more segmentation of topics required?

[Chris Kaday]

I am thrilled to see the huge growth of this site - fantastic that people are seeking solutions in such large numbers. However with more posts under the few categories it seems the actual responses are fewer as we just do not have time to read them all and also there are only some which we can really add value to as they are our specific specializations. I wonder if the time has come to re look at the main forum headings? Just thought I would raise this as I am already looking at going to more specific sites for my comments.

It would also be nice to have some rating system on answer quality as they do on other sites. Or as an alternative how about a specific space for acknowledgments where people can post 'thank you's' to those who have added real value and made a difference.

Just a few thoughts folks

Chris Kaday

 

[lockie]

Maybe a forum on SEO would be good as every thread i read seems to bring it up

Other forums could be cash and payment handling and also startups perhaps as these seem to be a common topics too

 

[Chris Kaday]

Good thoughts Lockie - I assume the bosses read this?

Regards

Chris

 

[An Oasis]

A resources section would be useful to stop having to answer constantly repeated questions.

 

[RayB]

Hi Chris,

I had not given this much thought until you started this thread, but I do agree:

• An SEO/SEM section would be good as this subject crops in in the General Business/e-commerce/IT & Internet and Marketing sections!
• A voting system for individuals posts and threads is interesting and I have seen this enabled on other forums too. I think this is worthy of consideration. It might be an incentive for members to post more helpful and thoughtful suff thus lifting the overall quality of the Forum

 

[Chris Kaday]

A resources section would be useful to stop having to answer constantly repeated questions.

Yes maybe something on best practice or tips. I also get fed up with seeing and often replying to the same thing over and over but then that is how the site gets ranked and adds to the overall energy. Do need something to motivate quality replies. Certainly time for a rethink to keep the site ahead of the game and build on the success.

Regards to all

Chris Kaday

 

[elaine@cheapaccounting]

Like the ideas about a resources section and happy to contribute to any in the accounts area where I can be helpful. I am sure I could benefit from other resource topics so it is always a fair exchange.

I am a little wary of ranking answers but haven't seen it in practice so will keep an open mind. My reservation is that I wouldn't want to see anyone put off responding for fear of a bad ranking.

I have said before that I like this site because unlike another forum, no one is 'rude' about any of your posts, if they don't agree etc. On another site I have seen it just seems to be aimed at people 'ripping you apart'.

 

[An Oasis]

For anyone not aware of the rating/ranking of posts it is available on the advanced option at the bottom before the second submit button.

 

[elaine@cheapaccounting]

oh yes - got it

 

[Chris Kaday]

yes just putting a star against the good ones would make them stand out. Also maybe having a start post of the day - OK some poor sod would have to read them to do it

Regards

Chris Kaday

 

[An Oasis]

yes just putting a star against the good ones would make them stand out. Also maybe having a start post of the day - OK some poor sod would have to read them to do it

Regards

Chris Kaday

I nominate Carl CSN for that task!

 

[elaine@cheapaccounting]

seconded by me!

 

[HC-Martin]

Motioned carried! Carl you got yourself a new job!

 

[Chris Kaday]

my decisions are made fast in here lol

Regards

Chris

 

[estwig]

We need a section devoted to the most important aspect of modern business today........

Tea Drinking!!!!

 

[RayB]

Wow,

Keith, Good to have you back - we could have missed this otherwise - TEA yeah baby

 

I nominate Carl CSN for that task!

Will get started right away!

 

[DuaneJackson]

Will get started right away!

Oi, two-timer! You've already got a forum job!


I do agree though, better segmentation of topics would be a good idea.

How do you guys read the forums? Do you go to specifc categories to see what's new? Personally I just click the "new posts" button, and take little notice of what forum something is posted in (other than for moderation purposes)

 

[DuaneJackson]

...and take little notice of what forum something is posted in ..

Although I have just moved this to the feedback forum so the appropriate people at Sift can fund and read it.

 

[estwig]

I just browse randomly looking for opportunities to wind Carl up!!!

 

[DuaneJackson]

going by our other suggestion post about offers/tenders I can't see anything we post here making a difference to be honest.

I do think the feedback will get read and some acted on. You have to remember now that it's a company that owns the forums now so I think a lot of decisions need to be made by commitee so can take longer compared to when it was just Ozzy and thigns happened overnight.

In the words of one of the greatest bands of all time: "have a little patience"

 

[An Oasis]

I just browse randomly looking for opportunities to wind Carl up!!!

That's dreadful!!!

 

not to sure about a voting system on posts,as people may be influenced by the post which has the most stars,rather than making there own mind up.

i.e Charles Darwin was right but no one voted for him

Also the possibility that postee's,may modify there posts to gain stars e.t.c.

Earl

 

[DotNetWebs]

not to sure about a voting system on posts,as people may be influenced by the post which has the most stars,rather than making there own mind up.

i.e Charles Darwin was right but no one voted for him

Also the possibility that postee's,may modify there posts to gain stars e.t.c.

Earl

I agree. I have never been a fan of voting systems in forums. It's normally far to easy to abuse and you end up with stars (or equivalent) all over the place.

"a point in every direction is the same as no point at all" - The Point : Harry Nilsson

Regards

Dotty

 

[Lasting Designs]

.

In the words of one of the greatest bands of all time: "have a little patience"

Cool, another Gunner!

 

I agree that there should maybe a few more sections to the forum. The IT and Internet one is bunged with all sorts of stuff.

I usually read down them - Private, Review, General, ECommerce, IT, Tenders, Time Out. The rest get a brief visit on a sunday evening if I'm bored.

Definitely SEO should have its own section - as it doesn't really have a home at the moment.

 

[RayB]

When we get an SEO section who wants to move all the old SEO threads there to keep it neat and tidy? Shouldn't take long

 

[maruby]

I like the MSE forums where you can thank posters for useful posts...
Maybe a "business ideas" section?
A telephony section (as VOIP et al discussions seem to end up all over the place)
Agree with SEO thread

 

[Darren Falkingham]

Hi all,

(Duane - thanks for highlighting this to us.)

I think that there could be a lot of value in separating SEO/PPC discussion from other marketing activities such as PR, branding, product, etc.

But maybe there's a more useful way of bringing out the distinction between 'online' and 'offline' marketing - what would people's view be on having a new 'Online marketing' forum?

This could encompass all the SEO/PPC stuff, but would also include additional aspects such as email marketing, usability, accessibility, CMS, online payments, etc?

Your thoughts please!
Darren

 

[RayB]

Hi all,

(Duane - thanks for highlighting this to us.)

I think that there could be a lot of value in separating SEO/PPC discussion from other marketing activities such as PR, branding, product, etc.

But maybe there's a more useful way of bringing out the distinction between 'online' and 'offline' marketing - what would people's view be on having a new 'Online marketing' forum?

This could encompass all the SEO/PPC stuff, but would also include additional aspects such as email marketing, usability, accessibility, CMS, online payments, etc?

Your thoughts please!
Darren

I think if you called it SEO and SEM that should cover it?

 

[brownie]

Personally I just click the "new posts" button

Same here.

what would people's view be on having a new 'Online marketing' forum?

Very good idea, not knowing much about SEO I have to flit around various forums to learn about it, the info in one place would be very handy.

 

[Chris Kaday]

I wonder if anyone who runs this site is taking ownership for this? Sorry no idea of the ownership or decision making.

Chris Kaday

 

[RayB]

Chris,

"Membership Services" have posted here today................

 

[philh74a]

Oi, two-timer! You've already got a forum job!


I do agree though, better segmentation of topics would be a good idea.

How do you guys read the forums? Do you go to specifc categories to see what's new? Personally I just click the "new posts" button, and take little notice of what forum something is posted in (other than for moderation purposes)

Re: 'new posts' - I suppose I do the same, albeit initially from my Sage RSS feed to see if there is something ineresting. Is the search function advertised and does it function correctly - there are a lot of repeat questions on the same subject.

 

[estwig]

Chris,

"Membership Services" have posted here today................

Yes that's nice but..........Can you take someone called

"Membership services".......Seriously????

 

[DuaneJackson]

Can you take someone called "Membership services".......Seriously????

It's a very valid comment. We (the mods, collectively) have said they need to be more personal. It's normally Darren that posts as "Member Services", but it would be better if they actually had their own accounts with their names as their userids. They did say they'd do it. I'm not totally comfortable telling these people how to run a forum though - they've much more experience at building online communities than I have. So I just put in my tuppence worth on the private Moderators forum and have to leave it at that!

I wonder if anyone who runs this site is taking ownership for this? Sorry no idea of the ownership or decision making

Hi Chris,

The owners now are Sift Media. I'm not quite sure what the decision making process is, but I think member DanMartin would be heavily involved. He's been away for a week or so, hence the delay in getting anything moving I think.

 

[RayB]

Yes that's nice but..........Can you take someone called

"Membership services".......Seriously????

Actually I was wrong - it was "Member Services"

Get your member serviced here................

 

[Darren Falkingham]

Get your member serviced here................

You're right! ...I really must change my name from Member Services!

Sorry no idea of the ownership or decision making.

Chris, re ownership of the forum and decision making. Sift Media is the new owner of UKBF, and I have responsibility for marketing, operations, customer services and technology across Sift Media's portfolio. UKBF always has, and always will be, here as a free service to its members, so if the members would like to see it change (just as we're talking about here), then it should.

I'm still feeling my way in how the decision making process works ... but there are thousands of members, and we can't go around changing the forum every day at every request. There needs to be some process for approval, and for me that is getting members' input (though I guess we'll never get consensus), and then having the moderators give it the nod.

So, let's discuss this issue further here, then - say on Friday - we'll create the forum, agree what topics it covers, and give it a name.

On the naming point...

I think if you called it SEO and SEM that should cover it?

Hi Ray - if there's agreement on here that there's enough content to warrant a dedicated SEO/SEM forum, then great.

But at the minute I'm not sure it does - we're talking about creating a top level forum here, alongside wide-ranging topics such as Legal, Finance, IT, and so on. For my part, I see SEO/SEM as just the first stage in a marketing process that (hopefully!) culminates in a customer relationship - but only once those customers have acted on your SEO/SEM and subsequently visited your website, maybe registered online, purchased online, and so on. I feel that any new forum area could justifiably be a little wider than just SEO/SEM.

As ever, I appreciate your views.

Cheers for now,
Darren

 

[RayB]

On the naming point...

Hi Ray - if there's agreement on here that there's enough content to warrant a dedicated SEO/SEM forum, then great.

Hi Darren - I'm preferring your new name

How about SEO and Internet Marketing

This makes it obvious where SEO threads should be posted, and also obvious that there are 2 distint marketing sections - online and offline

 

[maruby]

Why not add new boards as "child boards" under the main area they relate to?