Dear forum members, dear FA,
over the years this forum is attracting more and more people, active members and postings have increased constantly and silent observers have increased over-proportional, I don’t know the statistics of this board, but without any doubt several thousand people are reading the posts here.
During the last weeks (especially when I was on holidays) I have realised, that it’s getting more and more difficult to follow the different threads, or to extract the content of information out of these threads, when somebody is absent for a while.
Under consideration, that not all active or passive users on this forum will be able or willing to frequent it within a relative short time span, I think we should find a common way to improve the current situation for those.
People visiting this forum should be enabled to find information where they are expecting it, this is not ensured at the moment.
I full awareness to look like the forum nerd and with the main intention to bore you to death, I will explain my thoughts regarding this problem!
What or where is the problem?
First statement, I know I’m also part of the problem, so I don’t differ from what I will describe now!
The problem is:
The subject of a thread does not reflect its content in many cases, many threads are too long, lots of interesting information or discussion is not displayed in a subject, information regarding the same subject is spread over many different threads.
Why is this a problem?
People’s interest in gaining information will always differ from person to person, in general people are selecting information due personal matters, which is interesting for one will be not of any interest for the other.
The forum is growing and we cannot expect, that users will read everything exposed on the board, so also the casual user should be enabled to choose the topic of his/her interest, it will be necessary to get the things into an order, the current situation is not suitable to achieve transparency.
Another point is, lot of valuable information is “hidden” in threads where the original subject of the thread doesn’t provide any context in respect to the embedded substance of this information.
Example:
Somebody clicking on the thread ““How did you become a Hindu?” will find himself/ herself soon in a discussion about caste system on Bali and in India, some later in a archaeological/ ethnological dispute regarding India/ Java/ Bali until he/she is bumping straight into a discussion about abortion!
Don’t get me wrong, there was really valuable information provided and also some points of the other discussion were at least interesting, but it has absolutely nothing to do with the original thread!
Who would ever look for an abortion issue in a thread named “How did you become a Hindu” or vice versa???
Who is the problem?
We all are creating this problem (including me of course)!
Somebody will start a new topic another one will reply to it, then the next is picking one part of this reply and response to it and so on, and so on, and so on…
Sometimes a pretty interesting discussion comes up on this way, but the thread is also drifting into somewhere!
Many times several parallel discussions are mixed in one thread, in an isolated view quite interesting, but in the context of the original thread confusing.
Why not simply solve the problem?
Yesterday I was discussing this topic with Bert and Matsaleh, the surface of this type of forum makes it difficult and in most cases impossible to split the threads and sort them.
Unfortunately Bert doesn’t really want to get a type of forum (or program it by himself), which would enable him to spend 24/7 by sorting the contributes of his forum members and organise a kind of order in this mess, he is not willing to employ (pay) one or two fulltime moderators, doing this job for him – stingy Dutch!
So it looks like – we (all users) will have to improve the situation by our self.
What to do?
We should split the threads by our self!
With a little discipline, it should be possible to avoid that threads are drifting away from the original topic, or at least to achieve some improvement.
Ask yourself, if your response is still related to the headline above the thread before you press the submit button, if not – simply create a new thread with a link to the thread you are referring to.
Example:
“How did you become a Hindu”?
Threads will always develop, but when out of this development already a new discussion is launched and you realise this, then post your reply in a new thread.
Start a new thread:
Subject: The caste system in Bali
In reply to Roy on “How did you become a Hindu”
Link: http://www.bali-information.com/expat_f ... 9&start=32
When a thread already exists about the caste system in Bali, then post under this thread and link to your previous discussion.
It will be always difficult to define the borderline, which belongs into this thread and what should be posted under another thread, opinions will certainly differ and everybody will have to find a personal definition, but I guess it could be an improvement of the current situation.
What to avoid?
Don’t spoil the threads with your personal crap!
People are different, from different culture, race, religion, stand of education, nationality, knowledge, economical or political background, interests, from different experiences or points of view, this diversity is also reflected by this forum.
The status underneath your username or the numbers of your posts means nothing, as long your username is displayed in black letters you are not more or less than any other member of this forum, will mean new members do have the same rights to express their points and deserve the same respect.
When you think you have to criticise, correct or express your disagreement due a statement of an other user, so do this based on facts, provide additional or better information, bring in your personal experiences, but do this with respect and try to do it constructive!
We can learn from different perspectives and a crossover of thoughts and nobody should claim for his-/herself to have eaten the wisdom with spoons!
Best regards
Thorsten
PS: Maybe or hopefully somebody else has a better suggestion, how to improve the current situation ?!
over the years this forum is attracting more and more people, active members and postings have increased constantly and silent observers have increased over-proportional, I don’t know the statistics of this board, but without any doubt several thousand people are reading the posts here.
During the last weeks (especially when I was on holidays) I have realised, that it’s getting more and more difficult to follow the different threads, or to extract the content of information out of these threads, when somebody is absent for a while.
Under consideration, that not all active or passive users on this forum will be able or willing to frequent it within a relative short time span, I think we should find a common way to improve the current situation for those.
People visiting this forum should be enabled to find information where they are expecting it, this is not ensured at the moment.
I full awareness to look like the forum nerd and with the main intention to bore you to death, I will explain my thoughts regarding this problem!
What or where is the problem?
First statement, I know I’m also part of the problem, so I don’t differ from what I will describe now!
The problem is:
The subject of a thread does not reflect its content in many cases, many threads are too long, lots of interesting information or discussion is not displayed in a subject, information regarding the same subject is spread over many different threads.
Why is this a problem?
People’s interest in gaining information will always differ from person to person, in general people are selecting information due personal matters, which is interesting for one will be not of any interest for the other.
The forum is growing and we cannot expect, that users will read everything exposed on the board, so also the casual user should be enabled to choose the topic of his/her interest, it will be necessary to get the things into an order, the current situation is not suitable to achieve transparency.
Another point is, lot of valuable information is “hidden” in threads where the original subject of the thread doesn’t provide any context in respect to the embedded substance of this information.
Example:
Somebody clicking on the thread ““How did you become a Hindu?” will find himself/ herself soon in a discussion about caste system on Bali and in India, some later in a archaeological/ ethnological dispute regarding India/ Java/ Bali until he/she is bumping straight into a discussion about abortion!
Don’t get me wrong, there was really valuable information provided and also some points of the other discussion were at least interesting, but it has absolutely nothing to do with the original thread!
Who would ever look for an abortion issue in a thread named “How did you become a Hindu” or vice versa???
Who is the problem?
We all are creating this problem (including me of course)!
Somebody will start a new topic another one will reply to it, then the next is picking one part of this reply and response to it and so on, and so on, and so on…
Sometimes a pretty interesting discussion comes up on this way, but the thread is also drifting into somewhere!
Many times several parallel discussions are mixed in one thread, in an isolated view quite interesting, but in the context of the original thread confusing.
Why not simply solve the problem?
Yesterday I was discussing this topic with Bert and Matsaleh, the surface of this type of forum makes it difficult and in most cases impossible to split the threads and sort them.
Unfortunately Bert doesn’t really want to get a type of forum (or program it by himself), which would enable him to spend 24/7 by sorting the contributes of his forum members and organise a kind of order in this mess, he is not willing to employ (pay) one or two fulltime moderators, doing this job for him – stingy Dutch!
So it looks like – we (all users) will have to improve the situation by our self.
What to do?
We should split the threads by our self!
With a little discipline, it should be possible to avoid that threads are drifting away from the original topic, or at least to achieve some improvement.
Ask yourself, if your response is still related to the headline above the thread before you press the submit button, if not – simply create a new thread with a link to the thread you are referring to.
Example:
“How did you become a Hindu”?
Threads will always develop, but when out of this development already a new discussion is launched and you realise this, then post your reply in a new thread.
Start a new thread:
Subject: The caste system in Bali
In reply to Roy on “How did you become a Hindu”
Link: http://www.bali-information.com/expat_f ... 9&start=32
When a thread already exists about the caste system in Bali, then post under this thread and link to your previous discussion.
It will be always difficult to define the borderline, which belongs into this thread and what should be posted under another thread, opinions will certainly differ and everybody will have to find a personal definition, but I guess it could be an improvement of the current situation.
What to avoid?
Don’t spoil the threads with your personal crap!
People are different, from different culture, race, religion, stand of education, nationality, knowledge, economical or political background, interests, from different experiences or points of view, this diversity is also reflected by this forum.
The status underneath your username or the numbers of your posts means nothing, as long your username is displayed in black letters you are not more or less than any other member of this forum, will mean new members do have the same rights to express their points and deserve the same respect.
When you think you have to criticise, correct or express your disagreement due a statement of an other user, so do this based on facts, provide additional or better information, bring in your personal experiences, but do this with respect and try to do it constructive!
We can learn from different perspectives and a crossover of thoughts and nobody should claim for his-/herself to have eaten the wisdom with spoons!
Best regards
Thorsten
PS: Maybe or hopefully somebody else has a better suggestion, how to improve the current situation ?!
