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There are far too many forums.

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Freedom Foundry

NewBee
Registered Member
Sep 11, 2005
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This place is a great resource and community, but its usefulness is greatly diminished by the number of forums. It's hard to navigate. Most categories of forums could be a single forum. Most Period Brewing forums have zero topics! The Commercial Meadery is unnecessary. Mead technical questions should be a single forum.

I know I haven't been around long and maybe the majority opinion is all these forums are needed. But that's what I think.
 
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lostnbronx

Senior Member
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Dec 8, 2004
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Personally, I like the stratification of topics spread out through the Forums, even if some of them don't generate a lot of talk. At least for my scattered brain, the breakdown here helps me follow particular chains of thought much easier than if I had to wade through a Forum with a million threads. Since the new stuff gets highlighted, it's pretty easy to see what has been posted recently; and the Forum-specific search up there between the Help and Profile buttons can really target the info you're after.

I mean, it's just a matter of preference, but I kinda need the mental help when it comes to expressing myself in public -- I'm way less coherant in the real world (whatever that is).

-David
 
Oskaar

Oskaar

Got Mead Partner
Administrator
Dec 26, 2004
7,874
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The OC
Hey FF,

The forums are in a constant state of swelling/condensing. Several of them were started up not out of necessity but as a way to accomodate either a request, perceived need or based on future direction. The different SCA forums were set up fairly recently, and have not had much in the way of traffic. Still, the idea is to let each of the different kingdoms know that they have a place of their own here, as well as being welcome to post in different areas on the forums.

The difficulty in navigation issue is one that grows to be less of a problem the more familiar one gets with the different threads and subjects. It's not ideal, it's far from the most difficult I've been to. Vicky is making some improvements behind the scenes as well.

Hopefully the difficulty doesn't encourage you to go elsewhere with less posters and resources.

Hope that helps,

Oskaar
 
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toolboxdiver

NewBee
Registered Member
Apr 3, 2005
255
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toolboxdiver.tripod.com
Good Point David, I haven't had much time lately to spend here, I have been working on my web site. But I feel everyones needs are different I know when I log on here with a specific question or post. Otherwise I check the list of most recient posts and see where I can help out or just give my $0.02...lol
 
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intothefray

NewBee
Registered Member
Aug 11, 2005
101
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0
I end up only looking at the recent posts due to the number of forums. I miss a bunch of weekend stuff due to the volume, but otherwise it isn't too bad. I would like to see 5-6 total forum areas personally.
 
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WRATHWILDE

Lifetime Patron
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Mar 19, 2005
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Dubuque, Iowa
www.zazzle.com
Freedom Foundry said:
Most categories of forums could be a single forum. Most Period Brewing forums have zero topics! I know I haven't been around long and maybe the majority opinion is all these forums are needed. But that's what I think.
Click to expand...

The SCA specific forums are a recent addition, they are broken down by SCA kingdoms so that each kingdom has it's own listing for local members to keep in contact and to help new forum members find local guilds and support, while at the same time... being able to keep a tabs on all other guilds throughout the SCA and share tips and advice freely among them. I agree they are under used at the moment... but there is no other central list or forum for SCA brew guilds and contacts... so getting the word out has been hit and miss, Some have embraced our forum, Brian Kettering is one, who if I'm not mistaken also runs the web site for The Right Noble Brewers Guild of Caid. Zuriel is another, she is a member of House Darkyard and Inter Kingdom Brew Guild Secretary. Other guilds and households have resisted... usually because they have established forums already. We know they will continue to grow... but it's generally by word of mouth, so it's slow going at the moment.

Wrathwilde
 
Z

Zem

Got Mead? Patron
GotMead Patron
Sep 14, 2005
1,396
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38
Y'know Freedom Foundry, when I first logged in here I agreed with you, but personally I have gotten used to the specialized forums and it's actually made it easy for me to find exactly what I want faster.

Orrigionally I thought it was weird to sperate the postings of the start of a mead and the progress of a mead (what if I want to check in on the progress of a mead someone started...) but even thats not too much of an issue.

Other forums are the opposite and are ultra genralized, like brewboard.com places wine mead an cider and all that they entail as one forum.
 
pain

pain

GotMead Owner
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
Apr 5, 1996
1,699
18
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North Carolina
gotmead.com
Hi Freedom Foundry! Welcome to GM. I hear you on the multiple forums, and likely as I am re-vamping the whole site over the next month or so, some of them will be condensed.

The SCA stuff is, as you heard from the others, broken down to allow the various kingdoms their own 'space' here. There are *many* meadmakers in the SCA, and once we've gotten the word out, we hope they'll increase our knowledge by posting their stuff here.

As to the other areas, I broke them out originally to give each area of meadmaking a specific area. So, those interested in exploring fruit meads don't have to winnow through discussions on equipment if they don't wish to.

Now, the general forums *are* to broken up, and will likely be both condensed, and re-tasked somewhat.

I appreciate your input, and take every suggestion to improve GM to heart. Much of the site, and most of the forum have been formed because the folks here feel comfortable to tell me what they want, and so should you. Not everything that gets suggested gets done, but I consider *all* of them. Among other things will be a more intuitive interface for the forum. We're currently using a 'Yabb transition' layout from our last forum, which got hacked. Once I've time to sit down and code it, we'll have a true forum interface that utilitzes a number of other features this forum software has, like 'show me all the new posts since last I logged in'.

Again, welcome to GM! I hope you'll enjoy being here. And don't forget, you, and all y'all, that we have a search button, right next to the help button if you want to find something specific.
 
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