why is the forum layout so confusing?

[skata]

too many subforums, and more than one way to get to certain subforums.
anyone else find it confusing?:confused:

[skata]

even this post shows up under two subforums on the main page.

[Serv]

are you on syty.net also?

[skata]

are you on syty.net also?

damn, you got me.:o

servando, right? how's the truck running?:)

[Serv]

Hey man. It's running awesome. ;) I drive it almost once a day and beat on it the entire time at 20psi. :D It does have a rear main seal leak that's bothering me but I don't feel like yanking the motor or tranny these days. :cool:



what brings you to heavyequipmentforums? changing hobbies?

[Serv]

Excuse the dirty truck, but here's my 2 year old demanding her once a day ride around the block. "sit down and drive dada!" :D

[Serv]

damn, I did a wonderful job jacking this thread!


As for the forum layout, I've often wondered what section to start a thread in but I'm sure a mod would move it if he/she found it was in the wrong place. I started a forum (http://www.laredoperformance.com) with a good friend over 2 years ago and we have enjoyed great success and fast growth in bringing our local car enthusiast and racing community together. I do a large share of administration and tweaking and it can get very frustrating and time consuming when you start messing with settings.

Members ask for many things. We are all ears to and cater to most of what the members ask for, but sometimes we have to say no to them. For example, the last time we said no was for a "shoutbox" request. Those shout boxes eat up more bandwith than the forum itself, so we couldn't do it. I just started a poll in the mods lounge and let it run it's course. And we all decided "no" together. You can't please everyone.

My unbiased, personal opinion of this particular forum is it's kinda strict when it comes to certain settings such as posting pics and other stuff. It takes alot more time to resize and upload than it does to simply hotlink a photo frommy personal online galleries. But, I'm starting to get the hang of it now. Sometimes I have to tell certain members of my forum that our forum is like a house. A house that belongs to owner (in the case of HEF, Steve Frazier). Sometimes we get members that act like it's some kind of public free speach platform and I have to correct them before they go too far. You have to watch this stuff closely and to be perfectly honest with you it get's frustrating and personally, I get burnt out and have to step away once in a while. That's when a good group of mods come in handy. :D

I'm sure you've seen all the drama on syty.net over the years. What I think is the owners here are trying to prevent dealing with potential drama before it ever becomes an issue because they may not have the time figured into their lives to deal with it. I mean, who wants to deal with misery anyway. :ban


Again to address the confusion of the layout, it's like any other board where the more time you spend navigating it, the more familiar and comfortable you'll become with it. I'm sure if they hear enough about it and have a chance to look into it, stuff might evolve over time. ;)



Hey, good to see you around here. These guys have been a tremendous help to me and are a great bunch. They've walked me through purchases of more than a few big machines already and most importantly helped me fix and keep them running so far. These guys will also tell you what to look for when buying a machine or when to walk away. :notworthy


BTW, I'm still trying to find those two launch vids of you in your truck on that rural road. That turbo sound from the exhaust was SWEET! I lost them in a computer crash a few years ago. :( Send them over or post them for these guys to see. :D

[Steve Frazier]

Welcome to Heavy Equipment Forums skata!!:drinkup

Yours is actually the first complaint I've had toward the format of the Board. When setting up the Board, I broke things down into different classes of machinery so members could focus on the areas that interest them most if they like. If the majority finds this confusing, I believe I can eliminate the main categories and just run the sub-categories.

Anyone else care to comment?

[Squizzy246B]

Took me a little while to work it out...but I think Serv nailed it pretty well.

Again to address the confusion of the layout, it's like any other board where the more time you spend navigating it, the more familiar and comfortable you'll become with it.

I'd hope that oneday sponsorship might permit a little more space for slightly larger pics (800 x 800:beatsme ) but its fine as is...and thats a wish not a complaint.

And you gots to admit....anything on a computer that CountryBoy can work out can't be that hard:rolleyes: :D

[digger242j]

even this post shows up under two subforums on the main page.

I think you're confusion arises from the fact that your post shows up next to the main catogory title in "Support and Announcements", because it was the most recent post in that entire catogory, and it also shows up in the subforum "Support" catagory, because it was the most recent post here.

(See image below.)

You won't see that in topics posted in "General Industry questions" for instance, because that has no subforums. You will see it in "Heavy Equipment" and "Excavating Equipment", because the most recent post in "Excavating Equipment" will also be the most recent post under the overall catagory of "Heavy Equipment".

Perhaps the solution is to leave the titles of those larger catagories showing, but not include the links to the most recent post with them?

[srs_mn]

Welcome to Heavy Equipment Forums skata!!:drinkup

Yours is actually the first complaint I've had toward the format of the Board. When setting up the Board, I broke things down into different classes of machinery so members could focus on the areas that interest them most if they like. If the majority finds this confusing, I believe I can eliminate the main categories and just run the sub-categories.

Anyone else care to comment?

At first I found the opening page on this site a little overwhelming, too - too many categories to choose from to quickly browse through all of them... After a few visits though, I found that, if I was logged in, I could just click on "New Posts" in the top toolbar, and only the posts that had activity since my last visit would show up. That simplified the problem for me.
srs/mn

[Tigerotor77W]

I was actually kind of hesitant to chime in on this one because I tend to miss so many threads to begin with, but I actually do agree. On other sites (say, here: http://www.notebookforums.com/index.php?index), there is a clearly-marked forum that doesn't show threads, followed by subforums. The difficulty is that there are so many subforums (HEF -> Heavy Equipment -> Excavating Equipment -> subforums like dozers, wheel loaders, etc) that it'd be difficult to negotiate. However, I do prefer getting rid of a newest post on the main forums, because to me, it looks like everything is a subforum.

But I could easily just go on missing threads. I don't mind looking like an idiot every so often. :D

[Steve Frazier]

I looked at that Board Tigerotor, I'll try to find out how to do something similar here. I looked at my control panel and it's not readily apparent.

I'm also working on getting a hack for the "new posts" icon that will allow you to select new posts from certain time periods as well as since your last visit.

[Countryboy]

And you gots to admit....anything on a computer that CountryBoy can work out can't be that hard:rolleyes: :D

I've read every thread in here (what, you haven't? :cool2 ) so now I just stick to the "New Posts" page.

Here's the part that gets me confused, although it doesn't take much. Its not the whole main page, just a couple of the forums that seem complicated. For instance if you click "Heavy Equipment" it takes you to some subforums that are listed on the main page too. If you then click "Excavating Equipment" it takes you to some "sub"-subforums which are also listed on the subforums page before it. It can seem like a maze sometimes because some of the forums loop back to others. Like I said, its not the whole main page thats confusing to me, its just the double listings of some of the "sub" and "sub-sub" forums. The rest of the forums on the main page seem to be pretty direct.

The links to new threads on the side of the main page would probably be easier to figure out if some of the loops and twists were made more direct and some of the "sub"-sub forums were consolidated. Don't get me wrong, this is a well organised site. Just a couple of things I noticed.

Ok, I shall get back to the "Welcome Cage" waiting for new victims.......I mean members. :D

[digger242j]

Here's the part that gets me confused, although it doesn't take much. Its not the whole main page, just a couple of the forums that seem complicated. For instance if you click "Heavy Equipment" it takes you to some subforums that are listed on the main page too. If you then click "Excavating Equipment" it takes you to some "sub"-subforums which are also listed on the subforums page before it.

When you click on a forum, and it takes you there, you get to see (at the top), the forum where you are, and below it, the next level of subforums you can get to.

If you click on the "archives" button, you can see the way the whole thing is set up, by forums and their subforums. (It took two screenshots to fit it all. Ignore the blue bar full of stuff in the middle of the transportation section.) Nothing is repeated. There may be two places on the main page to get to get to a post in any given subforum, but there's only one set of forums, subforums and sub-subforums.

[Orchard Ex]

It's a standard tree control. I've never found it confusing. Actually, I think it's much better organized than everything being thrown into one big forum folder. Log in, hit "new posts", no fuss no muss. I'd vote to leave it be.
I see that HEF is nearly 2000 members. Thanks to Steve and the Mod's for the site!:drinkup

[skata]

Log in, hit "new posts", no fuss no muss. I'd vote to leave it be.

but you can't assume that everybody does that.
especially new guys like me.

i lurked here for a while before joining. i'm sure there are a lot others who view the forum that are not signed up, and able to hit "new posts".

the points made by a few others are what i'm referring to also.

one other example, you have a "transportation" subforum on the main page that links you to 4 other smaller subforums. yet 2 of those smaller subforums(trucks, trailers) are available on the mainpage already.

this forum is a great idea. could be a little simpler for some of us out there.:)

[skata]

what brings you to heavyequipmentforums? changing hobbies? i havent been messing with my trucks a lot lately. i probably drove them no more than ten times during the last 2 years. i finished them up and then i got occupied with other things like work. i'm in the construction business. i've framed for many years and general homes.

i'll see if i can dig up that video of my syclone.

[digger242j]

one other example, you have a "transportation" subforum on the main page that links you to 4 other smaller subforums. yet 2 of those smaller subforums(trucks, trailers) are available on the mainpage already.

On my screen, all four of them (trucks, trailers, equipment moving, and showtime) are available from the main page. :confused: The only one with sub-subforums that can't be accessed from the main page is Heavy Equipment.

[skata]

On my screen, all four of them (trucks, trailers, equipment moving, and showtime) are available from the main page. :confused: The only one with sub-subforums that can't be accessed from the main page is Heavy Equipment.
:duh woops, i guess all 4 are on the main page. how did i miss that?:o
that just proves my point even more though.

[skata]

BTW, I'm still trying to find those two launch vids of you in your truck on that rural road. That turbo sound from the exhaust was SWEET! I lost them in a computer crash a few years ago. :( Send them over or post them for these guys to see. :D

i think these were the two videos. i have not made anymore since.:(
for those that dont know, the syclone was a limited production truck from gmc. made in 91 only. it has a turbo V6 and AWD.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGZe63zf2R0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6TdtP5zlRM

the syclone is mostly modified. the typhoon i bought later. it is mostly original with about 23k miles.

here's a pic of both trucks.
http://uploader.ws/upload/200705/sy.jpg

[Countryboy]

Log in, hit "new posts", no fuss no muss.

My daily ritual......:D

I'd vote to leave it be.


I vote to keep it the same too. I was only trying to pinpoint where the confusion was. :thumbsup


i lurked here for a while before joining. i'm sure there are a lot others who view the forum that are not signed up, and able to hit "new posts".

More reason for the guests to join the site. Theres alot of things that guests can't do, that members can. :drinkup

[Lashlander]

Here's the part that gets me confused, although it doesn't take much. Its not the whole main page, just a couple of the forums that seem complicated. For instance if you click "Heavy Equipment" it takes you to some subforums that are listed on the main page too. If you then click "Excavating Equipment" it takes you to some "sub"-subforums which are also listed on the subforums page before it. It can seem like a maze sometimes because some of the forums loop back to others. Like I said, its not the whole main page thats confusing to me, its just the double listings of some of the "sub" and "sub-sub" forums. The rest of the forums on the main page seem to be pretty direct.

The links to new threads on the side of the main page would probably be easier to figure out if some of the loops and twists were made more direct and some of the "sub"-sub forums were consolidated. Don't get me wrong, this is a well organised site. Just a couple of things I noticed.


Now I'm dizzy and need to go lay down.:confused:

[Steve Frazier]

I'm working on this, it shouldn't be long and I think you guys will like the results.

[Steve Frazier]

OK, in the words of Toby Kieth, How do you like me now?

Do you prefer the top two sub catagories or the bottom two in "Heavy Equipment?

[Tigerotor77W]

I like it! Not that it matters much, but would it be possible to expand the "Excavating Equipment" section also?

It seems so much easier to figure out now... thanks a TON!

[Countryboy]

It seems so much easier to figure out now... thanks a TON!

You mean to tell me that a member of the "Senior Design Project Group" had trouble figuring out how to navigate a website......tsk tsk tsk :bouncegri

Looks good Steve. I like it better that way too. :thumbsup

[Orchard Ex]

More reason for the guests to join the site. Theres alot of things that guests can't do, that members can. :drinkup

Exactly!
Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner!

Keep it, Change it, Whatever, as long as the "signal to noise ratio" stays high.
:)

[Truckie]

Don’t know what the heck happened, but I don’t like the new layout at all, I believe it is very confusing.
I liked the way it was before, never had a problem with it.

[JBL]

Don’t know what the heck happened, but I don’t like the new layout at all, I believe it is very confusing.
I liked the way it was before, never had a problem with it.


I logged on and hit refresh about six times cause I thought the page wasn't loading. Then I realized the page had changed. :Pointhead

[skata]

i think it looks a lot simpler. the only thing that i could see changing is the heavy equipment section.
currently you have a subsection called "construction equipment". but there's hardly any equipment listed in there. not to mention hardly any activity too. and i thought all equipment is "construction" equipment.

why not just name the section "equipment". then have the subsections "heavy equipment" , "compact equipment" , "paving equipment" , and "lubrication".
:beatsme

[digger242j]

currently you have a subsection called "construction equipment". but there's hardly any equipment listed in there. not to mention hardly any activity too. and i thought all equipment is "construction" equipment.

It would probably be more accurate to call "heavy equipment" "earthmoving equipment".

[Squizzy246B]

I like it Steve, thanks:thumbsup

[Tigerotor77W]

You mean to tell me that a member of the "Senior Design Project Group" had trouble figuring out how to navigate a website......tsk tsk tsk :bouncegri

Looks good Steve. I like it better that way too. :thumbsup

Hey now, I'm not there yet... :o

[CT18fireman]

I guess it never bothered me. Whne I come on I always immediately hit "new posts" and look through them.

When I start a new thread is the only time I scroll down the main page to find the right spot.

[Steve Frazier]

I'm going to be doing a little more refining and will need to revert back to the former layout off and on, so don't panic when you see the old style Board again. I'll let you know when I've got the final version up.

[Steve Frazier]

OK guys, I think it's where we want it to be. I'm considering adding a haul truck forum to the earthmoving section, we've had quite a few threads about them here.

[Tigerotor77W]

I like it even more now!

[Countryboy]

Yeah, thats great Steve. :drinkup

[Steve Frazier]

Glad you like it guys!

I want to publicly thank Chuck Smith here too for adding the "New posts" hack to the program giving you a variety of time periods to choose from when looking for posts. This is especially helpful if you must leave the computer before you've read all new posts. When you return, you can select the time period to get the posts from that best suits your needs.

[Cat420]

The new post hack is my favorite part. Every once in a while I used to click new posts and see about 25, then Firefox needed to close or my computer needed to restart for something (not caused by this site) and when I came back it only showed 5:confused: . Being that I have an obsession with reading every thread on here, it drove me nuts. Now that is no longer a problem.

The only other suggestion I could possibly think of would be a section specifically for the various industry professionals (ceo, engineers, marketing, etc) to ask questions in. It's been interesting to see some of them pop up looking for input and it might possibly make some of the lurkers feel more welcome.

[Countryboy]

Being that I have an obsession with reading every thread on here, it drove me nuts. Now that is no longer a problem.


Yeah, the "New Posts" menu is definately the best part for the same reason as above. :drinkup

I prefer passion instead of obsession though......:D