How about a "Best Of" Forum?

[dbabcock]

Real quick, before this gets moved by some disconnected, disinterested, nonposting moderator. What does everyone think about a forum here where the most popular threads are posted by themselves for easy viewing and replying. On another board that I frequent they did this and it was a big hit.

 

[Crofter]

I can see what you mean Doug, but would it take traffic away from the other sites if a viewer could just come in and skim the cream. In grocery stores they arrange things so you have to go past certain high profit impulse items to get to the bread and milk. For the overall benefit of the continued success of the forum, would it be good? I dont know.

Frank

 

[dbabcock]

That's a good point that I hadn't thought of, Frank. I don't know the answer either, but I would imagine that there would be a rather limited number of threads on such a forum compared to the chainsaw forum as an example. I certainly wouldn't limit myself to the "best of" to the exclusion of all else, but I think it would be good as a mix of all of the forums here. I don't think a lot of people wade into all of the AS forums. A "best of" forum would allow quick browsing of the heavy hitters of all AS forums in one place.

 

[bwalker]

I think its a great idea Doug. I have seen other forums like this as well.

 

[Fish]

How about "Arborists Gone Wild"?

Who would be seperating the cream?
The moderators here are not that bad, they have let us all
run amok for quite a while. Just moving a few posts under the
pretense of being "off topic" does not make them evil.
I am the champion of off topic and evil, so I speak with a little
credibility. Or maybe not.........

 

[Crofter]

Doug, it may be that it would be a real enticer for people to go and see what all else was "out in the back" so to speak. I know nothing about the strategy and financing of sites like this.

Frank

 

[rahtreelimbs]

I think it is a good idea. People who are on this site are serious about the subjects presented here. They will look further than just a " Best Of " forum.

 

[Tony Snyder]

I don't quite understand. How would you determine the the best threads? Who would decide that?

Would you wait until you seen a history of views on them and then move them?

I don't think it would be in the best interest of the forum.

What we gonna do, take a chainsaw IQ test; the top 20% get to post on the elitist forum?

 

[geofore]

best of

While it is a pain in the backside to wade through everything on all the forums if you don't you will miss the sites others recommend for more info. It does show how lazy we get also when all it takes is download to disc to make your own "Best of" forum and add what you want to it. I'm wonderimg why you would not make your own disc? Don't know how? Don't have time? Don't have a clue what the best is? New to the forum is not an excuse to eliminate the possibility you will find out something you didn't even know you didn't know by reading only the best of list. You can search the list by ratings now, why is the best of needed?

 

[Rotax Robert]

All good points from everybody, although maybe (THE BEST OF) could be set by the amount of hits/replies etc. I like the idea myself.

 

[Gypo Logger]

Hi Robert, the Predator thread was always a big hit, but then again, what ya gonna do with a have dozen piss tanks? Ship em' off to Washington State? When they made that Busch they made lots of it.
Gypo

 

[StIhL MaGnUm]

DB I think your right the best of the forum I think would be a very good idea maybe Darin and the rest think so too hopefully...

Later Rob..

 

[dbabcock]

I don't know what the best way to decide would be. There are certainly threads here that have a helluvalot of views, but not all of even these are worthwhile. My personal favorite is the Art Martin thread and not just because I started it. Rotax's Predator Hotsaw thread is excellent as well. I learned a lot from threads like these. I suppose that some of the oil threads are good as well. The "Stihl vs. Husky" things are OK, but are based more on biased opinions than cold, hard, singular facts. "Greffardized" is the heaviest hitter here on chainsaw and started out as an informative thread and tribute to my good friends Dennis Greffard and Ken Dunn, but like "Pic Albums", soon mutated into a freeforall of OT a$$holery (yes, I was and still am a big part of this problem). Many other threads are just wacky to begin with and that's why people go to them; because they are fun. "This is an Outrage" comes to mind.

As another side note, I ran a "bot" program last night to see which AS member garnered the most views of the posts that he started. Guess who? It's not even close really. Actually, the person in second place has more views per post. Would this make him the most beloved person on AS? Not likely, I suspect. And no, you don't want to know who he is.

 

[Crofter]

Someone suggested moving the selected items to the Best Of forum. If it were done, I think they shouldn't be moved, only copied to the other site as otherwise it would diminish the other. Do we really need instant pudding. It has been said here many times "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" I do believe in being receptive to change if it is change for the better. Many have expressed approval for doug's suggestion, but exactly why would it be better? Put it in factual terms not emotional ones and lets look at it.

Frank

 

[dbabcock]

Perhaps if there were just links in the "Best of" that would take one to the threads in their original places. I think it would be good to give people an easy way to look into other forums where they don't know their way around.

 

[don]

We already have a system in place

The rating system will give you a best of frum "vote" and when it earns 5 stars it is in.

I would like to see the best discussions stay in one forum.

Why, so people don't cherry pick.

I THINK the main thing thi forum needs is a better "search" capability ( at least put it so you don't have to scroll around to find it).

Maybe a "what does this do" icon.

 

[Dennis]

Doug, I think I like the idea of a "best of" forum. (not that it is my decision to build it). One could take the thread with both, , X number of veiws, and X number of replies, from all forums on Arboristsite. Crofter also said that the threads should be copied as opposed to moved, which I also agree with.

Don, where is the best place for the "search" function do you think. Top right corner of every page works for me.

 

[Toneman]

I agree with Dennis, the "search" button, works great and I find it very good for finding info in past post's

 

[Crofter]

I can see some benefits to having some kind of a page that would list a bunch of interesting topics and give links to the threads. It might save a new viewer from having to ask questions about subjects that have already been covered. (This pees off some of the old hands) I do not find our search function to be a very smart search engine; unless you are pretty exact, it responds with "no match found" Even when you know a thread is there and you are trying to bring it up, you can have difficulties. I do think there would be room for improvements along these lines. Another thought about archives. I was subscribed to a forum that had a lot of very valuable information but one day with some reshuffling of sponsorship, all but the last 500 posts were wiped out. I sure wished that I had personally catalogued the posts. There are some very informative posts here, such as Art Martin's work on sharpening, that is not to be found in print anywhere else. Hmmmm?

Frank

 

[Beavergirl]

So what was the final tally on this idea Darin?

I personally think this type of thread is long overdue based on some of the terse responses to the basic q's about muffler mods, bars, chain, and oil type threads.

Last month there were numerous comments about how this forum was becoming mundane and repititious. At least a FAQ would minimalize some of this.

Or is it the consensus to use the search forum and call it good?

C-