Regarding the future of the "Question & Answer" forum

[gymjourneymom]

Ouch.

It's your site. If you want to change it, just change it. You don't have to convince those who "don't understand the site." I think some people disagree with the decision for reasons that have nothing to do with comprehension but it doesn't sound like you are going to experience a mass exodus because you eliminate one forum that isn't working for you.

I know I certainly won't leave because of Q&A. I'll just adapt.

JBS asked for opinions & I gave him mine. Maybe I'm missing something? Did our polite exchange of opinions offend you in some way. I did not tell him how to run his site & he seemed to appreciate the point I was trying to make. The rules are clearly posted, they aren't a secret from anyone.

You are welcome to you point of view, as am I. JBS asked for opinions & I gave him mine. JBS has a wonderful site & I think it is fine the way it is. If he feels he need to make changes to help it run better that is fine with me also. But I do appreciate that he did ask for our opinions, prior to whatever he decides. That shows me that he does respect our opinions. Thanks for being a good role model in that way JBS!

As always, I appreciate the time & effort put into the site by JBS, GT, Bog & all the other mods! Thanks to all of you for keeping CB a nice, family friendly & respectful site.

 

[gym_mom]

If I post a question in another forum that I'm not a member of, will I be able to add to the thread with responses containing additional information to help the people trying to answer my question?

 

[jcs]

What if all threads posted to that forum have to be approved by a moderator first?

I know I am new to this forum, but I have been using internet chat/message boards for close to 20 years....no offense to EmmasMommy, but please don't do this. It is an administrative nightmare and you will lose participation. I have been on boards like this and never stick around for long because the best part of the internet is immediate information. If you have to wait until a mod comes on before your post even appears, you might not get an answer for what feels like days.

As for the other "stuff", I think if you get rid of Q&A, people will figure it out to put their questions in topic appropriate forum. If I had a question about cartwheels, for example (because my daughter is just learning them) I would be inclined to post in the Q&A but can see why it should go in skills & drills. It is a nice feature though to be able to direct a question at a certain group. Ppeople could always still start their post with "Coaches: What do you think about....." One other thought, if you don't end up getting rid of Q&A, maybe moving it from the top of the forum boards, if people don't see it first, maybe they won't post there first? Maybe do Chalk Board, for general chat, then Gymnastics by Topic, Group Forums (since they are so popular people will go to them anyway....) Maybe do Q&A for if you don't see an appropriate forum to post a question, ask it here! Just a thought....ETA: just re-read and saw that emmasmommy also made this suggestion, need to read closer next time!

Overall I really like the set up here. I love the "new posts" feature. I love how interactive the forums are. Now that I understand the Group Forums their setup makes sense to me, and yes I knew I had to join the Proud Parent group before posting but after I did that I sort of forgot about that requirement .

 

[gymjourneymom]

I have been a member of CB for quite a few years now and have seen many changes in the layout of the site. Maybe I am doing something wrong now with this current site, but when I first log on I go directly to FORUMS, then click on NEW POSTS. When I want to post a new thread I usually almost post it under CHALKBUCKET to capture input from everyone.

Maybe the use of different Question Areas such as Q & A isn't really needed. I agree with keeping the CB uncluttered and organized so maybe there is a way to "archive" posts and threads that are really old and just keep the past 2 years of posts "active". I have seen recently some really old posts (from like 2008) get drug up and bumped up to the top of NEW POSTS that are really not relevent anymore.

But, in my mind, I like things simple, clean and organized so streamlining the site would be good. I don't necessarily like change either, but I always adapt.

Yeah MGM, we have both weathered CB changes together since we joined around the same time. We always figure it out eventually don't we?

I'm wondering if maybe the difference is in how members are accessing the forums? I never use the "new post" link so I don't know how that works(maybe I'll go check it out). I always just go to my usual forums(Parents, CB, Q&A) & see what topics peak my interest. Then if I have time I scroll through the other forums. So I'm not just looking at "what's new" but anything that catches my eye in each forum. By going into each forum separately it does "unclump" things in my mind, because I know what type of info I'm expecting to be reading about there. I'm not saying accessing forums either way is "wrong", obviously it isn't. Just maybe that is why some of us are seeing this from different points of view? Thanks for sharing your opinion MGM!

Also, just another bit of opinion I'd like to share with JBS. I've found all the forums all tend to be a little slow or dare I say "boring", during the summer/non-competition months. Maybe that's why it seems like the other forums aren't seeing a lot of activity...there just isn't much to put there right now. Again this is JMHO.

 

[Bella's Mom]

I see the dilemma.

What if all threads posted to that forum have to be approved by a moderator first?

To be honest, I'm not sure what that forum is for, when there are specific forums that the questions can be posted to. So I don't mind it being locked. But as I said before, I'm new here, and there may be a purpose to it that is really needed. In which case, it's a matter of finding a solution to be sure that it's not posted to more than it should be.

Another thought: that particular forum is at the TOP of the forums list. Maybe move it to the bottom. To get to it, people have to scroll through all the forums looking for a suitable place to post their topic. IF they are new and the first thing they see is Q and A, they might post there first. Meanwhile, if it's at the bottom of the list, they'd see the other forums along the way and probably post there.

So maybe that, and also just moderation approval, and hopefully people will learn that that forum has a very specific purpose.

My final suggestion would be an access limit. For example, the forum is open to members who have been a member for x days and have made a minimum of x posts. They can view from sign up, but cannot post until that time.

I think this is an extremely labor intensive way to go about things. Not to mention....HELLO MICROMANAGED!!!!

We're all adults here, even the teenagers are mature enough to post without "getting permission". I've seen very few posts have to be deleted because they were inappropriate. If CB became a place where a moderator had to personally approve all posts then the spontaneity and fast access to information/viewpoints would be drastically hampered.

 

[bogwoppit]

What if all threads posted to that forum have to be approved by a moderator first?

We will never do this, we just do not have enough time in the day. Plus, beyond religion and politics, there are no wrong subjects. I think it is more how to get them into the right places for people who like to come here for very specific things.

I always use the what's new button as I want to see if anything needs dealing with, often there are just too many posts to read and so I will only go to a thread if someone asks me to step in.

 

[EmmasMommy]

I understand.

I hope it was clear I wasn't suggesting ALL threads have to be approved. I think the idea is that if you could post anywhere else WITHOUT moderator approval, then would Q and A be a last resort because you would know that you WOULD have to wait for your post to give live in that ONE forum? I'm not saying that the mod approval has to do with appropriateness of the subject matter, just to be clear. Everyone here is obviously very nice and never nasty or snarky with anyone.

That said, obviously my idea was way, totally, completely, uproariously wrong. It's happened before. (A lot, in fact. It seems I am always wrong and everyone else is always right lol).

I do still think that moving the location of the thread is a valid, easy, and sensible option. I'm not sure if that suggestion was missed or if people just didn't want to make me feel bad by shooting down every idea or if people only want to respond when they don't agree with things lol. Either way, it's out there--don't feel bad shooting down that idea, too. I've moderated a lot of forums in my time, so I'm just throwing out ideas that we've used on other sites. Personally, I don't really like the moderator approval thing either, but the other 2 things I mentioned have been effective (those 2 things being minimum membership/post count for *certain, NOT all* forums and/or moving overly trafficked forums to the bottom of the forum list, so that new users will find the appropriate forum along the way, and only reach the Q and A forum because none of the other forums fit. It's not fool proof, but it helps a lot.

 

[gymjourneymom]

I just went & checked out the "New Posts" link. Viewing the threads in that way is a lot different then how I do it. I go into "forums" & then actually go into the individual forums I want to check out & then into the threads that interest me there specifically(so the forums are separated out for me in my view). Everyone has their own preferences to accessing posts, which is fine, I just wanted to let people know we are coming at this question from different view points depending on how we access the forums.

When I access through "forums" the rules to each forum are clearly listed there & it helps ease any confusion as to where a certain topic should be initially posted by the OP. And I'm only looking at topics that interest me, so it "unclutters" things for me. I suppose reading the forum listed on right in the "New Posts" link does separate them too, but you have to read through them all to find the ones you want to go into. I like just knowing I'm in the parents forum for example & I expect to be reading certain types of posts there. Then I come out of that & go into CB or Q&A & I expect to see certain types of topics there. It helps to keep me organized by viewing the forums in this separated way.

Just thought I'd share this info in case some may prefer this way of viewing threads.

 

[Bella's Mom]

(A lot, in fact. It seems I am always wrong and everyone else is always right lol).

Oh I see you married my ex husband......

 

[Bella's Mom]

Just thought I'd share this info in case some may prefer this way of viewing threads.

I view the forum the same way you do. Perhaps that's why I'm not seeing this as an issue that needs to be changed......

 

[EmmasMommy]

Oh I see you married my ex husband......

Was he a liar and a forgerist, too? The man I married hadn't been married before we met, unless there's something he's not telling me LOL.

But really, when it comes to disagreements, if people get heated, I rather just say "okay, you're right". I don't want anyone to lose sleep over anything on my account lol

 

[EmmasMommy]

I view the forum by hitting the forum button.

 

[cher062]

If you want to get rid of the Q & A forum then do it. but I like that general forum because then I don't have to go to 3, 4, 5 different ones and ti saves me some time. I would rather the other forum that don't get activity be removed but thats just me.

I only really go to the Parent Forum, Chalk Bucket Forum and Q & A Forum. If you got rid of the Q & A I probably wouldn't visit the others that often like I do the Q & A.

 

[thefellowsmom]

I'm going to try to wear two hats here if that is ok.

As a parent and a member of this forum I will be fine with whatever you do. Personally, I use the what's new button and I think two what's new buttons would be cumbersome for me, but other than that no biggie. I also usually like to hear the opinions of everyone, but I understand the need for the group forums. I think people will adjust to whatever you do, whether they like it or not.

Now, my other hat is as web developer. I own my own web development company specializing in small businesses and if you were my client I would recommend the following. If having two sections makes more work for you or confuses your users or washes out you business goals then make changes that simplify things and make clearer to your users what it is that you want them to do while on your site. On the other hand if you are holding on to the ways things used to be or have always been just to hold onto that and really the business is evolving and a new way of looking at things is needed then make changes that are in line with where your business is going, not based on old frameworks.

I can not possibly know where you are coming from in regard to the above and would never presume to interject my opinion on which way to go or what decisions to make. But this is your business and although I find it commendable that you ask your users for input, in the end you need to do what is right for your business. Keeping the user's welfare and best interests in mind is just good business and as long as that is factoring into your decision making process then everyone will adapt to whatever way you go.

I hope I haven't stepped over any boundaries. I just think about this kinda stuff all day every day so it is sometimes hard to keep my mouth shut.

Thank you so much for providing us all with such a well run and welcoming place to come and learn from one anther and share. Your dedication and compassion are obvious and we all apreciate you.

 

[mamaoftwo]

As a newer member here, I say that as long as I am able to get feedback from people from other groups some way, then it doesn't matter to me what the name of the forum is.

This may be redundant also, or perhaps past forum history may make this a bad idea, but I have never known "why" we can only join one "group" and have posting access. Just typing as I think here. Is it possible to grant some sort of limited acces to post questions in those forums? It would certainly generate more traffic in them. Maybe have a locked section for "members" of the group or something? Or, could we have maybe an "ask the coach" forum? Or, "ask the gymnast" forum? Maybe add it as some sort of subsidiary of those "parent" group forums, etc?

Perhaps just using "The Chalk Bucket" forum would suffice? I don't know how it "used to be" over here.

Not sure which options may create less "work" for you here. But I support whatever option keeps the CB here! It is an excellent resource. Thanks for asking for opinions.

 

[gymnastbeth]

I really like the group forums. I used to not notice which forum I was posting in, but the color of the banner at the top changing clarifies it for me every time I visit a thread now. As for the Q&A forum, I don't think I've ever posted a new thread in it. Usually I just use "The Chalk Bucket" forum. I think it's a good idea to lock the Q&A forum. It seems a bit redundant to have it, because really, aren't the other forums just as good for asking questions? That's how I see it, at least.

Or, could we have maybe an "ask the coach" forum? Or, "ask the gymnast" forum? Maybe add it as some sort of subsidiary of those "parent" group forums, etc?

You can post a "Question for coaches" or any other group in the Q&A section currently. The only reason this doesn't work out is because other people are still allowed to reply to the thread, there's nothing stopping them from posting in it.

 

[flipandtwist]

I don't remember who was talking about this, but I agree with the Chalk Bucket being more or less of chat about random gymnastics related issues, like who is going to be on the Olympic team and stories about gymnastics. Also on the forum page, above the Chalk Bucket, the title General Chat says- "Just want to talk?" which is exactly what the Chalk Bucket forum is to me.
"Also underneath the Question and Answer forum it says: "Welcome to the #1 place on the net to get all your gymnastics questions answered."
I do think it is a reasonable diea to move the Question and Answer forum down to the bottom of the forum page, so that new members who don't know where to post, don't post in the first forum they see. Members who already have been part of the Chalk Bucket should know where to post.
Also, if they do post in the wrong forum, they could recieve a private message explaining where they should post next time.
I just think that the Question and Answer forum is important for more serious questions then the random chat often found in the Chalk Bucket forum.

 

[DND]

I am very new to Chalk Bucket and the world of gymnastics and I have really enjoyed and found the site very informative. I have to admit for lack of better understanding of what would be appropriate to post on the various sites I have used the Q&A forum the most.

For myself I like the idea of getting feed back from everyone - coaches, parents, gymnasts - and then I can learn and/or form my own opinions from there.

Changing the site to work more streamlined is always a good thing as long as we know how it is meant to work. I know when I look at the forum titles I thought the following:

Chalk Bucket - General Discussion forum on events within the site or the gymnastics world. No question/answer just a dialogue on various opinions.

Question & Answer - Looking for answers in regards to "gymnastic life" and issues etc. More for questions pertaining to training, hours, camps, equipment and overall decisions made as they relate to the life if a gymnast and gymnastic family.

Skills & Drills - Forum more for coaches and gymnasts to dialogue on specific gymnastic elements.

Gym Management - Forum for owners and coaches to dialogue on the running on the gyms in general.

Parent - Area for parents to dialogue about their children and gymnastics in general.

Coach - Area where coaches share ideas and techniques on the coaching of gymnastics.

Overall this is how I seen the areas and in turn it has worked well for me. Having said that if this is not the correct understanding or how the forums were meant to be used then clean the site up as you see fit. In the end it has to be profitable/productive for the site administrators.

People in general do not like change and it may be frustrating for those who have been here for a long time, but in the end we can all adjust.

IMHO I am just so thankful to have found this site and am grateful for the valuable insight I get when I post or read throughout the various forums.

GREAT JOB AND THANKS!!!!

 

[All Chalked Up]

IMHO, when I visit the site, I use the "Today's Posts" link to see the current conversations. I don't even notice what forum or group the threads are in and I rarely visit the main forum page anymore.

That's what I do... and it ends up driving me crazy when I have something valuable to contribute and can't because I can't post in a certain forum.

 

[cher062]

I've always seen the CB & QA forums as to separate things. CB for more for general gymnastics chat among all groups & QA to ask a question when I want replies from all groups(parents, coaches & gymnast). I've always tried to make sure my questions didn't fit into another forum(ie. skills & drills) better. Maybe I've been viewing these incorrectly all along, but that's how I've seen & used the 2 forums. Of course I post mainly to the parents forum & then to CB & finally QA, but occasionally I have posted to the coaches or skills & drills forum when my posts fit there best.

I like having the general chat(CB), separated from QA. And I like being able to post a non-skill question & get input from all. Having QA & CB separate does "unclump" things in my mind(questions vs. chat) as long as people are posting in appropriate forums for both. I like things the way they are, unless it is causing a major problem with how the site runs. I think newbies will catch on to proper post placement as they get to know site better & maybe with occasional gentle reminders.

I admit there are alot of skill questions popping up in QA that might be better under skills & drills or in the coaches forum. Maybe we just need remind newbies(and everyone else) to try to fit the post to the proper forum better? Maybe move any newly posted questions that obviously belong elsewhere to their proper place. Such as to the Skills & drills forum & tell the OP why it was moved. I think people would catch on. And I would think doing that would be easier then trying to move all of the old QA threads.

I have asked questions in QA(that didn't fit any place else) & I've gotten wonderful replies from everyone there. I see CB more as chat than as questions...I do see a distinction between the two & I'd like to see it remain as is. JMHO.

I agree. I saw the Q & A as the place to go with the questions that don't seem to fit anywhere else or if I wanted more than just coaches feed back etc.. I saw CB forum not as a Q&A forum but more as the general chit chat forum for everyone. I agree about moving the questions to the proper forums if it ended up in the Q&A and should have been somewhere else. Honestly, for me it didn't occure to me I might have been posting a question in the wrong forum as many I have never been to. It might just be a question of educating us as to where to put our questions.