TEST (daysailer-test.org) Day Sailer Forum

One Sailer's request:

I would like to see a general discussion forum under 'website info' but above the specific daysailer I, II etc. forums.

The specific forums are well and good but sometimes a 'common room' is nice and will generate more discussion than splitting off into too specific categories.

My .02

Scott,
What's wrong about using the "Miscellaneous" Forum?

Just the fact that it comes lower in the list?

Quite a few people posting here seem to be unsure where to place a topic, often defaulting to the DSI or DSII forum based on which boat they own.

I suspect that dividing up the site will probably not help - not unless there's a moderator that monitors the site and moves topics around.

Otherwise, adding more forums just increases the number of places you need to look for misplaced topics.

Look at "rigging" vs. "sails" as an example. Where would you expect to find the discussion of the Doyle UPS?

If you go to the homepage there's a list of 5 recent topics. These links drop you directly into the forum without showing you the layout of the whole place. Many times it seems that people just create a new topic where they have landed from reading some other active topic.

I agree with everything you list greenlake. My idea was a (lame?) attempt to address the problems you list. Add a general forum on top and cut out some of the others. This board is too split imo.

I posted this idea here because I didn't know where to put another post (pirate book photo). Maybe I should of used miscellaneous.

I hear you, Scott.

Overall, it's a nice forum, but as things evolve, it's perhaps time for a tweak or two. However, in my experience with other discussion forums, it's usually best to make any changes gradual, with baby steps.

One such baby step could be to retitle "Rigging" into "Rigging and Sails" and merge them. "Sails" was introduced rather recently, and from looking at the posts it hasn't worked out as intended.

Another step could be for Bob to go through and move some of the more extreme outlier topics to the right bin. That just might make it more obvious for people where their topic doesn't fit.

Some repair questions are specific to the type of hull you have, but quite a few posts are not boat specific. Not a huge problem as knowledgeable DS1 owners will read and reply to posts in the DSII forum and vice versa, where that makes sense.

One thing I like about the DS Forum is that it doesn't have general discussions of other more remote sailing topics or politics, but with almost no exception is focused on issues around the DS or things that people sailing the DS will run into.

When I'm sailing my DS, I try not to run into ANYTHING!

(sorry GL - couldn't resist ... )

... Your point is spot on tho!

I try, but I've not known to be 100% successful. Recently, I even had issues with being run into.... (let's discuss that in another subforum).