Topic: Dedicated plant sections?

[Jeannine]

If it aint broke...I agree too, I also don't look at the pictures anymore because I feel it is just too complcated.

Although I am always answering squash questions, I find it is OK even repeating things all the time, it is a way of getting used to newbies.

Although the idea has it's merits my vote would be leave it alone for now.

XX Jeannine

[Baaaaaaaa]

My concern is that new people may just read the information and not post.I think asking questions is a good way of breaking the ice :)

What is 'The Management' view of the difference betwen 'Guests' and 'Users' ?

If 'The Management'  is keen on people registering,  then this board needs to encourage questions to be posted, however basic and repetitive.

If all the info required is available neatly packaged to all, why register ?

Perhaps a sticky post on "guide to lottie fundamentals", "the first year in the life of a lottie" or,  "Oh my god, what have I got myself into?"  might be a nice intro for the newbies as these kind of questions are regulars.

[springbok]

Being totally new to veggie growing and even owning a garden, I have to agree that its good the way it is.

I love the fact that no matter how dumb the question is, I can ask it and get a good response. 

I think if it was split into top veg/fruit, those questions wouldnt happen.  We all learn differently and take in information differently.....some of us have to ask more than once :) I know I have done :D

Even though it seems like repeat questions to folks been gardening for years and years... to us newbies, the questions are unique, and even when repeated, the answers are always unique too.... thats the joy of this site... and I love it!!

[Eristic]

One thing that gets overlooked in these debates is the fact that Guests see the site differently to logged-in users. Take it from me it is cluttered and confusing and the more clutter that's added the more confusing it becomes.

As for asking questions that have been asked before, that's life. Is this meant to be a forum or en cyclops thingie. Google has all the answers but not the friendly atmosphere of a forum. Another garden forum many of us frequent nearly went to the wall trying to create a one-stop font-of-all-knowledge portal.

As for the photography board, it is good that hes been mentioned because I closed it last year when it became cluttered and now I don't see it any more, therefore there is no photography section.

There will always be repetition and splitting the edible plants will create more repetition. Currently many people are having trouble germinating seeds and this would be repeated for each subdivision. If sub-sections were created for potatoes, all blight related posts would be equally at home in the tomato section. I personally would close any board dedicated to potato or brassica and possibly roots as well then the forum might become less appealing to me.

I vote to leave an unbroken site as it is.

[littlebabybird]

in a vote i would go for leaving it be.

As for the photography board, it is good that hes been mentioned because I closed it last year when it became cluttered and now I don't see it any more, therefore there is no photography section.

how do you do this?

[Eristic]

If you go to Profile:

Down the left in the Modify Profile section

Click on Ignore Boards Preferences: Put ticks in the boxes for any sections you do not wish to view.

You can come back and untick them later if you remember.

[Lindsay]

Hum ...  I originally liked the idea of splitting into certain dedicated sections, because I am another one who is new to vegetable growing, and have many questions and can spend ages using the search  facility to find answers to these questions.

However ... having thought it, as Springbokgirlie says, if the experts/pros on here don't mind us asking the same questions over and over, then leave it as it is. I enjoy reading the different versions of the same questions, and the different answers - there is often more than one way of doing things.

I like it as it is - and I like the photography section as it is now - I don't find it complex at all.

[Biscombe]

I seem to remember a discussion about a year ago about splitting 'edibles' into fruit, veg and herbs to make navigation easier. 
G x

God that was a year ago! crikey, time does speed up when you get older!!
I agree with Lish, keep it simple, its great the way it is!

[barkingdog]

I personally like it the way it is, I find it interesting to look through all of the posts - you never know what interesting facts you can pick up!

bd

[Robert_Brenchley]

If the wiki is done right, the info should be there.

[ACE]

 contact me in the Photo comments section,

All of a sudden we can only reply about photos in the photos section. I will do that if when photo section stops leaking out on to all the other boards.


Know it looks as if I am digging at people here, I admire the dedication of those that get involved, (I would not do it) and everything that is done or changed is for the good of the site. It is good that we are able to air our views, providing we are being listened to. I feel we are going to be railroaded though.

This forum is a wealth of information and the 'over the garden fence' style suites me and a lot of others, leave it that way.

[calendula]

you seem to have contradicted yourself - you don't want the photo section spilling over but you are quite prepared to have the spilling over from all the other sections (which does happen now and again, especially in 'basics, 'top tips' even 'the shed'.

All ken is asking for is whether more dedicated sections are worthwhile. One on tomatoes seems like a good idea to me and maybe add more as we go along. people will still ask questions, even the same ones over and again but that doesn't matter at all, it is how we learn.

[ACE]

you seem to have contradicted yourself - you don't want the photo section spilling over but you are quite prepared to have the spilling over from all the other sections (which does happen now and again, especially in 'basics, 'top tips' even 'the shed'.

Difference being that they are 'mostly' gardening related topics. There are photography forums all over the internet if you are into photography, this is a gardening forum. I like to take pictures and show them on here, the gallery was sufficiant for that, now it is a photography club. And it is always touting for business on the other threads.

[calendula]

as far as 'hits' go the whole of the gallery comes quite low down the list compared to the rest of the forum but then why contribute to all the non gardening matters then such as the watershed if you want only gardening subjects

strictly speaking this thread shouldn't be in this section either but does it matter

[antipodes]

hmm it is true that many people ask the same questions, but I think the SEARCH function is obviously not used enough, I am talking about by people who just want some info and not to join in on a thread for a nice chat with the others  ;) Maybe that would be helpful to "advertise" the search page more?
IMHO, it is true that there are lots of questions about:
spuds
tomatoes,
squash,
onions/garlic,
soft fruit.
But at the same time I learn lots of things just by browsing the threads that maybe I wouldn't learn if I headed straight to one section.
There is never any clear answer on this sort of question...

[ACE]

as far as 'hits' go the whole of the gallery comes quite low down the list compared to the rest of the forum but then why contribute to all the non gardening matters then such as the watershed if you want only gardening subjects

strictly speaking this thread shouldn't be in this section either but does it matter

Back to original subject. I would like this forum to stay as it is, informal, over the garden fence. It is working extremely well. I do not use the photo comps and they will now be on the ignore list now I know how to do it.  The only thing I would change is the touting for business on other threads. Will this turn out the same way 'New question on toms, look now.' I hope not. Loads of forums when you ask a question quickly tell you to do a search. Very off- putting. On A4A you get an aswer to any silly question you would like to ask, but you will not be made to look silly. Also you get to have a little chat at the same time. No harm in that unless it goes too far off topic.

I did saymostly  gardening in my answer, we have had our share of trials and tribulations on this forum and the support given from other members makes me proud to be a member, they are not gardening related but someting you can share between friends. Or let off steam.  I would not want that to stop, but I do not have to read them if I can second quess a thread.

[Palustris]

A lot of us would probably leave if the site was messed around with even more. Then who would answer the beginners questions? I notice now that a lot of the older, as in long standing. posters no longer even visit. We have lost already a huge store of life time knowledge by their absence.

[star]

I like it as it is too Ken, its informal and fun.

Most newbies get an individual welcome, whereas on dedicated forums of fruit and veg. I think they would look in and get the info and not contribute by posting.

It would be as if we would be saying "The information is there, read it. Dont bother us unless you have something worthwhile to say"

I have been on a forum similar to this suggestion. I felt foolish if I asked something that had already been written but I didn't understand.

This site is huge and daunting enough for a new person without extra sections.

Star x

[lorna]

Please leave it as it is. As Star has said "its informal and fun"

[calendula]

the bulk of this forum is made up of dedicated sections and I don't know where people get the idea that folk won't carry on asking questions, of course they will

funny thing is, I bet that if ken had just placed a new section on Tomatoes for example, and not asked first, we would be saying, oh what a good idea and just get on with it  ;D