I agree with SpringCreekFarm. A better search function, not endless layers of thread subcategories.

I think the problems with redundancy and organization and "too much information" are inherent to computer-based communication.

I say we go to (1) one thread category period. It would be real-time PO. No searches needed. I've seen this done on another forum and it works pretty dang good. We could call it PO banter.

The search function already can search down to the post level. Look at the bottom left of the search page and you'll see a radio button select between "Post" and "Thread". Choose Post. Frankly, I find even this level of search to be less than satisfactory, especially when the post uses slightly different words or acronyms than I do.




And this portion of it deals with Peak Oil mitigation, both on individual, community, and, to some extent, higher level scales.
I don't see this so much as an expansion, but taking some of the large threads with immense amounts of information and breaking them into easily digestible pieces.

I think the real issue is that the search feature isn't useful. It doesn't show the post in the thread, it shows the beginning of the thread. This isn't useful at all if the thread is over a couple of pages long.

Anything that can be done to ameliorate that will be better than doing nothing.

edit: This was started before and posted after others had already chimed in with the same thought. Sorry for the repeat.

Not true collapsing, as some sites have. This site does not have that capability, so the index list in the index thread would have the main topic labeled with the subtopics as threads listed beneath it. If you wanted to learn about Chicken Tractors, for example, you wouldn't have to search through 38 pages of posts, you would likely look through 4 or 5. The forum structure wouldn't look any different, just more details in the index thread message at the top of the forum.

A search would bring up some number of posts, though if some posts on that topic didn't have the exact words you were entering, they would not show up in the search results.

THis issue with poor information presentation comes up every year or so around here. I'm pretty sure a forum is just a piss poor way to provide information long term

I like the new posts that constantly come up with people describing their preps but once they hit more then 10 pages or so the posts start to become useless. The Today I... thread is the worst for this. Intresting reading daily but don't bother trying to track old stuff down in it.

What we need is something more like a wiki and then have an easy method to put the data from posts into the wiki

I've long ago found that none of this will happen, no one (save for Sky, Shanny and Ferret) will volunteer to do much, let alone follow through.

Since this is a "Message Board" most folks just want to talk, and I have come to believe that is our real place - "The Posting Tree".

When you people see a place to provide an authoritative link (on the site or elsewhere), a personal experience or just a common sense suggestion then post it up!

It is all good...

Yes, if enough people want to wiki, then I see that as the better route by a long shot. I also think we'll have a lot more people flocking her once word gets out.

Why don't people note their predisposition to adding information to a wiki so that we can assess what steps to take?

I just updated the Food Production index thread to show people what the original proposal would look like. I (and any other interested moderator) would do whatever parsing of messages was required, so there's really no effort that regular members would need to do.

That's the problem that I have, as well. I don't mind searching for a topic that has likely been covered before, but when the topic is 38 or 101 pages long- forget it... Most boards that I go to take you right to the post that first mentions the keywords that I've typed into search... especially, if I *search for all terms* and in specific forums.



I don't agree with that exactly. I haven't been a member here from the beginning, but I've already stated my experience with other boards. In a few boards you can even access old information in the archives... but you can't add info to those threads. Questions or additional information about old topics must be asked in the current version of the board.

I don't know if that was helpful or not.

I know sometimes sites can be updated with better features, but usually only admin can edit the code.

Try out the search feature, one of the buttons asks whether you want topic threads or individual posts for your results.

When you find something relevant, post up something relevant in that thread and bump it up.


This is a give and take scenario people, put in a little effort to find the good stuff and pass along a little good stuff of your own.

I'll give it a shot, Pops. I've played around with the search feature quite a few times. Sometimes the results are really good. Other times not so great.

I'm sure just about everything I have a question about has already been asked before.

We have a wiki, my experience was that it was constantly spammed out and when I was helping with it all I ended up doing was removing spam in the small amount of time I had to work on it.

If and when that is fixed (ie. you can't post/edit unless you're registered, etc.) I might be back to help out.

I'll see what I can do about that.

I think the primary job of longer term members as well as Mods is to help folks find what they need.

Just ask.

One simple and quick way is to have an index. Otherwise, the longer term folks and Mods spend their time searching through pages of old threads. Some may like that, others may want to cover new ground with their limited online time (PO prep takes much doin').

Imagine a library with all the books placed randomly (with no card catalog).

The deal is the Web is a much better library than any created before - this IS the catalog for POers.

I remember going to the library in the '70s to find one fact and being frustrated. Has anyone been frustrated with fact-finding on the web in the last few years?


Our job I think is to point to the links (here and elsewhere) which pertain to PO and PFTF and provide some info here that doesn't exist otherwise.

RSG did a good try on the wiki but like she said it was used little and abused much.


Not trying to be contrary, just realistic. Any good ideas I'll support wholeheartedly.

BTW, just so everyone knows, Sky and I discuss these things in the Front Room instead of the Back so you all can put in your $.02.

Chime in.

That sounds like several librarians running around taking people to where the randomly placed books are. Of course, google works just as well as us, so we would end up being real live "Ask Jeeves" clones?

If an index points to the links, wouldn't it make it easier for many more people to find the information? And if the threads were manageable sizes, people wouldn't get discouraged by 36 pages to analyze.

Notice how the poultry threads are getting used in a much more focused fashion; the Breed thread helps those wanting to learn more about specific breeds, etc.

Scratch silly ideas.

Last edited by SpringCreekFarm on Tue Dec 02, 2008 3:35 pm; edited 1 time in total

Hey I have said it before but I would always prefer a thousand threads on one topic (food production) than one "mother-of-all-threads on one topic.

Conversations veer in different directions, have different tones, occur at different times, have different voices. They shouldn't be all lumped into one imho.

However, I firmly defer to Pops, who disagrees with me...and frankly, since he does a heck of a lot of work here- he should be able to decide this...so all power to Pops and how he wqants to play this...

This FORUM SUCKS!

I DEMAND BETTER AVATARS!!!