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Author Topic: Too many categories?  (Read 8515 times)

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Offline Meepzorp

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Re: Too many categories?
« Reply #75 on: April 05, 2021, 12:11:37 am »
...to try to facilitate a bit more of the show-and-tell feeling that seems to have led to some success on Coin Talk.

Hi wolf,

I have been advocating and promoting this change for several years now. But it has been met with tremendous resistance.

Some Forum members even resorted to attacking me and defaming my character for trying to bring about this change. In addition to what was expressed to me in private (in PMs, emails, etc.) in the recent past, I am glad to see that other Forum members are open to this change and are publicly expressing it here.

Meepzorp

Offline Meepzorp

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Re: Too many categories?
« Reply #76 on: April 05, 2021, 12:15:11 am »
During my temporary retirement, the nature of the internet changed. For many, the internet is no longer a place for deep knowledge acquisition. It's now about gratification.

Hi wolf,

To borrow the title of a Metallica song, this is "Sad, But True".

Meepzorp

Offline Joe Sermarini

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Re: Too many categories?
« Reply #77 on: April 05, 2021, 04:51:47 pm »
As for combining topics: I think COTD should be collapsed into Ancient Coin Forum, to try to facilitate a bit more of the show-and-tell feeling that seems to have led to some success on Coin Talk. I also think Members Gallery could be added to Ancient Coin Forum (for the same reason).

That seems reasonable to me. But, if there are objections, I would like to hear them.
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Offline Joe Sermarini

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Re: Too many categories?
« Reply #78 on: April 05, 2021, 05:00:13 pm »
Google doesn't like those image insertions. Apparently they adversely affect FORVM's Google rating. I don't know why.

Image insertions do not adversely affect FORVM's Google rank

Broken links including image links do. And every link becomes a broken link eventually (even ones you think never will). If you have a gallery, and the photo is linked on the FORVM website, it is no problem to use the image code to insert the image in the text. 
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Offline Virgil H

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Re: Too many categories?
« Reply #79 on: April 05, 2021, 11:43:58 pm »
This may anger some people, but do we really want people who only care about Likes and instant gratification? I have almost completely stopped doing Facebook for a host of reasons, but the instant gratification thing is part of it. It is the curse of the Internet and smartphones in particular. I do not want to play to the lowest common denominator like all social media platforms do.

Why would merging some categories into Ancient Coin Forum be good? It would dilute what activity is there in those categories. I will say ancient Coin Forum maybe could be deleted because it is redundant and really makes no sense to me because we have other categories that cover that ground and often posts are moved from there, in any case. I will also say that having one's post moved from any category to another is very off-putting, I put posts in a category for a reason. That is one thing I would like to see stop. But, whatever is done, I will be here, just giving my opinions. Reformatting the Forum will not magically get more quality posts, more members or more business for Joe. I personally rarely look at Cointalk because they do not have the quality and authority of knowledge vibe that Forum has in multiple aspects. I personally do not want a site that looks like Cointalk. And I don't see Forum competing with Cointalk or changing to attract that audience. And I am sure there are some great people there, but they get lost in the chaff.

Yep, I am old school, but joined Twitter the year it was formed and realized within a few months how useless it is and I was in the web development business at the time. It is still useless. I could say the same about other social media platforms I suppose.

Cheers,
Virgil

Offline Dominic T

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Re: Too many categories?
« Reply #80 on: April 06, 2021, 07:10:33 am »
Interesting thread and brainstorming so far. I'm really not in favor of a complete overhaul of the site, but we're talking about a few tweaks. For the academic side of FORVM, this will not go away with numiswiki, fake coin reports and an excellent search engine. About the LIKE fonction, I'd be for it:and I'm not on facebook, twitter or any social medias... Too many categories ?  I do not see any problem since with the NEW POSTS function I don't miss anything that is published. How to get more members and at the same time more traffic? Many collectors have a huge collection of ancient coins but are intimidated or don't see the relevance of posting here. Why? Because even if they own hundreds of interesting coins, they are not experts or scholars. They just want to SHARE their collection with others, like we do when we go at our local coin clubs. IMHO that's a weak point here: members start a new thread for showing a new acquisition, but I have to click on the link to go to their gallery...there are few posts after that: congratulation, nice coin, fine example, excellent acquisition...sometime I would have a similar example to share, but I don't do it because it's not the way it's done here...and the discussion dies right there. Would it be a way to improve that ?
DT

Offline Jay GT4

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Re: Too many categories?
« Reply #81 on: April 06, 2021, 07:45:45 am »
Excellent point Domiinic.  People want to share their coins, not necessarily write an academic paper on them.  Posts to the galleries looks very healthy still.  I try to look and comment on some every day.   Forum used to be a very lively place but it has the reputation of being stuffy.  As I've said, there is no better place to learn about ancients on the web but I think many have been turned off by all the rules.  Just look at how many sticky threads there are.  If someone posts something that isn't allowed they get jumped on or the post is deleted.  This is especially true with new posters.  Let's be realistic, nobody is going to read all the sticky rules before they make a post.  Can all the sticky posts be moved into a FAQ?

I'll give a personal example of how Forum is stuffy.  In the Italian section, which gets very little traffic, a thread turned into talking about some Italian singers and how listening to popular Italian music kept the language alive for those of us not living in Italy.  That it helps in reading the latin legends on coins.  A moderator posted something along the lines "this is not what the Forum is for" and then the thread was deleted.  Really?  Talk about shutting things down.  I'm not suggesting an "Off Tooic" section but some leeway should be given.

Offline Lech Stępniewski

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Re: Too many categories?
« Reply #82 on: April 06, 2021, 08:15:44 am »
I do not want to play to the lowest common denominator like all social media platforms do.

 +++ [like function]

It's a trivial truth that social media mechanisms were designed to heat up emotions, not to exchange arguments. And after a dozen or so years, it is clear that thanks to them the Internet (and the world) has not become a better place but worse. A strange mixture of aggression and censorship.

But yes, humans are an aggressive species, so aggression (and then aggressive fight against aggression) always attracts more viewers than discussion.
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Offline maridvnvm

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Re: Too many categories?
« Reply #83 on: April 06, 2021, 08:38:43 am »
Hi Joe,
Linking to images in the gallery seems to have changed quite a bit at some point in the past 12 months. Images linked to items in my gallery have disappeared even though the images are still there. I have even tried adding an image to my gallery and it is simply no longer possible to link to it. So much so that I gave up doing so about 3 months ago.
Regards,
Martin

Offline Meepzorp

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Re: Too many categories?
« Reply #84 on: April 06, 2021, 03:49:26 pm »
Many collectors have a huge collection of ancient coins but are intimidated or don't see the relevance of posting here. Why? Because even if they own hundreds of interesting coins, they are not experts or scholars. They just want to SHARE their collection with others, like we do when we go at our local coin clubs. IMHO that's a weak point here: members start a new thread for showing a new acquisition, but I have to click on the link to go to their gallery...there are few posts after that: congratulation, nice coin, fine example, excellent acquisition...sometime I would have a similar example to share, but I don't do it because it's not the way it's done here...and the discussion dies right there. Would it be a way to improve that ?
DT

Hi folks,

I agree.

I was one of those people before joining Forum. As many Forum members already know, I have no formal education in the Classics. I come from a science, engineering, and computer programming background.

I see nothing wrong with other Forum members sharing photos of similar examples in a topic. Unfortunately, the Forum members who disagree with me seem to have the upper hand here in Forum. I think that way of thinking or "belief system" (whether it is wrong or right) needs to change if we want to see more traffic here in Forum and encourage new members to join and post photos of their coins.

Meepzorp

Offline Meepzorp

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Re: Too many categories?
« Reply #85 on: April 06, 2021, 03:54:43 pm »
...sometimes I would have a similar example to share, but I don't do it because it's not the way it's done here...

H folks,

In my opinion, this one sentence sums up the biggest problem with Forum, why it is stagnating, and why it is having so much difficulty attracting new members, particularly ones that don't have a formal education in the Classics.

Meepzorp

Offline Meepzorp

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Re: Too many categories?
« Reply #86 on: April 06, 2021, 04:00:29 pm »
People want to share their coins, not necessarily write an academic paper on them.

Hi folks,

I agree.

And sometimes, by posting a photo of your coin, you can learn academic things about it from other Forum members who are more knowledgeable. By opening up the communication channels, the information can flow both ways.

Meepzorp

Offline Lech Stępniewski

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Re: Too many categories?
« Reply #87 on: April 06, 2021, 04:13:56 pm »
I'm sorry Meepzorp but I don't understand you. You have over four thousand posts and you still claim that there are some obstacles here to share opinions, coins etc. Isn't that a contradiction?
Lech Stępniewski
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Offline Stkp

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Re: Too many categories?
« Reply #88 on: April 06, 2021, 06:06:49 pm »
I have frequently posted my newest acquisitions here, flagging their addition to my gallery. My coins are often in areas of interest to few other collectors on here. Sometimes I am met by dead silence, but I have never felt inhibited or received negative feedback for posting. Some of these comments are a bit puzzling to me. Stkp

Offline Joe Sermarini

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Re: Too many categories?
« Reply #89 on: April 06, 2021, 08:01:11 pm »
Hi Joe,
Linking to images in the gallery seems to have changed quite a bit at some point in the past 12 months. Images linked to items in my gallery have disappeared even though the images are still there. I have even tried adding an image to my gallery and it is simply no longer possible to link to it. So much so that I gave up doing so about 3 months ago.
Regards,
Martin



You do understand that the links in the URL bar are dynamic and temporary and that the permanent URL is in the description below?  
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Offline wileyc

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Re: Too many categories?
« Reply #90 on: April 08, 2021, 12:24:15 am »
Issues here are diverse in a sense much like the collecting community. I have been on the board since 2005. 2007? And though collect mostly Byzantines I have diverse interests, I feel humbled at the expertise of other members and often do not feel enclined to offer a less than expert opinion. I have noticed as well a slightly quieter board but I can still relax and spend quality time (quite a bit at times!) looking at post's and and learning.

  I have never felt intimidated but can understand how one might. I think that is a challenge with the written word and no ability to see a smile, shrug and emotive look of "good question but......." My emails in my profession have at times been seen as stern when in my heart I mean no harm and my nature tends to  have live and let be inclinations.

  I tend to want to keep this as simple as possible for Joe and team, time is money and this site is valuable to me as it is and I wish to see it continue as long as possible by supporting Forum when I can.

  I miss seeing some of the older contributers with what I perceived as academic backgrounds no longer post. But as the wheel turns so does life, nothing stays the same...... I think its up to us to make this what we wish it to be, but I still like it as it is.

Offline Virgil H

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Re: Too many categories?
« Reply #91 on: April 08, 2021, 01:27:32 am »
Lech,
I so wanted to LIKE your post. LOL. And I hate liking. Funny stuff. I think that the Internet was better in 2004 than it is now.

Cheers,
Virgil

I do not want to play to the lowest common denominator like all social media platforms do.

 +++ [like function]

It's a trivial truth that social media mechanisms were designed to heat up emotions, not to exchange arguments. And after a dozen or so years, it is clear that thanks to them the Internet (and the world) has not become a better place but worse. A strange mixture of aggression and censorship.

But yes, humans are an aggressive species, so aggression (and then aggressive fight against aggression) always attracts more viewers than discussion.

Offline Bill W4

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Re: Too many categories?
« Reply #92 on: April 09, 2021, 05:31:54 pm »
This is somewhat strange.  I check forums site several times a day for fakes ,id, auction's, coins on sale and such ; but now find myself anticipating this thread.  I don't think it's a good thing.
I wouldn't join any club that would have me as a member!

Offline esnible

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Re: Too many categories?
« Reply #93 on: April 13, 2021, 11:46:11 am »
The current organization is good for searching for old content.

There is a problem with pinned threads.  This board, "FORVM Announcements", has a first page that is entirely pinned threads.  That's too many!

If I am going to write new content, I want to place it where people will see it.  Suppose I want to write a review of a new book.  If I review it for a site that only has an "Ancient Coins" category, I can be sure everyone will see it.  If I review on a site with a "like button", and I get 10 likes, I can be sure 10 people appreciated it.

Suppose I decide to post the review on FORUM.  A review of a book on Greek coins.  Should I put it in "Books and References"?  That seems like the correct category.  That category has 13 non-pinned threads on the first page, spanning two months.  "Greek coins" has 18 non-pinned threads over less one month, so it is much more active.  Maybe more people will see it there.  We have no "like" button, so unless my thread is cool enough to get replies I will have no idea if anyone saw it and appreciated it.

The organization of any message board should be optimized to encourage new people.  FORUM has tons of expert users, and few confused newbies to ask questions.  A site will get a lot more traffic if there are a few vocal beginners posing easy questions for the old-timers to answer.  I don't know how to get more beginners, but let's not discourage them.


Offline Joe Sermarini

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Re: Too many categories?
« Reply #94 on: April 13, 2021, 11:45:41 pm »
If you use the 100, New Posts, and New Replies links in the header, you, and everyone else who uses them, will see all the new posts. I never go to the various topics to read new posts. That would be like trying to find a fake coin in the fake coin reports without using the search (yes, people do that too).

I agree there are too many pinned threads and many should be combined or unpinned. Moderators please do that.

I believe we will have a like feature after we upgrade to SMF 2.x.

The site actually gets quite a bit of traffic but far more lookers than posters.
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Offline esnible

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Re: Too many categories?
« Reply #95 on: April 14, 2021, 09:36:31 am »
If you use the 100, New Posts, and New Replies links in the header, you, and everyone else who uses them, will see all the new posts. I never go to the various topics to read new posts. That would be like trying to find a fake coin in the fake coin reports without using the search (yes, people do that too).

I am not complaining!  You have built a great site, and are rightfully proud.

I use "New Replies" first when I visit.  Works great.

Then I go into the various boards to read new posts.  I am interested mostly in "Greek Coins", "Books and References", "Parthian/Eastern", and "Celtic/Tribal".  I don't want to see anything about Roman coins or antiquities, and I can't read languages other than English.  So I never use "100" or "New Posts" which are mostly on Roman topics.

 

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