Suggestions

[rancerupp]

How bout combine "Hang Gliding Flight Topics" and "Paragliding Flight Topics" into one called "Flight Topics". Keeping them separate promotes the "Separation" of the sports. Most of what we do is combined.

Also rename "General Discussion" to "Off Topic". Keeping 'Political' discussions under the title 'General' defeats the purpose of the categorization to keep the flame wars to a minimum. Even the description suggests that all the content is "off topic".

Lastly, maybe add a "Technical" topic.


See also my post under General Discussion / ListServ Migration.

Rance

[rancerupp]

And while you're at it, why don't you combine "Dear Webmaster" and "Forum HelpDesk"? They're essentially the same.

Rance

[rancerupp]

And for that matter, you should maybe combine the Stickys

"Info For Users Migrating From The Yahoo Group" and
"READ THIS! Forum Rules and Etiquette"

under "Hang Gliding Flight..." into just one called maybe "Forum Rules". After all, "Info For Users Migrating From The Yahoo Group" should go under the Webmaster forum anyways, right?

Rance

[rancerupp]

Last one, I promise (probably not)

Set up a Vendor Forum with each vendor, Ridgely, Blue Sky, etc having their own topic. This would allow them their own area for advertising or updates to their facility accomodations, etc. This would be different than the Market Place.

See http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=189 as an example.

Rance

[markc]

Thanks for all the suggestions Rance. I'll consider them in more
depth once the switchover has truly happened.

Combining webmaster and forum help desk : they may both be
me at the moment, but I hope that someone else will take on the job of forum-guru,
providing tips and advice. Hence two forums.

General Discussion vs Off-Topic : I think that's just semantics.
The purpose of the other forums is pretty clear. General discussion
is the obvious grab-bag for anything and everything else.

Like the vendor-forum idea. But let's wait and see if things really
do take off.

I think you suggested separating plans-to-fly from flying-reports.
And yet you want to combine the HG and PG flight-topic forums?


All your suggestions are worth serious consideration, but I really
do want to delay making substantial changes until the forums have
been in use for a while. Nothing like actual experience to guide the
development of the forums.

[rancerupp]

Mark,

> I think you suggested separating plans-to-fly from flying-reports.
And yet you want to combine the HG and PG flight-topic forums?

Nope, that was not me. I started to vote in the poll but decided not to. In fact, I think they should prob. be combined for now. If need be, I expect it would be easier for you to split them out later rather than combine them anyways.

Rance

[rancerupp]

Mark,

Here's my suggestions on re-categorizing the topics.

Flying - Flight-related for both HG/PG: flying plans, site info, weather, flight reports, etc.
HG - Strictly HG related
PG - Strictly PG related
FiFi - Females-In-Flight, Incorporated : Private forum for women who fly.
Off Topic - Not directly flight or club-related: Politics, pet-peeves, rant-n-raves, ground-Bound Fun. Anything goes!
Marketplace - HG/PG gear for sale, (including vendors)
Forum HelpDesk - Problems registering or logging in? Report problems? Forum suggestions?
Dear Webmaster - Topics relating to the CHGPA website: report bad links, suggested improvements, etc.

As to the Vendor Topic. In keeping with trying to pear this down, you could just have each vendor with their own Thread under MarketPlace.

Actually, I still don't see why Forum Helpdesk and Dear Webmaster can't be under one topic w/seperate threads inside. I've specifically peared down the descriptions also. I don't believe we need a dissertation.

And why do the FiFi's need their own 'Private' thread? Isn't that what straight e-mail is for? (Just kidding Ellis)

[markc]

Actually, I still don't see why Forum Helpdesk and Dear Webmaster can't be under one topic w/seperate threads inside. I've specifically peared down the descriptions also. I don't believe we need a dissertation.

And why do the FiFi's need their own 'Private' thread? Isn't that what straight e-mail is for? (Just kidding Ellis)

I don't want to combine HelpDesk with 'Dear Webmaster' because
I don't want to have to wade through HelpDesk postings in order
to find the website postings.

Email-only would work fine for the FiFi's, but I think that they
would like the same features that are available in the rest of our
forums.

Regarding the HG+PG / HG-only / PG-only idea .... I'd suggest holding
off on that until the old chga listserv has been abandoned. And then
perhaps creating a poll to see how people feel about the idea.