Wanted: More specific forums

I would like to see a two (or more) level hierarchy used to organize forums.

The problem: I am interested in information about using routers made by Triton. There is a Triton user's thread... for ALL of Triton's offerings.

The solution: create sub-threads... maybe not one for every tool they make, but perhaps one for routers, worktables, saws, etc.

To keep the opening page from getting too long, have a major category by brand, and when clicked, you see the sub-categories by tool or tool class.

This is just one example. I think many threads would benefit from better categorization.

Tags would be a great solution, except that many people don't use them.

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Originally Posted by MysticRiver

I would like to see a two (or more) level hierarchy used to organize forums.

The problem: I am interested in information about using routers made by Triton. There is a Triton user's thread... for ALL of Triton's offerings.

The solution: create sub-threads... maybe not one for every tool they make, but perhaps one for routers, worktables, saws, etc.

To keep the opening page from getting too long, have a major category by brand, and when clicked, you see the sub-categories by tool or tool class.

This is just one example. I think many threads would benefit from better categorization.

Tags would be a great solution, except that many people don't use them.

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The problem with that approach is that a lot of threads are not just about one single topic. For instance, there could be a thread about mounting a Triton router in a router table, what router plate to use and how to mount it.

I feel that this would be better handled by doing a search, particularly with our latest search function instituted by Neil, it is extremely fast and seems to return hits very relevant to any query I have thrown at it.

I agree that tags would be a great solution to this problem, like others I have been guilty of not using them at the time of posting the thread, and they can't be put in as an afterthought.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Big Shed

I agree that tags would be a great solution to this problem, like others I have been guilty of not using them at the time of posting the thread, and they can't be put in as an afterthought.

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Actually they can be added after. Just scroll down to the tags bar at the bottom and hit the edit button on the right. You can do it for any threads too, not just your own I believe.

According to my imperfect understanding, tags would facilitate searching, but wouldn't solve the immediate problem of entering a matrix-like forum structure. This sometimes presents itself in Buy-Sell-Swap as well as particular tools. One workaround is to post cross-references to each other in each of two (or more) posts or threads. References can be forward and backward; the database doesn't quite care. At least one of the posts must be edited afterwards to achieve this, and the writer must keep his/her wits about it all with a little planning and note-taking.

Joe

No, no, no, no, 10,000 times NO!!

The more forums you have, especially hierarchies, the harder it is to find information, and to store it in the first place. Why? Because hierarchies are based on perspective, and your perspective/understanding is probably 180-degrees from my own.

There is a SEARCH button at the top of the forum. That is the solution to your problem.

Best solution is to use the search button in the left column. not the quick search one somewhere up there :aro-u: but the one
:aro-l: over here

:aro-l: Yep that's the one

:aro-l: over here

Full Boolean search will narrow the search down to exactly what you are looking for depending on the search criteria you enter. Even down to 2 or three threads out of a thousand with similar information.

More information on the new search thing is available HERE