A suggestion for the Hardware & Laptops section

[ThisEndlessFall]

May I suggest splitting Hardware & Laptops into three sections of desktops, laptops & netbooks. Things in this section seem to get sucked down very quickly, which doesn't really help anyone. If you split it a little you would slow down this tide to a more user friendly degree.

[squaregoldfish]

I don't have a definitive opinion on this either way, but it's worth noting that some hardware (sound & graphics chips) appear in both desktops and laptops, so there would be a danger of overlap between split forums.

Steve.

[ThisEndlessFall]

I don't have a definitive opinion on this either way, but it's worth noting that some hardware (sound & graphics chips) appear in both desktops and laptops, so there would be a danger of overlap between split forums.

Steve.

True but it should help break the overpowering flow that that section can have.

[aysiu]

I have a better suggestion.

Next time you see an opinion thread in the technical support area, click the Report Post button and report it to a moderator, so one of us can move the thread to the Community Cafe.

Opinion threads are ones like "What's the best MP3 player?" and "Which laptop should I get?" Technical support threads are "My Broadcom wireless card doesn't work" or "I'm having trouble booting Ubuntu on my laptop."

The notion that threads do not get help because they get pushed down is erroneous. If you don't believe me, take a look at the zero-reply threads some time. Almost all of them are difficult or obscure situations that are not easily answered, and almost all of them have many views (at least 7 or 10 people who looked at the thread but didn't answer).

[ThisEndlessFall]

I have a better suggestion.

Next time you see an opinion thread in the technical support area, click the Report Post button and report it to a moderator, so one of us can move the thread to the Community Cafe.

Opinion threads are ones like "What's the best MP3 player?" and "Which laptop should I get?" Technical support threads are "My Broadcom wireless card doesn't work" or "I'm having trouble booting Ubuntu on my laptop."

The notion that threads do not get help because they get pushed down is erroneous. If you don't believe me, take a look at the zero-reply threads some time. Almost all of them are difficult or obscure situations that are not easily answered, and almost all of them have many views (at least 7 or 10 people who looked at the thread but didn't answer).

I'm afraid that this doesn't make any sense.

[coffeecat]

Makes sense to me!

[ThisEndlessFall]

"I have a better suggestion.

Next time you see an opinion thread in the technical support area, click the Report Post button and report it to a moderator, so one of us can move the thread to the Community Cafe.

Opinion threads are ones like "What's the best MP3 player?" and "Which laptop should I get?" Technical support threads are "My Broadcom wireless card doesn't work" or "I'm having trouble booting Ubuntu on my laptop.""



What does that have to do with my post?

[aysiu]

I'm afraid that this doesn't make any sense. It makes perfect sense.

What doesn't make sense is this: Things in this section seem to get sucked down very quickly, which doesn't really help anyone. As you can see, threads that "seem to get sucked down very quickly" are viewed by a lot of people.

They aren't answered, because no one knows the answer.

For more details, read To all those with zero-reply threads... (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=82471)

[coffeecat]

What does that have to do with my post?

It has everything to do with your post. You haven't been a member long, so clearly you haven't seen how many "opinion" posts/threads litter the support forums, contributing to precisely the problem you identify in your first post. This forum is huge and very busy and the moderators cannot review every post that is made. Hence a plea from a moderator to report opinion posts in support areas, so that they can be moved out of the way.

[ThisEndlessFall]

It makes perfect sense.

What doesn't make sense is this: As you can see, threads that "seem to get sucked down very quickly" are viewed by a lot of people.

They aren't answered, because no one knows the answer.

For more details, read To all those with zero-reply threads... (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=82471)

Why the aggressive attitude?

I have used these forums for reference for a long time before actually joining. Things do get sucked down very quickly.

[bodhi.zazen]

May I suggest splitting Hardware & Laptops into three sections of desktops, laptops & netbooks. Things in this section seem to get sucked down very quickly, which doesn't really help anyone. If you split it a little you would slow down this tide to a more user friendly degree.

OK let us get this thread back on topic.

We have a very busy forum and there is fairly rapid turn over.

Discussions about the various sub forums come up from time to time and although there are suggestions for improvement, there have never been a consensus on how to improve.

Can you give a better reason then " this section seem to get sucked down very quickly, which doesn't really help anyone." or how you think spiting would be more user friendly ?

To play devils advocate I assume someone will say splitting would be less user friendly.

So it would help if you were able to give a more detailed description / justification for your suggestion.

[jenkinbr]

I would venture to say that new users are already confused enough with the pantheon of different forums. Splitting one into three more would increase this confusion.

Also, I believe it has been discussed in other threads that the forum's database was having issues, partially due to the fact that there were so many subforums. The Admins removed several, and things seem to be running smoother now.

My vote is to leave it as it is.

[ThisEndlessFall]

I would venture to say that new users are already confused enough with the pantheon of different forums. Splitting one into three more would increase this confusion.

Also, I believe it has been discussed in other threads that the forum's database was having issues, partially due to the fact that there were so many subforums. The Admins removed several, and things seem to be running smoother now.

My vote is to leave it as it is.

Ok. I was unaware that these forums had issues of this nature. But I still disagree about the confusion angle. If I was looking at the Hardware & Laptops section for the first time, I would find it more reassuring that there was a section that dealt specifically with each PC type.

[overdrank]

Hardware & Laptops
Problems with hardware & laptops not being detected or supported during or after install.
Sums it up pretty nicely to me. :)