Forums as categories, not rooms

[Lincoln]

As I start thinking about how the forum will fit in Vanilla, I'm reminded that Forums-as-Rooms doesn't work so well. For example, I renamed the "Deal Depot & Trading Post" to "Buy, Sell, Trade" the other day to clarify it as a category and not a physical space. A while back I renamed the "Fitness Club" to simply "Fitness".

The last 2 "rooms" in the category list are "The Brewery" and "The Icrontic Pub", both of which I'm trying to come up with new names for. If you have any suggestions, let me know :)

[l3it3r]

I do have to say that this is the only site I've ever been on that uses vB like this, and it took a while to get accustomed to it. I'm not knocking the layout, but after using software as familiar as vB for so long, it's really weird when everything is changed around. I'm still a big fan of the vBadvance setup though (and I use it in my websites), which is terribly simple and centered around forums, not blogs or news feeds.

[Lincoln]

@l3it3r: I'm currently working on migrating us to Vanilla forum software later this year, so that will move us the rest of the way towards our usability goal. The current layout of the forum is basically the compromise between how I wanted the forum to work and how far I was willing to hack vBulletin to make it happen :)

[Lincoln]

Also: I'm not hung up on changing the names of the Brewery and Pub. They can stay as they are, I'm just brainstorming if something else would be clearer and more parallel with all the other category names.

[Kwitko]

How about The Virtual Brewery and The Virtual Pub?

[ardichoke]

The Brewery => Drinkscussions (seewhutididthar?)
The Pub => Uncategorized? General Discussions?

[CB]

How about The Virtual Brewery and The Virtual Pub?

That still makes them sound like rooms. "Brews" and "Pub Talk" sound more like categories, if that's what you're after.

[Lincoln]

:tim:

[ardichoke]

Is that for me Linc? If so, I'm going to add it to my "Makin' People Rage Wall of Fame"

[Lincoln]

It was mainly regarding CB falling into Kwitko's pit of sarcasm.

[ardichoke]

Awwh... I guess I'll have to troll harder then.

[Kwitko]

It was mainly regarding CB falling into Kwitko's pit of sarcasm.

[CB]

I did no falling.

[_k_]

Whats a room?

[Koreish]

A room is defined as a space within a building enclosed by walls or separated from other similar spaces by walls or partitions. I'm not sure why Lincoln is trying to enclose the internets though. Seems difficult, best of luck.

[Nemikan]

"Brew Talk"
"Icrontic Ramblings"

[Kwitko]

"What's Brewing?"
"Mindful Chatter"

[ardichoke]

s/Mindful/Mindless
fixt

[Black Hawk]

Boom Boom Room

[Quady the Turnip]

I think the Brewery is pretty obvious. It's the Pub that I think needs a different name, as it took me a few weeks of wandering around the forums before I realized what it was :P

[Lincoln]

It's the Pub that I think needs a different name, as it took me a few weeks of wandering around the forums before I realized what it was :PVindication. :bigggrin:

[Gargoyle]

"Beer discussion" and "Off-topic" sound boring, even if descriptive. They do make sense the way the Vanilla site's forum is set up, though, where categories are off on the right and act as filters.

But if we're moving away from rooms in terms of names, we should move away from them in terms of space. That is, not having discussions broken down by categories on the forum front page. IIRC, there's been some hesitation to move that way, and that we'd use a forum front page that is more "Icrontic-like," or looks more like what we've got now.

[Lincoln]

That is, not having discussions broken down by categories on the forum front page. IIRC, there's been some hesitation to move that way, and that we'd use a forum front page that is more "Icrontic-like," or looks more like what we've got now.
The default view for the new forum will be to have all latest discussions appear, not separated by category.

[Kwitko]

That's all well and good, considering that's how I peruse the forums 99.254% of the time anyway.