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graz
Chief SQLTeam Crack Dealer
4149 Posts |
 Posted - 2011-01-10 : 23:48:46
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| Do you like having specific forums with topics or would you prefer more free form with tags?Suppose I could force people to choose a version (SQL Server 2005, SQL Server 2008) and a broad topic (Administration, Development, High Availability, etc.) when asking each question? After that they could add additional tags.-Bill=================================================Creating tomorrow's legacy systems today. One crisis at a time. |
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Kristen
Test
22859 Posts |
Posted - 2011-01-11 : 03:12:20
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I THINK I like the individual forums, and I would also like TAGs.However, I never actually read the forums, I only read the Active Topics index.People post all over the place regardless, and TAGs would perhaps solve that.I doubt newbies will put a lot of effort into Tagging, and they will be no more flipping accurate at that than they are posting a SQL2000 question in a SQL2008 forum ... so I think it would work better if "regulars" (however you choose to define that) were able to add / change tags. Opportunity for abuse there, but I don't suppose its in "regulars" best interest.Presumably the Search would then allow people to use Tags to narrow their search? (Include these tags, Exclude these other tags)I never got on with Stack Overflows TAGs. I added TAGs I was interested in, and set to IGNORE those I wasn't, but all that happened was a bit of hi- and lo-lighting.On vBulletin forums I use a GreaseMonkey script that hides forums I am not interested in. That works well for me. I don't know anything about Reporting Services, or ClearTrace but I quite often accidentally click on those in Active Posts on SQL Team.Dunno the answer - sort things that are IN my Tags list first, things that are in my IGNORE list last (or not display them), and the rest in the middle? On a busy day I just deal with threads I have replied to (boldface in Active Topics). I would prefer that it was all topics I had Subscribed to (or indicated in some way that I wanted to Follow - I click on a thread which has new posts over several days and think "I wanted to ignore that last time I looked at it ... and the time before"  )On a less busy day I would look at topics in my TAGS list too.On a slow day I would look at things not in Tags except things in IGNORE.Can't see me looking at things in IGNORE, but OTOH on other forums my GreaseMonkey script excludes the Social forums, and I may want to browse them on a slow day ... so I suppose if they were still in the list (but sorted last, say, or toggle-able) that would help. |
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Kristen
Test
22859 Posts |
Posted - 2011-01-11 : 03:13:22
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"I could force people to choose a version (SQL Server 2005, SQL Server 2008, MySQL)"That would save me a job  |
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Lumbago
Norsk Yak Master
3271 Posts |
Posted - 2011-01-11 : 03:32:27
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| I would prefer forums. The main reason is that I prefer things to be ordered together...I (as Kristen) always use the Active Topics but I like the fact that the related topics are listed after one another with a heading over it in a different color. That can be achieved with tagging also I guess so it really depends on how you're listing it out. I don't like the stackoverflow way of doing it where all topics are just cluttered together in a huge mess. But I like the idea of tagging in itself though and that you don't have to choose forums before you start typing your question. Forcing the user to tag the topic with sql server version and and a broad topic is a really good idea, and then the user could add additional tags if he/she wants to. This would probably remove the problem with cross posting which is also a good thing. The important thing for me is how the topics are ordered basically and that you don't get a question about replication in 2000 right above a question about recursive cte's in 2008. That would totally annoy me...- LumbagoMy blog (yes, I have a blog now! just not that much content yet) -> www.thefirstsql.com |
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Kristen
Test
22859 Posts |
Posted - 2011-01-11 : 03:36:18
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"I like the fact that the related topics are listed after one another with a heading over it in a different color"Good point"Forcing the user to tag the topic with sql server version and and a broad topic is a really good idea"Good point"This would probably remove the problem with cross posting which is also a good thing."Errmmm ... Good Point  |
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Lumbago
Norsk Yak Master
3271 Posts |
Posted - 2011-01-11 : 04:22:50
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| Thanx Kristen :)Have you reviewed www.comm100forum.com? I've never heard about it before but it actually looks quite decent. No tagging but a lot of nice features (like member reputation building, marking topic as answered/closed, read topics are marked, participated topics are marked), it doesn't look too cluttered, it's based on .net and sql server and it's free. Might be worth a look...- LumbagoMy blog (yes, I have a blog now! just not that much content yet) -> www.thefirstsql.com |
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dataguru1971
Master Smack Fu Yak Hacker
1464 Posts |
Posted - 2011-01-11 : 09:38:44
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Can one of the tags be"Exprts only plz!." ?I am with Lumbago, Tags are fine, but I like seeing the posts in specific forums. It would help, if people were required to indicate a SQL server version before posting in "General". Sometimes, the answer can vary wildly depending on which version they are on....tags might solve that as they could post in "general" or "New to SQL" and tag it with the correct version (maybe a check box or something)This site is so much easier to read and use then "the others"..i would hate to see it change "too much".It would help if people who replay can "tag" posts as well to help redirect attention (or at least moderators or those past a certain number of posts)
Poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part. |
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SwePeso
Patron Saint of Lost Yaks
30421 Posts |
Posted - 2011-01-11 : 10:36:54
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I used to answer questions on ask.sqlservercentral.com but I have limited myself doing this because seeing ALL THESE questions of all types is quite a hurdle. A forum which organizes the questions in same "topic area" is a good thing. At least for me, since I hardly answer any questions on backup/restore, mirroring etc. That's not what I am best in.I usually reply to development questions and design questions. Although, I am interested in backup/restore questions too and like to read them to learn more but I do that later, after my "interesting" questions scan.
N 56°04'39.26"E 12°55'05.63" |
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Kristen
Test
22859 Posts |
Posted - 2011-01-11 : 13:15:20
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"That's not what I am best in"Just as well otherwise there would be nothing for the rest of us!How do people actually work down the Active Posts list?I right-click open-in-new-window all the ones I am interested in, and then press  (to mark all posts as read)They are all loading / loaded by the time I get to the first one.Then I work through each tab (read and maybe reply) and then close that tab.Then I am back at the Active Posts and I refresh that - if some new ones I want to read I deal with them, and then I get to the point where only my reply post(s) is listed, and I press a final time, or there is nothing.If I don't do this my reply may be the most recent post hours later, and I will wind up clicking on it without spotting I am the most recent poster ... Which is one reason I prefer the modern forums. e.g. vBulletin only shows unread threads where I am not the most recent poster in "New posts" / "Active topics" / whatever it is called, and it remembers what I have read, or not, from session to session - so if there are lots of unread posts I can cherry pick some for now, and come back later and the ones I have read are no longer in the list (unless they have newer replies) |
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Forums or Tags?