the bench, in progress. My vision of such a section would have a locked initial thread that would allow us to individualize, build, as it were, our shops representation others would only have read only access to. Then, below that, Project threads initiated by the foundryman, himself, which others can also view but participate in with dialog as well. Once the project is completed that shop owner would be responsible for culling and archiving his work in either a knowledge base (in a tutorial like fashion) or just as a photo progression from start to finish in a gallery section. Once he cleans his bench he's ready to post the next hot project underway within his studio.

Thoughts??
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Harry
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Re: Adding depth to the forum

Post by Harry »

Not sure if I am fully on the same page but see if this is what you are talking about.

Create a forum called The Studio
On request create a subforum within the studio like FC's Alaskan Adventure In Casting
Set posting rights to this subforum for FC only so he can start new topics and post in them but no one else can

Is that about it? I kind of like it and can see where it would be nice especially for posting projects over time without any clutter at all. Maybe have one open thread in each persons studio for commenting, would be really great to have an active reply button in all of the topics under that forum that posted to the open discussion thread with a tag as to which topic it came from the way the PM system works so folks can actually reply in topic but the post gets diverted to the discussion topic.

Another thing I would like to see along this line is taking this type of beginning to end post and making mini-sites on the main website from their content.
I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints the sinners are much more fun...
Muller
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Re: Adding depth to the forum

Post by F.C. »

Damn... I was on the last sentence with my clarification response and it booted me entirely off and back to the open thread. NOW THAT NEEDS FIX'N.!!!

OK... short version....

1. Create a section titled "Member Shops & Studios"
2. Within that section people could scroll to, say, "W3's Shop", or "F.C.'s Studio", etc., etc.
3. In my case, FC's Studio would have a locked thread (only I could contribute and edit to) which would be an invite to people to stop in and check out my operations.
4. Below that locked thread would be other threads titled, "F.C.'s Gunnade", F.C.'s Grizzley, F.C.'s Anchor, F.C.'s Hitch Cover Design, etc., etc. In each of these threads people would have opportunity to provide dialog, whereas teaching and learning can be achieved. Once any of those projects get completed, F.C. would, then, have the option to clear his bench, cull the chit-chat of the thread and select a sequence compilation of photos that were posted and archive them into a Gallery located elsewhere on the forum. This would help keep F.C.'s Studio thread clean and tidy and provide the Gallery some very beneficial sequence shots of projects that's been completed.

The forum should also have a KNOWLEDGE BASE section where members can develop and write tutorials (such as Anon's) and post them there for members and guests to mull through on their own. No one should have ability to edit or screw with each submission other than admin or the writer of the tutorial itself.

The rest of the forum already has what every other forum out there has, a host of topics members and guests can all openly socialize within and not scatter the continuity of a creator's project thread over multiple threads or several hundreds of chit chat posts. This way, with the individual studio/shop section projects remain on track and verily involve mostly tutoring (from member input or knowledge presented by the one doing the actual project).

Mull that a bit and let me know what you think.
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Re: Adding depth to the forum

Post by Harry »

What do you mean booted? I havent seen any behavior of the forum to suggest any problems like that.

Sounds like we are thinking along the same lines. Just have to make it work within the limits of the forum software which I dont see any insurmountable issues.

Only thing left would be for who and when would we set up these personal boards? It would be a bummer to go through setting up boards for every new member only to see most of them go unused. I am thinking something like having some input ready before starting the Personal Studio and that would work great with the way you have described it.

Say a member has several threads they have started in the appropriate areas of the forum (muller, furnace, castings ext...). All of these threads could on their request be aggregated into their own shop forum. The threads would be moved with shadow topic (means the original thread stays where it is and posts in either location show up in both if I understand this correctly) left where it belongs in the forum. A subforum would be placed in their shop forum and locked with only them having posting rights to threads in there so they can Build a concise thread with only their posts.

Future posting by a member who has their own shop on new projects would continue in the appropriate areas of the forum and when they felt a thread has developed enough that they want it in their shop they would just ask to have it shadowed over by sending a link to the thread to an administrator along with the name of their shop. This way the reader would be able to find that particular furnace by drilling down in the furnaces forum or if they remember whose it is they can simply visit their shop.

I am not positive on how all this would work but it certainly sounds feasible.

On the Knowledge base, maybe a wiki on the site and give editing rights to the more advanced members? Having something is a very good idea to help keep down the questions that tend to get asked over and over and simply just a good primer for those in the early stages. Even a KB post in the forum with questions linked to good answers that have been identified through the forum could be a good resource.
I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints the sinners are much more fun...
Muller
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Re: Adding depth to the forum

Post by F.C. »

"Booted", in the sense when I was typing (nearly as long a response as that which you just now posted) I went from peck'n to finish a sentence and the screen suddenly went directly to the topic where you had left off before from my previous post. Nothing I wrote made it to the next post... nor was there a post at all! I had to start all over again. Is there a limitation on how much you can type before it gags and send you real'n back in time?
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Re: Adding depth to the forum

Post by Harry »

No limits and the session time is way long like you could take a nap and come back to finish. If that happens again try the back button in the browser. Usually when a post fails due to an internet timeout or something you can back up and it will still be there. Also be sure to let me know if you see it again.
I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints the sinners are much more fun...
Muller
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Re: Adding depth to the forum

Post by F.C. »

I got plenty set up ready to go for develop'n that individual studio suggestion I made. I can post projects I've done before as a show and tell then cull it, later, to test it out. Could even put it in the gallery, too, for that matter. I ain't bashful... :lol:
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Re: Adding depth to the forum

Post by Harry »

Hehe, feel free to start posting, like I said though post in the regular forum and when you are ready I will set you up and shadow the topics over there for you. We can use you as the crash test dummy. :lol:
I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints the sinners are much more fun...
Muller
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Re: Adding depth to the forum

Post by F.C. »

Ok... *sweet!* heh, heh...

Anywhoo... tomorrow, though. I got a date tonight w/the Mrs, dinner and a movie... plus a snort or two at the pub somewhere in that routine.

Later.
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