That said some very good posts can get lost deep in the back pages of limited forums.

 

Another issue is frequent questions about the same topics. Pest Control, What lights to use, Water Parameters and so on. I have been thinking about how to preserve the look and feel of this forum while providing a place for quick reference on frequent topics and How To topics.

 

My thinking is that a sub forum under You Can Do It called DIY for write ups on various projects members have done and a FAQ sub forum under general posts would make for quick reference to these types of posts.

 

If these sub forums were set up so that the author of the post did a complete write up on the topic with specific details and notes  with comments coming after the write up members could quickly read the meat and bones of the topic as well as post comments after the write up. The write up would be dynamic as the author could make revisions or additions to the write up which would be quickly available to members without having to search through pages of posts and comments.

 

Nano-Reefs.com has a similar DIY section which is broken down into topics like Lighting, Filtration, Aquascaping and so on. A quick click on the topic heading reveals write ups on various projects complete with supply lists, suppliers and instructions. With this type of sub forum the Forum Home page isn't cluttered and access to DIY project and FAQ's are easily found.

 

I'd be interested to know what others think of this Idea. I believe it would be easy to setup and a benefit to both new members and old timers as well.

I'm also sick of seeing the same topics.. 

OH NO MY FISH HAS ICH!

What tang can I put in my 20g tank!

Whats the best lighting I can get for my nano!

We do have a search button where people can get the answers they need fairly quickly and often find that their same question has literally been asked... 1,000 times before

 and so on :)

I agree completely with that. There are some however who are either afraid to ask the questions or would rather be able to look up the answers so they can formulate better questions. I don't suggest that having a write up section should replace answering questions when posed but it would make directing them to an answer easier and give a basis for expanding on the topic. Additionally people like yourself who put much thought into your answers could create a topic which could be updated easily without having to wade through pages of posts to glean the full explanation of the topic. People could still post questions but they would be answered after the main write up and if a revision or clarification is necessary you can revise the write up portion making the information instantly available to anyone reading the write up.

 

I am one of the relatively newbies still discovering the secrets to this hobby and I would never suggest that we should slight or take away the opportunity for those entering the hobby to ask questions and feel welcome.

Would putting so much organization into the posts prevent someon from looking in the right place for their information?

 

Even though I have an analytical personality, I like the KISS system. "Keep It Simple, Stupid". :) Or how about, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it?"  

 

However, if making the changes made it a lot easier to find info (without the cooresponding background manpower to keep it up) ... well, then maybe it was broke! LOL

 

http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=23030 - http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=23030

 

This is almost a year old now.  If anyone would like to update it or add to it that would be great.

 

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=63394 - http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=63394

Will

 

In the thread you made a sticky it collected a bunch of threads on various topics but they are just like every other thread on the board. What I like about the Nano-Reef format is that the write up is complete at the top of the thread and comments follow. This way you don't have to read all the comments to get the info but if you want further info or to see what others think of the write up you can read the comments section.

 

Also if the author wants to make additions or corrections they can do so in the write up rather than in subsequent postings. I'm not sure how difficult it would be to make a forum similar to this where the Write Up is separate from the comments but I really like the layout and being able to get all the info the author wants to share right at the top of the thread.

 

I suppose we could do the same thing in our existing format if the author was disciplined enough to make a complete write up in the first post but setting up the write up in a slightly different layout clearly defines the write up from the comments.

 

 

 

1. New Topics and Links to new new write up threads need to be added to the first page of the fourm. If new write ups simply get added further down the page the organization gets lost in the shear size of the forum. I guess that would require a Topic Setup page where an author could specify what topic to include their write up under or allow them to create a new topic heading if none of the existing headings apply, also a text box to creat the write up in. After completing the write up a link to it would be created under the selected topic.

 

2. The author should be able to edit the write up without affecting the posts that follow.

 

3. Readers should be able to post comments beginning a thread related to the write up. The current forum posting format would be great for this.

 

I hope I am making sense.

Spot on!  I exclusively went to sites like nano-reefs.com and a few other sites for diy ideas.  These sites had schematics on how to build, not simply have pictures or descriptions through text.  I believe that J. Finch and  ? demonstration on how to build a skimmer was made an even bigger succes by posting pictures with diagrams.

 

Also, when I was just beginning I was hesitant about posting a dumb question.  We all know how these boards can get.