Live Stoner Chat Suggestion For Mods

[n00b]

I just so happen to be a web and database programmer

 

[AndyBotwin]

I don't have a horse in this race, except to say that it hasn't really been an issue adjusting to the terrain, rather than attempting to adjust the terrain....my 2 cents.

This times 1000. There is a lot to be said for joining a community and being a part of it and adapting to the culture rather than showing up and asking for changes because the community is not serving you in the exact way you would like. Nothing personal against you, N00b - just speaking generally here. If we waved the magic wand and made all these changes today, I can guarantee there would be loads of pissed off people who'd say it wasn't broken so why'd you try to fix it? Of course there is always room for improvement and the staff is well aware of changes that could and should be made to the site. But perhaps with more than a few days or weeks of living here and getting to know AFN better, things that seemed difficult as a new member become non-issues. :dunno:

 

[Trapper]

I just so happen to be a web and database programmer

Never would have guessed ;P


"AFN smoke out"

 

[dude]

I just so happen to be a web and database programmer

Any chance you know why the double posts and 'Leave this page' show up all the time then?

Fix the probs we have first lol

 

[az2000]

Just leads to more sub forums imo

So then you need
LED in soil
Led Hydro
LED Coco
LED Areo
HPS Soil
HPS Coco

I wouldn't let perfection be the enemy of good. Muddy makes a good point that it would take a lot of work to identify all the grow journals strewn through all the forums. IMO, that points to how the organization isn't optimal. If journals were contained in a top-level container it would be much easier to identify them and further refine their organization if/when better organization was identified. We always have to start somewhere. Starting dosn't mean all grow journals must be moved. Volunteers could identify existing journals over time for moving. (Or, even vested with editing authority to tag existing grow journals for admins to easily locate and process at a later date.).

Also, forums have add-ons for categories and tagging. This means just one grow-journal forum. Categories are contained in a drop-down list which the thread creator chooses from when starting a journal. Those categories could mirror the current organization of forums where journals exist. (Indoor, New grower, LED, etc.). Visitors of the grow-journal forum would see the same drop-down category list where they could "filter" the journal forum down to only "Indoor."

I don't know if vBulletin's add-on allows for multiple-choice categories. Forums also have tagging tagging like blogs use.

Which leads to another point I wanted to make. IMO, grow journals are more suitable for a blog than a forum. Collaboration activities tend to fall into the following categories:

1. Bazaar style (peer-to-peer) conversation. Forums are perfect for that.
2. Bazaar style encyclopedic collection of information. Wikis are perfect for that, where forums are not.
3. Cathedral style (top-down, subject-matter expert) communication of information to an audience. Blogs are perfect for this, where forums and wikis aren't.

If a wiki were added to this site, we'd have the best of both worlds. As a community we could collaboratively distill the valuable information contained in conversations into an encyclopedia.

Likewise, if a blog were added, individual members could start blogs on any topic. Grow journals fall into the "subject-matter expert" realm than peer-to-peer conversation. Nobody is more the expert on their grow than the grower. Visitors tend to be an "audience" than peer-collaborators.

Blogs and wiki topics could link to (and be linked from) forum conversations. Wiki topics could refer to blogs, and blogs to wiki topics. Blogs could also appear in a member's profile page. The same tagging we've talked about so that relevant blogs could be found from the blog's main page.

Just different tools for different goals. I know those responsible for such changes have more important things to spend their limited time on. But, IMO, what I've described is the direction. Otherwise we're just going to have more stickies, more valuable information strewn across multiple pages of conversation, and more reasons that it can't change because "who's gonna go through all those pages to find the things that could be organized better?"

That defense of the status quo should be a tip off that the status quo isn't optimal. It's just going to get worse with time. (I'm not saying the forum is useless. Just that it's usefulness is leading to these growth pain.).

 

[Trapper]

I think stability is a greater concern than optimization. Horse before the cart. And the suggestions (while I'm sure, are being identified in an objective and dispassionate way) are beginning to seem a little dismissive and ungrateful of the people who donate their time maintaining the site...my 2 cents. For me, at least, I feel no imperative for improvement or optimization. Forest vs. Trees.....

And I like the social aspect of the way grow journals unfold....it's not all about the data for me...that seems sterile. I like the support and camaraderie, even if it does mean slogging through some extra chatter.

I understand that for some people, the most effective and optimized approach equates to what's "right"....but I don't go to a friend's house for dinner and tell them how to rearrange their cupboards. There is an unfortunate tinge of entitlement to it.

I, by no means, am looking to get into an argument or a back and forth dialogue, just chiming in from the cheap seats.....

 

[AndyBotwin]

I think stability is a greater concern than optimization.

I think that's the reality of where we are today. There are stability and usability issues that must be addressed first before any significant changes are made to the site. I hope those issues are resolved soon, but all we can do is be patient. Once there are no more posting errors, everyone can see all the pics, rep points are working again, etc., then enhancements can be considered. I can't imagine major changes like rearranging the forum structure or adding wikis & blogs anytime in the near future to be honest, but that's just my personal opinion. It's still interesting to kick around the ideas, though. Hopefully once the site is stable again we can try to actually implement some of this stuff.

 

[fweedom]

Totally agree with Andy i think the first things to fix and focus on should be rep points and the picture issue before anything. (i know its a work in progress not complaining just sayin )

- - - Updated - - -

 

[dude]

I really dont see the merits of it, sorry.

For example where would i put my GreenPoison from SweetSeeds photo, hps in soil grow?

- - - Updated - - -

I really dont see the merits of it, sorry.

For example where would i put my GreenPoison from SweetSeeds photo, hps in soil grow?

 

[Epic Genetics]

Hey mods why don't we have a Grow Journal section???

under reviews there is "auto flower strain reviews and smoke reports"

under the main "everything else" forum there is photo sensitive strain reviews and smoke reports

whats wrong with using them ? do we really need differently named sections for the same things ?

:dunno:

"uuuuggghhhh.."

p.s. thats also an answer for you dude