Following on from a brief discussion on another thread earlier, I thought it might be an idea to bring this question up because lots of good topics are just getting missed simply because they are in the wrong place, and some forums have got messed up withtopics that don't belong there.
We all know how difficult this Community is to navigate to the right forum, but with a bit of effort and patience, it is possible (eventually!!). Posting in the wrong forums causes problems for others who enjoy browsing through a particular favourite forum for threads on topics that interest them because they are likely to miss such a lot of good threads. The Mods do move as many threads as they can, but they aren’t on line all the time and can’t move them all.
At the moment, it seems to me that many contributors are putting everything either in the Tea Rooms or in Photography. This is just confusing and making things messy. The Tea Rooms are for general chit chat or discussions on gear etc. that has nothing (or very little) to do with wildlife. The photography forum is for questions, discussions, help and advice on photographic matters rather than for photos of wildlife.
As a general rule, if your post concerns wildlife, either in your garden or elsewhere, it should be posted in one of the forums under the WILDLIFE tab. If your post concerns technical or website issues, it belongs in a forum under the ABOUT tab. If the post is just general or about gear, and nothing much to do with wildlife, then it belongs in a forum under the CHAT tab.
Cheers, Linda.
See my photos on Flickr
Susan H said: I wasn't on-line last night. I arrived this morning with a cuppa ready to spend a pleasant hour on the forum only to find all this! I wouldn't care, but I didn't use either of the words Osprey or Newbie. I was merely trying to help the whole Community by stressing the importance of using the appropriate forum for a particular topic, and not making an already complicated forum even more confusing. No-one blames new members for posting in the wrong places. The layout is illogical and disorganised. However, we seem to be stuck with it, and until the Mods come out and take proper charge it is down to us all to make the best of it and help each other. In my opinion what it needs is a revised Home Page with a complete list of all forums and a brief description of what topics to put in it.
I wasn't on-line last night. I arrived this morning with a cuppa ready to spend a pleasant hour on the forum only to find all this! I wouldn't care, but I didn't use either of the words Osprey or Newbie.
I was merely trying to help the whole Community by stressing the importance of using the appropriate forum for a particular topic, and not making an already complicated forum even more confusing.
No-one blames new members for posting in the wrong places. The layout is illogical and disorganised. However, we seem to be stuck with it, and until the Mods come out and take proper charge it is down to us all to make the best of it and help each other.
In my opinion what it needs is a revised Home Page with a complete list of all forums and a brief description of what topics to put in it.
Oh dear poor Sparrow shot down for doing a perfectly valid thread. I am certain the thread was not directed at members new or otherwise, just an attempt to help to make the forums more user friendly and logical.With regard to the term newbie, I do believe it was a new member that first penned that word as in "Hello I am a newbie on here" and it caught on.All this anger just highlights the need to read a thread properly before reacting in a negative way.
Of all creatures, man is the most detestable, he is the only creature that inflicts pain for sport, knowing it to be pain. ~ Mark Twain
Hi Forum Members,
I don't see any "anger" on the thread, and I have read all the posts. Maybe just someone expressing an opinion opposed to yours? For goodness sake stop being so "prissie"
"The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom" - Wlliam Blake
I'm not entirely sure who your post is directed at, Claire, but if you don't see any anger then you must have missed the "Sorry I am so angry" comment.
I am sorry too. Sorry this thread went totally off topic. It was all so unnecessary. Judi is quite right, all I was trying to do was help make the forums a bit more user friendly.
As far as I can read and understand, every respondent on this thread (including myself), bar one, agrees with Sparrow that the Forum needs an overhaul. Not sure what the fuss is about.
Sparrow - keep doing what you are doing. As a relative 'newbie' to the forum, I have always found your posts welcoming, helpful and supportive. As for me, I'm off to the 'naughty corner'.....after all, you started this thread following on from our discussion in which I raised the problems of not knowing where to post (not that it has ever put me off) and the somewhat contentious issue of Osprey overload (having first pointed out, as everyone else who commented did - that we love Ospreys) -so, double time in the sin bin for me I think.
Just a personal opinion, but I think the 'oldies' on the forum (long established rather than age-wise, although the two may coincide) do a brilliant job. They are the ones that keep the forum going on a daily basis and make it lively and informative.
My Flickr Photos
Ditto to GeoDave , I'm another relative newbie ( who doesn't find the term offensive ).
Having all recent posts on one page instead of organised into specific forums is just daft. It's difficult to keep pace with new posts some days , and I end up not replying to all that I would like to.
My gallery here
Checkout the forums' Community HOMEPAGE for lots of interesting posts from other members.
Galatas said:Having all recent posts on one page instead of organised into specific forums is just daft. It's difficult to keep pace with new posts some days , and I end up not replying to all that I would like to.
Yes Galatas, and I think that was the point the OP was trying to make.
However I am not optimistic about the technical capability of the Forum to change the layout.
B&B does tend to wear her heart on her sleve I think see was angry that she couldnt find an osprey thread after all that had gone on when it was mentioned about the amount of osprey threads on the home page. She also did say sorry to Sparrow for some of the things she said.
Im not sticking up for Bright & Breezy she can fight her own battles as you can all see :-)
A very old Shropshire Lad.
I'm not at all optimistic about any changes to the format. It would, however, help a great deal if the Moderators would take charge more often instead of leaving it all to members to sort out.
Some official direction on how to use the forums would be a start. One only has to look at today's threads posted in inappropriate places to see there is a major problem looming. If no-one puts these people right, if no-one helps them, they will continue as they are. It's not our job to do this. It's a Moderator's job.
I may aswell get my coat now. I feel an email may be on its way to me!
Hi all I never meant to offend anyone and sorry if I did and there are fair points on both sides.
I am excited about the Osprey Season starting and the forums will get busier without a doubt.
Maybe the problem is the forums cannot get separated and I can see a different side now. It does work both ways as Community threads can get lost and vice versa :)
I will not say another word and I apologised to Sparrow as with some comments I was upset too.
Sometimes things get taken the wrong way and as I said I do enjoy reading your posts on here very much.
I certainly do not want a debate as it will not do any of us any good.