An Idea

[ljh34465]

Would there be any interest in a "I am going to XXXX, can anybody tell me about it"
forum?

I tried a thread in Photography Talk and got minimal response which surprised me. The replies I got were quite helpful, just wish there had been many more suggestions.

It would be nice to get info on photo ops, best time of day, etc.. By the time you glean this information yourself, you may not have time left to maximize it. e.g., I may be spending 4-5 days in Puerto Vallarta - personal recommendations would be wonderful. Don't miss the canopy tours, be sure to go to San Sebastian, plan on sunset on the Malecon, etc..

Would like to see thoughts on the subject. Thanks.

[uk2usa]

I think that this is a really great idea.

[jfrancho]

I think anything short of consolidating the 53 forums we already have into a much smaller number of more meaningful category designations is an absolute waste of time. before anyone starts crying about how arrogant my post is, know that it simply my opinion.

[ljh34465]

Glad to see you finally have an opinion about something And I really did not think it was arrogant but rather an obtuse way of saying there are too many forums (in your opinion)

Should I assume that since Photography Talk is the most frequented forum ( as I think I saw in your poll) and I only got replies from 2 people, that there is minimal or no interest in that type of interaction?

I think if I were going to Ithaca Falls, I would contact you or Jay but I know you are in that general area.

My interest was to get info about Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. I don't know of any Camels that know that area so I thought there might be a way to elicit a response.

It really doesn't take me long to scroll to the forums I want so the number is not a problem for me. However, I will admit that with that number, there is some erroneous posting due to overlap or lack of clarity. I know because I have been guilty of it.

I guess my question still remains with slight modification - would it be a good idea if there were not so many forums at present?

[brian.austin]

Originally Posted by jfrancho

I think anything short of consolidating the 53 forums we already have into a much smaller number of more meaningful category designations is an absolute waste of time. before anyone starts crying about how arrogant my post is, know that it simply my opinion.

Are you saying you won't support my bid for a forum about Cute Bunny Photographs? Or Underwater Lego Designs? Can I at least get some support for Roadkill & Culinary Techniques for Photographers?

[ljh34465]

Wow - I thought I replied - maybe it was one of those deletions you guys talked about
I don't know if I can answer for John - Oh wait, I know and I will do it anyhow - Yes and no.
Does this mean you think my idea for a new Forum falls right in with yours?

[angelsfort]

I think it would be better for you to simply post your question in the travel forum... rather than create an entirely new forum for questions like that.... I don't see many people using that particular forum. (and like JFrancho, this is just my opinion!!)

[jfrancho]

I think Introduce Yourself, Off Topic, Your Work On The Web, and your idea could be merged into a "Members Only Lounge", that isn't visible to the unregistered lurkers. Chat addys, podcasts, blogs and whatever could be tossed in there as well.

There are other ideas that I have about how to consolidate while improving membership participation, but I'd have to sit and whiteboard my thoughts out. But I probably won't bother since no one would listen or care.

Currently there over 17,000 members, of which about 1000 have more than 20 posts. Of that 1000, I'd say somewhere around 100 actively post anything more than short, non productive content, i.e. "Nice shot." There are at least three services that PC offers that are unknown and unused by most forum members, and some that are used by those that do not contribute to forum content. We also seem to suffer from a bit of an identity crisis. Contests have been utter failures, and must seem like a let down to the sponsors.

That said, this is still a great place, but there has so much flux around here, that I'm not sure how long it will last. I bring these things up not to criticize, but to hopefully bring attention to what can be improved.

[ljh34465]

Hey - trying to keep 17,000 people happy could be a big job - I certainly appreciate your input on this thread and on many others. And, yeah - you are a very active participant and you do have opinions That is what makes the world go around (yes, there IS more than fishing).

i pm'd one of the fellows that had some nice stuff from Utah - he was very helpful and his comments were a great asset to me on my trip. I would be very willing to offer my suggestions if someone were to inquire.

I get terribly frustrated with being in an area for a short time and not knowing what time of day to be where or where the best ops are. I found some excellent books on Utah that gave that information but I thought with as many members as the site has, there might be a nice exchange of information.

However, as I pointed out, doesn't seem to much interest and Angelsfort just confirmed with his/her opinion.

Thought it was worth a try - if you want the answer, you have to ask the question

[ljh34465]

Duh - guess Dianna is a girl's name

[jfrancho]

Hey - trying to keep 17,000 people happy could be a big job

That's sort of my point. Why bother trying to keep 17,000 people happy, when .5% of them really care? WHy not cater to the members that really care, building a common denominator from that. Building a solid forum from the ideas and creativity and personalities from the few that care will attract more that feel the same. Meanwhile floundering, trying new ideas without any forethought, adding bulk to the forum breaks that familiar continuity PC had.

[ljh34465]

Damn - hate to say it but I agree with you - but I DID have to ask the question

[Paul Shields]

Originally Posted by ljh34465

Would there be any interest in a "I am going to XXXX, can anybody tell me about it"
forum?

I tried a thread in Photography Talk and got minimal response which surprised me. The replies I got were quite helpful, just wish there had been many more suggestions.

It would be nice to get info on photo ops, best time of day, etc.. By the time you glean this information yourself, you may not have time left to maximize it. e.g., I may be spending 4-5 days in Puerto Vallarta - personal recommendations would be wonderful. Don't miss the canopy tours, be sure to go to San Sebastian, plan on sunset on the Malecon, etc..

Would like to see thoughts on the subject. Thanks.

Hiya - thanks for the suggestion. We're always looking for constructive feedback and ideas, and this is a great example. I think there are certainly grounds for a 'members activities' section that can be used for members from all over the world to organise get-togethers etc. It's something we're looking at internally and will be sure to bring this to everyone's attention once completed.

[jfrancho]

And thank you Paul for the negative karma. In case you didn't realize it, I wasn't trashing your forum. I offer criticism and new ideas not because I hate it here, but because I actually care about the place and I continually get trashed by you for it. Instead of assuming that any criticism is negative, why don't you show a little more respect for my thoughts, instead of telling me to leave?

[jfrancho]

Paul, I think you should be a little less arrogant, open the lines of communication, and stop forcing this into what you want it to be. It will be what it will be. You can offer up new things, and new ideas. Some will catch, others won't. Don't be offended by your mistakes or things that just don't work - learn from them.