New Racing Category-Please?

[afx]

The truck guys convinced us to separate their Workbench and Under Glass areas into two broad categories... Big rigs, and all the rest. Seems to be working pretty well for the truck guys.

I can see doing the same for the model cars area... Workbench and Under Glass for Street/Custom/Show Rods, and Workbench and Under Glass for Competition.

That's how I wanted to do it for a long time, but Gregg wants a separate NASCAR and drag section.

I would be very happy with grouping all the Competitions cars together. One category all things car racing. The way it is now all the other forms of racing are excluded.

Edited January 20, 2014 by afx

[Rob Hall]

I would be very happy with grouping all the Competitions cars together. One category all things car racing. The way it is now all the other forms of racing are excluded.

Exactly. The current arrangement with NASCAR and drag only makes no sense.

[Speedfreak]

Good point JC. I actually like the 'competition' idea.

Edited January 20, 2014 by Speedfreak

[Harry P.]

Exactly. The current arrangement with NASCAR and drag only makes no sense.

I agree. Gregg doesn't.

[Rob Hall]

I agree. Gregg doesn't.

Does he even visit the forums anymore? Don't see him around..

[Speedfreak]

I saw him on here a couple of days ago I think.

[afx]

So we have a category to talk about all things not model car related but there is no room for other forms of car racing?

Edited January 20, 2014 by afx

[Casey]

So we have a category to talk about all things not model car related but there is now room for other forms of car racing?

No. There is always a place to post ANY model you're working on here on the forum, but it may not have its own specific sub-section like NASCAR and Drag Racing models do.

We've discussed this issue many times, and Gregg doesn't want to change the categories, so we accept that and work with what we have.

[Speedfreak]

This thing is gaining traction!

[Harry P.]

Does he even visit the forums anymore? Don't see him around..

Not often, but every now and then.

[afx]

I am taking a poll. I would propose the Model Cars section of the Forum be broken down into (2) main sections:

1. Street/Custom/Show Rods

2. Competition (all forms of racing)

Each of these (2) main categories would have its own “On the Work Bench” and ‘Under Glass” section. This would mirror the Model Truck section (the truck guys have it made!). Please let me know your opinion.

[Guest]

Leave things alone. In fact, I wish trucks were in with the regular stuff, and race cars too.

[Rob Hall]

I'd like the idea, but it's not going to happen..that was made clear in the last thread of this sort that the boss man doesn't want any change..

[Quick GMC]

I think Harry clarified why this wouldn't happen yesterday.

[afx]

I think Harry clarified why this wouldn't happen yesterday.

Cameron maybe it won't change but the question is would you like it to?

[rmvw guy]

I think we should have ONE Workbench section for all car models, and ONE Under glass section for all car models.

Harry Pristovnik

I like this but, I would include pickup trucks.

[Harry P.]

I think we should have ONE Workbench section for all car models, and ONE Under glass section for all car models.

Harry Pristovnik

I like this but, I would include pickup trucks.

Pickups go in the pickup section. We already had the big "Rework the Trucks section" discussion, and the Truck section seems to be working just fine now as it is. No changes coming in the Trucks section, especially now that people are used to looking for pickup trucks in the Truck section.

[Chuck Most]

I think we should have ONE Workbench section for all vehicle models, and ONE Under glass section for all vehicle models.

Fixed it for ya!

Seriously, though, adding MORE categories won't help- they'd just get shoved about midway down the home page. I'm convinced that 95% of the people who check out the forum stop scrolling about a third of the way down from the top of the page...

[rmvw guy]

Pickups go in the pickup section. We already had the big "Rework the Trucks section" discussion, and the Truck section seems to be working just fine now as it is. No changes coming in the Trucks section, especially now that people are used to looking for pickup trucks in the Truck section.

Sorry Harry, It just seems to me that pickups are almost cars the way they are treated here. They become hot rods and customs, are they a car or are they a truck, kind of like ElCaminos. I always forget to look for them way down in the forums and usually only see them under new content. Okay, and I am guilty for posting them under glass where you have to move them, sorry. Just my 2 cents, I didn't know we already had the big discussion. What you are saying about a single category is fantastic in my opinion.

Edited January 21, 2014 by rmvw guy

[Bernard Kron]

First off, I’m glad this topic was re-opened. The following is based on a discussion I had off-line and is my perspective on Harry’s original comment.

I frequent quite a few model car forums and the more categories there are the more "segregated" the forum becomes. The proliferation of categories makes it increasingly difficult to appreciate fine modeling in all its forms by requiring members to decide up front what their tastes are. It also vastly complicates deciding where most effectively to post.

I know for a fact that on this forum and "that other forum" both, if my drag cars are sent off to a specific (in my view sub-)category like Drag Racing Models or Race Cars/Sports Cars (where drag racing subjects are "hidden" on the "other forum") I get far fewer viewers than in Hot Rods/Street Rods/Street Machines ("over there") or simply (and even better, IMHO) On The Workbench or Under Glass. And the opposite is true, too. If I don't visit the "correct" (sub-)Categories I miss what's on offer. For example, because of the addition of new (sub-)categories to the Trucks section, T-buckets, Street Rods, Customs and Rat-Rods that happen to have pickup beds are under Model Trucks/On The Workbench or Under Glass/Pickups, Vans, SUVs, Light Commercial and are now potentially “hidden” from those for whom looking there is not intuitively obvious.

For me the solution is View New Posts, which I swear by. However, it begs the question “Why bother with all these categories in the first place”? I have no opinion one way or the other as to whether a Road Racing Cars category would attract hundreds of new members or not - but where does it stop? Chuck Most’s comment about page position is well taken in this regard and is a common issue in web page design.

What’s done is done. I’m not suggesting a simplification of the board from its current structure even if I, at least, would welcome it. Indeed, if I'm wrong and people need to be assured that their interests are specifically served and membership suffers as a result of too much generality, then I stand corrected. But the trend of adding new Categories in the long run leads to the blizzard of (Sub-)Categories that is the bane of the "other forum". On the "other forum" members have taken to double and even triple posting in order to reach other members they would like to have seen their work. It is a slippery slope... I contend it's hurt the "other forum" immeasurably, in many different ways, not the least of which are "enforcement" and the opacity of the Forum's home page. There are so many categories that Moderators are powerless to enforce them. Don’t let it happen here!

Thanx for listening,
B.

Edited January 21, 2014 by Bernard Kron

[Harry P.]

Sorry Harry, It just seems to me that pickups are almost cars the way they are treated here. They become hot rods and customs, are they a car or are they a truck.

A pickup truck is a truck. That's why it's called a pickup truck and not a pickup car.

An El Camino or Ranchero is different... it's a car with a cargo box. It's based on a car, it sits on a car chassis, it has car mechanicals. Some people post them with the cars, some post them with the trucks. It can go either way, but a pickup truck belongs in the Trucks section. And if I see them posted with the cars, I'll keep on moving them. That's what we have a truck section for.

[Austin T]

I like the Idea of the competition but leave the rest be. When you start doing things like Street/custom/show rod it can throw people off. I say make Nascar/drag competition and leave automotive the way it is.

[cruz]

I definitely agree with JC on this, another category for F1 and the various other motorsports would be a good idea, I've had a lot of modelers telling me the same thing. Hopefully it can be done!

[Harry P.]

I definitely agree with JC on this, another category for F1 and the various other motorsports would be a good idea, I've had a lot of modelers telling me the same thing. Hopefully it can be done!

Not going to happen. There are too many categories already, no way we're going to add even more. If anything, we'll put all competitiion models into one category, not separate categories for every different competition type.

[Vince Nemanic]

Great idea! Let's also add a category for road racing, drifting, rallying, dirt tracks, rat rods, donks, lowriders, cars with air suspension, airplanes, tanks, real space, Indy cars,sci-fi, mud bogging, formula 1, figures and whatever else more than two members are interested in. Just think how easy it will be to find stuff when there are 500 or 1000 categories!

Or we could make the current setup work for us.