too many forums?

[mskin]

First off, i love the site and use it religeously so don't take this the wrong way, but....

 

Am i the only one that thinks there are way too many forums? I feel that this sit has become too sub-categorized that my threads have hardly the audience they once did. I feel in some respects that i've been pushed off into my 3d max/mental ray corner rather than hanging out with the regular crowd so to speak.

 

I liked posing a question about mental ray, or 3d max in the general forum and recieving all kinds of feed back, especially from people using vray or maya.... no my posts are quickly relocated to their respective forums.

 

is this just me?

[Ernest Burden III]

I read this forum by using the 'Today's Posts' method. That way i see all current posts in all forums. Ones that don't relate (like a technical Lightwave question) I'm going to ignore since I have nothing to add to it. But I at least see what's being discussed and often will read posts in forums that don't directly relate to my work or products.

 

Now take a site like CGtalk, which is so huge that doing that is not realistic. There I only post in, and read, the Cinema4D forum. I will occasionally visit a Zbrush, or traditional media, or industry news forum, but tend to stay to the sub-group. In the end its my loss, but the forum is too big for my small mind.

 

This one, however, is just right!

 

Use 'Today's Posts'.

[RAYMOND]

well i understand...

but don't think it bothers me too much...

i only go to couple of forums here

i think also the forums that get next to no use get the axe...

 

actually this site is pretty friendly compared to the confused maze some of them get into...

 

well my 3 cents (gas prices and global warming have caused my thots to be worth more)

 

ray, :D

[ShaunDon]

Yeah, I thought the same thing until I did exactly what Ernest does. I just made my CGarchitect button in Firefox go straight to the dailies. Here's the link:

 

http://www.cgarchitect.com/vb/search.php?do=getdaily

 

I think the forum breakdown is very useful, especially when trying to find posts on a particular subject.

 

Shaun

[Ricardo Eloy]

I don't think it's a big problem (imho). I think the divisions make it a lot easier to find what you're looking for. Let's say you have a problem regarding a certain feature of VRay: just go straight to the VRay section and do a search. It takes no time and you can always find new interesting things about that topic.

You're not the only one to post specific questions on the General Forum. My guess is that, since it's the first one to appear, right on the top, people tend to think it will be more visible. Anyway, use the Today's Posts link and you're good.

[Arnold Grove]

I like the idea of so much information at a glance. Im trying to move from tv to architecture 3d and these forums are a wealth of info for a guy like me. Self taught w/ 3d, I read everything I can get my hands on.

 

Its kinda like the tv remote, change the channel!

[mskin]

I have never used the ‘todays posts’ feature, but I will try it out to see how it feels. I agree that the division of the forums successfully organizes the site in terms of content, But I wonder if it somewhat impedes the sharing of knowledge. I prefer that when I have a problem, it is posted someplace where all can review it. The root of my problem may be either the application, rendering engine, modeling technique, or a number of other things. Just because I mention 3d max, all of a sudden my topic gets filed and its visibility decreases to 3d max viewers, although, my problem may be solved through mental ray users, or maybe even a maya user. I don’t know if everyone uses the ‘today’s topics’ but even if they did, yesterdays topics are excluded I’m not suggesting a re-structuring or anything, but maybe let the topics live in the general discussion for a week or so before shifting it to a more applicable category.

 

When I am in search of a solution or topic, I use the search feature rather than trying to hunt it down. I can’t always be certain where the answer to my question hides, so the search feature finds it for me – with a tremendous success rate. I do appreciate the ability ti browse through the specific categories as a way to pass time and maybe pick something up, but if im after a photoshop issue, im using the search engine.

 

I agree with Arnold in that I like so much information at a glance as well. That’s why I like the general forum so much as a dumping ground. I like seeing what users of other programs are doing, how their experiences relate to mine, how their software works better or worse etc… I think it fosters a good dialogue between users.

 

Looking at the general discussion, there are currently 8 threads from the previous 24 hours… It doesn’t seem to be overburdened to me.

 

Once again, I find this site more useful than any other resource and praise its existence. I just think there is an efficiency in simplicity .

[Ricardo Eloy]

Well, Marek, I understand how you feel... but it would be just like in school, when you write down all the info from the classes on the same notebook and try to find it 2 weeks later when you need to study for a test. It's easy in the beginning, but after the first semester you just can't find anything. It would be the same here.

The Today's button works great and CGA is one of the only places where almost zero threads stay unanswered for more than 24 hours. Also, the General Forums are simply for things that don't fit in the other specific forums, not for gaining more visibility. As I said, maybe the fact that it's right on the top of the page makes it feel like more visible, but it's not true, imo.

[Devin Johnston]

I really like how CGA is organized; I think it would be utter kayos if everything was dumped into one forum heading. I also don't know how much useful information I'm going to get from someone who isn't familiar with my software or how it works.

[mskin]

I wasn't suggesting that everything get dumped into one forum. the subdivisions are without question a necessity. My opinion is that if somethig is posted in general forum that may have a more suitable, long term home in the 3d max forum, that it be moved there in a couple of days, not necessarily immediately.

 

Secondly, is there really a need for vray, mental ray etc... forums in addition to 3d max, viz, and maya. my thought is that many issues are not always so specific in nature to one individual component of the software. In the end, it may turn out to be a mental ray setting, but that doesn't mean that five other potential problems weren't explored that had to do with other pieces of the program... maybe of use to someone else.

 

i also realize some topics are so specific in nature to a component that they really do belong in a specific forum.

 

perhaps i do use the forum incorrectly in not using todays posts.... doubt im the only one though. I will give it a shot...

 

regardless, i enjoy the discussion even though i seem to be in the minority.

[IC]

You should post this in the 'Too Many Posts' Forum. Maybe a moderator could move it?

[Ricardo Eloy]

My opinion is that if somethig is posted in general forum that may have a more suitable, long term home in the 3d max forum, that it be moved there in a couple of days, not necessarily immediately.

 

We would go crazy finding and moving everything...

[mskin]

maybe so. I obviously have no concept of what goes into administering and running this site, and im sure its daunting. Just thought i would throw my 3 cents in too since i spend so much time using this site.

[rotten42]

I really like how CGA is organized; I think it would be utter kayos if everything was dumped into one forum heading. I also don't know how much useful information I'm going to get from someone who isn't familiar with my software or how it works.

 

 

+1