Is this forum stagnating
- Thread starter schmokinn
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ips
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2012
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Face ache groups are rubbish compared to forums as threads just gert lost down the list. This and a select few other forums are laid out in an easily searchable manner so even threads that are years old can be enlivened from time to time.
I fully agree with Hamster re newbie posts etc.
I also agree that Wiil's newbie section is a great idea
I fully agree with Hamster re newbie posts etc.
I also agree that Wiil's newbie section is a great idea
schmokinn
Well-known member
El Spavo
Well-known member
Yup, I'll go with that. I'm on quite a few sports and car forums so I've seen a lot of search engines and the one on here is just a little clunky. Not the worst I've seen by a long way, but there are fresher versions out there which make searching a little easier. It does the job okay, but I can imagine people getting a little frustrated, possibly especially when they're searching for something quite specific and as a newbie you may not know the terminology or correct saying that'll bring up that golden hit that you're after, hence the start of another similar thread. Ironically, that then lends itself to MORE threads that pop up on a search.
Dunno if anything can be tweaked or if I'm just missing a tick box but it would be more concise if, when searching, the thread was shown up just once as opposed to ALL the times that specific word appears within that thread: that's what leaves the pages of hits that one has to trawl through, when you are already made aware that it's there. (and I'm talking about thread content, not just the title only hits as sometimes certain words aren't in the one line of the title.) From experience, it's based on whatever engine the whole forum runs on, so you can't change much, but you never know.
I don't use the search that often - but it gets me where I want - maybe try tweaking the selections in the drop down to tune your search:
Particularly the 'find results in' filter to look at titles only.
That said, this forum is not great at titling things correctly - and we're very happy to have very very long threads (see the 'how did it go') which basically will have every shooting related word somewhere in it.
TAGS is the answer - but again, members here don't really use tagging properly and use it as a way of putting random words in.
For example - if someone was to tag all the posts relating to new shooters in the SAME way (#newshooters) then I could build those into a list very easily.
Particularly the 'find results in' filter to look at titles only.
That said, this forum is not great at titling things correctly - and we're very happy to have very very long threads (see the 'how did it go') which basically will have every shooting related word somewhere in it.
TAGS is the answer - but again, members here don't really use tagging properly and use it as a way of putting random words in.
For example - if someone was to tag all the posts relating to new shooters in the SAME way (#newshooters) then I could build those into a list very easily.
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ChrisPackham
Well-known member
I still think the forum is great with some good advice and help from lots of experienced people. Don’t forget that things do change so a questions asked 2 years ago may have slightly different answers today (although multiple times in the same month is excessive)..
El Spavo
Well-known member
Yeah, that was kind of where I was going when I said that if what you're looking for isn't in the title but in the main body of the thread then that won't find it, and conversely if lots of people mention the same search keyword or phrase in that thread then it comes up with multiple hits which can take a bit of a while to swim through if it's a commonly used term, for example. Not a moan, as I've said it works, just a little clunky occasionally, just saying that if it had an option to show either every post in that thread with the hit or just the first post in that thread so you didn't get a page full of the same topic in the results it would be a bit easier to navigate, but it's a fairly common practice the way it runs... just seen it with that option elsewhere and it's a lot smoother.
Doubt it's an option to change the search engine options behind the scene, it usually isn't, just commenting in response to the OP saying people don't search... perhaps they do but get put off, especially if there's lots of pages with the same topic one after another when trying to find something that might be commonly said in multiple posts within that thread.
Either way, I've found this place very helpful and amusing at times.
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Is there stagnation in shooting?. We can be a grumpy traditional old bunch, the technology is basically 100+ years old, we get excited at an oily piece of walnut and some frou frou engraving, when the norms are challenged i.e Benelli 828U, Perazzi High Tech, Beretta styling a collective tightening of the tweed britches occurs. I am personally excited at what may become available to us at a reasonable price with modern technology, the TSK stocks available and their like should have been around for years. I have looked in on the American trap shooters forums and some of the recoil reduction ideas and talk of barrel design/tuning has opened my eyes. Where are the next ideas for new targets and the way to present them?. I am as guilty of deriding the supposed next big thing like many of us, but from now on i am going to try and be open minded and look forward to the new technology on the horizon. And if you are new to shooting ask as many questions as you want, there will always be someone civil to answer you on this forum.
Iggy
Well-known member
What’s a nashtag?
ChrisPackham
Well-known member
Iggy
Well-known member
Cheers mate
Cosmicblue
Well-known member
What have you given up shooting Matt?
What? Everything.
Why? A number of reasons - too many to go into here, but in summary I wasn't enjoying it anymore, and my logic is that if I am going to spend a lot of time and money doing something - then I really should enjoy it.
Thanks to everyone that messaged me and called to ask if I was OK - I'm absolutely fine, just spending my time & money elsewhere now!
Cosmicblue
Well-known member
Thanks Matt - well I for one appreciate the effort and commitment you put into keeping this fabulous forum up.
Wonko the Sane
Well-known member
As a rude colonial boy I suppose what I think of the forum may be of not so much consequence as a result of being so geographically distant. Even so, I want you all and admin too (even tho it requires me to edit "frog" from my comments) that I appreciate this forum. The demented political filter that is applied to nearly every topic on the majority of gun forums in the US is missing but certainly not missed. And the members here are generally fairly polite even in the face of some occasionally severe temptations - particularly those centering on just absurd product choices :ermm:
For me the most appreciated aspect of this place is the opportunity to meet people who have, in a way, very different life experiences but still have a more or less common language and we can communicate without too much difficulty. :wink: Not to mention meeting some of the rich and famous. I've also had the good fortune here to meet and correspond with some totally fine people that I otherwise would never have known the existence of. All of whom have contributed to my growth as a perfectly lovely person :angel:
OK, so it can be repetitive and maybe boring sometimes. BFD Gratuitous platitudes aside - enjoy what you have
just a thot
Charlie
For me the most appreciated aspect of this place is the opportunity to meet people who have, in a way, very different life experiences but still have a more or less common language and we can communicate without too much difficulty. :wink: Not to mention meeting some of the rich and famous. I've also had the good fortune here to meet and correspond with some totally fine people that I otherwise would never have known the existence of. All of whom have contributed to my growth as a perfectly lovely person :angel:
OK, so it can be repetitive and maybe boring sometimes. BFD Gratuitous platitudes aside - enjoy what you have
just a thot
Charlie
Congratulations Wonky you have finally posted something that makes sense .....................and quite well put together for a YANK :angel:
Me too. It’s a shooting forum but I look forward to Finners putting the quiz up. I love that we don’t have any political or religious discussion. I come here to get away from all that. I love seeing the dog pictures and we occasionally fall out but never that badly.
Wonko the Sane
Well-known member
As a perfectly lovely person, being kind a generous is simply part of the package. Even knowing that it is sometimes difficult to assume responsibility for the inability of others to appreciate comment content. There are those times when we all have to admit that "I can explain it to you but I can't understand it for you" cannot be denied. :sclerosis:
As for the Yank ref = I know that you're not serious as I all too frequently have to cringe at the gramer and speling on this forum
