Jump to content

Off Topic Is Out Of Control


New England n00b

Recommended Posts

I noticed OT doesn't have a special 'forum avatar'. Here is my lame attempt. I botched it a bit, but you get the idea. ;) The line on the right 'should' be transparent, but it is still in the idea stage. If geocaching.com is amenable to the concept, I can make a 'good' version, or their resident (and awesome) graphic artiste can do it.

 

556d023e.jpg

Link to comment
I noticed OT doesn't have a special 'forum avatar'. Here is my lame attempt. I botched it a bit, but you get the idea. B) The line on the right 'should' be transparent, but it is still in the idea stage. If geocaching.com is amenable to the concept, I can make a 'good' version, or their resident (and awesome) graphic artiste can do it.

 

556d023e.jpg

Ooooh. I like this. :lol:

Link to comment

I wonder if the out-of-control number of posts in the Off-Topic forum havew anything to do with the slow down of the geocaching forums?

 

422,082 posts in 1,933 threads in the Off-Topic forum

 

38,238 543,768

 

543,768 posts in 38,238 threads in the Getting Started, Geocaching Related, Geocaching.com and CITO forums combined.

 

Let's see...

 

 

In the General Geocaching Discussions, 43.7% of the posts are off-topic, non-geocaching related.

 

Do ya THINK that MIGHT have something to do with the slow-down/lock-up of the forum searching ability?

Link to comment
I wonder if the out-of-control number of posts in the Off-Topic forum havew anything to do with the slow down of the geocaching forums?

 

422,082 posts in 1,933 threads in the Off-Topic forum

 

38,238 543,768

 

543,768 posts in 38,238 threads in the Getting Started, Geocaching Related, Geocaching.com and CITO forums combined.

 

Let's see...

 

 

In the General Geocaching Discussions, 43.7% of the posts are off-topic, non-geocaching related.

 

Do ya THINK that MIGHT have something to do with the slow-down/lock-up of the forum searching ability?

No, I don't actually, considering you can search individual forum folders and not the whole dang thing.

Link to comment
No, I don't actually, considering you can search individual forum folders and not the whole dang thing.

But newbies - I'm 99% sure on this - don't. Newbies are the ones that need to search. They search all topics for words to make sure they get what they're looking for. If they want to know how to get a Travel Bug started, they wouldn't know to search in the Travel Bug forum or the Getting Started forum. So I'm SURE they search all.

 

Now, if there were a way to search all topics EXCEPT the Off Topic forum, I would think that would probably solve our search.

 

Of course, there could be a search for WITHIN the Off Topic forum.

 

perhaps if people just chanced a glance at the OT, and cheers...they might find out what they are missing.

 

I've always found that line of thinking interesting. I come here to talk about Geocaching. After all, it's a Geocaching website. Why would I want to come over to Geocaching.com forums to talk about the latest episode of Fear Factor, or whether the Dr. Who episodes can co-exist in the cannonical episodes/movies of Star Trek?

 

AND, the point I'm definitely trying to make (so I won't be so subtle about it):

 

If people jibber-jabbering about things TOTALLY unrelated to Geocaching is causing a slow-down in the forums for the website that is devoted to Geocaching, I see that as a problem.

 

I don't want to shut the off topic forum down, but what I AM suggesting is that there be a Geocaching.com Off Topic forum that is NOT integrated into the Geocaching.com forums. In other words, link to a specifc forum board that uses all of the same cookies and is still accessible via the forums through links, but not have the search go through those posts.

 

I would envision it as a self-contained chaos system. Anyone that wanted to post anything about their favorite football team or the politics involved in the war in Iraq could have a great time in there, so long as it doesn't affect the rest of the forums.

Link to comment
No, I don't actually, considering you can search individual forum folders and not the whole dang thing.

But newbies - I'm 99% sure on this - don't. Newbies are the ones that need to search. They search all topics for words to make sure they get what they're looking for. If they want to know how to get a Travel Bug started, they wouldn't know to search in the Travel Bug forum or the Getting Started forum. So I'm SURE they search all.

 

Now, if there were a way to search all topics EXCEPT the Off Topic forum, I would think that would probably solve our search.

 

Of course, there could be a search for WITHIN the Off Topic forum.

 

perhaps if people just chanced a glance at the OT, and cheers...they might find out what they are missing.

 

I've always found that line of thinking interesting. I come here to talk about Geocaching. After all, it's a Geocaching website. Why would I want to come over to Geocaching.com forums to talk about the latest episode of Fear Factor, or whether the Dr. Who episodes can co-exist in the cannonical episodes/movies of Star Trek?

 

AND, the point I'm definitely trying to make (so I won't be so subtle about it):

 

If people jibber-jabbering about things TOTALLY unrelated to Geocaching is causing a slow-down in the forums for the website that is devoted to Geocaching, I see that as a problem.

 

I don't want to shut the off topic forum down, but what I AM suggesting is that there be a Geocaching.com Off Topic forum that is NOT integrated into the Geocaching.com forums. In other words, link to a specifc forum board that uses all of the same cookies and is still accessible via the forums through links, but not have the search go through those posts.

 

I would envision it as a self-contained chaos system. Anyone that wanted to post anything about their favorite football team or the politics involved in the war in Iraq could have a great time in there, so long as it doesn't affect the rest of the forums.

On the bolded part I agree, should be an easy thing to do, depending on how well built (ie customizable-friendly) the forum software is.

 

The rest, especially that latter part I am not gonna touch, other than to say I disagree.

Link to comment

that's funny. I appreciate a place to talk to my other friends, who happen to geocache, about things that are not necessarily geocaching related. And Jeremy saw fit to provide such a place for people, so they wouldn't have to go looking elsewhere.

 

I mean seriously...because I cache...that's all I'm allowed to talk about? who knew? :D

Link to comment

Ah.

 

I guess you both missed this part of that post:

 

I don't want to shut the off topic forum down, but what I AM suggesting is that there be a Geocaching.com Off Topic forum that is NOT integrated into the Geocaching.com forums. In other words, link to a specifc forum board that uses all of the same cookies and is still accessible via the forums through links, but not have the search go through those posts.
Link to comment
Ah.

 

I guess you both missed this part of that post:

 

I don't want to shut the off topic forum down, but what I AM suggesting is that there be a Geocaching.com Off Topic forum that is NOT integrated into the Geocaching.com forums. In other words, link to a specifc forum board that uses all of the same cookies and is still accessible via the forums through links, but not have the search go through those posts.

I think thats a good idea.

Link to comment
If people jibber-jabbering about things TOTALLY unrelated to Geocaching is causing a slow-down in the forums for the website that is devoted to Geocaching, I see that as a problem.

I can imagine that it would help to move the off topic forum to another forum setup (but obviously provide a link there). However I don't think it will help enough. It is probably still worth investigating. Thanks for the suggestion.

Link to comment
Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...