Suggestion for Improving the Naim Forum

Chaps

I think the honest trust is that the forum is only as good as the members and that includes their enthusiasm.

The framework that Naim has provided is fine but I do pick up on Fredriks point that the Music threads are basically timeless and perhaps they could be given a greater extension of life.

I would also like to see Bub and fox invited back in (they are currently banned)because they have moved on and are now really positive contributors to hifi fora. They may not be entirely pro Niam but a good bit of divergence never does any harm.

Overall this is still a bloody good forum populated by the better half of society with the odd pleb scattered here and there.

Regards

Mick .. in the middle of pruning the bloody Wisteria.

Dear Mike,

Agreed! I too have a Wisteria to prune shortly for an old friend! Only the best people have to prune such things!!

What you say about enthusiasm is absolutely true. There are times when I found my enthusiasm was waning, but I have learned not to take some things too seriously, including the odd personal attack. Infact I am at an all time high in terms of enthusiasm at the moment, just waiting for a new to me "classic set of Naim" to arrive and set me off with loudspeaker replay again! It will be 72/140 into Royd Minstrel Se speakers! Nice triplet of non-Naim sources to feed it...

I have to give credit where it is due. Tam initially proposed the removal of time-limiting the Music Room Threads, and I was simply agreeing with hime and saying why. It is not possible however.

Kindest regards from Fredrik

quote:

It is not possible however

This wasn't a problem a couple of years back. Why is it such a big problem now? Is this a technical problem or some sort of political problem?

Cheers

Don

Dear Don,

I cannot remember where I cam across it, but I think the ruling applies across the four public sections of the Forum, in which case it is probably a soft-ware issue. No doubt all the threads could be left open forever, as they used to be, but when the PMs were stopped, the posting of pictures changed, as well as time-limited editing, this came along and suddenly getting at old threads and reviving them became impossible.

Perhaps a formal explanation from Adam would clear this up, if Mr M is reading this - please?

I don't think it is all that serious, but it would be nice to see at least a workaround solution in time.

Kindest regards from Fredrik

Adam, It's a comfortable situation if you can look at other software knowing that it's perfectly fine to keep the current design.

A topic on Slashdot averages a few hundred comments so it's always going to be more complex to follow.
Many of the features aim to make the complexity manageable.
They (have to) use a self-moderating scheme, which would just get in the way for small sites.
A feature I'd like to draw attention to is the 3 viewing styles: threaded, nested and flat.
The style equivalent to that from the Naim forum(and to most blogs) is flat, with oldest first.

I prefer nested view, switching to threaded view when the thread becomes too large.

When the user has logged in, posts that have been visited are also marked.

Alexander

I had a look at the Slashdot site and I wouldn't be able to follow it all, and I don't think it is coincidence that it is a computer geek site. This is a "crusty old hi-fi enthusiast" site where, I believe, a lot of its members think in a linear and analogue way, and as such this forum works because of it's single chronological direction. I'm sure there are a huge number of lurkers here who already feel too intimidated to contribute as it is, which is a crying shame.
You always have to remember who your customers are and market accordingly. I think this forum works pretty well.

I also use the Slashdot site both as a reader and sometimes as a contributor. When using it as a reader I more often than not set the filter to 4 or 5 so as to filter out most of the noise and this gives a nice easy ride and acts as a summarization function. I think these summaries are well worth reading but to achieve this level of readability many active moderators donate both time and effort towards reading and scoring each and every contribution which requires I would expect a large number of people willing to undertake this task. The Ubuntu forums may be of comparable size to those on Slashdot but without the scoring of threads by moderators things are imho much harder to follow and so I don't use them as often as I might.

This thought from Rasher

quote:

I'm sure there are a huge number of lurkers here who already feel too intimidated to contribute as it is, which is a crying shame.

I think this is true and if some of the lurkers were to contribute every now and then the forum would move up a gear.

Pet Peeve.

People who start a thread with a link. No commentary, no opinions, just some useless site.

Totally agree. Very tedious. Fredrik

quote:

Originally posted by Don Atkinson:

quote:

It is not possible however

This wasn't a problem a couple of years back. Why is it such a big problem now? Is this a technical problem or some sort of political problem?

Hardly a political problem. The "Automatic Closing" feature is site-wide. I have set it at 48 days - which seems, to me at least, to be reasonable.

As explained - this is desirable as a consequence of the preferred thread arrangement, with originating post first.

When threads are long but relatively active, this does not cause a problem. When a 9 month old thread is re-animated (often by someone who has searched on a topic - then tagged a question to the end which is unconnected with the thread but vaguely covered by a word or two in the title) the reader tends to miss the post date and read it as current. I know I have.

48 days - it is quite a margin. You can always start a new thread on the subject and include a link to the original.

OR - contact me and I may re-open the original.

Okay then Adam, open the Pizza Thread!!!

As is so often the case, I am not clear what the problem actually is - yet.

I had presumed that if a thread lay DORMANT for a month or so (say 48 days) it was automatically closed, but could be re-opened at the discretion of the Moderator. If this is the case, then my view is that this is a very reasonable state, for all the reasons noted above by Adam.

As a result of this thread, and some of the comments eg Fredrik's, I had begun to wonder whether a thread is now automatically closed 48 days after it is started, regardles of how active or popular it is. If this is the case, then my view is that this is a bit silly. The more I think about it, the more I'm sure this isn't the case - several active threads seem to have been running for more than 48 days.

So, 48 days dormant then presumed dead seems perfectly reasonable to me - especially if Adam can resurrect dead ones if there is good cause.

Would you Adam and Eve it.......

Cheers

Don

Just speaking personally, I think the 48 day rule is a good one. Threads that go on and on are a drag. No one is going to bother to read a thread that has 168 posts only read the last three and maybe post themselves. Shorter threads invite more participation. I think we want to encourage new members to speak out. Obviously the sport threads for an entire football season are exceptions but these threads seem to have a life of their own anyway.

Don't have any prob with the software. I wish all chat forums were as simple and easy to follow.

I like the international flavor here but wonder if maybe Naim USA might start their own forum. Seems the US would be a HUGE potential market. I may be wrong here since maybe that has all gone to the Asian mass market stuff. Still it would be a good way for US dealers to keep a better pulse on the needs of their customers. I realize these things cost money though.


As far as the Hi fi section goes, it has become a bit narrow in scope, I think Fredrik touched on this with his 72,82 analogy. Broadening the hi fi discussions and even allowing for more dissent might pay unexpected and positive dividends.


Just my 2p and I realize that, as a new member, I will now be promptly pounded into the ground.


Unstoppable

▲ This thing! Talking about the software etc, what the hell is this thing…this page thingumy? In the top left hand corner of every post. I’ve clicked it and it sort of refreshes the screen, but I still haven’t worked out what it does.
Are there instructions anywhere?

quote:

Originally posted by Rasher:
▲ This thing! Talking about the software etc, what the hell is this thing…this page thingumy? In the top left hand corner of every post. I’ve clicked it and it sort of refreshes the screen, but I still haven’t worked out what it does.
Are there instructions anywhere?

It just seems to align the post to the top of the screen, except where there is no point in doing so.

Looking right through this, it is very helpful that Adam has clarified the situation over the 48 day dormant threads being locked.

It is also good that Mr M has said he will consider unlocking an individual thread that has got locked, if there is more to add, within the context of it.

Otherwise I cannot really think there is much wrong at all! The search engine is not fool proof as I know from hunting for this or that old thread. There wasa very funny one here in the Rubber Room called Thesaurus of Hifi Terms, or something similar, which was a hoot, but has seemingly disappeared! But what in life is actually perfect?

ATB from Fredrik

New Rule:

No more than one Pink Floyd thread at any given time. This should include;

DSOTM

Gilmour,

Sid Barrett ect ..ect..


Decent band but PLEASE, show some moderation.



Unstoppable

quote:

Originally posted by Rasher:
Okay then Adam, open the Pizza Thread!!!

You forgot the magic little word.



... and, it is not "now!".

Prosce! [Prosha with a very short "a"]. George.

Anchovies

If flashdot is the answer the question is wrong.

Quote Adam"You forgot the magic little word."

ABRACADABRA?

Chaps

How ironic, in a thread entitled how to improve the forum, we have to endure such mind blowing wit as ABRACADABRA.

Like i said a few months ago, some plebs have reduced this place to the level of a school playground.

Sad

Regards

Mick

Dear Mick,

There are still enjoyable posters here! Don't be too down-cast. Do you remember the days of Marco, the Italian Stallion? Not everything has got worse!

I agree that there are people who seem to enjoy truly Socratic arguement for the sake of it, and trying to belittle more down to earth people [like you and me perhaps?] with riddles, and then calling us stupid, but I learn to ignore the clever play-ground bullies! Their existence is there for all to see! And see through!!

There have been some useful contributions and discussion in this thread as well, though it seems that no change is not only the most likely outcome, but probably the best one as well, in my view...

Kindest regards from George [Fredrik Fiske] Johnson

Whilst we are on about annoying bits, what is it with this non ending bit of blue colour on the forum eh?

Never noiticed that before! Blue/green, though, surely!

ATB from George!!