Forum users: please vote regarding "stickies"

[BrianD]

Please vote.

[Matt_Wandell]

Hey Brian, just in case you don't see it...

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1805885

[BrianD]

I will leave the poll open for 7 days.

[BrianD]

Yes Matt, thanks, I saw that. I have heard from several people that the sheer volume of posts/views to the threads warrant their place as a "sticky". Others don't like the "clutter".

We will see what the majority opinion is, and I will discuss it with the other fish forum moderators.

Personally, I would like to see this forum merged with the FO and Aggressive forum (but that is for another day)

[Matt_Wandell]

The beauty of a single thread is that you have a one stop living reference, and you can keep adding to it, as well as add links to other places on the web. Take Randy's chemistry article thread for a perfect example...

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=102605

[BrianD]

Yes, but the difference is that most of the issues covered by Randy are Problem/Solution type threads with a definitive answer. The Fish Primer series is more of an ongoing log of successes and failures in keeping certain species of fish. There is no beginning or end, right or wrong answer.

[Matt_Wandell]

So do you think people are less likely to post to the primer threads if it's consolidated? Valid concern if so.

[BrianD]

I believe the participation will be exponentially lower.

[LobsterOfJustice]

If participation drops off they can always be put back, but I think its worth a try. Also, they can remain as threads (open to change and comment), and will be bumped with new posts just like any other thread (so they will remain visible if they have traffic), but we will just have a sticky with links to all of them for new people to find them.

[Big E]

I really don't care either way.........it's mildly annoying that they travel with every page instead of just staying on the first page. Fixing that would be a nice compromise.

[Troy the Nomad]

I really don't care either way.........it's mildly annoying that they travel with every page instead of just staying on the first page. Fixing that would be a nice compromise.
:thumbsup:

[username in use]

+1000 for sticking to the first page only.

[Creetin]

Personally, I would like to see this forum merged with the FO and Aggressive forum (but that is for another day)

I agree also clownfish as well.

[yukonblizzard]

I really don't care either way.........it's mildly annoying that they travel with every page instead of just staying on the first page. Fixing that would be a nice compromise.


Agreed 100%:thumbsup:

[SMOOTHIE]

+1000 for sticking to the first page only.

+2

[BrianD]

I don't know that such a feature/option even exists.

[NexDog]

Fish Primer Sub-Forum is teh way to go.

[TampaReefer79]

If I'm going to be honest, I wouldn't bother reading the sticky anyway. Not that I wouldn't WANT to...it's just that how can a normal person read all of one of those threads?

As an example, if I was thinking about getting a Regal Angel and went into the Reef Fishes section and tried to read the Regal Angel primer... :eek2: After page 10 I'd look like this: :hmm4:

How do you read 2500 posts on 110 pages? :reading: There isn't enough time in a month. I'm sure there is some GREAT info in there, key word being 'some'. I'm also pretty positive that not every post of the 2,500 is informative.

Sort of reminds me of the 'Refugium - good, bad, ugly' thread. It's so hard to find any information that I want in a thread that's split 3 times. lol

That's my input, don't know what good it does. :spin2: Is there any way of taking a fish primer thread that has been stickied and condensing it down to what's pertinent? Water them down to just the nuts and bolts of the topic.

[tcmfish]

I also agree with what tampa said. The people who need the stickies for info are the people who haven't done the research on those fish already, what makes you think they are going to want to read a very long thread about them, with lots of bs mixed in.

I think they are great threads though.

I voted to leave it as is though, unless there are going to more primers, if we want to add more primers then I say it needs to be in a folder form. Also in the folder form maybe we could have threads for lots of other fish.

Also I think we should have some sort of sticky on QT. I don't think enough people use or use it properly.

[Outerbank]

If possible, keep on first page only.

I like the stickies and would only occasionally click on a consolidated thread.

The stickies receive many hits and "reef forum" viewers may drop if they are removed. You would also likely see similar new threads develop on the same subject. This would be good and bad, as it would consolidate what was said in the original primer.

With all this said, either option is really ok with me.

[BrianD]

You people are confusing me with all the comments. All of you make perfect sense, even when your opinions are 100% different :) Someone find Solomon.

[snorvich]

I believe the participation will be exponentially lower.

I agree, hence my vote. But I see the point of view of consolidation similar to what has happened in the advanced topics forum.

[silverfly]

Keep the primers as they are. I found them invaluble.

[melanotaenia]

there are too many; at this rate we will have to go to page two of the forums just to start reading original new posts.

Consolidate. Please.

[JGHA]

First Page only gets my vote too.

[BrianD]

First Page only gets my vote too.

It is more helpful to choose an option that actually can be implemented.

[Dejavu]

I truly feel that if the are consolidate into one sticky that participation will drop off. Along with lower participation, we will see many more threads asking the same questions that the primer will answer due to the fact that many will not bother to open the consolidate sticky.

[AquaKnight]

I truly feel that if the are consolidate into one sticky that participation will drop off. Along with lower participation, we will see many more threads asking the same questions that the primer will answer due to the fact that many will not bother to open the consolidate sticky.
I think this is a valid point, and yea, participation in the thread most likely will drop some. But unless I am really misunderstanding the point of a primer, when do these threads reach of the point of ending exponential returns? Is someone who doesn't really know about a Regal Angel that is thinking about getting one, really going to read the 4,000+ posts (including the first half) in that primer? 1,000+ posts on Leopard wrasses?

[Creetin]

Its not all about reading all the posts and sifting thru them. If you do choose to read then there is alot of good info there. If not you can go there and ask. Asking about youf primer fish in there is not like asking out in the forums. Its more of like a club.

[TP123]

I think there are too many, but consolidation into one thread will probably make things too hidden to be readily found by (new) people who stand to benefit the most from them.

Perhaps one for FAQs and one for primers and leave it at that. Perhaps a 3rd thread if it makes sense from an organization point.

[LobsterOfJustice]

It's not like we're going to delete the threads. They'll still be just as accessable as any other thread, and if they have as much traffic as everyone says they have, they'll always be somewhere on the first page or two anyway.

[silverfly]

Yes, it would be sad to see the primers deleted.

[seafansar]

Maybe consolidate them into different fish categories like "Tangs", "Butterflies", "Angelfish", "Oddball or Miscellaneous fish", etc.

[Elysia]

Here is my compromise idea:

I think that there are only 2 stickies in the Reef Fishes forum that should be continued as stickies (and thus hop from page to page.) The two stickies that should remain are the "Difficult & Special Care Species List" (which gives the user the "what" information in a clear and concise way), and the "RC Marine Fishes FAQ" thread. In the "RC Marine Fishes FAQ thread, active links should be made to the currently stickied species specific primers. Those primers should be removed from the stickies, however.

There is a thread named the "Frogfish Files" that is often brought up by posters. It contains some really useful information re: frogfish/anglers. People have to search for it to find it, but it gets revived pretty frequently. But if the frogfish people have to search, why shouldn't everyone? There is really no reason for it to not be stickied when other care guides to species are. The easiest and fairest solution is to not have any of them stickied -- the well reasoned and edited information that people are looking for can be found in the List and the FAQs.

[CorkPullerPHL]

I just wanted to thank the Mods for taking these changes into consideration. Listening to the thoughts of the site users helps create a sense of ownership and community.

Thanks. I think it's really great.

:thumbsup:

[drparker]

Here is my compromise idea:

I think that there are only 2 stickies in the Reef Fishes forum that should be continued as stickies (and thus hop from page to page.) The two stickies that should remain are the "Difficult & Special Care Species List" (which gives the user the "what" information in a clear and concise way), and the "RC Marine Fishes FAQ" thread. In the "RC Marine Fishes FAQ thread, active links should be made to the currently stickied species specific primers. Those primers should be removed from the stickies, however.

There is a thread named the "Frogfish Files" that is often brought up by posters. It contains some really useful information re: frogfish/anglers. People have to search for it to find it, but it gets revived pretty frequently. But if the frogfish people have to search, why shouldn't everyone? There is really no reason for it to not be stickied when other care guides to species are. The easiest and fairest solution is to not have any of them stickied -- the well reasoned and edited information that people are looking for can be found in the List and the FAQs.

That's a good Idea! You could also add a third that consolidates all the primers. Then new users have two chances to find them.

[Creetin]

I just feel once you start tucking them away they will not get used.
I have seen it as well.
Easy for people to vote them out that dont use them. I know people that use them are not speaking up and voting. For some that use the primers its the only reason they visit the reef fish forum.
These polls are not good at judging interest. IMO
Out of sight out of mind. I wish there was a better way.
Be it BS or not they are being used. JMO

[Korrine]

They haven't bothered me...just tempted me to try a fish :)

[BrianD]

Update: I have combined all the "sticky" threads into one thread. We will see how it goes with this change. My main reason for doing so is I agree that some of the threads are so long that they are more for archival data than a thread that anyone could actually read. If we see an upswing in the number of threads dealing with the same questions on the same fish (which the primers have cut down on immensely), the "stickys" can come back. Nothing, except bad hair, is forever.

[melanotaenia]

Thank you. This makes the forum much more enjoyable to go through.

Great work.

[Beaun]

Looks much cleaner.