Forum organization feedback

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

If you have feedback on the new organization of the forums, post it here, please. We'd like to compact the front page down a bit while making everything nice and logical.

[ecoli]

I like "current events" instead of Politics. A politics board on a science forum should be more of an "-ology" intellectual discussion. The way the board was going was definitely more informal.

[Sisyphus]

Why was the philosophy of science forum closed?

[Dak]

might wanna delete the 'welcome, creationists' stickies now that ID is taboo, and maybe put a sub-forum under 'genetics' linking out to originsdebate?

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

Why was the philosophy of science forum closed?

It was unused. I can dump the threads in it somewhere else if you'd like to continue posting in them.

 

might wanna delete the 'welcome, creationists' stickies now that ID is taboo, and maybe put a sub-forum under 'genetics' linking out to originsdebate?

Indeed, although OD is rather dead now.

[Sisyphus]

I'm not really a fan of the change from "Politics" to "Current Events." To me, the most interesting discussions were not about what just happened in the news, but the more abstract, general threads about political science in general: theories of government, how people form opinions, etc. I don't understand why that should be turned in to a place to bicker about whatever is in the news. Merging the science news topics into it also seems rather out of place.

[Royston]

Really just echoing what's already been mentioned, but I don't see the point of changing politics to current affairs, why constrain future threads to just current events.

 

Avatars to the left would be better...personally. A. it would be neater with all user info in the same area, and B. the avatar acts as an 'at a glance' i.d. You instantly recognise who's posting, then start reading, rather than being distracted by the avatar two sentences into the post.

 

I certainly prefer the science subsections as they are now, rather than having to go into physics, then into e.g 'modern and theoretical physics'...it's more browser friendly, and you can see any new posts from the forum main page, which is much better IMO.

 

Although I understand why you got rid of philosophy of science, seeing as philosophy is so integral to science that it's hard to see any difference, it's a shame to get rid of it based on popularity, you may as well ditch some of the less popular mathematics sections.

 

I'm a bit dubious about the equipment forum, how much can be discussed in this area...perhaps change the description underneath, doesn't come across as very professional. Anyway, just my thoughts, but thanks to everyone who worked hard on the changes and improvements

[Phi for All]

I'm not really a fan of the change from "Politics" to "Current Events." To me, the most interesting discussions were not about what just happened in the news, but the more abstract, general threads about political science in general: theories of government, how people form opinions, etc. I don't understand why that should be turned in to a place to bicker about whatever is in the news. Merging the science news topics into it also seems rather out of place.

I agree. The way we use it politics *is* a science, or is approached and discussed almost like one. Like the Philosophy / Religion forum, Politics can be approached scientifically and that's what makes our discussions different from other sites with similar sub-fora.

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

Really just echoing what's already been mentioned, but I don't see the point of changing politics to current affairs, why constrain future threads to just current events.

We might open a Social Science forum...

 

Avatars to the left would be better...personally. A. it would be neater with all user info in the same area, and B. the avatar acts as an 'at a glance' i.d. You instantly recognise who's posting, then start reading, rather than being distracted by the avatar two sentences into the post.

I simply read the username now.

 

But I definitely see what you mean; it's just that moving the avatar anywhere would involve drastically changing the layout of the post, and the current layout is rather nice. If you have suggestions for locations of the avatar, I'd be glad to hear them.

 

I'm a bit dubious about the equipment forum, how much can be discussed in this area...perhaps change the description underneath, doesn't come across as very professional.

That was just me working out a quick description until woelen or YT could come up with better.

 

Thanks for the feedback.

[Genecks]

I liked the more condensed form of the forum, the one with subboards instead of everything laid out.

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

Why?