suggestions for forum layout

[persephone]

Hi everyone! hope you're all fine n dandy!

I find this forum really hard to use sometimes, like if there's a thhread that's not been bumped for a while and I have to find it again.

From my experience of other forums, I wonder if it might be an idea to break things up a bit more?

Perhaps different area headings/ categories would make it easier to follow?

For instance, could we have different areas, such as

one area for discussion of medication

one area for discussion of alternative therapies

one area for discussion of meeting up?

one area for venting! (which we all need to do sometimes!!!!)

Does anyone know how we could do this? As usual I'm th eone with the big mouth but I can't actually offer to do anything myself as I'm a bit inept when it comes to computers!

Just wondered what you all thought, so I'm testing the water!

[EarthMother]

Wow, I'd probably get overwhelmed with all the different threads. But it doesn't take much to overwhelm me ...

There is an 'advanced' search dialogue window that I find really helpful to find old info. The only way I know to access it is to start a simple search then on the results page I think there is a link to it. I can specify more details about my search criteria and I've had much success finding what I was looking for.

EM

[Merrill]

Actually, I kind of like it the way it is -- I can vent a little, explain how I'm feeling or what happened... and then ask a question about whether medication might have been a contributing factor. I'd pull my hair trying to figure out whether I've categorized my post appropriately--and then worry that I put it in the wrong place or that people would miss it. I've never tried the advanced search function that EM described; sounds cool, though.

m

[corina]

I very much like this forum the way it is, I think it's very clear and easy to use (I think I don't use everything because I didn't find out yet, does this makes sense?).

The only thing I miss is a possibility to chat, but since I don't know anything about computers I don't know if that would be possible. I want to compliment Michelle (I think she made this) for doing such a good job. It really brought you all close to me and I needed that!!!!

Corina

[Roselover]

I was on a forum for FM/CFS for awhile. They had some great catagories that made it easier to read and post. You can look at that site at forum

However, the last time I looked at it I thought they had way too many catagories and it was a bit daunting! I suppose it depends on how many people are posting at one time.

Roselover

[Ernie]

I like it the way it is right now because I can see all the latest post at one glance. I don't have to click here and there to find something. I like to see a variety of subject.

Ernie

[yogini]

I really like the forum the way that it is too. I like to be able to skim the headings and see all of the new posts. I read the NDRF forum sometimes, and it seems like most people post under one category even tho there are many different categories.

However, I wonder if it might be helpful to have a frequently asked questions (FAQ) section as many other websites do? It might be nice (and make traffic more manageable) to have a central place to answer some of the questions which keep re-appearing every few days, especially for all of the new members. Just a thought...

[DancingLight]

I, too, like the forum the way it is.

I use the SEARCH function ALL of the time...before posting a new topic I always try to research it to see if it has already been discussed. This function is invaluable to me.

For a while I was on the EDNF forum and they had it divided into parts, as you suggested persephone, and I found it so overwhelming.

I like to just log on here, glance at the 'goings on' and even when I can't respond I can see what's up with everyone fairly quickly. When I am up to typing I can look through and pick whatever 'catches my fancy' for that day...sometimes emotionally supporting someone, sometimes more medical...so I like that they are all mixed together.

I also find the forum so well-thought out and moderated. HATS OFF TO MICHELLE AND MIGHTY!

Still, Persephone, I am glad to see you up to typing and thinking up ideas like this, as I know you were in a deep, deep hole and I was quite worried!

Emily

[Michelle Sawicki]

Thanks for all of the thoughts and suggestions regarding the forum. We did consider splitting the forum into different sections in the past but decided against it. For one, that means Nina and I would have to keep moving posts from one forum to another if someone posted in the wrong category. However the main reason we decided against it is was because NDRF's forum is split up this way and most people just post under the General Discussion heading anyway.

Take care,

Michelle

[MomtoGiuliana]

I suppose this would be too much work--but would there be a more user-friendly way to archive old threads? It seems a lot of people post the same question again and again and are unfamiliar with how to do a search of old posts.

How about as a "pinned" topic--with links to the old threads on popular topics? This would have to be updated from time to time, but perhaps could be done by a volunteer member?

Anyway, I do think the forum is quite usable as is.

Katherine

[persephone]

I see what you all mean, now you come to mention it. I think the forum's really well moderated too, it was just an idea that I thought I'd share I guess our forum is smaller than the other ones I was referring to, so it doesn't really matter about the whole dividing up thingy.

And thanks DancingLight for kind words--yup, I'm definitely feeling better with the whole bed tilting malarkey!

Hope everyone else is feeling smiley too