PETITION: "Lab" divided into sections by topic!

[zmix]

I feel that this forum is a bit unwieldy and more than a bit scattered. This makes it a bit tricky to navigate.


Could we divide this forum into sub topics?

Here are some suggestions:

EQ's
Compressors
Mic preamps
General theory
Show and tell
Schematics
Parts

etc...

 

[Gus]

It has been brought up before and IIRC that why we have the GREAT metas.

I think more Ideas and other interesting thing come from the way the site is now.

I don't think that will work well being divided. One of my fav places did that years ago and has not been the same ampage.org.

 

[alk509]

[quote author="zmix"]I feel that this forum is a bit unwieldy and more than a bit scattered. This makes it a bit tricky to navigate.
Could we divide this forum into sub topics?[/quote]

I personally don't think that's a good idea, or even necessary. There's a search function and metas to address this.

Peace,
Al.

 

[fazeka]

Not to be a dick, but I don't like that idea...

I (and I think many here) peruse topics based on subject. I don't look for subjects that only pertain to certain type of things (EQs only, pres only, etc.). If we were to have groups, we'd have to look in each one to get a representation for a little bit of everything.

In other words, I think many here dig a whole bunch of stuff, so much so that it doesn't justify grouping everything. Too much clicking and navigating.

Just my opinion.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

 

[PRR]

I strongly agree we should divide.

Someone suggested people might not know where to post. That's not a real problem. Most people do figure it out, even on many-section sites like DIYAudio.com Also, we have moderators with power to move posts to the "best section" (I have a decade of such experience and would wield that power if asked).

The scroll-rate here is driving me nuts!!! If I don't hit the place morning, noon, night, and midnight, I can't find the threads that I was interested in. That is probably why few discussions have an active life of more than a couple days.

 

[NewYorkDave]

[quote author="PRR"]The scroll-rate here is driving me nuts!!! If I don't hit the place morning, noon, night, and midnight, I can't find the threads that I was interested in.[/quote]

Amen. Every now and then, I have to do a search on my own posts just to remember which threads I was participating in, after they've fallen pages behind. If I can't log on for a day or two, forget it--I can never catch up.

That is probably why few discussions have an active life of more than a couple days.

Except for the clone-building threads. Those seem to live for weeks or months. The 1176 builder's thread is approaching forty pages as we speak.

I wouldn't like to see the lab divided into a bunch of sub-topics, but I would at least like to see the most popular projects get their own place. Heck, even if only the "G" projects (G7, G9, GSSL, G1176) and the LA-2A had their own forum, that would reduce scroll rate quite a bit.

 

[fum]

I would probably side on the divide in categories side.

As someone who has his fingers in so many DIY pies it makes me dizzy, there is that part of me that likes all the new and interesting things that come up, but there's an awful lot of information to digest here, and I'm sure I'm only getting a percentage of it, as the rest scrolls off the screen.

We could give it a shot. Sounds like we have some people who would be willing to help divide content into appropriate buckets.

There's nothing to say we couldn't change it back if it became too much.

I looked at ampage.org, and it looks a little too divided. The proposal up top seems a decent way to divide.

Regards

ju

 

[zmix]

Certainly the site could provide the option for viewing by grouped topic or viewing all posts. For keyrice sake, the posts don't physically live anywhere.

I agree with NY Dave that it is hard to keep up with the topics you are interested in.

The search engine here isn't great either.

 

[clintrubber]

The topic reply notifications that you can get by e-mail do help with tracking the threads one posted in, but they're likely not enough.

Several but not too many subtopics sounds good.

 

[electronaut]

[quote author="clintrubber"]Several but not too many subtopics sounds good.[/quote]

I agree that the scroll rate is a drag, and I think it's actually inhibiting good lengthy discussions on certain topics.

That said, I'm not particularly in favor of a whole lot of separate forums, and I definitely wouldn't want to divide the forums up according to the function of the equipment being discussed (like EQs, mic preamps, etc.)

The best categories I can think of would be these:

- DESIGN & THEORY
- GALLERY (Show and Tell)

and, of course

- CLONES


With these categories, schematics could be posted into the Design & Theory forum for discussion, and could then naturally migrate over to the Clones forum if such a project began.

Parts could be discussed in Design & Theory unless specifically related to a clone.

One look through today's topics (er... well, the ones that are here at the moment, which may be gone in a couple of hours) and it seems like everything could be categorized that way pretty well.


Man... I love this place, and I read The Lab every day without fail. I don't want to miss anything!

 

[Brian]

Call me selfish, but i like the idea that if i post a query here, it's likely to be viewed by many of the guru's who would be able to offer the best advice. If things were divided in the fashion of other online forums, the "newbie" forum would be filled with, well, newbies (like myself), and perhaps fewer of the local jedi would be inclined to visit the section, due to the split.

I think the Meta's have been doing a good job of organizing the main projects and sub-categories. The fact that the posts are scrolling so fast is a testament to the fact that many users enjoy this forum and are participating frequently. However It IS tough to follow threads, particularily if you're out of the loop for a few days. This would be my only arguement for the re-catagorization.
Is that a word?

Truth be told, you could sell 3/4 page flashing banner ads promoting midget porn and i wouldn't mind because this place is worth frequent visiting, regardless of the setup.

 

[Mbira]

I disagree with subdividing. I think it's great how threads here organically turn into a discussion of theory, use, how this relates to that, etc.

I think a good solution to the topics dropping off the screen so quickly would be to have an easily available and viewable list of
1) topics you recently responded to or started
and
2) topics you recently looked at.
If there was a way to easily see the last 10 topics of each, then it seems like that problem would pose much less difficulty.

I do feel that some topics should get locked or split. I'm in the process of building a couple of 1176's and the 40 page thread does not look exciting. It basically looks like someone gets to an issue and then goes on that thread, and then the next five pages are dedicated to that person and on to the next issue for the next five pages, etc. This is very unwieldy and I plan on steering clear of that and just using the
GREAT METAS!
The metas are already there to subdivide things. If people feel there should be other devisions, maybe they should start a meta on that topic?

Just my $.02. Either way, this place rules and I'll be here whatever happens.

Joel

 

[NewYorkDave]

Really, I think a four-way split would be good enough, and easiest for everyone to deal with.

The Lab

"Top Twenty Projects" or whatever (this would contain all your "G" projects, your 1081s, your LA-2As, your Green pres...)

Black Market (and this includes group buys, thank you very much :wink: ).

The Brewery

 

[clintrubber]

Is there perhaps a way to select individually how threads & messages are presented ?

For lack of the correct terms, I'll try to describe it. A new message is just thrown into the big pile of posts, but one adds a few characteristics.
Of course we'd need to use these 'related to'-settings properly.

categories like it's about the G1176 / a new design topic / TX-dismantling etc.

People who'd like to browse through these catagories hit the 'arrange' button and all is neatly presented in these categories. Other people who want it all don't hit that button (some kind of 'expand all') and enjoy the threads as they've appeared here after each other.

At work we're using a 'teamroom' for a multi-site project. Being able to sort by person/category etc greatly helps finding stuff & tracking new entries.

I have no idea how this could be used here though - vast software-adaptations required ?

 

[electronaut]

[quote author="NewYorkDave"]Really, I think a four-way split would be good enough, and easiest for everyone to deal with.

The Lab

"Top Twenty Projects" or whatever (this would contain all your "G" projects, your 1081s, your LA-2As, your Green pres...)

Black Market (and this includes group buys, thank you very much :wink: ).

The Brewery[/quote]

OK. I hereby change my opinion. I like NYD's idea better. So my pick of categories is:

The Lab (all design and theory related, etc.)
Top Twenty Projects (clones, "G" projects, LA-2A, as well as GALLERY, or "Show and tell" etc.)

and the other two, Black Market & Brewery.

But we'd have to think of a better name than "Top Twenty Projects".

 

[aurt]

a bit unwieldy and more than a bit scattered

Now, now, I resemble that remark.

 

[CJ]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Look what happened to recording.org.
So many forums you spent the whole day going back and forth.
I think we have maxed out to 1 page a day.
It will level off as the Meta's grow.

 

[hitchhiker]

maybe not too many divisions,

AMPS including; pre-amps, sum-amps , line-amps & all other amps

PROCESSORS incl eq's, comps, mixers & effects

TRANSFORMERS & INTERFACE CIRCUITS

SHOW & TELL and BOX BUILDING TIPS

Let the schematics be in their appropriate section.

 

[NewYorkDave]

But there are too many things that don't fit neatly into one of those categories.

I stand by my earlier recommendation of splitting off a "clones" or "most popular projects" forum and leaving it at that. Simply doing that would reduce scroll rate to a level we all could live with, I'm sure.

As for "show and tell" photos, I think those could go in one of those two categories. If I build up a prototype of my EQ or mixer design, I'd post my photo in the Lab. If I built a GSSL, that photo would go in the "popular projects" forum. Easy.

 

[Mbira]

But if I build a version of your EQ, then it goes in clones, and you'll never see it.