New Thread Organization Needs some Work

[Ketchup]

My biggest notice on this was Computer Help section being removed, and I think that was a mistake. This was a great thread name, especially for people just now coming to AT. I noticed it seemed to be merged with "Computer Building."

In the case of this the following threads (just those I encountered at a quick glance), that title does not fit at all:
https://forums.anandtech.com/threads/pc-freezing-very-irregularly.2550115/
https://forums.anandtech.com/threads/windows-8-1-screen-flashes-black-font-changes.2550401/
https://forums.anandtech.com/threads/tv-hdmi-audio-not-showing-in-sound-playback.2549367/
https://forums.anandtech.com/threads/power-supply-crash.2549408/

Feedback appreciated.

 

[Pulsar]

My biggest notice on this was Computer Help section being removed, and I think that was a mistake. This was a great thread name, especially for people just now coming to AT. I noticed it seemed to be merged with "Computer Building."

In the case of this the following threads (just those I encountered at a quick glance), that title does not fit at all:
https://forums.anandtech.com/threads/pc-freezing-very-irregularly.2550115/
https://forums.anandtech.com/threads/windows-8-1-screen-flashes-black-font-changes.2550401/
https://forums.anandtech.com/threads/tv-hdmi-audio-not-showing-in-sound-playback.2549367/
https://forums.anandtech.com/threads/power-supply-crash.2549408/

Feedback appreciated.

I agree. I also have to wonder why the highly technical forum was changed into "Ask an IT Professional". Completely wrong title, reflects very little the conversation that has gone on prior. It took me a while to even realize what they had done, for no good reason. Have IT Professionals suddenly become the defacto experts on everything, or are we sending a message that if it's not about IT then get the hell out we don't want you here.....

 

[Iron Woode]

All these things have already been pointed out. The changes are not the doing of the Mods or Admins, so there is nothing we can do.

 

[Ketchup]

All these things have already been pointed out. The changes are not the doing of the Mods or Admins, so there is nothing we can do.

Thanks for the reply. Do you have a contact for such things? I saw mention in a random OT thread with someone claiming to have interest and the ability and to change these things, but I didn't save it so not sure where it got off to. I am also not sure why "they" wouldn't be looking here for feedback.

 

[Iron Woode]

Thanks for the reply. Do you have a contact for such things? I saw mention in a random OT thread with someone claiming to have interest and the ability and to change these things, but I didn't save it so not sure where it got off to. I am also not sure why "they" wouldn't be looking here for feedback.

You would have to make a thread in Moderator Discussions and ask that someone higher up in the food chain respond to your query.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Yes, I also lamented the apparent loss of the "Computer Help" forum, as it was a
very newbie-friendly forum title, and brought in new members on a regular basis. (Whom I try to help, mostly, I think.)

 

[jsimenhoff]

I wouldn't consider this a loss of Computer Help. This is more of an evolution to a new chapter. We thought that having two forums for Computer Help, with one called general hardware was confusing and balkanizing. Many of the same types of conversations were happening in both forum categories. The activity in General Hardware far exceeded that in Computer Help, which is why we merged the two forums together.

Our SEO team (who get paid the big bucks to make these types of decisions) recommended a switch from General Hardware to Computer Building to attract more users and first time builders.

 

[ElFenix]

@CommManagerJ maybe call it "computer building and help"? as you pointed out, many of the same types of conversation were happening in both. putting the word help in the title makes clear the "come here get help" thrust of the subboard.

still don't get the change from "highly technical" to "ask an IT pro"

 

[jsimenhoff]

@CommManagerJ maybe call it "computer building and help"?

still don't get the change from "highly technical" to "ask an IT pro"

I'll run it by our SEO team, but I don't want to split the difference and end up with something that doesn't work in the long term.

Ask an IT Professional is an experiment to improve activity in the forum formerly known as Highly Technical. Since its renaming, Highly Technical/IT Professional has seen a tremendous boost in both activity and pageviews, so we will likely consider this one a success.

I can understand that the new forum taxonomy may be jarring, but I want to assure you that we are thinking of the health and growth of the community first and foremost.

 

[Ketchup]

@CommManagerJ Highly Technical (now ask an IT pro, (which doesn't even fit) can go (half the stuff in there doesn't belong anyway, not that it gets hit that much at all), New Builds can be one,Computer Help can be another. They are different.

I don't mean to be rude, but do you actually read these forums? We are here to help people, and are here telling you what works. I am already seeing a decrease in threads on the technical side since this change took place.

 

[jsimenhoff]

I don't mean to be rude, but do you actually read these forums? We are here to help people, and are here telling you what works. I am already seeing a decrease in threads on the technical side since this change took place.

Could you clarify what you mean by "technical" threads? It's unclear what you are referencing.

I'm curious if you have numbers to back up your statements.

 

[Ketchup]

Could you clarify what you mean by "technical" threads? It's unclear what you are referencing.

I'm curious if you have numbers to back up your statements.

Technical as opposed to P&N and OT (Discussion Club). As for numbers, no. As a member who is mainly here to help the community I don't have hard numbers. I can tell you that in Computer Building I only see 4 threads since August 1 that would have fit the previous Computer Help subforum. Before the change we were getting about 2 new threads a day. But I wouldn't mind someone like @VirtualLarry backing me up on those figures.

 

[GrumpyMan]

I have noticed by the dates, that the new splintered categories get no action so to speak, is one thread a month worth having that category split off? This is what happens when people who have not been members reorganize a forum, in my opinion.

 

[jsimenhoff]

I have noticed by the dates, that the new splintered categories get no action so to speak, is one thread a month worth having that category split off? This is what happens when people who have not been members reorganize a forum, in my opinion.

In fact the new splintered and renamed categories are getting far more action than they did prior to the new forum taxonomy.

Let's take the Raspberry Pi subforum as an example. This category did not exist at all so the fact that we see increased posts and some threads in this new subforum is promising sign of a burgeoning niche community in the AnandTech Forums. Another great example would be the Ask an IT Professional forum. This forum, previously known as Highly Technical had a few threads a month, with a good number of those threads soliciting zero responses. Since the forum category change activity in Ask an IT Professional has gone up exponentially. The Displays forum has done very well, as well as the new TVs forum.

It took Joe and I weeks (yes weeks!) to design the new forum categories, and we have taken utmost care in their implementation. The new subforums, and category reorganization was done specifically to improve the long term health and growth of the AnandTech community.

 

[GrumpyMan]

Yes in certain cases, this is true. But then you have Barebones - last thread Jan 21, 2018, and Home Theatre PCs, only 1 recent then Aug 2nd, 2018, and even Keyboards - 1 recent and July 24, 2018. I don't even visit those. But improving the forums is always a good endeavor for sure and worthwhile.

 

[jsimenhoff]

Yes in certain cases, this is true. But then you have Barebones - last thread Jan 21, 2018, and Home Theatre PCs, only 1 recent then Aug 2nd, 2018, and even Keyboards - 1 recent and July 24, 2018. I don't even visit those. But improving the forums is always a good endeavor for sure and worthwhile.

Shuttering Barebones and the Pre-Built Desktop subforum is actually currently under consideration.Those two subforums did not perform as well as we would have wanted. If that did happen we would simply move those threads back to Computer Building. We're hoping activity in Keyboards picks up in the near future

 

[snoopy7548]

What if "Ask an IT Professional" was changed to something like "Ask a Science/Technology Professional"? Something to more reflect how it's meant to be a discussion forum for highly technical/scientific/engineering questions and topics.

 

[jsimenhoff]

What if "Ask an IT Professional" was changed to something like "Ask a Science/Technology Professional"? Something to more reflect how it's meant to be a discussion forum for highly technical/scientific/engineering questions and topics.

Thanks Snoopy. This is great feedback. We'll mull it over on our end. I think Ask a Technical Professional would be a great change.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Still think that "Computer Building" should have "Help" somewhere in the name. I used to see regular new posts / threads / users in the older "Computer Help" forum. Sure, there was confusion, on whether "help" questions went into "Computer Help" versus "General Hardware", but we managed.

Can we change "Computer Building" to "Computer Building / Help"?