This Forum Should Be Divided Into Two Areas...

[+nileszoso]

I think it would help newbies like myself find answers to questions easier. One forum that is hardware related, and one that is software related. Just a suggestion... to whom it may concern.

 

Brian.

[+BlueDeuce]

Are you sure you don't work in the Tech Support field?

[+welch]

Nice idea, however its more likely to be seen by someone that can easily effect change if it were posed in the 'geocaching.com' forum.

[+EraSeek]

Bad idea. Without the software, satellite's data stream, system, physics, theory, etc, the hardware is nothing but a paperweight. Without the hardware, system, software, theory, is just hot air going nowhere.

 

Bob Miller, artist, friend of physist Frank Oppenheimer, once said, "the worst disease afflicting humankind is 'hardening of the catagories'.

 

Hardware and software is too broad and interrelated, and yet not broad enough to be separated.

[+as77]

Bad idea. Without the software, satellite's data stream, system, physics, theory, etc, the hardware is nothing but a paperweight. Without the hardware, system, software, theory, is just hot air going nowhere.

But by "software", we do not necessarily mean the firmware in the GPS device.

 

I support the original poster's idea. Why should the threads about a case for the 60cs and about a bug in GSAK be in the same section? Let's make a "GPS Units" section and a separate "Geocaching- and GPS-related software" section.

[+EraSeek]

The reason is, this is where you go to discuss technical stuff. It is all related. Kind of one stop shopping. I like it that way and there are times when you need to discuss both things together.

 

"which is the best unit?" ... "well, this one has well postioned buttons and it will load up maps. You might want to use such and such a program to load your waypoints but watch out for the such and such program because it is full of bugs."

 

Well, you get the idea. To split it up would be to dilute the discussion.

[+planetrobert]

this has been mentioned before and shot down for several reasons...

 

the main being... what happens when you want to use hardware A with software B

 

they are very much related and as such shouldn't ever be seperated out.

[+TotemLake]

I'm in agreement with Ralaan and EraSeek.

 

To paraphrase; without the software, the hardware is useless, and without the hardware, the software is useless. More times than not, the question is going to be software related on a piece of hardware, or hardware related over some software program. In either case, these cannot be hardcore separated to just hardware or just software, which would require a third forum, hardware and software - like this one.

 

In the case of GSAK, it does relate to hardware more than you realize if you haven't followed the entire thread. It isn't just about software. There are bugs to work out and it is easier to keep track of it in one thread and one forum than to keep track of it in multiple forums or threads because of the need to separate it out by hardware or software or both. The amount of confusion and lines beginning in most topics with "I'm not sure if this belongs here..." would be horrendous.

 

Nileszoso, I'm not one to knock new ideas, but it's far easier for newbies to learn how to use the search function to find what they need rather than change a format that works.

[+fivegallon]

And if you're having problems with your Mapsend Worldwide Basemap Software not talking to your Magellan GPSr , which section you gonna post in???

[+embra]

And if you're having problems with your Mapsend Worldwide Basemap Software not talking to your Magellan GPSr , which section you gonna post in??? 

Easy...we create a third combo forum

 

I can agree that there feels like a lot of stuff to sort through to find answers to questions. As a Magellan user, I find myself skipping over a *lot* of 60CS discussions. But if someone has tried to find their answer with the search function unsuccessfully, others here are happy to provide answers or direct them to the relevant thread. It works out reasonably well.

Edited September 18, 2004 by embra

[+fivegallon]

And if you're having problems with your Mapsend Worldwide Basemap Software not talking to your Magellan GPSr , which section you gonna post in??? 

Easy...we create a third combo forum

 

I can agree that there feels like a lot of stuff to sort through to find answers to questions. As a Magellan user, I find myself skipping over a *lot* of 60CS discussions. But if someone has tried to find their answer with the search function unsuccessfully, others here are happy to provide answers or direct them to the relevant thread. It works out reasonably well.

Yep. And then you can search through 3 forums. why didn't i think of that

[+as77]

Just look at the list of threads. At least 90% percent of them (or maybe more) are easily classified as being either about a GPS unit or software. The remaining <10% could get in any one of the categories. It doesn't make sense to maintain a unified section just because 10% of the threads are not that easy to classify.

[+TotemLake]

Then filtering out the 90% should be relatively easy.

[gm100guy]

I think it would help newbies like myself find answers to questions easier

 

Try this feature I find it works the best for finding information here

 

[+TeeEff]

Here's the problem with that. Try searching for a Garmin product that is only three characters, such as the 60C. (Nobody calls it the Garmin 60C.) Here's what you get:

 

"One or all of your search keywords were below 4 characters or you are searched for words which are not allowed, such as 'html', 'img', etc, please go back and increase the length of these search keywords or choose different keywords. "

 

Which is why I would propose splitting the hardware part of this forum into Hardware - Garmin, Hardware - Magellen, Hardware - Others.