Do you have a suggestion for a new forum?

[rosey]

There have been several good suggetions for new forums. Also, there's been general agreement that BHUZ shouldn't become too fragmented. So, we will take suggestions for new forum ideas and then run a poll about which idea the members prefer. The poll will include a choice of no new forum at all. This process may take a month but it seems like a reasonable approach.

Post your new forum ideas here, and if you want to, include a short reason why you think it would be good for the members and the board.

So far we've had these suggestions -
a "performance" section similar to the "student and instructor" section (from artemesia_danst)
a "costumes" forum (from sumayasaahir)

[sumayasaahir]

costumes was nixed in the old forum :)

[sumayasaahir]

I want to keep this new forum and all its expanded possibilities. :) Give it a chance everyone!

[kat]

I miss the styles forums, now all incorporated I guess in "Fan" forum. . .

[outi]

Originally Posted by kat

I miss the styles forums, now all incorporated I guess in "Fan" forum. . .

Me, too.

[*Shira*]

One question I'm trying to figure out the answer to... What types of dialogues are most appropriately steered to public groups, versus what type of dialogues are most appropriately steered to forum sections?

As a user, I don't know how much time I'll spend checking both the forum AND the groups. I would be more likely to see what's new in the forum, less likely to check in on groups. So I'd prefer to see most dialogues steered more to the forum. But there could be some topics suggested for the forum that might be better suited to groups.

[Kirabellydancer]

Ditto, I miss the styles under the fan forum. When not having much time to spend on the computer, I would scroll straight down to that area to check on new post.

[steffib]

Shira raises a point I had been pondering, too - it seems to me that splitting off from the main forum into separate groups adds the need to check yet more places for new messages, which tends to be somewhat inefficient.

[*Shira*]

Regarding the fan forums... I personally like the fact that they have been consolidated under a single topic area in the forum. There were rarely more than one or two threads under each topic area in the old bhuz.

[bul_bul_ksa]

I'm not really one for having loads of different forums but then again, I love to see what everyone is talking about and tend to use active topics / new topics
rather than just going to specific areas.

[joanneraks]

About the groups vs. forum type discussions - I think Shimarella mentioned this in another thread, but I'll echo what she said here: I also enjoy just reading all sorts of stuff about whatever is going on, and would miss it if alot of topics got diverted to specific group discussions. I'm imagining that the Group discussions will work great for region-specific topics, though. Which is how they seem to be organized so far. I guess I'm hoping that people will still let the rest of us in on their discussions. Like the "teacher" group for example: I'm not a teacher, and don't ever plan on being one, but I still like to read teacher talk. So I'm hoping there will still be lots of teacher talk on the regular forum. Same goes for other stuff.

[mish_mish]

I agree. I felt like the fan forums never really took off.

[Shayna]

I dont like the amaturish look to it, kinda a step down from the old bhuz. I HATE THE FLYING STARS. Its so annoying. I have to put another screen up to block those annoying stars. I hate sites that uses flash.

I like the forum, its similar to some other forums i got to.

[NandaDncer]

Originally Posted by *Shira*

Regarding the fan forums... I personally like the fact that they have been consolidated under a single topic area in the forum. There were rarely more than one or two threads under each topic area in the old bhuz.

When the old fan forums were launched I thought that being a die hard Egyptian fan that I would love it and end up spending most of my time there but that just wasn't the case.

I too like the consolidation because there just wasn't enough action over there before for me to bother checking often.

The groups function may end up being the answer to the more specific desires?

[artemisia_danst]

i agree

Originally Posted by *Shira*

Regarding the fan forums... I personally like the fact that they have been consolidated under a single topic area in the forum. There were rarely more than one or two threads under each topic area in the old bhuz.

[danidance]

I like the groups function because I feel like "Off Topic" conversations can be held there with no reservation.

On the old forum, not that it stopped me mind you, it seemed like plenty of people got peeved about politics, pets or whatever taking up "dance time."
So I like the groups for that.

Honestly, I feel like the groups function is sort of a topical blog structure. Have to say, lately I've been hanging out more in my groups than the main forum because I'm enjoy yapping & testing out the new system.

[danidance]

Everyone has very different sensibilities - I find the stars really soothing - hypnotic really. And the art work is very sweet and comforting and I like that it changes.

Originally Posted by Shayna

I dont like the amaturish look to it, kinda a step down from the old bhuz. I HATE THE FLYING STARS. Its so annoying. I have to put another screen up to block those annoying stars. I hate sites that uses flash.

I like the forum, its similar to some other forums i got to.

[sumayasaahir]

Why do you have to open another window to block it? I scroll down so much I rarely see the stars. ?

[danielabellydance]

In all honesty, with the way "New Posts" is structured, it doesn't really matter what the names of the forums are! They are all lumped together and just organized by last post. In the old bhuz, I'd be all for adding more forums - with "active topics" I could scroll past the forums that I wasn't interested in. But now that I use New Posts, I don't even see what forum the thread I am looking at was posted in. I have to scroll past posts from EVERY forum anyway!

Am I the only one feeling this way (that adding more forums is pointless in the new format)?

[*Shira*]

Originally Posted by danielabellydance

Am I the only one feeling this way (that adding more forums is pointless in the new format)?

The forum subject structure may still be relevant if someone is looking for an old thread that is no longer showing up on New Posts. I sometimes found myself doing that on the former bhuz environment, and I expect I'll sometimes do it here, too.

[*maria*]

Love the stars and new artwork.
Costumes forum would be nice.....
I like the private group function......
never liked the styles forums.

[shahravar]

I too am liking the Astara/Stars. I think the groups will be a fun new addition.
I don't think you really need any new Forums, but something may arise in the long term...

[mish_mish]

Once I scroll down, I can't even see th stars any more.