But interestingly when I turned my computer on a few minutes ago Chrome had been added to my Taskbar! Although I have Chrome on my computer (All new computers have to have a range of browsers under EU regs stopping new computers just having Explorer and I've never removed it) I have never used it, regularly using Safari and Explorer
That would be useful, but it would require actual development (possibly just retheming, most likely writing a plugin) to implement.
There is a members list, unfortunately there's no tick box that lets me make it just visible. It's either editable or not at all, and I think it's bad to open up it being editable to all members. There are some plugins that might make it possible, when I get the chance I'll have a look through them.
I regard sticky threads as generally kinda evil, and would vote that they really be kept to a minimum. For example, I'd immediately make the "beginner's guide" and forum-maintenance threads non-sticky. Four's too many in my book, period.
I agree concerning the maintenance but not the beginners guide.
maybe it is a good idea to clean the guide for irellevant posts and merge it with what is still relevant on the faq. that once was there so it could become a useful guide ?
Right now there are four "Announcements" (= sticky) threads. I agree that fewer is better.
My own thoughts:
1. "Suggestion Box" - I am in two minds about whether this is needed. It has not actually been used that much for suggestions - very, very few of the posts are suggestions. And most of those who would suggest things know their way around the site and could make a thread for the suggestion, or mention it on the now playing thread. But maybe a suggestion box is symbolically important just in case?
2. "Who wants a forum? One careful owner, some maintenance required..." - is there any reason I should not de-announce this? (Apart from the fact that I am not very clear who in fact does own what on this site at the moment). It seems to have been started for a specific reason, not to be a permanent point of reference. And if there are future major upgrades it is easy enough to start a new thread.
3. I agree that beginner's guide should stay, perhaps cleaned up, and I like the idea of making a new clean thread that combines A beginner's guide to emusers (minus all the out of date info about color fonts!) and Emusers Label & Linernotes Database into a single thread with the major list information in the first few posts. The labels thread is useful and will not naturally get updated frequently so will tend to sink if not left sticky. I could work on that, or maybe Brighternow would rather "own" the thread? Call it something like "Guide to labels, artists, and emusuers"?
If we were to do 3 (combine threads) and 2 (who wants a form de-stickied), then even if we keep 1 (the suggestion box) that's only two announcement threads.
What do others think? I am happy to facilitate changes if there is a sense of what everyone would prefer.
(Apart from the fact that I am not very clear who in fact does own what on this site at the moment
So, the server that it runs on is mine. The domain belongs to @xtrev, and he also has access to the server to do low-level forum-related things. The content is your own, and the policies you want are your own too. The music, however, is owned by the world.
To be frank, I prefer zero sticky threads, and outright question the decision to mark any thread as worth permanent location at the top. Or, another way of looking at it - take the 'Announcement' label seriously, and see it as a function meant to temporarily mark a thread to make sure everyone notices it while it's timely.
I vote for Brighternow's thread to be at the top if he wants it to be. If someone is here a lot and works on a thread a lot, I see no problem with promoting that thread. A reconfigured beginners guide seems good at the top too, so that beginners can figure out how to do stuff. I think the beginners guide should be separate from the label guide though. Other than those two, I don't think we need more; if someone wants to announce something, there are lots of ways to do that.
Regarding whether the "beginner's guide" should be sticky, karg is clearly against, a few others have spoken in favor, I am kind of agnostic - kargatron has swayed me a little.
But another option just occurred to me. Playing with options I noticed that it is possible to "announce" or "unannounce" a thread not only for the whole board but per category.
I could create a category called "A Beginner Guide" or "AAA Start Here" that would alphabetically sort to the top of the categories list, and make the beginner guide thread sticky within it. Still easy for a beginner to find (most beginners are going to at least glance at the categories) but out of the way of daily use (we don't get many beginners).
Any thoughts on this option, especially from those who were in favor of keeping it sticky?
Separate question: what do folk think about handling all of the sticky threads this way, creating some category with a clever name beginning with A(+letter before f) that is not occurring to me right now and putting them all there? That way those of us who like the easy-to-hand reference threads would still have them a click away, we could mention them to new users, and anyone could feel free to create new special sticky threads in that category without needing a referendum?
Just raising the possibility - if there are people who like the current arrangement, albeit with fewer stickies, we can stick with it.
I definitely prefer sticky categories over sticky threads. I also agree with BT that a proliferation of categories isn't all that useful (tags instead would be better).
Having just looked at Bad Thoughts post 4 years ago, was it really that long ago, some of the points made in that thread are still relevant. Maybe now is the time to look again at the thread titles/themes?
No opinions other than kargatron's on sticky categories versus sticky threads (see four posts up)? I don't want to wade in and change anything that upsets anyone.
Also: the Audiobooks category has zero threads: worth deleting?
ETA, other low-hanging fruit as regards slimming the categories down:
1. Merge "African" with "International" (we don;t have separate categories for other countries).
2. Move the three threads in "Dance" (which are not about dance) to "General" and delete "Dance".
3. Neither of the threads in "New Age" appear to be about New Age music - move them and delete New Age (for which, through slight gritted teeth as I love Ambient and dislike New Age, the Ambient category could be used if need arises)?
Comments
Craig
False Alarm
There is a members list, unfortunately there's no tick box that lets me make it just visible. It's either editable or not at all, and I think it's bad to open up it being editable to all members. There are some plugins that might make it possible, when I get the chance I'll have a look through them.
"maybe Brighternow would rather "own" the thread? Call it something like "Guide to labels, artists, and emusuers"?"
Heh ! - The name was the best I could think of in that moment in time. I'm open for other names.
Sir BN's land of milk and honey, ?
The linernotes is going to happen some time soon.
- And no, I do not claim ownership. I started the thread with:
"afaic, there's no limit to what this thread could be used for, - - - Jonah's Jazz label list ? each Emusers "interesting labels" list ? . . ."
- A jazz label list would be great, I think . . .
So, the server that it runs on is mine. The domain belongs to @xtrev, and he also has access to the server to do low-level forum-related things. The content is your own, and the policies you want are your own too. The music, however, is owned by the world.
I'm going to wait a few more days for more opinions before doing anything.