Jongudmund Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 I'm planning a lay-out that is going to be more of a train set really and I'm not sure whether to start a layout topic or start a blog. The advantages of a blog is that I can talk about any aspect of modelling. But I like the way layout topic show all the comments and discussions that people have in one go instead of only being shown on posts. However, most of the layouts in layout topics are more what I think of as the high end of railway modelling and I'm not sure whether my layout would fit there. What are people's preferences / suggestions - and do the admins have a preference, i.e. would they prefer people to use the blogging functions? All comments gratefully received. Jon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Sidecar Racer Posted August 17, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 17, 2014 Personally I prefer topics over blogs . Much for the reason you give for replies being more noticeable when the topic is marked for following . Plus it helps develop a conversational style of information exchange . Dont worry to much about other layouts , they are not all high end , but some maybe better than others . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokebox Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 I very rarely look at blogs. As above, find topics easier to follow. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
br2975 Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 I very rarely look at blogs. As above, find topics easier to follow. Snap ! Brian R Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted August 18, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 18, 2014 Ditto Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete 75C Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 Yup. Include me in. "Layout topic" over "Blog" any day. You only have to take a look at threads like "Ashcombe" to discover how a simple layout topic can become a friendly place for not only information exchange but also light-hearted non-railway banter. Also, please don't fall into the trap of thinking anything you might create is somehow "not worthy". That's nonsense. Even a length of Streamline nailed to an old floorboard should be welcome. Edited because I meant Ashcombe not Asscombe! D'oh! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Davis Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 I very rarely look at blogs. As above, find topics easier to follow. Me too, for the same reasons that smokebox gives. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
signalmaintainer Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 One of the advantages of a blog is that you completely control the content. There's no off-topic banter unless you OK its publication. You'd be surprised at how many comments in a forum topic have little to do with the subject at hand. Another advantage of a blog are links you add to your front page to other favorite model railway blogs. Easier for you to keep up with their endeavors and vice versa. Third, a blog affords you more creativity and leeway in regard to presentation. Just an alternative point of view. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffalo Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 Whenever such a question has arisen before, there have always been a number of posts from folk who can't be bothered to look at the blogs on here, or even those who try to make a virtue of not doing so. Indeed, one very well known former member once told me that if he didn't read my blog then what was the point in me posting it Well, if that's the way you approach RMweb you're missing out on a wide range of interesting modelling, so it's your loss, not mine. Blogs are difficult to follow? Nonsense, at the top of each page is a string of links: RMweb --> Community Blog --> --> Just click on the blog name and you'll get a complete list of all entries in the blog. If blog authors want to go further, it is quite easy to produce your own index as shown in this topic. It's also well worth reading Blog quality for views about what does and does not make for good blog material. As you say, Jon, you can write blog entries on any aspect of your modelling rather than needing separate threads for each subject. Whether it's the right choice for you is a difficult question. Blogs seem to work best when each entry is a fairly substantial effort whether it be the building of a kit or planning, track laying etc. on a layout. Entries that say 'today I stuck a vacuum pipe on my wagon' are usually rather less interesting, but might not be out of place in a topic. Topics are, I think, much better suited to a small 'drip-feed' of layout development. You can be fairly certain that most blog comments will be to the point whereas topic comments can wander all over the place and, Pete 75C said, can drift off into "light-hearted non-railway banter". That may be what you want but, for others, nine or ten pages with only a couple of on-topic comments doesn't attract you back to the topic. Fortunately, some topics manage to stay fairly close to their subject though the tendency to drift off into banter seems to be on the increase. On the other hand, there appears to me to be a worrying trend for some quite worthy blog entries to receive few or no comments and maybe no more than a couple of 'likes'. Don't worry about standards, there's 'high end' stuff in both blogs and topics but there's also stuff that it's sometimes difficult to find a kind word for. Remember, though, we are a very broad church and it's always good to see folks skills develop. One of the advantages of a blog is that you completely control the content. There's no off-topic banter unless you OK its publication. You'd be surprised at how many comments in a forum topic have little to do with the subject at hand... You appear to be talking about typical external blog software, Paul, whereas I think Jon was asking about the RMweb blog section which is a little different from Wordpress, etc. Nick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
-missy- Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 Hi. In my opinion a blog will win everytime. As others have said, you can control the content of a blog far more than a thread. There are many layout (and other) threads on here that I find very frustrating wading through pages and pages of 'chat' just to find any content of interest. It makes threads far more hard work to navigate than any blog on this site where each blog post has its own hyperlink and title. Julia Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete 75C Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 In fairness to the above few posts, I've just spent 20 minutes glancing through some of the RMWeb "blogs" and they just didn't do anything for me, sorry. Maybe I just like the aimless chat and off-topic wanderings of a layout topic. Still, it wouldn't do if we were all the same. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium DLT Posted August 18, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 18, 2014 I very rarely look at blogs. As above, find topics easier to follow. Me too. I find topics/threads are far quicker and easier to follow and discuss/comment on. Cheers, Dave. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jongudmund Posted August 18, 2014 Author Share Posted August 18, 2014 Thanks everyone. Seems like there's good reasons to do both. I'll have a think about what I want out of it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classsix T Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 I can't say I've even clicked on a blog. Layout topics appear to invite input from like minded folks, or those that appreciate the content, plus Mr.Winpenny will pop by to tell you it's “looking good”! C6T. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazz Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 Personally, I never read blogs. Topic every time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jongudmund Posted August 20, 2014 Author Share Posted August 20, 2014 OK, those last two comments came in a bit late. I've decided to go with the blog format. The first post is up. If you've never read a blog, I'd be really honoured if mine was the first you read :-) Here's the link to my new blog. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
garethashenden Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 Bit late now perhaps; As opposed to many people who have responded I almost never read layout topics. I'll read other threads but I often forget they're there even. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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