When I first became a “regular” user of the forum in May 2004, the same four forum categories were present - just as they are now in 2007. If you had a question, you posted it on one of three*venues that were available:
General Discussion
Layout and layout building
Prototype information for the modeler
(*Where’s the 70th Anniversary Boxcar? forum is a separate entity in and of itself and, to me, not part of the equation.)
Lately (or since the the upgrade of the forum software in July), there seems to be an exponential increase of what I’ll call “special interest” threads on the forum - i.e. a thread for N-scalers, a thread for “diner” eaters, a thread for “beer” drinkers, a thread for “whistlers”, a thread for such-in-such RR, and so on. A couple of the aforementioned threads have been here for a while; others are a more recent development.
Now I’m NOT saying that all these threads are bad or don’t serve a purpose. What I’m wandering is: Do these threads help the forum, or do they actually split the forum up further into isolated “cliques”? Are certain topics discussed in some of these “sub-forums” being lost to newbies (as well as regulars) who might actually benefit from them?
I’d be interested in hearing what you all have to say on the topic.
Well, I started the N scale thread because what was happening was that there were several threads that started on a very specific N scale issue that eventually went off-topic into general N scale modeling. Call me biased, but I think it adds rather than detracts from the forum. We discussed whether or not we should ask create a fifth forum, but decided in the end that would isolate us too much from the general community. I think an N scale thread in the General Discussion strikes a nice compromise.
Now, I don’t do the Beer Barn, Coffee Shop, Whistle Stop, Depot, Roundhouse, Elliot’s Diner, etc. I tend to think (WARNING: MY OPINION) that the social threads could instead be their own forum.
As a non-N-scaler (I model in ‘twice-N’ scale) and a Beer Barn regular, I will note that, while there’s quite a bit of technical information exchanged, it’s more the kind of thing that would be sent to an individual by e-mail than would be brought out in the open Forum.
The quick answer, for anyone who feels that some gem of knowledge might be missed, is to skim the ‘social’ threads each time you check into the Forums. Of course, for anyone who isn’t a speed reader, that could be a lot of skimming. Unfortunately, the content of those threads is rather like gold ore - ounces of gold in tons of ore.
OTOH, there are some people, myself included, who prefer to see the human rather than the cardboard cutout labeled, “Model Railroader.” After all, we aren’t interchangeable parts.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - arthritis willing)
I agree with Dave, keep the model ones together. I suggested the social threads be a separate section when The Whistle Stop was started but nothing happened:
Sat, Nov 11 2006, 4:06 PM
Pathfinder
Joined on Fri, Jul 07 2006 Merritt, BC CANADA Posts 446
I see your point, but on the other hand, you could look in those threads and find out if it’s something you’re interested in.
I’ll just use the N scalers thread as an example here.
The N scalers aren’t going to exclude you from joining in the conversation just because you don’t model that scale. The idea is that N scale related issues will be the primary focus of that thread. HO scaler’s probably aren’t too interested on how the latest N scale release runs. N scalers are very interested, and so for them, that is a place they can go and talk about it. If you model HO, but you are interested in something like that then you’ll now know where to find it.
I don’t think it hurts anything. I think it’s more of a case of a different way of doing it, thats all. It’s like a new flavor of ice cream. Its different from the ones before it, but its still good!
Tom, I don’t mind them at all. In fact, it helps me to wade through the chaff, as I determine it, to get to the other threads that are titled in an appealing way for me. I won’t enter a thread about Beer and Barns, N-Scale, and others that are thoughtfully titled to represent a limited appeal for your general modeler…that I am.
I hope my use of the word chaff is not taken as a deprecation, just that it is akin to “noise” in the signalling world. In other words, these threads actually improve the signal to noise ratio for me.
I agree with Selector. I find that I tend to ignore the general “chat” threads. Once I know which ones they are they are easy to skip over. Perhaps there is some good stuff I miss, but so-be-it. I don’t think I have ever even opened the N scale thread or any of the road specific threads that don’t interest me. I think it is fine if folks want to start these types of threads.
I skip the “chat” subforums. None so far have been of interest to me. They are generally off-topic or I have little idea what the content of a particular message will be. If there is something that would be of interest, that’s too bad for me (and maybe others on the chance I had something to contribute), but I’m not willing to scan such huge, chatty lists.
I like chat threads. Where else can I post something and not have somebody pop up and tag it as ‘Off-topic’. There are many threads on this forum that I don’t go to. Do I think they’re unneccary? No. They have to be useful to somebody, otherwise they wouldn’t keep rising to the top of the page. Just because YOU think that a thread isn’t useful doesn’t mean that it isn’t. It’s just not useful to YOU. What I really find annoying is I can start a thread about something I’m going to do, how I’m going to do it and why and what tools I will use, then somebody, who knows absolutely nothing of my circumstances, space and resources pops in and says 'NO! YOU CAN’T DO IT THAT WAY BECAUSE IT WON’T WORK, when I already know it will work because I’ve done it on other layouts already. It’s the same with the chat threads. Just because they don’t appeal to you doesn’t mean that they’re useless or worthless. Obviously somebody likes them because they keep coming back to the top of the page.
Tom, I don’t mind them either. I’m really not interested in the, as someone put it… ‘social’ threads… but have absolutely no problem with anyone that is. Is it possible you can have too many?
Anyway, I wonder why the site doesn’t have a separate N scale section, there are quite a few N scalers, around. I almost was… once.
I frequent a photography forum quite often and it is broken down into so many categories it isn’t funny. There’s several for certain model cameras, a tech section, general, a sales category not to mention the photos themselves are in distinct areas, i.e. people, birds, studio, macro etc etc. It gets to be a little much sometimes.
I think that is a reasonable thing to ask, Boiler-man, and I hope the readership here would agree to it. It would improve the signal-to-noise that much more.
There is the do-it-yourselfer which is the next best thing. The idea is to organize what you can control.
I have a favorites sub-folder under the primary Model Railroader Forum folder called “Forum Clinic Threads” where I include a lot of Joe Fugate’s clinics, and others like “The 'N Crowd” that consistantly stick to the subject.
There are of course, about another dozen sub-folders like Lighting, DCC, Track, Helix & Grades, etc.
tstage,
I don’t contribute to or even read any social “chat” thread whatsoever if I can help it. And as far as N-scale threads, or individual RR threads, or what have you…forget it. I have no interest in N scale or CNW or UP or fill-in-the-blank-RR-name. If I want to talk New Haven (my only railroad I really model/collect), then I go to the New Haven Forum at www.nhrhta.org.
These threads can be as “cliquey” as they want, it’s no bother to me. I’ll ignore 'em, just like I always have here.
Why? Because honestly it’s hard to follow along unless you read the threads from the beginning, and I have better things to do than to wade through 500 pages of stuff. Also, it’d be too much like certain other boards I’m aware of that are more concerned with their kids grades at school, their last hairdresser apointment, or which TV star is the hottest than with the topic at hand.
The one time I ever got involved enough to read such stuff was on a small-tractor web forum, where I wandered over to read a “social” type thread/forum, and there I found a quote that so infuriated me that I just could not stand to be there and deal with people like that. What was it that so ticked me off? It wasn’t foul language, it wasn’t hate, it wasn’t even hard feelings. Nope, some well respected guy on the forum, someone I had liked, said something to the effect of, “Yeah, we Midwesterners are the REAL Americans, not like those on the East and West coasts!” Therefore implying that I, and everyone else who didn’t live on some prairie somewhere were not “REAL” Americans. And yes, he was serious. And all the other “Me, too!” types who chimed in after that were serious, too. Now, they can call me names, they can insult my choice in politicians or even
I don’t mind the social or scale specific threads but when there are helpfull modeling techniques hidden that many others could benefit from I think someone should say something and send them off to create a new topic.
I don’t go into the social threads anymore as for the most part I get ignored. This is especially irritating as you wouldn’t ignore me if I were touring your layout, would you?
