Moderator Notice :Choosing the proper forum to post

[Ken Salisbury]

Recently there have been a number of posts on the Power Tool Forum which were clearly not PT Forum related which I am obligated to move to the proper forum. In the event a post is on the "iffy" side as to whether or not it belongs on PT I leave it here. Thanks to the members who have brought some of these misplaced posts to my attention.

Please consider which forum is best suited to the subject of your post.

I understand that since the PT Forum is the most active and viewed by more folks you might feel your post will get more exposure/responses by just putting all your posts here.

If a post is clearly not PT related I am gonna move it anyway - so please save me the trouble.




Your Friendly Moderator

[Julie Wright]

Well, How about making a turning forum?

[Ken Salisbury]

Well, How about making a turning forum?
Some time ago we approached the members with that idea which a member suggested. At that time the consensus of the membership was not to do that. Having additional forums might me a subject that can be addressed later.

[Bob Smalser]

You advertise this as your "Main" woodworking forum...

Quote
Power Tool Forum (32 Viewing)
Main Woodworking Forum
Unquote

So if I'm trying to tell a complete newbie what an unwise choice a mortising machine is while demonstrating how easily it's done by hand...

...where do I post?

My target audience never ventures into the "Neanderthal" section....these are "Main Woodworking" subjects.

[Keith Outten]

To All,

Any post that involves a lathe is proper to post in the power tool forum. As Ken said we offered to create a forum for the turners but our members feel that it would split the group and most feel that it wouldn't be beneficial to the community. Although many of our members do not turn they really enjoy looking at the projects and interacting with the "Round Side" of the group directly.

From an administrative standpoint we can create a new forum in a matter of minutes. We are open to the creation of new forums whenever a majority of our members agree. If enough wood turners ask for a new forum specifically for wood turners I will create one.

I just received a request to create a new forum for wooden toys. I would be glad to do so if the majority of our members agree. Using vBulletin software for SawMill Creek provides us with tools for viewing across multiple forums easily, the impact of having lots of forums isn't as big an issue as it used to be. On the other hand the search utility of vBulletin is very powerful and if you use the proper keywords information on any topic is easily retrieved.

[Ken Salisbury]

You advertise this as your "Main" woodworking forum...

Quote
Power Tool Forum (32 Viewing)
Main Woodworking Forum
Unquote

So if I'm trying to tell a complete newbie what an unwise choice a mortising machine is while demonstrating how easily it's done by hand...

...where do I post?

My target audience never ventures into the "Neanderthal" section....these are "Main Woodworking" subjects.

Bob,

Your post was one that I moved and you reposted with the explanation that you were using it to describe not using a power mortise (which i left on the PT Forum). The way you could have done it was to put the post on the Neanderthal Forum and went to the PT f Forum with a simple post "Power Mortiser vs Hand Mortises and place a link to the thread on the PT Forum. At least that is the way I would have done it.

[Chris Padilla]

I PM'ed Ken about this very topic...thanks, Ken, for posting about it.

I know I've only been here a short while but I think the Power Tool forum is overcrowded and needs segregating or sifting. I see posts literally go whizzing by and it is often hard to find them a day or two later on page 4, 5 or 6. Perhaps some good sub-forums under the PT forum might be suitable? Tool Review? We already have an Articles/Review forum so should Tool Reviews go there?

I think a Turning Forum is a good idea. I also think a Toys forum sounds pretty good. We have the off-topic and that works well.

I suggested a General forum but I must confess that I'm not sure what would be appropriate to post in there.

A finishing forum would be another idea.

Please post your thoughts for some reorg (or even if you think it is fine the way it is...that's cool, too).

I'd like to set-up a good, solid poll in the Support forum so we can vote.

First, perhaps we should vote if the forum could use a change. If so, they we can vote on what additional forum/changes we'd like to see.

Post away! :D

[Jason Roehl]

We already have an Articles/Review forum so should Tool Reviews go there?


I thought I'd chime in here from another member's perspective. Yes, reviews should go to the A/R section. It would help "declutter" the PT forum. If everyone were considerate in posting their threads in the appropriate forum, perhaps the PT forum wouldn't be quite so "busy."



I think a Turning Forum is a good idea.


Since you are relatively new, you wouldn't know that in the 11 short months SMC has been around, we've already visited this topic 2-3 times at least. I think we maybe should try to come to an agreement as a group as to how often we want to visit the topic of new/different forums so that we don't have to rehash it every time an unaware newer member suggests it--maybe twice a year or something like that.



I also think a Toys forum sounds pretty good. We have the off-topic and that works well.


I agree on both counts, but we may not quite have the traffic yet to support a Toys forum--there have been some posts of toys, but very few overall, and there's the whole pictures issue--it could end up being a bandwith-hungry gallery where guests just surf to look at pics. That could get real expensive for Keith and co.



A finishing forum would be another idea.


Now this, I believe would be an excellent idea. It definitely crosses the "boundary" between the Power Tools and our electron-friendly brethren (and sisterhood!). As long as we could avoid scraper vs. sandpaper free-for-alls, I think we'd be alright.



Please post your thoughts for some reorg (or even if you think it is fine the way it is...that's cool, too).


Okay.



I'd like to set-up a good, solid poll in the Support forum so we can vote.


Feel free. Perhaps a preliminary post to solicit poll ideas/features would help.



First, perhaps we should vote if the forum could use a change. If so, they we can vote on what additional forum/changes we'd like to see.


Wouldn't be a bad place to start.

[David Rose]

First of all this is not my forum. It's not a democracy so I'll go along with whatever the owners and powers to be decide. I will even try not to complain. ;)

But here is my personal "take" on it. I don't like the division between power tools and hand tools. I suspect it is because I enjoy both. I am not a turner and would seldom read the "Turner's Forum". Most of the time that would be no problem. Today I would have missed Scott Greave's article on Pens. My Dad who is not online will love this article. I stay mostly on the Power Tool forum and don't go often enough to the others. I probably would have missed Bob Smalser's article on mortising with chisels. I haven't done a single mortise with a chisel but I enjoyed it, and will likely do some some day. Ken, I appreciate you leaving it on this time.

I guess this is all to say that the more division there is the fewer things I will read. However, posts go by fast. I do scroll back a couple of pages to see what I've missed. I understand if we need to divide.

Most of us probably prefer to read what interests us. That is what the mouse is for, IMHO. I am into power tools, hand tools, and design. I would not miss toys, turning (caught myself one that one tonight ;-)), or most other forums. Then again, I have computer problems so anything might go...

David

[Carl Eyman]

When one uses the "New Messages" feature all forums are accessed. The user can choose to read any message without having a concern about what forum it is on. So why have different forums?

[Glenn Clabo]

My 2 cents...
I agree with Carl. I don't really care how the subjects are broken up. I always click on "View New Posts" and read whatever I feel like. I hardly ever just click on specific forums. I'm not a turner...but I really like to see what others are doing. I use/buy hand and power tools so I read everything I want from both of those.

I am a defender of democracy and I really like it when new people join. However, I think in this case, we would be spinning like a top if we continue to vote on how we would like things to be set up everytime someone has a "better" idea. Not because they are bad ideas...but because we are all so different in how we approach the use of the forum.

FWIW

[Carl Eyman]

Now that Glenn has "seconded the motion" Robert's rules say we can discuss it. How about 1 forum for all woodworking activity - hand work, machines, tool discussiona, etc. It might be called the Active Forum. Then one for support and off topic. Lastly, maybe classified ads could be by itself. I agree with Glenn that stability of format is a good idea, but I do think there is a danger of missing something of interest if we segment discussion into too many pigeon holes. (Now we can watch Ken move this off into the Support Forum.)

[Kevin Gerstenecker]

Couldn't have said it any better myself Glenn.............thanks!

[Ken Salisbury]

(Now we can watch Ken move this off into the Support Forum.)

Nah !! I am just gonna let ya'all get it all off of your chests right here. If I move it there - poor Dennis will have to moderate this thread and I wouln't put that off on an enemy - much less a friend.

[Dennis Peacock]

Nah !! I am just gonna let ya'all get it all off of your chests right here. If I move it there - poor Dennis will have to moderate this thread and I wouln't put that off on an enemy - much less a friend.

Easy there Ken... ;)

I think I will adopt you as my grandfather......!!!!!

I wouldn't put this off on you either if it was in the OT forum. This very discussion is a vital concern of all SMC...... I will post my "opinion" in a different reply.

[Dennis Peacock]

OK...I'm not a popular person here or anywhere for that fact. I ain't skeerd of work and the best folks I have ever met in my life are WoodWorkers.

Many here that helped start SMC are Ex-Ponders (Badger Pond WW Forum). On the Pond...all we had was Support, Power Tool, Neanderthal and Online Store. It was Simple and easy to use. You could go to a single forum and read about Finishing, power tool problems, reviews, woodturning, burning, dust collection....basically anything that was not specifically for forum support, neanderthal related or online purchasing was in the Power Tool forum.

The more forums we add....the more things that will get passed. I agree with Glenn and Earl....A single forum is grand.......Most woodworkers do a combination of power and hand tool work anyway. How many WW'ers only use ALL power tools and never pick up a chisel, hand plane, scraper, etc......

I like the Power Tool Forum as it was / is.......Many subjects without having to search the world over. Basically put, I vote to keep it very simple......after all...its about <b><i>knowledge and community</i></b> instead of splitting membership 10 different ways......we all learn something from every aspect of woodworking....no matter where it gets posted....but a central location for it all makes it nice.