Too many forums?

BLITZ_Molloy

Does anybody else think discussion has been fractured down into too many little categories? Things just seem to get discussed in less and less depth and smaller and smaller groups of people.

I know I found Boards.ie alot more enjoyable 18months when there were less than half as many forums. Prime instance being the TV/Film board. Now there are three forums in its place: Film, Film Reviews and TV. They worked so much better when they were all the same category.

Does anybody else feel this way? I don't like to see things over categorised. People just don't lump discussion into different sections naturally. When people communicate conversations develop and go off topic. That isn't necessarly harmful. Neither does it necessarly lead to spam. Fencing people in and telling them they may only talk about a certain subject only with people who have a strong interest in that subject makes for very stale discussion.

Giblet

I think it would be great to have 8 forums. But everything would just disappear too quickly.

Dave

I can see where you're coming from. Back when I first joined, 4 years ago at this stage, there were only a few forums, and everyone sort of knew everyone so there was a better sense of community. But active membership of boards has increased substantially so it it wouldn't be viable to have a small number of forums. They just wouldn't be able to sustain the traffic.

Celt

Originally posted by Giblet
I think it would be great to have 8 forums. But everything would just disappear too quickly.

I haet yuo, but boards.ie lost its sense of community.

I used to read every forum(Including that smelly security one) and know pretty much every poster(although some not so well).

Now I find myself checking boards about every 3 or 4 days, and then obly 4 forums.

Also, I find way too many serious people now.

Especially them gays, if you call someone gay they try sodomise you verbally.

blobert

I agree with you guys, although I'd imagine its difficult to strike a balance between the two. On one hand its great to see so many different topics being discussed. On the other there are so many different sections that you're never going to get around to seeing even half of them!

Perhaps it would be better to have just one film forum for instance??

watty

You don't have to read all the forums

I think there is a fairly good selection with some sub-comunities more active and vibrant than others.

Post intelligent stuff or questions about the things that really interest you and then those forums will be more interesting and active.

Trojan

Not a new issue

Another link for the craic.

Al.

Draco

Originally posted by BLITZ_Molloy
Prime instance being the TV/Film board. Now there are three forums in its place: Film, Film Reviews and TV. They worked so much better when they were all the same category.

I think it works much better this way. I have little/no interest in TV but plenty in films so now I don't have to look at reams of rubbish on the latest reality tv thing that is filling up the nations screens.

DeVore

horses <-> courses

DeV.

BLITZ_Molloy

The way I'd sum it up really is that I think you get more interesting discussion from a broad cross section of people.

I think After Hours is probably the best forum available because you don't know what you'll be reading about before you click the link. Tons of people with varying interests post in the forum so you get something unpredictable.

I'm not saying there should be 8 forums. That's just unrealistic. I just think there should be more like 150 forums instead of the current 250(?) or so.

oeNeo

Originally posted by BLITZ_Molloy
I think After Hours is probably the best forum available because you don't know what you'll be reading about before you click the link.

You're joking right?

Kold

No I think that more forums is better. That way you don't have to put up with utter horse**** from people who know **** all about what you're on about. Also you're more inclined to look at more threads in the forums that YOU browse rather than going, omg, i've searched through ten threads on this board already? **** this.

MAW FAWWUMS!!!!

Paddy20

BLITZ_Molloy,

Eh,Whaa To me Boards.ie is about subjects = posters = forums = more posters/members = more forums, and so it expands, and expands until who knows ?...it takes over the world :eek: maybe!.

P. :ninja:

ixoy

I like having categories, forums for different subject matters. It allows you to specialize what you're talking about and, when done correctly, there's not much overlap in content between forums. The idea of mixing film and television, to me, is offputting: they're quite different forms of expression, and there are many who but dabble in one.