About the Forums page

[Levina]

It was suggested on the XenForo site that I should shorten the Forum list. There are too many without content at the moment. I did think about it and looked around for some insight in what is best, but there is no consensus. Some say: keep your starting forum short so it doesn't look empty and you can add forums later as your community grows. Others say, no list them all so people know those forums are available. If their particular photography niche isn't present they might move on.

So I leaned to the latter: to have the forums present, even though they are empty for now. Of course we opened just a week ago I think it was, so no wonder there are many empty spaces. But I was thinking the gear section could be shortened by putting most of the forums there in sub-forums. We can expand if and when necessary in the future.

Good idea? Bad idea?

 

[Bryn]

I would suggest unifying the forum sections of "Cameras and Lenses" and "Other Gear and Accessories", where they are most likely to get the fewest posts between them. For the former, you could set up thread prefixes for Canon, Nikon and Sony if they specifically pertain to them.

 

[Levina]

Putting those two sections together is a good suggestion. I thought about it before but was worried that it would make that section really long. Putting them in sub-forums would solve that though. And yes, I could use prefixes, although I want to use those conservatively, because there is another forum that uses differently coloured prefixes for just about everything and the site looks like a lit up Christmas tree. I want to avoid that. But sure, a few, for main brands, that could work.

I'll work on it later today, see how it looks.

Thanks for the input, Bryn.

 

[Chippie]

Bring it on, Levina!

 

[Levina]

I've decided to start with removing the Suggestions forum here in this section. People can suggest forum related things here. There's no need for a separate forum for it. Okay, one down, 360 to go... No, just kidding. But yeah...

 

[Chippie]

Good thinking! I was wondering about that forum. It did have a different icon, right?

 

[JohnPD]

That forum had a lightbulb icon.

 

[Levina]

It had! There are 4 different types of forums (General Discussion, Articles, Questions and Suggestions) and they all have their own icon.

 

[RichardB]

Live and learn!

 

[Levina]

Okay, so I changed the Forum list. Put the gear in one Gear Section with two forums. One for Cameras and Lenses and the other for Other Gear. With the forums as sub-forums.

I also changed the order of the different main sections a bit. Moved Community Talk up, Featured Content down one place. I think it's a better order.

 

[JohnPD]

The gear section looks a bit crammed now but not too bad and it shortens the list quite nicely. And you can always change it should the need occur.

 

[Chippie]

Doesn’t look bad at all. Just something to get used to is all.

 

[Jeff WX1USN]

I will be starting some threads as in the other site. Especially my Astro photography, kind of niche thing but it is one of the major things I do

 

[Levina]

I will be starting some threads as in the other site. Especially my Astro photography, kind of niche thing but it is one of the major things I do

Yes please!
And your Astro photography is second to none.

If you or other members would prefer the normal Forum List layout (so without the subforums) let me know. I can easily make those sub-forums normal forums again.

 

[JohnPD]

I will be starting some threads as in the other site. Especially my Astro photography, kind of niche thing but it is one of the major things I do

I just saw your images. I'm echoing Levina here: Yes please!