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post #21 of 30 Old 02-23-2010
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CalebD View Post
... I will half heartedly agree that way some some of the forums are 'organized' in a fairly haphazard manner.
That said, SN is not the only forum to be guilty on this count.


So does that make it alright, since others are jacked up/doing it wrong also?


That reminds me of an old question that's still asked- "So if everyone else jumped off a bridge, you'd jump too?"
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post #22 of 30 Old 02-23-2010
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sarafinadh View Post
...Honest, there isn't a right way to do it. As I tell my clients; "if we can build your website on time and in budget with all functions, well, functioning, and someone who visits twice can even begin to find their way around we will have done a good job."

It takes a bit of time to learn a robust site....
I think people want a "smarter way" to do it. It sounds like you're setting up your clients expectations by giving them a disclaimer up front.
If by "robust" you mean "rough and crude", then I might lean in agreement.

That being said, the content is invaluable.
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post #23 of 30 Old 02-23-2010
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Quote:
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Q: is CalebD = punctuation police?

maybe we need a forum for that too...

That could fall under the "How To" folder.
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post #24 of 30 Old 02-25-2010
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so far i ti sok...or do i have to whine to be accepted????
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post #25 of 30 Old 02-25-2010
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My wife still finds this place confusing. I showed her the quick links--->Today's posts and she's happy now!

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You can't steer a boat that isn't moving? Just like a life - P. Lutus
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post #26 of 30 Old 02-26-2010
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Have to agree

Why so many forum topics? Instead of creating a lively give and take, they kill discussions by cutting posters off from one another. If someone posts in the cruising forum, I'm likely to see it and may respond. If they post it in cruising and livaboard, I won't be likely to see it, or respond. Someone asking about bar-crossing techniques in Washington State won't get an answer from the Pamlico Sound sailor: they've been cut off from one another by the different forums. Reducing discussion this way decreases the usefulness of the site. The poster doesn't get answered, even if he could be helped by site denizens, and he goes elsewhere. Not only do too many forums cut us off from one another, but it also makes the site look DEAD. Forums with five posts??? Don't bother even looking. The last post was two months ago? Old news. This is not the bubbling pot of discussion a good bulletin board creates.

Sharing is what bulletin boards are all about. Dividing "boat building and repairs" into wooden/fiberglass/steel/aluminum/ferrocement is a bad idea. The logical extension of that would be to further split out into plank on frame, plywood, cold-molded, strip-plank,round-chine, hard-chine, and possibly others. This makes no sense when many techniques and ideas could and should be SHARED between the different media. Spiling aluminum plate, steel plate, planks and plywood come to mind as an example. But the plank-on-frame wooden boat builder won't know that the newbie aluminum builder is trying to find out about cutting curves in his plate, because it's an entirely different forum. If there is ONE forum for building/repairs, a lively exchange of Q&A's can take place. We can learn from one another, and perhaps introduce new ideas to our repertoires. Moderators also don't have to waste time reclassifying posts to the "correct" forum, and putting notes everywhere advising everyone where the post went. If a surfer wants more detailed information on a specific thing, they can perform a search for "copper roves" or "acetylene welding" as they wish, without feeling they're being excluded from the general topic and the invigorating exchange that a broader subject area fosters.

The original poster pointed out how difficult the forums here are to navigate. I teach website design to Fourth and Fifth graders. One of the first points we make is how difficult it is to find things when you have to scroll down - or up- or down again - trying to find the particular line you want in a long list. Dividing the forums into lots of subforums has created here -- you guessed it -- a long list that you have to scroll down - or up- or down again - looking for the thing you want. On top of that, the constant adding of new subdivided forums means you're never sure you've found everything you might be interested in. When there are fewer choices, and they all fit ON ONE SCREEN, it is easier to see what might be of interest and go to it. Topics you haven't seen before are already highlighted, so it's not repetitive or difficult to see what's new and put in your $.02, or, as in this post, your $2.50. K.I.S.S. works on my boat; why not try it here?
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post #27 of 30 Old 02-26-2010
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I'll let you all in on a little secret. When sailnet first started, it HAD fewer forums, it WAS easier to navigate, it WAS simpler, and then two things happened.
1. The site grew.
2. Somebody had the really really dumb idea of asking users for suggestions and input.

The users were more than happy to point out all of the categories that the site desperately needed, perversely enough, to make it easier to use, and thus make the sailnet experience more fulfilling. Of course, if you don't keep users happy they will go somewhere else.
So, instead of just a "gear and maintenance" forum, you have an engine forum, and because the suggestion box was still open, the engine forum begat the atomic 4 forum, which begat the diesel forum. You got liveaboard forums and hersailnet forums AND destination forums AND regional forums AND seamanship forums AND yet with all this specialization there is apparently a need for a "General" forum. And then you have posts which aren't questions but essays and articles that were never intended to be threads, so now you need to separate the articles from the forums, and then you have boat reviews which seem to be as useless as teats on a tetra at the moment since everybody asks their "what about...." questions in the "boat review" forum.

And off-topic has a sign on the door telling you you are going to be offended and yet some people still walked in and got offended which begat the "politics, religion and hissy fit" forum...

So, in the end, it is all our fault. We got exactly what we asked for.
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post #28 of 30 Old 02-26-2010
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Why do you guys search the forum for daily happenings???

That's what the " New Post" button is for!

The only time I ever even look at the main menu is when I want to post a new thread myself....or on the rare occasion I might do a search for something.

By hitting the "New Post" in the top header of this page ALL new posts will be listed no matter what Forum they were aimed at.

Pretty hard to get and simpler then that.

You claim it cuts off members from one another

Soooo...Now if your comeback to me is " Well Im not interested in any other stuff you guys talk about other then what I need " well then I have little sympathy for you...and I hope you have to search for hours to find what your looking for...

Just kidding.....Sort of...

"Go Simple...Go Large"

Relationships are everything to me..everything else in life are just tools to enhance them.


The purchase price of a boat is just the admittance fee to the dance...you still have to spend money on the girl...so court one with something going for her with pleasing and desirable character traits others desire as well... or you could find yourself in a disillusioned relationship contemplating an expensive divorce.
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post #29 of 30 Old 02-26-2010
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Forum Navigation 101

OH! one other thing.

I use the "UserCP" button ALOT...It keeps track of all threads you have posted to...if any new unread post have come to that thread it will be highlighted in bold letters...If you want to reread something you posted yourself a quick way to find it is press the " Show all subscriptions" at the bottom of the listings and you will see every thread you ever responded to...there again the bold ones high light threads that have be added to since you last posted to them.

When I log in...I usually hit the "New Posts" button first every day and look for something that interests me...then I systematical keep hitting the "User CP" button until I have exhausted every thread I have posted to before and feel like revisiting that is high lighted which is telling me their is new posts to it.

This is so fast and easy I guess that's why I'm a big nuisance around here..

Hey maybe this should be my first "Sticky"....this is good stuff Maynard!

"Go Simple...Go Large"

Relationships are everything to me..everything else in life are just tools to enhance them.


The purchase price of a boat is just the admittance fee to the dance...you still have to spend money on the girl...so court one with something going for her with pleasing and desirable character traits others desire as well... or you could find yourself in a disillusioned relationship contemplating an expensive divorce.
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post #30 of 30 Old 03-01-2010
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I have been here on Sailnet for a number of years, this is the first time I have been at this spot. I guess I need to explore some more.

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