I'm sure this in the wrong topic and sure it will be moved. Which is part of my point. :bang:

Is it just I or is the extra topics on this forum confusing. I remember when I first started on this forum about a year and half ago it was much more simplistic.

I'm having a real hard time trying to find information because of the many many different topics. I used to just click on 2005 Mustang Topic and scan every post pertaining to the 05 Mustang. Does anyone have an issue with our new set up?

I'm not slamming anyone on this forum everyone who maintains the site is doing a great job and this is still the best source of Mustang information. I just feel I'm missing allot of info cause of all the different categories.

If I'm the only one with this issue I'll shut up and live with it. Just wondering if anyone is having the same issue?

 

Michael, The changes were put in place due to the huge volume of posts. When we joined, there were about 1000 members, now it is close to 10000. Because of this, it was getting difficult to find specific info (i.e. clutch problems for example) due to hundreds of new threads popping up every day. The reorganisation helps by grouping specsific info types into specific forums.

As an aside. If you just want to see the new posts etc, when you come on, click the "View New Posts" link in the top right, then choose which topics you want to read. I hope this helps.

Oh, and I am moving this to site help !!

 

We'll be reorganizing the 2005 section soon. I apologize for the confusion; it's just a really popular section.

 

Cool that helps. Thanks

 

Thanks Brad. I hope this gets resolved soon. I haven't been coming to this site much anymore because it's just hasn't been as enjoyable.

 

The mods have been busy moving posts, that's for sure!

 

My 2 cents.

The 2005 forum alone has over 18,300 topics. If they are not moved into a proper section it is very hard to track them. Perhaps some people are just use to looking for everything in the main section but I have noticed that all of the new members seem to automatically know where to find and post topics.

John, do you have any suggestions as to what would make the site more enjoyable? I know I have been getting a lot of "praise" for cleaning up the forums but there are a few, yourself included, that do not like having topics moved. If you have some suggestions please let us know. Sorry, dumping all of the topics into one location is not a good idea, incase that is what you were thinking.

 

John (Adrenalin) I am so glad its you thats getting the flack now!!! LOL

I totally disagee that its harder to find things nowadays. I joined almost a year ago, and there were about half the members. Even then, it was hard to find something because you had to sift through pages and pages of posts, even if you did a search.

Now that things have thier place, I just go directly to the forum, and find what I need. I have trouble finding things that are in the wrong spot now.

Just like everything, when it changes, it will take some getting used to. I used to hate this style of forum all together, and had to get used to it. I am used to DelphiForums. HUGE difference.

 

See and that is why I move so much. If I want to know about an aftermarket hood, best place to look is in the exterior mods section.

Easier than going through the 486 pages that currently sit in the general forum.

 

if it helps, this moving doesnt bug me at all

actually, it helps me find everything. im unorganized enough as it is!!! lol

 

As a member myself, yes it was easier last year. But the site grow so big it was hard to track. I just for some reason just look for member I know. They. For the most they are all 05 owners. So if you could tell me how to do that it would be great.

 

As a new member, I find the site very intuitive.
Forum titles seem clear and understandable. I usually find what I'm looking for in short order.
And when desperate, there's always the search function.

Kudos to the Mods... :worship:

 

Thanks Leonard. That is what we are trying to do. Make it easy for you guys to know where things are. Still alot of work ahead of us.

 

I've been a member for a relatively short time (June 05) and I have'nt had any major issues finding what I'm looking for, unless my eyes decide to play tricks on me. Keep up the good work!

 

I think it great having everything organized. Adrenalin is doing a good job putting things where they belong.

The only suggestion I can think of is keep everything the same but maybe add a "recent posts" screen that lists the most recently active threads. I've seen this on other forums and it's works ok.

"Thread name------------subforum it's from--------author---------last reply"

You would still have to go to the specific subforum to start a new thread, but you would have a whole screen of the last active threads.

Just a suggestion. Personally I'm fine with how things are now.

 

Above the active members list on the front page of the forums, there is a link "Today's active topics". I think that should help you Firedragon.

J

 

Yes, and it was mentioned in this thread before:
http://forums.bradbarnett.net/index.php?showtopic=32643
No need to rehash old stuff, otherwise we might as well lock the threads.

Of course I'm not suggesting dumping all in one location. Moderation (not taking things to extremes) is your friend. Part of the problem may be that there's too many subforums. It's fine to have one for Intro's, etc... but if someone wants to say hello to the other members and show off a few pics of their 05 Mustang, then I feel they should be left alone instead of having their topic moved. Here's the bottom line - if this is the way Brad wants it, fine - it's his site. I'm just disappointed because this used to be a site where it was fun to hang out and talk about Mustangs with other enthusiasts, and now it's taking on the tone of a library. If everything's got it's place, and the forum is to be used mainly for people's research of the Mustang, then fine, do what you guys want. I used to be on here all the time, and it was great to read about the wide variety of Mustang info, becasue you could learn a lot while having a good time. Now I just don't come 'round as much, probably better for me anyways.

Edit: Oh, and for the new people coming aboard, it's still one of the best Mustang site's on the net, but it was just better before. Enjoy.

 

Well again, sorry you feel that way John. However, so far all of the examples of posts you think should stay where they are, well, there is a proper location for those and it is not the general area. I'm sorry but I don't understand what the issue is. You say " I used to be on here all the time, and it was great to read about the wide variety of Mustang info, becasue you could learn a lot while having a good time." You have been prevented from doing that how? All of the information is still on the site. If you do not go into the subforums do you know how much you are missing out on? A lot of people, and I do mean a lot, post in the proper subforums without the mods having to move the topics around. There are only a handful of people that constantly post in the general area. As I have said before, with the amount of posts that are generated regarding the new mustang are just too many to keep them in the main forum. Sorry if you feel it is a library but there has to be some order or it would be absolute chaos.

 

I like the focus on organization as well... it really helps find info on what I'm looking for.

I think there are 2 main reasons why people post into the general forum:

1. Traffic - I think there's a perception that more people will view (and potentially respond to) your thread if you post it into the general forum, therefore people post their threads in the general forum. Unfortunately, I think it's self-fulfilling. Since people typically see the posts in the general section first, they're more likely to see them first. If people weren't posting so many threads right into the "general" section, this wouldn't be an issue at all... habit I guess. (I have to admit... I've posted a few topics to the general forum in the past for this reason)

2. Laziness - unless the thread falls under one of the more obvious categories (intro photo, any type of modification or tech component), I don't think people are willing to search for the proper place to drop their new thread... especially when they know the mods will just move it for them anyway.


I think there are a couple of ways that the tendency to "throw everything into the general forums" issue could be resolved (other than moving all of the threads, which is definitely helping, but I'm sure is a ton of "busy work" for the mods). I have no idea how possible these suggestions are, and it's certainly possible that some may even already be possible and I just don't know it... so please, feel free to ignore me:

1. Eliminate the ability to post in the "general" section (referring specifically to the 2005+ section).

I have no idea if this is possible or not, but it would definitely eliminate the issue. For topics that do not apply to any current subforums, you could create some sort of "miscellaneous" subforum that these topics could then be posted to. The mods could monitor the "miscellaneous" subforum and look for any consistent trends, and if a trend develops, a new subforum could be created for it (a good example is the new subform for gas prices)

2. Have a way to view new posts, as well as new topics, narrowed down by subforum.

I've used the "view new posts" option before, but it shows all new posts for every topic on the board. I think this feature would be a lot more helpful if you could narrow it by the subforum you're currently in. For example, if I'm currently within the "2005+ Mustangs" subfolder, and I click "view new posts," I think it would be great if it then only gave me a listing of all new posts for any topics within the "2005+ Mustangs" subfolder (as well as all subfolders of "2005+ Mustangs"... modifications, GT/V6 Tech/Performance, etc.).

Along those same lines, if there was a way to view all new TOPICS within a specific folder or subfolder (same example: if I want to see all new topics posted anywhere within "2005+ Mustangs" or any of its subfolders).

Having the ability to quickly see all of the new topics and/or new posts within a specific section would give people a "quick look" at the most recent activitiy, and make it more convenient for people to quickly respond to all of them.

Using myself as an example again, the one thing that I do find more convenient about having all of the posts in the general area is that even at work, I can load up the "2005+ Mustangs" general page (which I have bookmarked), quickly scan the most recent topics, and reply to 5, 10, 15 of them extremely quickly. Having a way to to this with some sort of "view new topics" or "view new posts" button, narrowed by "2005+ Mustangs," would accomplish the same goal for me.



With all of this said though, I completely agree and support the fact that posts should be in the proper forum and/or subforum. The mods are doing a great job of cleaning up the general section. I have to say - it's making the "search" results much better.


edit:

I do think there are a couple of additional subforums that would help a lot within the "2005+ section:"

1. A subforum to post topics related to a currently-ordered Mustang (ERL, rants about long waits, rail yard timing, etc. etc. etc.)

2. A subforum to post topics related to dealerships and 2005+ Mustangs (x-plan pricing, price gouging, good/bad dealer experiences, explaining x plan vs. a plan, etc.)

3. A subforum relating to "new model year" issues in some way (for example, a ton of the threads in the general section over the past couple of months have dealt with the new 2006 colors - Tungsten and Vista Blue - as well as the Pony Package, 18-inch fanblades, 18-inch bullits, etc.). If there was a subforum specifically for info/pictures/questions about these "new" 2006 features/colors, it would clean up the general section significantly

 

ryan ,you hit the nail on the head in every way. When I first joined TMS I read practically everything on the 05 section.After youv'e been a member awhile you realize that all the new stuff is pretty much on the first page and some new on the second page.I wasn't bothered if there was stuff posted that has already been talked about cuz I would just skip those threads anyway.Thats JMO though