Suggestions on consolidating existing forums

[Maoby]

To Mathew Anderson

I had suggested or rather asked at the very beginning of your arrival at DPREVIEW

If it were possible to create a film that would bring together the threads that have now become marginal.

Particularly to be able to discuss brands that have disappeared or are about to disappear.

Like Kodak, Minolta, Konica, Contax, Agfa DSLRs or even Four Thirds (not Micro Four Thirds)

And even include Pentax if nothing changes in a few years.

I would like to see a thread on the missing (a historical thread on DSLRs)

And also a thread on old compact cameras of all brands

The stories between compacts and DSLRs are too important and different, to separate them into two distinct historical threads

I feel like it's also time to unite the Nikon DSLR threads into one, same for Canon.

And also given more importance and having a thread, iPhone Talk

I hope that what I have just described is not completely unclear.

 

[Mathew Anderson]

To Mathew Anderson

I had suggested or rather asked at the very beginning of your arrival at DPREVIEW

If it were possible to create a film that would bring together the threads that have now become marginal.

Particularly to be able to discuss brands that have disappeared or are about to disappear.

Like Kodak, Minolta, Konica, Contax, Agfa DSLRs or even Four Thirds (not Micro Four Thirds)

And even include Pentax if nothing changes in a few years.

I would like to see a thread on the missing (a historical thread on DSLRs)

And also a thread on old compact cameras of all brands

The stories between compacts and DSLRs are too important and different, to separate them into two distinct historical threads

I feel like it's also time to unite the Nikon DSLR threads into one, same for Canon.

And also given more importance and having a thread, iPhone Talk

I hope that what I have just described is not completely unclear.

Hi Maoby! I remember this conversation. We're happy to hear suggestions like this that we can implement.

Umm, when you say "threads", are you suggesting separate forum sections and merging them together?

We do intend to have a forum section specific to all "other brands", so you have some place to discuss legacy equipment and the like. I think it's a great idea.

 

[Dale Baskin]

We've been thinking about forum consolidation as well; however, we're not planning to make any immediate changes to individual sub-forums when we make the switch to XenForo. We will already be introducing change, and we want to make sure everyone can find their favorite forum(s) on Day 1 without issue.

XenForo has a much better forum index than our current system, so we expect most people will find their favorite forum quickly.

One nice thing about XenForo is that it will make it easier for us to manage forums on the admin side. That includes creating new forums or consolidating existing forums.

At some point after migrating to the new platform, we'll consider possible mergers of subforums, but not until we consult with members of any of the impacted forums for input on the best approach to doing so. We also plan to spin up new forums with some new topics or thematic areas. (Timing TBD)

 

[Maoby]

Both, merge the vanished marks into a single thread, merge old Nikon DSLR threads, etc…

But to clearly separate the new films (historical) between DSLRs and compacts

Thank you very much for your attention.

 

[Maoby]

Thank you very much for this clarification, it is greatly appreciated.

 

[Dale Baskin]

Thank you very much for this clarification, it is greatly appreciated.

I suspect we could start an entire forum just for your camera collection!

 

[grsnovi]

...and I don't know if this would be supported by XenForo, but if I had the ability to customize the subforums displayed to me, I wouldn't care if you did any consolidation.

For example, I only look at five forums a day - the ability to hide all the rest would enhance my user experience.

 

[ishwanu]

I suggest mostly the opposite of what Maoby said. I very much like the present granularity of the forums and personally think consolidation would be a great mistake - especially considering that flat view will be the only view. Granularity will save readers the chore of searching through pages of posts in subforums that are of no interest to them.

 

[Mathew Anderson]

...and I don't know if this would be supported by XenForo, but if I had the ability to customize the subforums displayed to me, I wouldn't care if you did any consolidation.

For example, I only look at five forums a day - the ability to hide all the rest would enhance my user experience.

This is a great suggestion, I'll check to see if we can add some sort of custom visibility settings here. You can 'collapse' sections, which helps hide the list of forums within each.

 

[Mathew Anderson]

I suggest mostly the opposite of what Maoby said. I very much like the present granularity of the forums and personally think consolidation would be a great mistake - especially considering that flat view will be the only view. Granularity will save readers the chore of searching through pages of posts in subforums that are of no interest to them.

Consolidation would mainly come from practicality of forums not being used often enough, topics that are conflicting, and similar reasons. We will do our best to keep the granularity intact, and in fact, may be creating a few extra forums for this purpose (such as adding a "Other Cameras" forum section).

 

[ishwanu]

I suggest mostly the opposite of what Maoby said. I very much like the present granularity of the forums and personally think consolidation would be a great mistake - especially considering that flat view will be the only view. Granularity will save readers the chore of searching through pages of posts in subforums that are of no interest to them.

Consolidation would mainly come from practicality of forums not being used often enough,

Is there really a problem if a subforum is not used often enough? If so, can you describe the problem? From my perspective, I enjoy the experience of some small communities of people who discuss gear that's not widely used. Why should that not continue?

topics that are conflicting, and similar reasons. We will do our best to keep the granularity intact, and in fact, may be creating a few extra forums for this purpose (such as adding a "Other Cameras" forum section).

Hmmm. There must be a large number of 'other cameras' out there. That seems like a potential problem to me - again, especially with flat view being the only view.

 

[Mathew Anderson]

I suggest mostly the opposite of what Maoby said. I very much like the present granularity of the forums and personally think consolidation would be a great mistake - especially considering that flat view will be the only view. Granularity will save readers the chore of searching through pages of posts in subforums that are of no interest to them.

Consolidation would mainly come from practicality of forums not being used often enough,

Is there really a problem if a subforum is not used often enough? If so, can you describe the problem? From my perspective, I enjoy the experience of some small communities of people who discuss gear that's not widely used. Why should that not continue?

topics that are conflicting, and similar reasons. We will do our best to keep the granularity intact, and in fact, may be creating a few extra forums for this purpose (such as adding a "Other Cameras" forum section).

Hmmm. There must be a large number of 'other cameras' out there. That seems like a potential problem to me - again, especially with flat view being the only view.

It's a great question. It should continue if it has a valid use and isn't a problem otherwise.

It sort of depends on the topic and use cases. In general, it can add to the clutter of the forums, makes it difficult to direct folks from other areas, can be a challenge to monitor and moderate (though XenForo's mod features here will help), and can cause confusion with new members on which forums are important. There's several other reasons, but I'm just thinking of a few cases off the top of my head.

In general, you want a clean and consolidated forum, but also one with enough 'rooms' to fit all the needs.

I like to think of it like a bar/club. If it's huge with multiple levels and only five folks show up, it's going to feel empty and you may never see the others. On the other hand, if you have a small pub with five folks, it can feel right at home.

 

[Ozzie SD]

I suggest mostly the opposite of what Maoby said. I very much like the present granularity of the forums and personally think consolidation would be a great mistake - especially considering that flat view will be the only view. Granularity will save readers the chore of searching through pages of posts in subforums that are of no interest to them.

Consolidation would mainly come from practicality of forums not being used often enough,

Is there really a problem if a subforum is not used often enough? If so, can you describe the problem? From my perspective, I enjoy the experience of some small communities of people who discuss gear that's not widely used. Why should that not continue?

topics that are conflicting, and similar reasons. We will do our best to keep the granularity intact, and in fact, may be creating a few extra forums for this purpose (such as adding a "Other Cameras" forum section).

Hmmm. There must be a large number of 'other cameras' out there. That seems like a potential problem to me - again, especially with flat view being the only view.

It's a great question. It should continue if it has a valid use and isn't a problem otherwise.

It sort of depends on the topic and use cases. In general, it can add to the clutter of the forums, makes it difficult to direct folks from other areas, can be a challenge to monitor and moderate (though XenForo's mod features here will help), and can cause confusion with new members on which forums are important. There's several other reasons, but I'm just thinking of a few cases off the top of my head.

In general, you want a clean and consolidated forum, but also one with enough 'rooms' to fit all the needs.

I like to think of it like a bar/club. If it's huge with multiple levels and only five folks show up, it's going to feel empty and you may never see the others. On the other hand, if you have a small pub with five folks, it can feel right at home.

Is that the amount of users you expect to keep if threaded view is lost in the new forum? ;-)


Sorry, this one was too easy :-D

 

[Hike Pics]

Kodak PixPro is still alive and obviously doing well. For the past 12+ years now. The "new" Minolta is also doing well it seems, still adding products to their site.

So, there's an original Kodak (EasyShare, DC and DCS) and original Minolta. To separate the two versions of each......I really don't know how it would be done and still be useful.

I remember it took a good bit of begging but the Kodak EasyShare forum name got changed to Kodak Talk specifically because of PixPro.

 

[Maoby]

This is where you are confusing Kodak compact cameras, which can be found in the "Kodak Talk" forum.

And the professional Kodak DSLRs from the Kodak SLR Talk forum, which have nothing to do with it.

And don't mix grace, the low-end Minolta compacts (made in China) with Minolta and Konica-Minolta DSLRs from 1995-2005

Which was bought by Sony, and we know the rest ...

Kodak DCS 100 Pro Digital Camera (1991)

Minolta RD-175 (1995-1996)

--

Self DSLR & ML Cameras

1991-2022 ...

www.flickr.com

https://www.instagram.com/maoby_digital_camera/

 

[TimoKoo]

We've been thinking about forum consolidation as well; however, we're not planning to make any immediate changes to individual sub-forums when we make the switch to XenForo. We will already be introducing change, and we want to make sure everyone can find their favorite forum(s) on Day 1 without issue.

XenForo has a much better forum index than our current system, so we expect most people will find their favorite forum quickly.

I wonder what is better forum index than our current one.

By hovering the word Forums you can quickly see all forums, select your favorite one and go there with one click.



I have not seen as quick way to select a forum in XenForo forums I have visited.

One nice thing about XenForo is that it will make it easier for us to manage forums on the admin side. That includes creating new forums or consolidating existing forums.

At some point after migrating to the new platform, we'll consider possible mergers of subforums, but not until we consult with members of any of the impacted forums for input on the best approach to doing so. We also plan to spin up new forums with some new topics or thematic areas. (Timing TBD)

 

[Hike Pics]

I didn't say combine Kodak DC/EasyShare/PixPro with DCS......I will always think they should be separate, and I think the DCS folks will agree.

I very much don't think either of the two groups should be dumped together with other camera brands.

There is Konica, Minolta, Konica Minolta and the new Minolta. You are suggesting separating those. Should a separate forum called New Minolta be created? That's going to be very confusing to new users. I have seen new folks post in the KM forum about the new Minolta and get nailed that they are referring to a cheap inferior "scamera" and that's a good reason why they don't come back to DPR. That should never happen!

When new people come by the Kodak Talk forum and want to discuss PixPro we all welcome them even though PixPro is not like the original Kodak, like the forum was started out as. Just sayin'.

 

[Mathew Anderson]

We've been thinking about forum consolidation as well; however, we're not planning to make any immediate changes to individual sub-forums when we make the switch to XenForo. We will already be introducing change, and we want to make sure everyone can find their favorite forum(s) on Day 1 without issue.

XenForo has a much better forum index than our current system, so we expect most people will find their favorite forum quickly.

I wonder what is better forum index than our current one.

By hovering the word Forums you can quickly see all forums, select your favorite one and go there with one click.

I have not seen as quick way to select a forum in XenForo forums I have visited.

One nice thing about XenForo is that it will make it easier for us to manage forums on the admin side. That includes creating new forums or consolidating existing forums.

At some point after migrating to the new platform, we'll consider possible mergers of subforums, but not until we consult with members of any of the impacted forums for input on the best approach to doing so. We also plan to spin up new forums with some new topics or thematic areas. (Timing TBD)

We could certainly build a "quicklist" like this, wouldn't be a problem I think.

 

[Mathew Anderson]

I suggest mostly the opposite of what Maoby said. I very much like the present granularity of the forums and personally think consolidation would be a great mistake - especially considering that flat view will be the only view. Granularity will save readers the chore of searching through pages of posts in subforums that are of no interest to them.

Consolidation would mainly come from practicality of forums not being used often enough,

Is there really a problem if a subforum is not used often enough? If so, can you describe the problem? From my perspective, I enjoy the experience of some small communities of people who discuss gear that's not widely used. Why should that not continue?

topics that are conflicting, and similar reasons. We will do our best to keep the granularity intact, and in fact, may be creating a few extra forums for this purpose (such as adding a "Other Cameras" forum section).

Hmmm. There must be a large number of 'other cameras' out there. That seems like a potential problem to me - again, especially with flat view being the only view.

It's a great question. It should continue if it has a valid use and isn't a problem otherwise.

It sort of depends on the topic and use cases. In general, it can add to the clutter of the forums, makes it difficult to direct folks from other areas, can be a challenge to monitor and moderate (though XenForo's mod features here will help), and can cause confusion with new members on which forums are important. There's several other reasons, but I'm just thinking of a few cases off the top of my head.

In general, you want a clean and consolidated forum, but also one with enough 'rooms' to fit all the needs.

I like to think of it like a bar/club. If it's huge with multiple levels and only five folks show up, it's going to feel empty and you may never see the others. On the other hand, if you have a small pub with five folks, it can feel right at home.

Is that the amount of users you expect to keep if threaded view is lost in the new forum? ;-)

Sorry, this one was too easy :-D

I applaud you for the jab, it made me laugh .

 

[Mathew Anderson]

I didn't say combine Kodak DC/EasyShare/PixPro with DCS......I will always think they should be separate, and I think the DCS folks will agree.

I very much don't think either of the two groups should be dumped together with other camera brands.

There is Konica, Minolta, Konica Minolta and the new Minolta. You are suggesting separating those. Should a separate forum called New Minolta be created? That's going to be very confusing to new users. I have seen new folks post in the KM forum about the new Minolta and get nailed that they are referring to a cheap inferior "scamera" and that's a good reason why they don't come back to DPR. That should never happen!

I want to pre-empt a bit here that, we will do our best to consolidate forums to work for all of you as much as possible (post-launch), however, not everyone is going to be happy because there's always someone that wants to argue it otherwise.

I want us to make everyone happy with the consolidations, rearrangements, but in my community management history, this simply is impossible.

So, we will do our best, but if you end up disagreeing, which is totally fine of course, please know we tried.