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New Forums?

PostPosted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 12:47 pm
by Bob Sihler
In the past, there was sometimes talk of splitting forums such as Southwest and East into other, more specific ones.

Is there still any interest in that? Any need? Any other climbing-related forums people might like to see?

Constructive ideas are most welcome.

Re: New Forums?

PostPosted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 2:13 pm
by MarkDidier
I always thought it would make sense to break the East into at least 2 areas. I don't know that 3 are necessary (as in the regional board title - New England, Mid-Atlantic and Southeast). It seems that there are two main discussions that go on - either New England or Southeast - and there is enough distance between the two areas (and topics) that IMO it makes sense to separate them. If you just wanted to keep it to 2 areas then a logical cutoff could be made for the Mid-Atlantic.

Re: New Forums?

PostPosted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 2:44 pm
by Buz Groshong
MarkDidier wrote:I always thought it would make sense to break the East into at least 2 areas. I don't know that 3 are necessary (as in the regional board title - New England, Mid-Atlantic and Southeast). It seems that there are two main discussions that go on - either New England or Southeast - and there is enough distance between the two areas (and topics) that IMO it makes sense to separate them. If you just wanted to keep it to 2 areas then a logical cutoff could be made for the Mid-Atlantic.


The East regional board gets very few posts as it is. Splitting it would make two (or three) boards with even fewer posts. Doesn't really work for me. Doesn't take long to check the board and see that none of the posts interest me.

Re: New Forums?

PostPosted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 4:26 pm
by Bob Sihler
I agree with Mark that it could make sense to split the East into Northeast and Southeast, but Buz is also right that the East gets few hits and therefore may not need to be split.

What about splitting Utah from the very broad Southwest board?

What about, as was once suggested, splitting California into North and South? I think that would be a huge job and a potential mess, but I'm interested to hear what people think.

More subforums for Europe? That would be a job better handled by a European elf, but please speak up if you have any thoughts.

Other ideas?

Re: New Forums?

PostPosted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 5:29 pm
by Buz Groshong
One of the problems I have with splitting up any of the forums is that my interest and those of others is often broader than the potential split up forums would be. When I go to the East board, I'm looking primarily for Mid-Atlantic stuff (usually none there) but I do like looking at some of the new England and Southeastern stuff as well. The big problem, though, that I see with splitting up the East board is that some of the split up boards will be so sparse that newcomers (and possibly others) will be more reluctant to post anything.

Re: New Forums?

PostPosted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 6:14 pm
by mrchad9
Bob Sihler wrote:What about, as was once suggested, splitting California into North and South? I think that would be a huge job and a potential mess, but I'm interested to hear what people think.

I would vote no. It isn't as if the board is so crowded it is difficult to find something (to me that is the only justification to split something), and there are seldom more than 5 or so threads active at a time. Seems OK as is.

And then you have the issues around the Sierra, which is both, and dealing with all the existing threads. Seems like a lot of work and risk for next to nothing (and possibly a step backwards).

Re: New Forums?

PostPosted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 6:25 pm
by Bob Sihler
Anita, no thanks for you! :evil:

Re: New Forums?

PostPosted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 8:19 pm
by Arthur Digbee
We could split the Midwest. Right now it has the Great Lakes, the Great Plains, and, well, Texas.

None of which would mix very well at a party.

Re: New Forums?

PostPosted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 8:25 pm
by JasonH
How about merging Texas with Mexico.

Re: New Forums?

PostPosted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 8:38 pm
by Joseph Bullough
Bob Sihler wrote:What about splitting Utah from the very broad Southwest board?


It would be nice to have a separate board for Utah, but IMHO it's probably not necessary. It's not too difficult to find the Utah related stuff as it is.

Re: New Forums?

PostPosted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 9:45 pm
by Arthur Digbee
Joseph Bullough wrote:
Bob Sihler wrote:What about splitting Utah from the very broad Southwest board?

It would be nice to have a separate board for Utah, but IMHO it's probably not necessary. It's not too difficult to find the Utah related stuff as it is.

Utah people are their own, tight group? I've heard that before.

On a more serious note, the real question is: what's the advantage of sorting into boards? Is it to keep people within socializing distance together? (Then split N/S CA by all means, but why not have a Chicago Board, a DC Board, an Atlanta Board, and so on.) Is each board a driving radius board? The LA people drive to the Sierras, so keep CA together.

And in either case the Midwest board is too big. Those of us in the Great Lakes mostly recreate in the Great Lakes on weekends; when we go to Texas or the Dakotas (also Midwest board) for big trips we might also go to Northern Rockies or Colorado.

I know the Midwest board is often quiet. But so is Africa and some other international boards. It doesn't cost anything to add a board.

Re: New Forums?

PostPosted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 10:28 pm
by Bob Sihler
Fletch wrote:So no real suprises here, but it does look like places like the midwest are heavy in people and light in mountains and vice versa for places like the Rockies. Either way though it looks like you can make a case to divide up the CA forum.


Thanks for doing that legwork; it's both helpful and interesting.

Right now, if I do anything, I'll separate Utah.

I really, really, really don't want to split California, but if there were a big demand for it, I would consider it. It would be a ton of work sorting existing threads, especially the Sierra ones. It would almost make more sense to split the Sierra Nevada from the rest of CA, but even that could be problematic or at least tedious.

Re: New Forums?

PostPosted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 10:33 pm
by Bob Sihler
Arthur Digbee wrote:On a more serious note, the real question is: what's the advantage of sorting into boards? Is it to keep people within socializing distance together? (Then split N/S CA by all means, but why not have a Chicago Board, a DC Board, an Atlanta Board, and so on.) Is each board a driving radius board? The LA people drive to the Sierras, so keep CA together.

And in either case the Midwest board is too big. Those of us in the Great Lakes mostly recreate in the Great Lakes on weekends; when we go to Texas or the Dakotas (also Midwest board) for big trips we might also go to Northern Rockies or Colorado.

I know the Midwest board is often quiet. But so is Africa and some other international boards. It doesn't cost anything to add a board.


I think the advantage of having more specific boards is to help people find information more easily, not to group populations. Although I live in the East, I rarely look at that board, but I check the Northern Rockies frequently.

To me, the driving reason to split should be traffic. So while I see the sense in splitting the Midwest and the East, I don't see that the traffic justifies the additional sorting. It's not to say that it won't happen; this thread is about finding out if there's much interest in these ideas at all. No, it doesn't cost anything to add a board, but there can be a fine line between variety and clutter, and I want to avoid going overboard, ha ha.