Too many forums?

[Merli]

Okay, well here's my two bob in how the forums would best be organised.

Firstly, there are too many "Automotive Discussion Forums". For the reasons I stated above, they should be CONSOLIDATED, instead of subjecting them to DIVERSIFCATION as you have done.

People are already getting confused. Look at the "Skyline Related Discussion".

Some of the new threads are:

GREX sump for R33 GTR

Real Time Tune

Blitz Attessa Torque Splitter for 32/33 GT-R

What clutch for rb20det??? with 140rwkw

Oil Pumps

That's just on the first page. They should really go under the "Forced Induction Performance" right? That's where all the performance and modification threads should go :uh-huh:

Stagea and Cefiro forums are fine... Just don't link them on the main forum page. They aren't THAT important. Make them sub forums of the "General Automotive Discussion"

These forums should be merged back into General Automotive Discussion (GAD):

Other Nissan Imports

Skyline Related Discussion

What's the point of GAD now? Topics about cars.... EXCEPT skylines, EXCEPT cefiros, EXCEPT stageas, EXCEPT other nissan imports.... What does that really leave to discuss in GAD? :Oops:

Threads about bodykits could really just be asked in GAD. There's no need for it's own forum.

The Importation, Laws and Regulations is a good one. I'd leave it where it is. It's a pretty important topic.

[Merli]

So here's what I suggest (and they're only suggestions):

General Automotive Discussion (Merge "Skylines Related Discussion" and "Bodykits" into here)

- Stagea Discussion (GAD sub-forum)

- Cefiro Discussion (GAD sub-forum)

(Other Nissan Imports to be merged with GAD)

Motorsport

Importation, Laws and Regulations

Forced Induction Performance

Naturally Aspirated Performance

Suspension, braking and tyres

General Maintenance

(Bodykits to be merged with GAD)

Car Audio

Tutorials / DIY / FAQ

The rest is great

[Merli]

I think the main thing to remember is that most people will only read 3 or 4 forums... They don't have time to click on all the forums, or they just don't have the inclination to do so.

You should be looking to consolidate the forums into 3 or 4 main ones that people will read:

General Automotive Discussion

Forced Induction/NA Performance (depending on what you drive)

Your State Forum

For Sale Forum

[Jimbo2000]

[funkymonkey]

valid points

what harm is there in having the stagea and ceffy sections on the main page, as you said, only respective owners will look at them, and as subforms of GAD, they don't function any differently to being main forums?

also, how do you suggest keeping apart threads concerning skylines with threads about the new honda S2000, which as part of an amalgamated GAD all appear one after the other. As said above, this is a Skyline forum, shouldn't some importance be given to skylines threads instead of makin people trawl thru threads about hondas and lamborghinis to check out ones about skylines??

As for bodykits, if it was merged back with GAD I don't think anyone would miss it lol.

Subforums aren't cool... i mean how many people here go into a section and then check out its subsections... at least if they were on the front page, if a stagea owner came on the forum they wouldn't look around and go somewhere else because they can't find anything on stageas.

[funkymonkey]

I keep checking General Automotive and people keep posting in it with Skyline threads, I think they're just used to doing that lol

[Goon]

merli is a very wise man!

[Merli]

what harm is there in having the stagea and ceffy sections on the main page, as you said, only respective owners will look at them, and as subforms of GAD, they don't function any differently to being main forums?

So if only the 20 or so cefiro/stagea owners look at them, why list it on the main page and clutter it un-necessarily for the other 8000 active registered users? :confused: I don't need it listed there, and neither do 98% of people browsing SAU.

also, how do you suggest keeping apart threads concerning skylines with threads about the new honda S2000, which as part of an amalgamated GAD all appear one after the other. As said above, this is a Skyline forum, shouldn't some importance be given to skylines threads instead of makin people trawl thru threads about hondas and lamborghinis to check out ones about skylines??

You can't really say something like that, and then make two new forums for non-skylines :Oops: :Oops:... A bit contradictory

I couldn't care less whether S2000 threads are in with the skylines threads... They're all General Automotive threads anyway, like "I found this red thing in my car" or "man hondas are torque-less!"... That's what the forum is for!!

What Skylines threads that would go in the consolidated GAD forum would be of such importance that you would want people to be able to find it so easily? As far as I can see, any Skyline related threads that go in there are just people going "blah blah blah" anyway

I keep checking General Automotive and people keep posting in it with Skyline threads, I think they're just used to doing that lol

So it was working fine? No-one complained about having to wade through a few lamborghini and S2000 threads did they?

"If it ain't broke, STEP THE FCUK OFF BIATCH!!!" (edited for futurism and accessibility for today's generation)

[MM2death]

My thoughts are what Merli said exactly. Can someone make this into a poll and post it in the main GAD forum as not everyone is going to come and look at the feedback forum.

Scott

[predator]

hmmm.. well this isn't really constructive - but i think there are a few too many now, but some new ones are useful such as the compliancing/importing one.. and i guess the cefiro ones for those with boats, erm, cefiros.

Maybe just a bit of nicer grouping.. So maybe..

"Car discussion"

"Forsale" (which has already been done)

And "state discussions"

and when you click on these you can access all the sub-forums under that. It takes away much of the "one click" goodness.. and seeing what is new straight away.. but then again i usually use the jump nav down the bottom right anyhow to quickly jump back and forward.

[Merli]

Oh man... and please reunite the Motorsport forum back into one again...

CONSOLIDATE FORUMS!!! What's with this "Holy sh1t... Lets split up as many forums as we can!!!" crusade?

Why are you making me do 5000 clicks to read the threads I want to read?

[PranK]

hmmm... ok, well, its obvious this didn't go down as well as I thought it would.

so, motorsport subforums removed? what else? merge Skyline discussion and GAD?

[predator]

yes, definitely merge skyline discussion and GAD..

i mean most have a bit of an interest in all types of cars, even if their main passion is skylines. Splitting off into sub categories just decreases the traffic to all, and means you have to click several times to read everything, rather than just one place (as merli pointed out).

As long as the post traffic isn't too massive in one area, i think just having it as one area is more useful - even if it is a bit "general".

Some should stay separate and a good idea, others should be merged I reckon. As to which.. hmm I don't quite see the point of having "classic Skylines" , "other nissans", and "all other rb powered nissans". Shouldn't this be just one "Classic Skylines and older Nissans" or similar?

In my experience having too many sub-forums can just kill discussion off in all of them

[cameron]

I like the original set out, remember its skylines australia not supra,wrx,silvia

other wise it gets to confusing.

Just my 2c worth

[Merli]

Sooooooooo.....

[Duncan]

I would like to share 2 things

1) I was against the extra forums coz I thinks its confusing and leads ppl to not see / reply to threads.

2) the number of posts per day has almost doubled in the last week......

[Merli]

3) I'd like to see the server load stats and number of requests as a result of all the extra page clicks and page loads that are a result of these extra forums too :Oops:

[benm]

Damn now I know what everyone is talking about with all the extra categories. Took me 5mins to find the /Drag section Had to do a 'title' search to find the thread I was after

[R31Nismoid]

People are already getting confused. Look at the "Skyline Related Discussion".

Some of the new threads are:

GREX sump for R33 GTR  

Real Time Tune  

Blitz Attessa Torque Splitter for 32/33 GT-R  

What clutch for rb20det??? with 140rwkw  

Oil Pumps  

That's just on the first page. They should really go under the "Forced Induction Performance" right? That's where all the performance and modification threads should go :uh-huh:

Indeed, they need to be posted in the Forced Induction.

So the General section mods (Shell, SKY031, dan_the_man ) need to send that sorta stuff to us (meggala, R31Nismoid, Blitz)

I think the main thing to remember is that most people will only read 3 or 4 forums... They don't have time to click on all the forums, or they just don't have the inclination to do so.

You should be looking to consolidate the forums into 3 or 4 main ones that people will read:

General Automotive Discussion

Forced Induction/NA Performance (depending on what you drive)

Your State Forum

For Sale Forum

now thats going too far. You've have 3-4 pages on new threads/posts every 2-3 hours. It'd be too tough to moderate for one.

You have to have some split sections to filter stuff to a certain extent on specifics

[R31Nismoid]

We need to find a happy medium, dont cut it back too much IMO

Aa a suggestion - The World & Other Things

Maybe move that whole section below the state/for sale forums?

And bring the feed-back section up somewhat so people do see it more (maybe)

I would also agree with the others... GAD & Skyline being merged. They basically get the same topics posted all day long