Re-Organizing the Forum Categories? Thoughts?

[Luke]

I also don't like the "HS parking lot" idea as a place to kick arguments. It is a bit derisive, and having one's discussion getting "moved" there would probably result in some hurt feelings or possibly people leaving the site. Unless you are engaging in out-right name calling/insulting or offering some other kind of argument without substance, I don't see why threads that engage in deep or heated conversation couldn't be a part of any of the forums.

That's what it would be used for. Not for people who disagree, but for people who are just arguing for the sake of arguing.

I second the idea of a marketplace thread.

Still, I think if we have threads based on consoles with subcategories, people might be able to find what they're looking for easier. That's why I'm up for console specific threads. Each console could have their own B/s/t thread. Just a thought.

[the7k]

Yeah, I would like to see the "Whatever" section split up. I'm thinking a General Gaming section, a General News/World Events section, and then leave everything else to the Off-Topic section.

I'd also like to see the Sony and Microsoft section split up, a PC Gaming section, and perhaps an 'Atari-Era' section. Also, I've noticed that all the gaming sections focus on consoles, not portables. Perhaps you could make a section that focuses on the Nintendo DS, PSP, Gameboy, Gamegear, Neo Geo Pocket, Wonderswan, etc.

But yeah, I think most importantly, we need to separate the Gaming elements of the Whatever section from the non-Gaming elements.

[RadarScope1]

I just posted about this over in your "favorite topics" thread, but it's more appropriate for this thread. I'll just cut & paste it. Sorry for the double post:


I'd like to see a sub-forum for gaming philosophy. I like topics that have something to do with game design, societal effects of games, how games effect us emotionally, values expressed through the gaming medium, etc.

I've been wanting to start a series of threads about how games elicit emotions. I want to start with some basic psychological definition of the emotion to map out the territory, then move into some case studies of games that manage to elicit that emotion, then discuss creative ideas for how the emotion could be better ilicited through gameplay than it currently is. The problem is, the only sub-forum that would really fall under now is the 'whatever' section, but what I'm thinking of writing would take some effort on my part, so I wouldn't want it to just get buried in the chatter. If I'm going to invest time in a thread, I'd like it to be read by more than 2 or 3 people before it slides down the page and disappears forever.

This is actually a common problem for messageboards. Creative topics often only fit in the 'whatever' section, but they get drowned out by the noise. This inhibits people from writing anything particularly substantive. A music forum I frequent came up with a nice solution to this though- they have a sub-forum for the classic threads of the messageboard. Only mods can add threads there, though everyone can comment once a thread is there. People can pm a moderator to request a thread be moved to the 'classics' section if they think it is worthy. This way there is a section for the threads that stand out for being particularly funny, creative, dramatic, or thought provoking; and it keeps those threads alive and thriving.

That is a great idea. With the solid group of mods we have here, this could have some real merit worth exploring.

[executioner]

That said, I prefer a time delay for B/S/T instead of a post number delay. I don't like the idea of that forum being invisible as we want people who have interesting retro items for sale but who aren't regular visitors to the site to know it exists and bring their stuff there. For the same reason, I think if we put in a time delay there should be an option for mods to allow early access to the B/S/T forum on a case by case request basis for the more interesting items.

Highly agree that time delay or post count is better, invisible would be bad potential buyers/sellers who are non forum member. I've become member of 1 or 2 forums just to buy stuff while browsing BST threads. Early access could work based on feedback from ebay or other high regarded previously approved forums.

I like your reorganization of the forum categories and think small steps are better, splitting whatever should be a great first step. Looking forward to this forums improvements since now its basically my hub to the gaming world.

[Alpinex2]

You should a have a BRAGGING FORUM, like cheap ass gamer where everyone just posts all the crazy finds they have made.

Then Yes have a like NINTENDO then sub fourms NES, SNES, N64, GAMECUBE, Wii
and do that with the rest of the companys