I guess this is a question for AL but other TC'ers can chime in too I guess...

I was thinking of a way to have the threads stay on the forums longer and also be more specific....

This is what I thought of...

We already have the catagory Interiors...why not add sub categories...

Lets use Interiors for example....

You enter Interiors. Then you see sub categories like Seats and seatbelts, Carpet and floors, Dash and gauges, Door panels cranks and windows...etc.

Suspension could be broken up to sway bars and bushings, shocks, springs, A-arms and balljoints...etc....

This would allow the poster to be more specific and post his thread in the designated area. This would allow the threads to stay on and viewable a little longer thus decreasing the amount of searches that are needed...(hypothetically) Someone might see a post on the same topic as theres since the threads would be listed longer. More Stickies could be made in each topic that may answer the questions before they are posted...I would still browse all categories (and the subs) do you think it might clean up the site a little?

I'm not seeing an advantage of having more categories. Looks to me that would make the forum more cumbersome to navigate. How does having more categories have the post stay on the forum longer? I have my personal options to show 40 posts per page and show threads from the last 100 days. There are a few exceptions but most topics run their course in a couple of weeks.

Maybe I misspoke..

I too have the 40/100 settings....

Imagine this...

You see engines on the main page.

Then you go into it and there you see...
Intakes, exhaust, heads, carbs, etc...

This would allow the "poster" to be real part specific.

When I go into engines I see a cluster. Its all kinds of posts dealing with engines...

Imagine keeping stickies about heads in the heads section that would allow us to go in a nd read about which heads are better then the others without having to post it.

Go into the interior section and have subcategory named headliner, sailpanels, and glass. Seeing a sticky in there that says PUI Package tray sucks.

I just think it would be a little better...I dont think you will lose any members over it..:thumbsup:

What I would like to see is a football or sports category . I am not a real big sports fan :rolleyes: . I mean some I can tell are football related and do not read but others seem like a trap :clonk:

I've pretty much done away with the individual forum divisions. I click on "today's Posts" and go through the topics reading the ones that interest me. Of course I get email notification of the topics I subscribe to.

What I would like to see is a football or sports category . I am not a real big sports fan :rolleyes: . I mean some I can tell are football related and do not read but others seem like a trap :clonk:
Same here
If I would have know what the thread was about, I wouldn't have clicked on it.
Now when that happens, I add the word "football" to the title.

I've pretty much done away with the individual forum divisions. I click on "today's Posts" and go through the topics reading the ones that interest me. Of course I get email notification of the topics I subscribe to.

That's what I do as well.

I have my personal options to show 40 posts per page and show threads from the last 100 days. There are a few exceptions but most topics run their course in a couple of weeks.

What are the forum default settings?

We can't get people now to post stuff in the correct places, adding more categories would make it worse.


Zeke to change your settings go to your userCP: http://www.chevelles.com/forums/usercp.php

Anything you can change is listed in the column of links on the left. Thread display options are changed here:
http://www.chevelles.com/forums/profile.php?do=editoptions

Thanks, did that.

Curious though, what did I change them from?

We can't get people now to post stuff in the correct places, adding more categories would make it worse.

I see your point but if there were better descriptions under the categories...

The descriptions are already pretty clear. Do they need to be dumbed down? Pictures ? :D

Shane, Which description is unclear?

With too many section/subdivisions the likelihood becomes even greater that the question will be posted in the wrong section.

Example: I need help, My engine isn't running right. Well, would it go under the ignition section, the head section, the carb section, cam section, vacuum leak section etc. Or just, as is, under the Engine section.

I think this idea would make the searching part easier for the most part, however I think it would be harder to get good answers to your questions, as those who answer a lot of questions will probably focus on 1 or 2 tech sections, and not go in the others.

For example, I'm one of the Brake/Suspension guys... Since "Disc Brakes" has become a separate sub-forum, I rarely go in there, so I don't help much with those questions any more.

The way I see it is more forums = more stuff in the wrong forum!

well I was thinking the opposite...

If everything had its own locations then the more locations the more stickies and the less people would need to know about something...

Instead of people posting a question about a headliner they could go into the section ABOUT headliners and read the posts.

The seat writeup would be in the seat section.

The good head casting numbers could be in the HEAD section.

I know I have a little CDO (<---same as OCD but with the letters in the right order) but I am pretty sure it will clean up the forums a little.

I see the same posts over and over from different people...

well fish it sounds good in theory, but after reading the replys i see there points too. the long time members have seen the same basic questions over and over through the years, however its not the same members asking the same questions its new members. in most cases, with good questions looking for some needed answers. i am new to these forums so i try read the stickys, look at the posts for a similiar questions. after searching for what seems like hours i end up askin the question anyway, hopeing someone with the knowledge will reply even though they have answered the same question before. after all isnt that what these forums are for? helping fellow car guys?

The way I see it is more forums = more stuff in the wrong forum!

And the more questions to go unanswered because people won't even go into a lot of the forums plus more forums that will rarely even ever get anything posted in them.
We've had forums before that nobody ever posted in.

I look at it in a time manner....more time navigating means less time reading or answering.

My concern is if you get too specific where do you post about issues when you don't know what part is the problem? I have an engine that doesn't start, do I post in the ignition forum, fuel delivery forum, carbs forum, electrical forum, starter forum, mouse nest in the intake forum, etc?

The opposite is true, too, when you have forums that are so broad they encompass other forum topics. I still don't know why we have a troubleshooting forum. If I am troubleshooting a problem with the engine, I'd post in engines. If I was troubleshooting my suspension, I'd post in suspensions, etc.

Tim.

I think the forums are perfect the way they are.:yes:

I also like the new posts tab, I can see every new thread.:beers: