Thread for Ideas for New Topics/Categories

[Aaronw]

Knocking old posts off the front page isn't the point. The point is to arrange the various posting areas in a logical way. Whether a post gets knocked to page 2 sooner vs. later is completely irrelevant to how the forum should be laid out. New posts will always knock old posts back, regardless of how the site is arranged.

No but it shows posting volume.

If it takes 6 weeks for a forum to to fill one page that is a slow forum, there is room for 30 posts on a page, so that is less than one post per day. When you have forums with very low traffic people tend to drift into busier forums because it's no fun talking to yourself.

For some things volume doesn't matter, but for modelling categories I think it is important.

Ideally I would aim for 4 days to a week to clear a page, and no more than a month. If things are being pushed off the page in only a day or two it might be time to divide into more catgories, if it takes 30-60 days it is probably time to combine it with another category.

It only take 4-5 posts per day to clear a page in a week, only 1 a day to do so in a month, so I'm not saying just put it all in one big forum. I'm just saying you should carefully evaluate how much traffic a category can expect to get. Looking at the current forum I just don't see the need for seperating racing into multiple categories.

Edited May 3, 2010 by Aaronw

[Aaronw]

What is the definition of a truck? I myself think people are being snobs about trucks. My truck is bigger than yours so you can not play in my sandbox. This is just pure silliness. A truck is not a car no way.

So you think a slammed pickup truck using the same styling as a low rider car belongs with semi trucks instead of with low riders? In the other direction a Fed Ex Chevy Astro Van has more in common with a Semi than with a soccer mom's Dodge Caravan.

It is not snobbery, it just makes sense to have the same style of vehicle with others that share that style, not just by chassis.

[Harry P.]

Who said anything about free? If you leave now, you could be here for dinner tomorrow, but I haven't decided what to make yet.

From West Chicago, IL to Citrus Springs, FL is a 17 hour drive straight through. (Feel free to bring 5 or 10 pounds of Portillo's Italian beef and several loaves of their bread).

Actually I'm not the town of West Chicago, but another town in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, about 10 miles north of West Chicago.

And how about some Chicago-style pizza?

[Jeff Sauber]

So you think a slammed pickup truck using the same styling as a low rider car belongs with semi trucks instead of with low riders? In the other direction a Fed Ex Chevy Astro Van has more in common with a Semi than with a soccer mom's Dodge Caravan.

It is not snobbery, it just makes sense to have the same style of vehicle with others that share that style, not just by chassis.

Well said, I agree, but don't try reasoning with that guy....[he's pre-programmed and set in his stubborn ways]. You'd have better luck trying to have a discussion with a brick wall.

[Jeff Sauber]

Here's my take: Don't fix what ain't broke.

The forum has worked perfectly fine the way it has been now since 2006, why change a winning forumula because some people complained.

Here's my take on the pickup debacle: Automobiles, either cars or pickups/SUVs that are not buisness related, SHOULD be togther. Commercial vehicles, like 18 wheelers, seem to like to be by themselves. Why mess with it? They are happy, we are happy, what's the problem? How many non-big rig commercial vehicles get posted here? Maybe one a month? If that much. It should be pretty easy to figure out where one would find a more receptive audience. A Sedan Delivery with a buisness name on the side would probably be more well recieved in the car section. A pickup that has been converted to be a rescue truck (fire truck) would probably be more well recieved in the truck section. It's not the end of the world if it's posted in the wrong section.

NASCAR and drag racing models should stay as they are. The two are not interchangeable, and I find very few people are avidly into both. I don't think there are enough other kinds of race cars being built to have their own section, but I could be wrong. Perhaps if they did have their own section more would get posted? I know I don't post everything I build on here, I am sure I am not the only one. I do think it would probably make sence to expand the NASCAR class to cover all forms of racing that make turns. People have been posting non-NASCAR builds in there since day 1 anyway so why not make it official?

It has been perfect for so long, a change is unneeded and the ONLY possible outcome will be to make the board a worse place...because, as I said above...you can't fix perfection, the only way to go is down.

I remember when I joined this board not long after it's creation. There was no section for drag cars, no section for NASCAR, there wasn't even a section for finished models. But they came in short order and the formula was perfected early on. Don't mess with success!

I should note that I only really check the General, New Kit Reviews, NASCAR, Rants and Raves, and Resin sections on a regular basis. Under Glass I check often, usually every visit but not always, depending on how much time I have.

I sort of agree with this, although a little revamping of a few things wouldn't hurt.

Totally redoing the forum in it's entirety may be a bit much though. There's certainly a few sub forums that could get removed or combined. Some of those slower forums hardly have any traffic at all.

[Jordan White]

I second (fifth? tenth?) Harry's concept. I like when things are categorized, since it's easier to find what one is interested in. If you're one of the people who want to see everything, just view the new content since it will all be mixed together.

Harry (or Pat or Gregg): is the pickup truck section in the Model Trucks area, as it stands now, meant for just finished builds or WIPs as well?

[Harry P.]

I second (fifth? tenth?) Harry's concept. I like when things are categorized, since it's easier to find what one is interested in. If you're one of the people who want to see everything, just view the new content since it will all be mixed together.

Harry (or Pat or Gregg): is the pickup truck section in the Model Trucks area, as it stands now, meant for just finished builds or WIPs as well?

As it stands now, both.

[crazyjim]

I mentioned West Chicago because my neighbor drives up there. Gianorio's pizza in Winfield would be great to go along with some Portillo's beef.

[Harry P.]

I mentioned West Chicago because my neighbor drives up there. Gianorio's pizza in Winfield would be great to go along with some Portillo's beef.

You mean Giordano's...

Actually, West Chicago is straight south of me down Rt. 59 about 7-8 miles...

[crazyjim]

No. Gianorio's in Winfield. In a strip mall on the southwest corner of County Farm Road and Geneva Road (I think). It's been 9 years since I left, but they were in Winfield.

Sure is a ton of information offered about changing the forum. I like it the way it is. I don't think you'll ever be able to change it to make everybody happy. I think it's imporant to enhace the categories we have now and not eliminate anything. I usually poke "View New Content" so I don't think the proposed changes would affect me much.

I need to get my '62 Catalina (custom), '67 Coronet (street machine), and '65 Riviera (custom) done before everything changes and I won't know where to post them.

To the shop!!

[Harry P.]

I don't think you'll ever be able to change it to make everybody happy.

I need to get my '62 Catalina (custom), '67 Coronet (street machine), and '65 Riviera (custom) done before everything changes and I won't know where to post them.

To the shop!!

It's impossible to make everyone happy, but it is possible to arrange things more logically than they are now.

And once you get those projects done it's obvious where you would post them: In the Model Car SHOWCASE. See how simple?

[Jon Cole]

Do what you will.. I'm just here for the chicks & beer.

[Chuck Most]

Any chance for a Modified diecast section? It is now at many of the model contests.

AzTom

I agree- it's not a bad idea! Lots of modelers like to hack into factory built diecasts! Why not?

[Cornpatch]

Harry;

Your not going to please all of the people, all of the time.

The way I see it its Gregg's, Harry's and Pat's ballpark, so they make the ground rules.

I have to agree, the forum is great the way it is now, but who knows, the improvements might make it even better.

Jeff

[ricky12]

Some body just make up there mind so we can figure out what we are doing !!!! PLEASE !!!!!

[Harold]

I kinda like it as it is now. If things get Balkanized too much, I might miss some killer builds. On the 'Other Site', there's too much division, and I'm not likely to go trawling through section after section. I also feel pickups should go along with cars (over 1- ton should be separate, however). Speaking of drink recipes, Harry, I used to bartend thirty years ago. I'd make you a drink, but I'm not sure how to get it to you through the computer .

[Nick Winter]

Harry Stupid question right but if it's split like,

Light commercial,Pickups

Were would this go?

it is both Light Commercial and a Pick up?

[sjordan2]

Hey, Dukefan69, that's a very realistic and pro-quality build. Nice work. Great chest box, and I love the fact that the bed looks like it's been used. Based on just the little that can be seen of the interior, that also looks like a 1:1.

From what I can see, it should go in "Showcase." Outside of the forum, it should win awards.

[highway]

Harry Stupid question right but if it's split like,

Light commercial,Pickups

Were would this go?

it is both Light Commercial and a Pick up?

Nick, if you'd really want to mess with Harry's mind, you'd ask him where MY truck would go!!

After I finally get the model built of my 1:1, it may look like a standard dually and is my daily driver and grocery getter, but before it got the standard bed, it was a wrecker in it's former life. It's now just a pick up, but it was formerly a light commerical!!

[justin2020]

Gregg I have a suggestion but it is not for any specific section it is for photo posting instead. My wife and I share a Shutterfly photo account and use it to post all of our picture on different sites. However Shutterfly does not work with your site. Is there any way that you could help with that. I would love to post my builds here but I can not due to this issue. Other than that I am truly happy with this site and will enjoy any changes that may come in the future.

P.S. I have looked at moving my photos to another photo site but had serious problems with spam, junk, and all kinds of other trash.

Thank you for you time.

Justin Tisdale

[Nick Winter]

Hey, Dukefan69, that's a very realistic and pro-quality build. Nice work. Great chest box, and I love the fact that the bed looks like it's been used. Based on just the little that can be seen of the interior, that also looks like a 1:1.

From what I can see, it should go in "Showcase." Outside of the forum, it should win awards.

Thanks, I think no ones ever said more than nice truck about it, your comment kinda leaves me speachless. But Is it Light Commercial or A Pick Up? It was intended to be a work truck, but only slight alterations were done.

Highway, I think that would confuse all of use.

[Nick Winter]

I don't know about other parts of the country (or Canada for that matter) but in California all pick up trucks, vans, SUV's and mini-vans are considered commercial vehicles.

Not in Ontario there not, only vehicles owned or used by a company are.

[Harry P.]

Guys, this is so simple! It's not rocket science... really!

There would be a "Showcase" for finished cars in the CARS section. ALL finished car models.

There would be a "Showcase" for finished trucks in the TRUCKS forum. ALL finished truck models.

Can you guess where a finished truck model might belong???

And any models in progress would go into the appropriate CARS or TRUCKS sub-category, using your own common sense as to where to post. There cannot ALWAYS be exact, black/white cutoff points... there will be overlap, that's understood. Post your model where you think it belongs based on the name of the sub-category.

Really, why are you guys trying so hard to over-complicate what is so simple and logical?

[Harry P.]

Here it is one more time... this time even color-coded!!!

General (includes questions, comments, "What did you get today" type posts and any other topics that don't fit anywhere else)

Model Cars

Showcase

Stock/Street/Show/Custom

Competition: Straight Line (meaning drag)

Competition: NASCAR/Circle Track/Road Course, etc. (basically ANY competition car other than drag)

1:1 Reference Photos

Model Trucks

Showcase

Pickups/Street Trucks

Competition: Drag/Track/Monster Truck, etc.

Commercial/Fire/Emergency

1:1 Reference Photos

Other Models (no category breakdown, just one catch-all for everything else)

The Hobby Room

Tips, Tricks and Tutorials

News and Reviews

Real or Model/Auto ID Quiz

Resin

Swap/Trade/Free/Wanted

Auto Art

Rants 'n' Raves

Large Scale

Dioramas

Community

Clubs

Contests/Shows/Events

Links/Advertisers/Web sites

Community Builds

Model Car Racing

[Nick Winter]

Guys, this is so simple! It's not rocket science... really!

There would be a "Showcase" for finished cars in the CARS section. ALL finished car models.

There would be a "Showcase" for finished trucks in the TRUCKS forum. ALL finished truck models.

Can you guess where a finished truck model might belong???

And any models in progress would go into the appropriate CARS or TRUCKS sub-category, using your own common sense as to where to post. There cannot ALWAYS be exact, black/white cutoff points... there will be overlap, that's understood. Post your model where you think it belongs based on the name of the sub-category.

Really, why are you guys trying so hard to over-complicate what is so simple and logical?

Sorry Harry, I thought you had to post the Finished Builds under the Catogorey they fit it.