Looking for feedback - Forums re-categorization (up. 8/3)

[wesden]

Hello,
As some of you may know, there has been some chatter about forums re-categorization for some time now. Well, the time is now and I'd like your feedback.

The goals of the re-categorization are to:

• create more easy-to-digest categories (update to our "gently used" categories and add new ones)
  
• help provide a common backbone for forums AND guild categories (so keep that in the back of your mind) - this will allow us to refer similar content from forums/guilds
  
• help users find stuff that interests them quickly and easily.
  

We're starting off with 4 groupings - Gaia, Entertainment, Society (or Life, or another name) and Creativity (or like name). The forums then break apart from there; columns B, D, F and I contain the main forums, with their respective SFs to the right. Some have sub-SFs (like we do today) but those are only a few. In the Gaia group, for example, the main forum GCD has SFs Gaia Aquarium, etc all the way down to the last SF general Gaia Community Discussion.

The overview (all categories) link can be found here. I'm including more detailed screen shots here and here. They are just splitting the overview graphic into 2 shots for greater detail.

In the screenshots, the blue text designates EXISTING forums/categories, while black text indicates NEW/PROPOSED forums/categories. Red designates name CHANGE or forums we want to REMOVE.

Things to keep in mind:

• I am looking for feedback on the categories, what we're missing, what you like, etc. as well as general concerns. What do you think about having Gaia feature-specific forums (like Avatar, Homes, Arenas, Aquarium, etc.) rather than the current organization?
  
• we're still working through if users will continue to be able to post at the parent forum level - so all of the "general" SFs may go away from my sheet if we stick with posting in parent forum.
  
• the landing page/visuals for this have not been ironed out yet (we're working on it!) so don't worry about how it will look just yet.
  
• we will have a new way to designate cross-media content (like Star Trek, Twilight, etc) in the TV/Movies/Books section ONLY. If a user starts a thread in the TV/Movies/Books category, he will also have to choose if the post refers to the TV show, movie, book or all smile That way, people who want to talk about Star Trek TV show ONLY can filter results for that only. This will help provide more streamlined conversation for those looking for it, but also allow users who want to read everything about Twilight (movies AND books) to do so, as well.
  

We're hoping to move quickly on this, but ironing out all the kinks will be the devil in the details.

I look forward to your feedback!

UPDATE 08/03:
sorry about the small graphics - when I click on them they come up as readable and also re-sizable. Sorry if I gave you a headache! smile

Some clear themes have emerged - here are your top suggestions:

• have the Gaia section split by feature (avatar, home, arenas,etc)
  
• no empty parent forums (note: the suggested idea is you would still see threads for all posts in that forum, you just wouldn't be able to post in the parent forum - not empty like the OMGaia forum)
  
• gaming as one forum, and split at the SF level for video vs table
  
• LGBT should just be a forum "sexuality" with LGBT as a SF
  
• split art shops/requests
  
• anime should be under entertainment, not "creativity"
  
• LOTR SF should stay
  

I think most of the suggestions make sense. Give us a couple weeks to digest and see what we come up with. I'll update once I have a final list.

thanks!

[snufflypoo]

i'm happy to see a booty grab forum listed. smile

[Moonlight Silver]

First off, I love the idea of a subforum in Gaia Aquariums for discussion purposes, or a subforum for booty grab threads... which ever way, something to split up the discussion and "tap/grab" threads.

Secondly, I *think* I see Lifestyle Discussion, but I'm not sure... just want to make sure it's still there. I'm concerned that a lot of LD subforums and ED subforums look like they've become their own forum... doesn't really make sense to me, I think they work well as subforums.

The organization makes sense, but also makes the forum unbalanced. The Gaia section is huge compared to everything else.

Lastly (for now), on parent forums... if I understand this correctly, are you debating turning it into something like the Announcement forums, where the forum is intentionally left empty and people can only post in the subforums? I don't really like that idea. I think it would be confusing for newer users, and annoying for all users (extra clicks to get to where you want to go).

[Gemiinii]

From what I can see, my only concern (at this point in time) is the possibility of no longer being able to post in the parent forum. I believe that we should keep that part of the system the way it is, clicking to a empty parent forum is not something I look forward to. It's pointless if I may say so.

[KawaiiKittenCalico]

Gemiinii

From what I can see, my only concern (at this point in time) is the possibility of no longer being able to post in the parent forum. I believe that we should keep that part of the system the way it is, clicking to a empty parent forum is not something I look forward to. It's pointless if I may say so.

This. The parent forum thing is fine, and I'm not too thrilled at the idea of having to go to 20 different places within Site Feedback just to check out posts. I mean, if they have a seperate subforum for gold shop updates, cash shop updates, MCs, evolving items, and so on and so on, it would just make things too much of a pain in the a** to even want to bother with anymore. Site Feedback is fine as it is and there are probably other areas of Gaia that don't really need an empty parent forum with 20 different "specific topic" subforums in it.

@ Rice Sushi 123, don't spam in this thread, please. Stick with the topic. If you want to know about your hair go to the chatterbox or Avatar Talk, not here.

[Marcle]

Glad to see the forums getting a nice look at! They are make up Gaia, so they should be well looked after.

[MSRT]

You HAVE to have something to make the Art Shops and Requests sub forum a lot easier to find.
It is one of the busiest and most popular forums, but then people have a hard time finding it.
New people often post in the Art Discussion forum looking for or selling art.
It is really, really annoying.

[RoChan]

MSRT

You HAVE to have something to make the Art Shops and Requests sub forum a lot easier to find.
It is one of the busiest and most popular forums, but then people have a hard time finding it.
New people often post in the Art Discussion forum looking for or selling art.
It is really, really annoying.

This!

But beyond that can you please separate the Art Shops from the Art Requests? It's starting to get to the point where it's hard to tell if someone has a shop or if someone has a request. @__@ Not only that sometimes I find more Requests than I do shops on certain days.

[Chocobo Princess]

Wow, those screenshots have really tiny print; I wasn't able to read a single one. crying

I dislike the blank parent forum idea, though; what happened to Announcements annoys me every time I have to go in there. It's kinda like having to see the guild home page every single time instead of having a way to go straight to the guild's forum to start chatting.

[tokkitoria]

KawaiiKittenCalico

Gemiinii

From what I can see, my only concern (at this point in time) is the possibility of no longer being able to post in the parent forum. I believe that we should keep that part of the system the way it is, clicking to a empty parent forum is not something I look forward to. It's pointless if I may say so.

This. The parent forum thing is fine, and I'm not too thrilled at the idea of having to go to 20 different places within Site Feedback just to check out posts. I mean, if they have a seperate subforum for gold shop updates, cash shop updates, MCs, evolving items, and so on and so on, it would just make things too much of a pain in the a** to even want to bother with anymore. Site Feedback is fine as it is and there are probably other areas of Gaia that don't really need an empty parent forum with 20 different "specific topic" subforums in it.

If this is the case, I have to agree. The announcements forum doesn't appeal to me as is, I wouldn't want it in the other forums too. It's just silly an unappealing in my opinion. If I click on SF, I want SF. I don't want to specifically go to each one, that's just a pain in the a**. I like SF as a whole, and it should remain so. All the other points I would want to make are covered by the posts I've quoted here. 3nodding

@Chocobo: Yea, I found it hard to read too sweatdrop

[Kai-Shan Valandria]

Well, this does sound like an interesting prospect. I'm glad you put in the separate mock-ups, because I found the one with all of them grouped together to be impossible to read. Anyway, here's my thoughts:

Sports: Needs a Baseball category
Exchange: PLEASE split up Charities and Questing, as right now I stay out of there because the thing is a massive fast-moving clod of threads. >.<
Mini-Shops: Split up Requests and Art Shops, see Exchange.
Guilds: Split up buying/selling/advertising. Buying/Selling can go together, while advertising should be separate.
Music: Needs a Rock category

I'm delighted to see Aquariums is being split up, as well as Barton Town. So far as the latter goes, how about a subforum added for supernatural-esque RP's?

Also, could we please get an "Occult" section? There's at least one very large petition to get one, for the sort of things like Tarot, Pagan stuff, Wiccan stuff, New-Age stuff, things like that. Maybe it could have subforums with the categories I listed.

Also, no empty parent forums, it sounds very annoying. Complete agreement with Chocobo Princess's post, Announcements irks me as well, and I have a couple guilds bookmarked just so I can get straight to the forums.

Lastly, so far as our beloved Site Feedback goes, how about it be split in two? One section for item and recolor requests, and one for giving feedback on Gaia's current actions and item releases. And keep petitions, and mirror bug reports there, too.

[tokkitoria]

AloysiusWeasley

Lastly, so far as our beloved Site Feedback goes, how about it be split in two? One section for item and recolor requests, and one for giving feedback on Gaia's current actions and item releases. And keep petitions, and mirror bug reports there, too.

Please no gonk I would be so annoyed going from subforum to subforum. But that's just me.

[Ellavemia]

If you're planning to make parent forums "intentionally left blank" then I really don't like it. It means twice the clicks to reach a destination and it looks horrible.

I also don't like the Site Feedback being broken down into categories. What if no category exists for something I want to post feedback on? I'm sure every possible thing isn't going to have an appropriate SF forum and that will get tricky. People won't stop posting the feedback, they'll just put it any old place instead. Why do this to us and yourselves? I get that you're trying to keep us from posting general feedback ie: "I just wanted to say I love Gaia" or "Gaia sucks now" but there isn't really a whole lot of that in the forum we have now. Breaking it up will only hurt, it won't help anything.

[Melosaeidein]

I'm happy the forums are finally getting a makeover. 3nodding Ever since the GD and ED were moved the different colors have been driving me crazy.

The writing in the pictures is hard for me to read so I didn't look through all of it too closely, but overall I think it looks pretty good. Edit: I should've looked at it closer. There do seem to be a lot of problems that people in the next couple pages have pointed out. They've said it better than I could so I won't go into it, but overall it seems that this plan won't streamline the forums page. It seems like we'll have a lot more clutter and general dissatisfaction.

The main thing I want to say is that I want to be able to post in the parent forums still! It would drive me absolutely mad to have to run around a million different subforums. I think it would frustrate new and old members alike and can't see it being a good idea at all.
Another Edit: Even if the parent forum is only empty when there are subforums there are so many subforums almost all parent forums would be empty anyway. sad I don't understand why it's so appealing to you guys, can you please explain it in the OP?

As for Site Feedback, I'd definately hate to see it split in two. I worry that only one forum would get attention, and that an item request/recolor forum sounds more or less like a second Petitions forum, minus signatures.