Sub forums gone

[Crosland]

Most of the sub-forums links have gone from the main forum page http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/

[Andy Y]

It's not most of them but I have been carrying out a tidy up so all the DCC, Special Interest, Prototype, Continental and Area Group sub-forums can be found be clicking on the parent category.

[JJGraphics]

It's not most of them but I have been carrying out a tidy up so all the DCC, Special Interest, Prototype, Continental and Area Group sub-forums can be found be clicking on the parent category.

 

 

Much easier to navigate!

[sjgardiner]

It's not most of them but I have been carrying out a tidy up so all the DCC, Special Interest, Prototype, Continental and Area Group sub-forums can be found be clicking on the parent category.

 

Its actually really quite an inconvenient change.  It was much easier to browse when you could go to the subforum you wanted directly from the front page rather than having to go into different sections.  Now it's going to take much longer to quickly check on posts in several different subforums.

 

I'd just as soon this change was undone.

[Andy Y]

Part of the tidying process is space for improving the visibility of some of the advertising. That's what pays for the running of the site.

[Ian J.]

I notice that following a forum doesn't add it to the list of followed topics (natch). Is it possible to have a front page panel for followed forums as well? Then we could choose to close that panel if we don't want it, or keep it and move it around as needed.

[Prometheus]

Does that then mean, for example, that the content of what was 'GWR Rolling Stock ; model and prototype' would now be scattered throughout RM Web ? There's probably a straightforward answer to this but I'm afraid I cannot see it.

 

Thanks

 

Tony

[Ian J.]

Does that then mean, for example, that the content of what was 'GWR Rolling Stock ; model and prototype' would now be scattered throughout RM Web ? There's probably a straightforward answer to this but I'm afraid I cannot see it.

 

Thanks

 

Tony

 

No, it just means it's under the section for 'Special Interests' http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/forum/31-special-interests/ - the sub forum is still there http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/forum/167-gwr-rolling-stock-model-and-prototype/

[Andy Y]

Is it possible to have a front page panel for followed forums as well? Then we could choose to close that panel if we don't want it, or keep it and move it around as needed.

 

I'll have a look at that to see if it's possible.

[Prometheus]

No, it just means it's under the section for 'Special Interests' http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/forum/31-special-interests/ - the sub forum is still there http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/forum/167-gwr-rolling-stock-model-and-prototype/

 

Thanks so much.

 

Tony

[Robin2]

I don't object in principle to the re-organization into different groups but the subsections in Special Interests should appear on the Index page just as the subsections appear in the Skills & Knowledge Centre section. There is no reason to make Special Interests into a second-class citizen.

 

The way things are now a casual visitor to the Forum would have no idea of the wealth of interesting stuff in Special Interests.

 

"If things continue like this I may stop borrowing your newspaper"

 

...R

[ParkeNd]

Another vote here for seeing this as a retrograde step which reduces the value to the user. IMHO its analogous to losing the dedicated buttons on a Nikon D810 or Nikon D4S and having to dive into menus every time you want to do something.

[Neil]

I honestly didn't notice the change until I read this thread. I tend to browse by searching new posts, my posts, taking at look at wheeltappers then check the continental/overseas bits to see if anything new has turned up since last time. I don't think the tidy up is a retrograde step, I realise it might mean one more click to get to the area of choice for some sections whereas others seem to have the same sub sections as before. It may help to have all sections cleaned up, the search pattern would then be the same across the board. I suspect that a week from now the new will be accepted, the old a fading memory.

[Andy Hayter]

I have deliberately held off posting for a couple of days on the basis that change that has not been requested will almost always be seen negatively.

 

However I feel I now need to add my voice to those that feel the hiding of subsections for the lower section of the board is a retrograde move.

 

I accept that extra advertising will bring extra revenue to help fund the site and this is of benefit to all, but could this not have been done within the old format or an adjustment to the old format?

 

As it is we now get advertisements that are inappropriate for the section - on 3 occasions I have been into the continental section to find that BRM is advertised!  By definition British Railways Modelling has almost no connection to foreign railways.

 

Further as it now stands we are hiding the wealth of knowledge and detail that is available and any newcomer is unlikely to find sections that might assist in a quick and simple way.  This is a shame.     And why just these sections?  Why not the trade and publications sections being thinned down to a single headline in the same way as the specialised groups, prototype discussions etc.?  As it stands the site now begins to resemble at first view yet another rtr driven model railway site, and the site is far from that. 

 

Andy please look to see if there is another way to reach the desired additional level of advertising potential without hiding what some of us find to be the more important sections of the site. 

[Danemouth]

Whist understanding the need for advertising revenue to support the site it seems a little overdone on some pages, for example

 

 

Regards,

 

Dave

[BG John]

Whist understanding the need for advertising revenue to support the site it seems a little overdone on some pages, for example

 

screenshot.jpg

 

Regards,

 

Dave

Does anyone know when the latest edition of BRM is coming out?

[Andy Y]

Whist understanding the need for advertising revenue to support the site it seems a little overdone on some pages, for example

 

screenshot.jpg

 

Regards,

 

Dave

 

If a specific ad slot hasn't been booked by an advertiser a 'house' ad will show up. That instance where you look at sub-forum level shows where an ad can be duplicated; the best solution for this is more house ads (which I've asked for) which will at least show different content from within the group.

[Reorte]

Have to say I'm not keen on the move of several sub-forums, it's a noticable degradation. Maybe it's one of those areas of "something needed doing" - the special interests was rather large. Perhaps just a "most recent two or three" with a "more ->" button would work?

[Andy Y]

the special interests was rather large. 

 

That's the main point, taking up a lot of space for relatively little usage; the next stage is to pull the most popular content from there into more mainstream sections of the site on merit or traffic levels, such as 3D print and Lasers etc now being moved to the Skills and Knowledge area, Boxfiles and Micros plus Modelling real locations moving into the Layouts area etc.

 

It's like when the wife's tidied up; you can't find things for a while, you may have to ask where they are but ultimately if she didn't tidy up we'd end up living in the same ****-tip for months on end.

[Ian J.]

If we can have a 'followed forums' panel, that may help to ease some of the anguish about where the sub-forums have gone, though it wouldn't help new members of course.

[Reorte]

It's like when the wife's tidied up; you can't find things for a while, you may have to ask where they are but ultimately if she didn't tidy up we'd end up living in the same ****-tip for months on end.

I enjoy living on my own!

[Ian J.]

I enjoy living on my own!

 

I so wish I did. I hate having to live as a lodger in someone else's home

[Reorte]

I see that the Prototype subforum links are back on the main page, thanks! That's me satisfied.

[Robin2]

That's the main point, taking up a lot of space for relatively little usage;

That sounds like putting business before customers - it never works in the long term.

 

At the very least, make the content on the Special Interest page show in the same format as the sub-sections are displayed under the Skills & Knowledge Centre section. That way we can see all the sub-sections without scrolling.

 

Consistent presentation makes websites much easier to navigate.

 

...R

[peter220950]

That sounds like putting business before customers

 

 

Surely a customer is one who purchases goods or services, not one who gets entertainment for nothing.

 

Peter