An observation….

This is the users’ forum, if people want to post these threads we (the mods) can’t in all fairness zap them just because they seem pretty pointless.

I guess we just sit back until one has been created for every type ever flown.

Personally I’d appeal to those tempted to post any more just to stop it.

Moggy
Moderator

I have observed that the tongue in cheek Post your ‘pretty pointless’ Avro 707 shots here. attracted currently 34 posts and upward of 1600 hits.

I certainly learned some things about the Avro 707.

I think it made a point. 🙂

Mark

So, a big thumbs down then…

Met with a wall of silence then…… how typical.

At least some people could see the point of this topic – and responded in a sensible manner.

That’s the trouble with the net in general – ask a question or raise a point and wait for the flak in response…

So, a big thumbs down then…

From who?

And thumbs down to what – care to explain?

So, a big thumbs down then…

I think the “Post your pic” threads can be good. It provides an opportunity to include a mix of photos.

Many may see it as pointless to post “Here is my fancy shot of a XXX sitting on a tarmac somewhere”. But some others will be able to appreciate the plane pictured as an aesthetic thing. A thread like this though maybe shouldn’t be in ‘Historic Aviation’.

BUT, what we often ALSO find in these threads are “Here is a pic of XXX of 123 Sqn in 1943. Note the damage, weathering and grime, the buildings/vehicles/ground crew/other interesting historic tid-bits from life during the given time in the background.” And it’s THESE pics that I for one find most fascinating and satisfying, and believe they have EVERY RIGHT to be in the “Historic Aviation” section.

It would seem that there is a deep set resiliance to any change so far.

When I mentioned a comparison with other forums and their structure, I forgot one of the more obvious and relevant ones – UKAR. Their seperated photo forums sit quite happily with other dedicated ones, and there is no sign of lack of use….
I’m still looking at some ideas I had, to try and explain.

If some interesting and previously unknown pics come to light then the threads can be real gems

Cheers

Cees

Agreed and some stunning pictures do appear on this forum.

OK, just to be a pain,:D here’s a big chunk of HP Hermes, seen twenty years ago at Duxford…

S.

If some interesting and previously unknown pics come to light then the threads can be real gems

Cheers

Cees

Likewise, if “Post your photos of….” doesn’t interest you, don’t open the post, even simpler:)

I do not understand where in lies the problem, it just seems more logical to have the threads with a high picture content in one separate part of the forum. If you are interested in both aspects, check both areas………simple !!!

Planemike

Maybe, but I have noticed the lack of use of these forums. Classic cars are much less specialised than what we discuss here, but the forums I am referring to on one of the largest single make clubs in the world do not get the traffic they should.

I would argue that they are too confusing. Just because lots of clubs do it that way doesnt make it the right way!

Bruce

What Bruce said x2.

Once a forum is subdivided it will appear that it only gets a few posts a day. This will not encourage new users.

I’m a member of another forum, where the content is divided and it does not make for a better usability. If the users need to check more than one, or two, subforums, they will have a tendency to skip some and a valuable input could have been lost.

I would hate to have to check two subfora each time i visit this forum. There are rarely more than 10-15 new threads each day, so it does not move very fast and can easily be contained in one main forum.

Subfora is a solution for a heavy trafic forum, where they get hundreds of posts daily. The Sun Java forum springs to mind as a good example.

Are we in the same car club? 😮 Seriously though – that’s exactly what we do in my club, and by “we” I include me as one of the web admin team of three.
We adopted an online forum structure (IPB) that we found many similar clubs were using in exactly the same way. There are teething problems, I wouldn’t deny that, but the search facility does get used, and can find the required information…

Maybe, but I have noticed the lack of use of these forums. Classic cars are much less specialised than what we discuss here, but the forums I am referring to on one of the largest single make clubs in the world do not get the traffic they should.

I would argue that they are too confusing. Just because lots of clubs do it that way doesnt make it the right way!

Bruce

I confess, I dont like splitting forums up – I am a member of a car club. The split the manufacturer up into different car types; fair enough. The they subdivide the car types into model years, and then each of those are split down into engine, powertrain, interior, instrumentation and electrics, interiors and so on. Its too much!
Bruce

Are we in the same car club? 😮 Seriously though – that’s exactly what we do in my club, and by “we” I include me as one of the web admin team of three.
We adopted an online forum structure (IPB) that we found many similar clubs were using in exactly the same way. There are teething problems, I wouldn’t deny that, but the search facility does get used, and can find the required information…

Mark12 – you made a very good point there about examples of long-running threads (I would use the LPG thread as an absolute gem, full of photos AND updates on the QRA shed rebuild)…. Those kind of threads are indeed archives full of fascinating information.
The ‘pure’ photo threads that I’ve been commenting about are equally archive material, but distinctly different (essentially they are online galleries).

If I may speak with my ‘moderator’ hat on from other forums, I much prefer the tasks of moving threads to the right section than dealing with censorship / arguments, etc… Should there be a need to moderate any new sub-sections it therefore shouldn’t be too much to ask any moderator to assist with….

I think the flood gates have been opened now…

I agree with you here.

Although that said, we did used to be deluged with multiple airshow threads after the shows, which did tend to move all the current threads down a page or two ‘en masse’!

Bruce

Yes, but could have been contained…with a little moderator help by…

Post air show photos here of:- Leg-ends 12 July 2006

Mark 🙂

Would anybody disagree that the sub-forum for Airshow photos has not worked particularly well, whilst the ‘Scrap-yard’ and the ‘How low can you go’ threads have run and run very comfortably within Historic?

We have the opportunity here to harness a very valuable archive asset.

Mark

I agree with you here.

Although that said, we did used to be deluged with multiple airshow threads after the shows, which did tend to move all the current threads down a page or two ‘en masse’!

Bruce

Why ?

Other parts of the Key forums have their own sub-forums (and some very little usage they receive as well); can’t Historic have a sub-forum then ?

I’m just itching to launch the “Post your Hillson Bi-mono pic’s here” thread :diablo:

.

Well, you hit the nail on the head when you said they were little used.

I confess, I dont like splitting forums up – I am a member of a car club. The split the manufacturer up into different car types; fair enough. The they subdivide the car types into model years, and then each of those are split down into engine, powertrain, interior, instrumentation and electrics, interiors and so on. Its too much!

By leaving them all in here, I think we are encouraging a more diverse membership, and we should be able to balance out the Spitfire threads!

Bruce

Would anybody disagree that the sub-forum for Airshow photos has not worked particularly well, whilst the ‘Scrap-yard’ and the ‘How low can you go’ threads have run and run very comfortably within Historic?

We have the opportunity here to harness a very valuable archive asset.

Mark

I’m just itching to launch the “Post your Hillson Bi-mono pic’s here” thread :diablo:.

I would wait until there’s a seperate sub-forum for them – but then I think I’m playing devil’s advocate (again)