utility bank

[Pino]

utility bankcould we make the 'view post from' option to beginning by default? just makes it easier to view them as there is not a huge amount of threads and they are all from moe than 30 days ago :(

[Merri]

Yeah, I thought it was empty first, too. I didn't even bother to post there because it seems so empty... like if nobody cared it was there.

[RobDog888]

I think that nobody goes in there because of the way CodeBank
and Utilities are displayed all closed up at the main forum view.
Maybe they should be displayed like the other forums, although it
will make for a longer page.

[Pino]

Yep have to agree, i've only poped in there once or twice :-/

[Merri]

You can't even see if there is anything new...

I think the forum test area could be removed. Imo there is no point having it there, chit chat does the same but you can have atleast some content in the messages. And I think removing the double link for Visual Basic .NET might do good too.

Also, CodeBank and UtilityBank could be forums, and have the current forums as subforums. You could then have the general guidelines and maybe have code pre-posting discussion in the forums above the subforums, like if somebody was about to post something and he wanted some bugtracking etc. before doing the actual posting. Then there wouldn't be a need for doing that in the general questions forum.

[RobDog888]

I think its best ot have the .NET link next to the classic vb link
because allot of members were posting .NET threads in the
classic vb forum because they didn't see that it was below in
the .NET section.

I think that maybe its time for a re-organization of the forums?
Maybe have the Visual Basic and .NET forums stay the same, but
have the Other Languages, Projects, and Jobs be closed up
forums (like Code Bank and Utilities) to save the space. Then
open up the Code Bank and Utilities forums.

Any thoughts?

[Merri]

I'll try a suggestion:


Visual Basic
Classic Visual Basic
Visual Basic .NET
ASP, VBScript
VBA

General Programming
API
COM and ActiveX
Database Development
Distributed Computing
Games and Graphics Programming
Reporting

Resources
Articles and Tutorials
CodeBank
- (the CodeBank forums here)
UtilityBank
- (the UtilityBank forums here)

General
Chit Chat
Coding Contests
- Code It Better
Forum Feedback
General Developer Forum
General PC
Maths Forum

Other .NET
.NET Architecture
ASP.NET
C#
Mobile Development

Other Languages
Assembly
Basic
C/C++
Java
PHP
Other Web Languages

Projects
(as is)

Jobs
(as is)


Some changes that make it a bit clearer imo, pushing as much important forums in the front while still saving space as much as possible. I really like alphabetical order too as can be seen :)

[RobDog888]

Here is my suggestion:

Visual Basic
Classic Visual Basic
Visual Basic .NET
ASP, VBScript
VBA

Other .NET
.NET Architecture
ASP.NET
C#

General Programming
API
COM and ActiveX
Database Development
Distributed Computing
Games and Graphics Programming
Mobile Development
Reporting

Resources
Articles and Tutorials
CodeBank
(Similar to the way VBForums Coding Contests forum is designed)

UtilityBank
(Similar to the way VBForums Coding Contests forum is designed)

General (or rename to Miscellaneous)
Chit Chat
Coding Contests
Code It Better
Forum Feedback
General Developer Forum
General PC
Maths Forum

Other Languages

Projects

Jobs

[MartinLiss]

I'm thinking about making some changes but they probably won't be as significant as recategorizing the forums.

[RobDog888]

What do you have in mind?

[MartinLiss]

Expanding the Code and Utility banks, compressing Projects and Jobs.

[RobDog888]

I like that idea, how about compressing Other Languages too?

[MartinLiss]

Do you think that's a good idea given that there is usually some activity in several of its subforums?

[RobDog888]

True, then how about moving the Other Languages above
General but below Resources forum. General will get more people
scrolling the page down. Thus bringing traffice to some of the
other forums.

[MartinLiss]

Everyone has their own ideas as to how the forums should be displayed, but the one idea I hear most often is to expand the banks. When that idea was first discussed, many people thought that doing so would make the list too long. My idea is a compromise of sorts and at this point Brad can always overrule me but it's about all I'm willing to change at this point.

[Merri]

But couldn't you just do as simple as make two new forums, CodeBank and UtilityBank and move the forums below those? Then you could atleast see when new stuff is posted there, unlike how it is now. It'd be compact and I'd be happy for the least.

[MartinLiss]

I'm not sure what you mean since there are already CodeBank and UtilityBank forums. Can you show your idea "pictorially"?

[RobDog888]

Code Bank and Utility Bank should be configured in such a way that
when viewing the main page you would be able to see if there is
any new posts in each of the two. That would be a good
improvement for now. Perhaps it would inspire more traffice into
each of the two forums.

[Merri]

As they are now, they are NOT forums. They are categories. And as categories, been shrunk. So instead of shrunk categories, have forums of the same name and have the current forums of the categories under these new forums.

I'm too tired to make up an image.

[RobDog888]

Sort of like, change the title from "Resource Library" to Utilities
and show the forums below. Have another similar section for
Code Bank and have its subforms shown too?

[MartinLiss]

I've just found out that the depth display for the forums is an all-or-nothing setting so I can't expand the banks and at the same time collapse Jobs and Projects. :(

[Merri]

Here is a screenshot of what I'd like to see and also some help for what you want to do with Projects and Jobs. Wondering if it is clear enough :)

[MartinLiss]

Originally posted by Merri
Here is a screenshot of what I'd like to see and also some help for what you want to do with Projects and Jobs. Wondering if it is clear enough :) Thanks, I'll get back to you.

[RobDog888]

Also, Mobile Development could be moved because it could
contain code for languages other than .NET

:)

[mendhak]

Personally, I think the index page is quite long as it is. Pushing some forums as a subforum somewhere else would be good, but expanding them... ?

[Merri]

That's why I suggested what I suggested: the suggestion I did would shorten the page a little, even though it would still keep important stuff visible so you can see with one look if there is something new somewhere.

Heh, I've hosted forums for a few years, so I have some experience on their design. Of course I use a certain style with each of them, but people have often and generally liked the changes I've made. It is hard to keep all forum's rooms active, but I've managed to somehow do that with the biggest forum I have.

[brad jones]

Per feedback in this forum and feedback in PMs and else where, I've gone ahead and moved the UtilityBank and CodeBank up a level (which expands them out).

Brad

[RobDog888]

Good change Brad! As for people saying its too long, I think its
not. Most users probably have some form of high speed
connection. I have DSL and it loads in the same amount of time,
at least I cant tell if there is a time difference. So you may have to
scroll down a little more but its only a fraction of a second.

[Pino]

ok whats been done here is great but its gone off a bit on a tangent from my purpose

have a look at the screeny can we set it to default like that?

http://www.vbforums.com/attachment.php?s=&postid=1802802

[brad jones]

Pino --

I thought you wanting everything listed? (which makes sense). The listing will still page based on user settings.

Brad!

[dglienna]

it will just take getting used to.

[RobDog888]

Pino, you can change your settings under user options to
"show all threads" in order to chage that.

:)