User-hosted forums

hot_pastrami · 01-29-2004, 12:11 PM

I like Sycamore's user-hosted forum, he uses it for posting insights and information about his own life. That's the ideal use... it's for anecdotes and insights which are intrinsically associated with Sycamore. Sometimes threads wander into more general discussions which could fit in other areas of the site, but tha't bound to happen... but they start as a post related to Sycamore. that's the forum you visit if you want to know what's going on with him, and what kind of guy he is*.

Not to belittle our other dear members with shiny new hosted forums, but I think that if a topic is for general consumption, and is not specifically about that member's life-and-times, it ought to go into a more appropriate place. If someone unfamiliar with the Cellar were to visit, they wouldn't know to click on "Sidhe's Think Hole" to read intersting news on poetic justice, which would fit well under "Current Events" or "Home Base;" or to click on "Lumberjim's Office" to see Cellar-related comics, which would fit nicely under "Home Base," "Quality Images," or "Cellar comments and suggestions."

I just think that if such general-consumption postings are squirreled away in a user-hosted forum, they won't do as much to contribute the Cellar community... and that's why we're all here, isn't it?

Anyone agree? Disagree? I've been wrong before. Frequently.

* Swell, by the way. He's a swell guy.

kerosene · 01-29-2004, 12:22 PM

I think you make a good point, HP, and I agree with you to an extent, but I would bet that lumberjim and Sidhe probably both believe that what they use their forums for is specific to them as individuals. In fact, lumberjim happens to have specific knowledge about cars and car sales, so, he has a couple of threads dedicated to those topics.

Or I may be missing your point.

FileNotFound · 01-29-2004, 12:29 PM

Bah Sidhe wanted a forum because she's insane and wanted it very very very very badly.

LJ is also insane and wanted a forum because Sidhe was about to get one and he didn't want to be left out.

lumberjim · 01-29-2004, 12:31 PM

funny you should mention that, alan. I am currently working on a thread that is about my misspent youth. I wanted to have at least half of it written before i started posting it though, so there wouldn't be weeks in between posts whiel i hurriedly wrote more of it. I agree that these forums should be specific to the person hosting it. that's why i have restricted people from posting new threads in mine.....to keep the number of threads to a minimum, thereby making organization and thread stickiness better in there. I put the car threads up first because they were easy to create, and it is my area of expertise. The cartoon thing is redundant, i admit, but i wanted to carry an ongoing comic strip about the cellar, and have the ability to maintain the thread in order to minimize chatter....i should have waited before i posted the original thread.

anyway, I appreciate your perspective on how you feel the user forums should be used, and for what it's worth, i agree with you. I will most likely loosely bind myself to the covenants you describe, too.

lumberjim · 01-29-2004, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by FileNotFound
Bah Sidhe wanted a forum because she's insane and wanted it very very very very badly.

LJ is also insane and wanted a forum because Sidhe was about to get one and he didn't want to be left out.

eat me, rusky

hot_pastrami · 01-29-2004, 12:34 PM

Well, I'm not saying that the user-hosted forums should go away, only that they should be used selectively. Ljim's CARS posts are pretty appropriate since that's his speciality, but I think it's a silly place for the Cellar Comics thread.

For instance, if I had a forum, I would post stuff there about events in my life, which would be appropriate usage. I would post any personal rants about strong opinions I posses, because that's a pretty good place for such things. I might post stuff about programming and web design, since those are my specialties, but that's a little iffy, because they could be more useful to people under The Internet or Technology... but that could go either way. But if I found a cool news story, I'd still stick it under Curernt Events, because it belongs there.

I'm not saying that just because I would do it that way it's the best way to do it... oh who am I kidding, yes I am. And I'm one smart motherfucker. Just ask Jimbo.

FileNotFound · 01-29-2004, 12:37 PM

I'm going to have a user hosted forum.

It's going to be called "My forum is better than your forum."
Inside I will rant and rave continuesly about how my forum is superior to all other user hosted forums and how they should kneel before me in awe.

lumberjim · 01-29-2004, 12:40 PM

quick, toad, give alan his own forum!

oh, and alan, if i just get a hair across my ass and feel the need to post a thread about whatever, i will still be putting it in home base.

i will be limiting the amount of threads in my forum to specific topics to prevent dillution. Things like the woodshop and the cartoon strip i hope to keep as ongoing threads. the car threads for whenever someone has a question. I won;t be boring you with current sales events, rates or rebates. i won't try to sell you anything (overtly) ...it's more of an ask the editor type thing.

wolf · 01-29-2004, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by FileNotFound
Bah Sidhe wanted a forum because she's insane and wanted it very very very very badly.

That would be why I voted "no" on that one.

There must be a shortage of controversial topics to discuss in the land of the Fey.

Beestie · 01-29-2004, 12:47 PM

I, too, would like to have a user forum.

I want it to be so exclusive that no one (including me) is allowed to post in it.

lumberjim · 01-29-2004, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Beestie
I, too, would like to have a user forum.

I want it to be so exclusive that no one (including me) is allowed to post in it.

ah, no one reads what you post anyway, beest....

hot_pastrami · 01-29-2004, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by lumberjim
i will be limiting the amount of threads in my forum to specific topics to prevent dillution. Things like the woodshop and the cartoon strip i hope to keep as ongoing threads. the car threads for whenever someone has a question. I won;t be boring you with current sales events, rates or rebates. i won't try to sell you anything (overtly) ...it's more of an ask the editor type thing.

I'm not trying to tell you how to run your forum, dude... I guess I just reacted to the sprouting of two new personal forums with thoughts like "What niche does this new forum fill? It will only take topics away from where they belong." So I peeked inside, and found that to a degree, it seemed to be true. Hence my post.

Quote:

Originally posted by lumberjim
quick, toad, give alan his own forum!

Yes, and please title it "Look how clever and insightful Hot Pastrami thinks he is."

wolf · 01-29-2004, 12:58 PM

For the record, I think the LJ has already begun making good use of his forum, even if he insists on posting headlines in all caps like some kind of smacked ass Newbie.

lumberjim · 01-29-2004, 01:05 PM

yeah, i know you weren't. your comments actually help in defining my purpose......

...if i was really organized, i might have begun with a "mission statement" and listed my intentions, but that's not very dramatic or suspenseful if you know what im plotting and planning.

by wolf

Quote:

even if he insists on posting headlines in all caps like some kind of smacked ass Newbie.

duh, wolf, i AM some kind of smacked ass newbie.....duuuuhhh.

and i like the topic to be in caps...it looks more important that way.

lumberjim · 01-29-2004, 01:07 PM

hp,

you're an artist. i'd like to see some contributions from you in my comic strip thread......and the woodshop, too...c'mon, it'll be fun!

01-29-2004, 12:11 PM	#1
hot_pastrami I am meaty Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Salt Lake City, UT Posts: 1,119	User-hosted forums I like Sycamore's user-hosted forum, he uses it for posting insights and information about his own life. That's the ideal use... it's for anecdotes and insights which are intrinsically associated with Sycamore. Sometimes threads wander into more general discussions which could fit in other areas of the site, but tha't bound to happen... but they start as a post related to Sycamore. that's the forum you visit if you want to know what's going on with him, and what kind of guy he is. Not to belittle our other dear members with shiny new hosted forums, but I think that if a topic is for general consumption, and is not specifically about that member's life-and-times, it ought to go into a more appropriate place. If someone unfamiliar with the Cellar were to visit, they wouldn't know to click on "Sidhe's Think Hole" to read intersting news on poetic justice, which would fit well under "Current Events" or "Home Base;" or to click on "Lumberjim's Office" to see Cellar-related comics, which would fit nicely under "Home Base," "Quality Images," or "Cellar comments and suggestions." I just think that if such general-consumption postings are squirreled away in a user-hosted forum, they won't do as much to contribute the Cellar community... and that's why we're all here, isn't it? Anyone agree? Disagree? I've been wrong before. Frequently. Swell, by the way. He's a swell guy. __________________ Hot Pastrami!

01-29-2004, 12:29 PM	#3
FileNotFound Intouch with his inner sheep rider. Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 603	Bah Sidhe wanted a forum because she's insane and wanted it very very very very badly. LJ is also insane and wanted a forum because Sidhe was about to get one and he didn't want to be left out. __________________ This is a rat. \|This is a hamster.\| This is a chipmunk.\| This is a Sheep Rider.

01-29-2004, 12:31 PM	#4
lumberjim I can hear my ears Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 25,571	funny you should mention that, alan. I am currently working on a thread that is about my misspent youth. I wanted to have at least half of it written before i started posting it though, so there wouldn't be weeks in between posts whiel i hurriedly wrote more of it. I agree that these forums should be specific to the person hosting it. that's why i have restricted people from posting new threads in mine.....to keep the number of threads to a minimum, thereby making organization and thread stickiness better in there. I put the car threads up first because they were easy to create, and it is my area of expertise. The cartoon thing is redundant, i admit, but i wanted to carry an ongoing comic strip about the cellar, and have the ability to maintain the thread in order to minimize chatter....i should have waited before i posted the original thread. anyway, I appreciate your perspective on how you feel the user forums should be used, and for what it's worth, i agree with you. I will most likely loosely bind myself to the covenants you describe, too. __________________ This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality Embrace this moment, remember We are eternal, all this pain is an illusion ~MJKeenan

01-29-2004, 12:34 PM	#6
hot_pastrami I am meaty Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Salt Lake City, UT Posts: 1,119	Well, I'm not saying that the user-hosted forums should go away, only that they should be used selectively. Ljim's CARS posts are pretty appropriate since that's his speciality, but I think it's a silly place for the Cellar Comics thread. For instance, if I had a forum, I would post stuff there about events in my life, which would be appropriate usage. I would post any personal rants about strong opinions I posses, because that's a pretty good place for such things. I might post stuff about programming and web design, since those are my specialties, but that's a little iffy, because they could be more useful to people under The Internet or Technology... but that could go either way. But if I found a cool news story, I'd still stick it under Curernt Events, because it belongs there. I'm not saying that just because I would do it that way it's the best way to do it... oh who am I kidding, yes I am. And I'm one smart motherfucker. Just ask Jimbo. __________________ Hot Pastrami!

01-29-2004, 12:37 PM	#7
FileNotFound Intouch with his inner sheep rider. Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 603	I'm going to have a user hosted forum. It's going to be called "My forum is better than your forum." Inside I will rant and rave continuesly about how my forum is superior to all other user hosted forums and how they should kneel before me in awe. __________________ This is a rat. \|This is a hamster.\| This is a chipmunk.\| This is a Sheep Rider.

01-29-2004, 12:22 PM	#2
kerosene Touring the facilities Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: The plains of Colorado Posts: 3,476	I think you make a good point, HP, and I agree with you to an extent, but I would bet that lumberjim and Sidhe probably both believe that what they use their forums for is specific to them as individuals. In fact, lumberjim happens to have specific knowledge about cars and car sales, so, he has a couple of threads dedicated to those topics. Or I may be missing your point.

01-29-2004, 12:40 PM	#8
lumberjim I can hear my ears Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 25,571	quick, toad, give alan his own forum! oh, and alan, if i just get a hair across my ass and feel the need to post a thread about whatever, i will still be putting it in home base. i will be limiting the amount of threads in my forum to specific topics to prevent dillution. Things like the woodshop and the cartoon strip i hope to keep as ongoing threads. the car threads for whenever someone has a question. I won;t be boring you with current sales events, rates or rebates. i won't try to sell you anything (overtly) ...it's more of an ask the editor type thing. __________________ This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality Embrace this moment, remember We are eternal, all this pain is an illusion ~MJKeenan

01-29-2004, 12:47 PM	#10
Beestie -◊\|≡·∙■·∙≡\|◊- Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Parts unknown. Posts: 4,081	I, too, would like to have a user forum. I want it to be so exclusive that no one (including me) is allowed to post in it. __________________ ♠ ♥ ♣ ♦

01-29-2004, 12:58 PM	#13
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	For the record, I think the LJ has already begun making good use of his forum, even if he insists on posting headlines in all caps like some kind of smacked ass Newbie. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

01-29-2004, 01:07 PM	#15
lumberjim I can hear my ears Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 25,571	note to alan hp, you're an artist. i'd like to see some contributions from you in my comic strip thread......and the woodshop, too...c'mon, it'll be fun! __________________ This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality Embrace this moment, remember We are eternal, all this pain is an illusion ~MJKeenan

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