Mac forum - move to different sub-category?

Sad Professor

I know this issue has come up before, but I want to bring it up again. In my opinion, the Mac forum is completely out of place under the Operating System sub-category, and I think it should be moved to the Computer & Tech sub-category. I'm just gonna lay out my reasoning for this as clearly as I can and leave it to people to comment.

"Mac" is not an operating system. "Mac" is a computer. The Mac operating system is called Mac OS X. And yet the forum is called Mac and discussion related to Mac hardware takes place in there. In fact, I'd say a significant part of the discussion is hardware related. Anyone familiar with the forum knows this and posts about Mac hardware in there. Have a look in the forum right now and you will see threads about Applecare, connecting Macs to a television, replacing the hard drive in a Macbook, getting a new battery, etc.

But if I was a new poster on this site and was browsing the Tech category for a place to post my Mac related question, unless it was specifically related to software, I'd probably decide to post it in the Laptops or Computer & Technology forums since a forum under the Operating System category doesn't seem suitable. Mac related threads pop up in the Laptop and Computers & Tech forums on a regular basis (more so in Laptops). Most of these threads would have been better served if they were posted in the Mac forum.

Now I'm not saying that all Mac threads should in the Mac forum. In some cases a poster may deliberately not post it in the Mac forum because they want advice from people who are not necessarily Mac users - I understand this perfectly. However, in the vast majority of cases I don't think this is the reason. I suspect the real reason they aren't posting in the Mac forum is because they either don't know it exists or they think it only covers the "Mac operating system" (which is the description under the forum).

Mac related threads often pop up in Apple Media Devices as well. Again it usually tends to be new posters who are either drawn to the Apple in title of the forum or don't know about the Mac forum because of it's obscure placement.

The Mac forum has a great community of helpful users. New members to the site with an interest in Macs would be better served by making the forum more visible to them and under a sub-category that better reflects it's purpose.

So I suggest the following:

- Move the forum to the Computer & Tech sub-category.
- Change the description of the forum to "Apple Mac computers - iMacs, Macbooks, Mac Pros", or something to this effect.
- It might even be worth considering renaming the forum to "Apple Mac".

Thoughts?

AckwelFoley

Well presented case - makes sence too.

What reasons if any were given the last time this was brought up for not moving it?

Darragh

Without in any way detracting from the suggestion, just wondering if you asked the mods of the forum first what they think, or asked those who post in the forum, before posting here?

pickarooney

What would you do with genuine Mac OS X questions?

Sad Professor

snyper wrote: »

Well presented case - makes sence too.

What reasons if any were given the last time this was brought up for not moving it?

I'm not too sure tbh. Afaik when it came up before it was in the context of a broader debate about whether the Mac forum should be renamed and made into a general Apple forum (which understandably there was some objection to), or whether there should be an Apple sub-category. I think it was all kinda forgotten about after the Apple Media Devices forum was created.

Darragh wrote: »

Without in any way detracting from the suggestion, just wondering if you asked the mods of the forum first what they think, or asked those who post in the forum, before posting here?

Hey Darragh. No, but I pmed all the relevant mods when I started this thread to make them aware of it. Like I said the issue has come up before, and I'm pretty sure both Mac mods will agree with me that Operating Systems doesn't reflect the spirit of the Mac forum. Afaik before Apple Media Devices was created they were both in favour of the Mac forum being to moved to an Apple sub category. But I'll leave it up them say what they think about this.

I haven't posted about this in the Mac forum as I don't really think it's internally relevant to the forum. Most contributors to the forum know where it is and probably have it in their subbed list. Whether the forum is under OSs or comic books probably doesn't make a whole lot of difference to them. What I'm suggesting wouldn't have any internal effect on the forum, except that it might receive more traffic from new users. I'll leave it up to the mods if the want to start a thread over there about this.

pickarooney wrote: »

What would you do with genuine Mac OS X questions?

The same place. The forum covers the Mac, that includes Mac hardware and the Mac operating system. All I'm suggesting is that the forum be moved to a sub-category and given a description that properly reflects what the forum covers. The Mac (like the iPhone or iPad) is seen as a complete package, hardware and software together. You can't (legally) install OS X on any PC, only a Mac. And while you can install other OSs on the Mac, OS X is considered the main reason to get a Mac. The AMD forum covers iPhones, iPads, iPod Touches, etc. It doesn't differentiate between the hardware (the iPhone) and the software (iOS), nor should it. The Mac is no different.

trout

Sad Professor wrote: »

So I suggest the following:

- Move the forum to the Computer & Tech sub-category.
- Change the description of the forum to "Apple Mac computers - iMacs, Macbooks, Mac Pros", or something to this effect.
- It might even be worth considering renaming the forum to "Apple Mac".

Thoughts?

+1

Keep it as Apple ... and consider AMD as a sub-forum of an Apple forum under Computers & Tech ?

babypink

trout wrote: »

+1

Keep it as Apple ... and consider AMD as a sub-forum of an Apple forum under Computers & Tech ?

This is what I and the other mod suggested at the time.

I am 100% in favour of this!

Sad Professor

Do you mean like this:

Apple (sub-category)
> Mac
> Apple Media Devices

babypink

I would suggest:

Tech
> C&T
>> Apple

Within >> Apple shift the existing Mac forum to become the main body of the forum with AMD shifted to become a subforum of Apple.

Sad Professor

babypink wrote: »

I would suggest:

Tech
> C&T
>> Apple

Within >> Apple shift the existing Mac forum to become the main body of the forum with AMD shifted to become a subforum of Apple.

Personally, I wouldn't really be in favour of that. I think the Mac forum is fine as it is. Turning it into a general Apple forum might have a negative effect imo.

Bringing the Mac and AMD forums closer together might be an option down the road, but for now I'd mostly just like to see the Mac forum moved out of OS.

AckwelFoley

from myself being someone that hasnt a clue -

If i have a query with an iphone - that would be apple

If its to do with a pc its os or relevant software - that would be mac..

So the problem is to either lump all apple mac products under tech > apple > mac

Either way in my opinion the existing cat for mac is dated as it is no longer solely an OS as previously argued

I think it would be more user friendly for non tecish people like me to have it easier to navigate

MiCr0

it seems to me to make more sense to keep the mobile forums together
-android
-amd
-general mobile

i've no issue if the regular mac forum gets moved, but does it really need it?

cornbb

I would suggest:

Soc
> Religion and Spirituality
>> Mac

Just kidding I support the idea of Tech > Comp Tech > Mac. Don't like the name "Apple Mac" though. It sounds uninformed, somehow.

Sad Professor

MiCr0 wrote: »

it seems to me to make more sense to keep the mobile forums together
-android
-amd
-general mobile

i've no issue if the regular mac forum gets moved, but does it really need it?

Imo putting AMD under Mobiles & PDAs would be creating a similar problem to one that currently exists with the Mac forum. iPhone users would find it, but people with iPods and iPads wouldn't necessarily think to look for AMD under Mobiles and would end up posting in less suitable places. Similarly at the moment, people with a query about their Macbook's charger don't necessarily think to look under Operating Systems for the Mac forum.

I'm mostly concerned with the Mac forum here, but I think it is useful to think of the Mac forum and the AMD forum as sister forums.

The Mac forum covers Apple computers (hardware & software and related products).
The AMD forum covers Apple mobile media devices (hardware & software and related products).

This is how it currently stands and I think it works well. There is some overlap, of course, but that's okay. Even Apple differentiate between their mobile and computer offerings.

The AMD forum is reasonably well placed under Consumer Electronics imo. But the Mac forum is completely misplaced under Operating Systems.