Organizing Posts?
11-20-07, 03:39 PM
#1
eternalvoyage
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Organizing Posts?
Is there anyone else who would like to see an option available, to users of the touring forum, to display the postings here under headings like food, camping gear, touring frame geometry, racks, stealth camping, winter touring, panniers, trailers, and others that might be useful?
Each user could have a setup option that would either display the postings as they are now displayed, or display them under the headings. There could be an easy way to turn the headings on and off, for each person, as needed.
The search function can do some of this, but these headings seem like a good way to organize the postings, and could be useful to some people.
Each user could have a setup option that would either display the postings as they are now displayed, or display them under the headings. There could be an easy way to turn the headings on and off, for each person, as needed.
The search function can do some of this, but these headings seem like a good way to organize the postings, and could be useful to some people.
Last edited by Niles H.; 11-20-07 at 06:56 PM.
11-20-07, 04:30 PM
#2
Bike touring webrarian
Niles,
I did and I decided to write my own system to do just that. I am now actively indexing the forum threads that I find particularly interesting and useful. I don't only do this for bikeforums.net but I read several other forums whose posts I enter. The resulting links are stored in the www.biketouringtips.com archive.
At present, there are 87 entries in the archive referring to "bikeforums.net."
I would like to encourage you to add links that you find interesting into the archive or, better yet, write up your own ideas and put them there for other bike tourists on the web to find. Entering things into the archive requires a free registration.
Here is a listing by topics:
I did and I decided to write my own system to do just that. I am now actively indexing the forum threads that I find particularly interesting and useful. I don't only do this for bikeforums.net but I read several other forums whose posts I enter. The resulting links are stored in the www.biketouringtips.com archive.
At present, there are 87 entries in the archive referring to "bikeforums.net."
I would like to encourage you to add links that you find interesting into the archive or, better yet, write up your own ideas and put them there for other bike tourists on the web to find. Entering things into the archive requires a free registration.
Here is a listing by topics:
Code:
Bike Shops | General | 1 | Routes | Cross-country | 4 | Routes | Single State | 5 | Routes | Multi-country | 1 | Tour Planning | General | 3 | Tour Planning | Route | 6 | Tour Planning | Local Resources | 3 | Tour Planning | Things to Avoid | 1 | Tour Planning | Useful Websites | 6 | Tour Planning | Packing Lists | 1 | Tour Planning | Money | 2 | Bike Touring Equipment | General | 2 | Bike Touring Equipment | Touring Bikes | 10 | Bike Touring Equipment | Bike Lighting | 1 | Bike Touring Equipment | Pedals/Cranks/Gears/Chains | 2 | Bike Touring Equipment | On-Bike Clothes/Gear | 2 | Bike Touring Equipment | Brakes/Shifters | 1 | Bike Touring Equipment | Panniers/Racks/Trailers | 4 | Bike Touring Equipment | Bike Locks | 1 | Bike Touring Equipment | GPS Units | 1 | Bike Touring Equipment | Tents/Camping Equipment | 3 | Bike Touring Equipment | Cooking Stoves/Fuel | 3 | Bike Touring Equipment | Spokes/Wheels | 1 | Bike Touring Equipment | Hydration Systems | 1 | Bike Touring Equipment | Tools | 1 | Food | General | 5 | Food | Cold Meals | 1 | Food | Hot Meals | 1 | Tour Journals | Trip Reports | 1 | Good Ideas | General | 5 | Water | General | 1 | Water | Water stops | 2 | Adventure Cycling Association | TransAmerica Trail | 1 | Member Pages | Ray | 1 | FAQ | Archive | 1 | Camping | Stealth | 1 | Bike Storage | Overnight | 1 |
11-20-07, 05:05 PM
#3
eternalvoyage
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Raybo,
Thanks for this. I was glad to see the second-tier categories -- it was something I had considered too. It makes a lot of sense.
I find that a 'tree structure' or presentation is a bit more familiar or intuitive, or more immediately so.
Once one sees what you are doing, though, your way of presenting it is also very clear.
Thanks for this. I was glad to see the second-tier categories -- it was something I had considered too. It makes a lot of sense.
I find that a 'tree structure' or presentation is a bit more familiar or intuitive, or more immediately so.
Once one sees what you are doing, though, your way of presenting it is also very clear.
11-20-07, 06:18 PM
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Well, I have suggested in other forums that several forums should establish a "What Bike Should I Get?" subforum. Road Cycling could really use that subforum. Mtn biking might use it. And we could use it here in Touring as well.
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11-20-07, 06:45 PM
#5
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(...and maybe even organize it further with subheadings, like Frame Materials... Old Mountain Bikes as Touring Bikes... Custom Bikes... Good-value Bikes... Inexpensive Alternatives... Used Bikes....)
11-20-07, 06:57 PM
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The trouble with making too many categories is that then it is hard to know where to look or where to post. I could have an inexpensive, used steel bicycle which would therefore fit into three of those categories.
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11-20-07, 07:00 PM
#7
Bike touring webrarian
Machka,
I have created an FAQ Topic and am starting to create the question and answers. They will be open for anyone to comment on. Here is a link to the beginnings of biketouringtips.com's FAQ. Maybe the best way to get what you think is needed is to create it yourself!
Ray
I have created an FAQ Topic and am starting to create the question and answers. They will be open for anyone to comment on. Here is a link to the beginnings of biketouringtips.com's FAQ. Maybe the best way to get what you think is needed is to create it yourself!
Ray
11-20-07, 07:25 PM
#8
eternalvoyage
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There are some solutions though. One is to post in all relevant categories. And for making it easier to look for what is of interest: the categories can be nested, and it would be possible to turn off the subcategories when appropriate.
It seems to me that subtopics would make it easier to find something, not harder. You could go to the appropriate main category, and then to any of the appropriate subcategories. The other way, you just have a long list of postings in the main category. This way, it narrows it down to something closer to what you are trying to find.
Also, if the main thrust of the posting is around the issue of inexpensiveness, then the posting is different from one in which the main interest is in the frame material, and so on -- usually someone with an inexpensive used steel bike is posting for one reason or another -- not equally spread out over issues or questions related to all three, but for some issue that is more focused.
****
Also, I wanted to say that they are second-tier categories, or subtopics, not a whole set of topics without a main topic under which they are organized.
...so you can still just use the main topic if desired.
Last edited by Niles H.; 11-20-07 at 07:30 PM.
11-20-07, 07:29 PM
#9
eternalvoyage
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11-20-07, 07:31 PM
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I'd be thrilled if there were just the "Which Bicycle" subforum here. That would clear out 1/4 to 1/3 of the posts here (and also in the Road Forum) which would make it easier to find other information in the main forum area. Plus, within the "Which Bicycle" subforum, people could discuss a wide variety of possibilities.
Raybo, do you know about this site? https://www.bicycletouring101.com/
Raybo, do you know about this site? https://www.bicycletouring101.com/
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11-20-07, 08:11 PM
#11
eternalvoyage
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It seems as if it would be fairly easy to do this, and I agree it would be an improvement.
(Maybe some other easy-ro-add subforums could also be added?)
****
Hope whoever is able to implement some of these things actually does some of this -- it would make for a better user-friendliness.
(Maybe some other easy-ro-add subforums could also be added?)
****
Hope whoever is able to implement some of these things actually does some of this -- it would make for a better user-friendliness.
11-20-07, 09:54 PM
#12
eternalvoyage
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Niles,
...The resulting links are stored in the www.biketouringtips.com archive.
At present, there are 87 entries in the archive referring to "bikeforums.net."
I would like to encourage you to add links that you find interesting into the archive or, better yet, write up your own ideas and put them there for other bike tourists on the web to find....
...The resulting links are stored in the www.biketouringtips.com archive.
At present, there are 87 entries in the archive referring to "bikeforums.net."
I would like to encourage you to add links that you find interesting into the archive or, better yet, write up your own ideas and put them there for other bike tourists on the web to find....
Thanks for doing this -- I just spent a few minutes touring the site, and quickly got the knack for navigating it. (There is always a bit of learning to go through with a new site, but I found your way of organizing by selecting topic and subtopic to be easy to learn, and useful for navigation.)
Hope people give it a try. I'll be contributing in future; thanks for encouraging our participation.
-Niles
11-21-07, 01:28 AM
#13
Bike touring webrarian
Raybo, do you know about this site? https://www.bicycletouring101.com/
The first listing in the FAQ area was a link to the Getting Started section of BicycleTouring101.com.
It is an excellent site.
Ray
11-21-07, 09:23 AM
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Put subjects in Titles
I don't have a problem with the current format, but I would like to urge people to put some kind of clue as to what the subject is in the thread's title. For instance, instead of "Help Urgently Needed", it would be better to put something like "Which Crankset to Buy?". Instead of "Newbie Question" how about, "Are Ortliebs the Right Panniers for Me?" It might save people some time. I enjoy talking about bikes, and like to help when I can, but I've also determined that I spend too much time sorting through these forums and am trying to focus more on sifting through topics and only opening selected threads.
11-21-07, 12:14 PM
#15
eternalvoyage
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That would be easy to implement, and easy to use.
And very useful to some people.
And it would save time.
Scrolling down through a long list of uncategorized threads (and deciphering them) is not my favorite way of spending time. The categories would make it much more user friendly.
****
There could be a list of ten to twenty main topics, alphabetized. By clicking on a topic, subtopics could appear. Then the threads could appear after clicking on a desired subtopic.
Or, if someone just wanted to see all the threads under the main topic, there could be a choice called "see all."
And it would be easy and simple just to look at the threads as they appear now.
This would give people some good new choices and more flexibility in how they access the threads.
****
Some posters have requested special categories for camping, and for other topics (within the touring forum). This would meet the need they feel, and would also organize the posts for other users of the forum, rather than leave the posts as an amorphous, long long list of threads.
Last edited by Niles H.; 11-21-07 at 12:56 PM.
11-21-07, 01:14 PM
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The problem with catagories is people don't use them. Either they post unrelated stuff in them, like the fixed rack question today that is based on a comuting need. From the questioner's perspective, it is certainly logical to come here, but it doesn't actually fit in. Maybe it should be in framebuilding, though one may not find anyone who has used a rack there...
The other sort of non-use is that possibly the framebuilder who comes to the board is posting only in Framebuilding, and doesn't have the time to routinely plow thorugh all the segments like touring, so the front end fixed rack question is missed by him.
In life there are the logical oraganization types, who routinely wreck organizations by improving the index and destroying the content. These are the types that give you schools that are centralized that some people have to travel 60 miles to get to, that have gangs due to alianation, and highly paid administrators to solve all the problems caused by centralizing the schools for greater efficiency.
The other sort of non-use is that possibly the framebuilder who comes to the board is posting only in Framebuilding, and doesn't have the time to routinely plow thorugh all the segments like touring, so the front end fixed rack question is missed by him.
In life there are the logical oraganization types, who routinely wreck organizations by improving the index and destroying the content. These are the types that give you schools that are centralized that some people have to travel 60 miles to get to, that have gangs due to alianation, and highly paid administrators to solve all the problems caused by centralizing the schools for greater efficiency.
11-21-07, 01:50 PM
#17
eternalvoyage
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The problem with catagories is people don't use them. Either they post unrelated stuff in them, like the fixed rack question today that is based on a comuting need. From the questioner's perspective, it is certainly logical to come here, but it doesn't actually fit in. Maybe it should be in framebuilding, though one may not find anyone who has used a rack there...
Agreed -- that happens. If there were a sub-category for racks here, that would be an appropriate place to post. The poster could also try posting elsewhere, in addition, in case some mechanics (for example) might be able to help (this also happens now).
These types do not always make things worse. They often make things better.
We wouldn't be using these computers we are on right now, if it weren't for some logicians who layed the groundwork, and many other logical types who followed up.
I don't see it hindering or interfering with content, just making it easier to access it.
****
This site already has some amount of logical organization. It isn't perfect and need not be -- which is not to say there is no room for improvement, or no possibility of improvement.
