Board Organization

[kq76]

I'd like to get some input on how everyone thinks this board could best be organized. If you have any, please post them below.

Before I go any further, though, please allow me to go off topic for a short bit. As you may have noticed already, I have the title of moderator under my username now. Please don't think of me as a moderator though as I only plan on helping organize this board as Andreas asked me to. Truth be told, I'd probably make the worst moderator ever as I have zero patience for troublemakers and would probably ban anybody, even another moderator if I could, for the slightest thing. So to prevent this place from becoming a ghost town, I'll leave all that to the real moderators. I'm only here to assist you guys in making the online league sub-community even better than it already is. And that's what this thread is all about so let's go back on topic, shall we?

First off, I'm not a big fan of a bunch of stickied threads cluttering the top of a board (if there are too many you're less likely to read them and they push down current threads that frequent visitors are more likely to be interested in). So, my first idea is to collect all the important info one might need regarding online leagues, put it into the wiki so everyone can add to it and keep it up-to-date and then in one stickied thread have different sections for each topic and in each section link to the topic's wiki page and any good threads on the board that concern that topic. So basically a topic would be listed and underneath would be links and then another section and another and so on. After the initial post in the thread people could post suggestions for other sections and links. What do you think? Good idea, bad idea? Anything to add to that or change? If you like the idea, please post below what topics you think should be covered in such a thread.

Now that's not to say I think there should only ever be one stickied thread. If something is new and important to know (e.g. the OLS closing down at the end of 2006), then I think that should also definitely be stickied for the time being, but otherwise I'm thinking it doesn't belong as a stickied thread. Should there be any other exceptions? Remember, I'd like to link to all the important online league info in the main stickied thread.

Secondly, I'd like to get your opinions on the merging and splitting of threads. Personally, I like it as long as it makes sense. If a thread is started with a certain topic in mind, but it goes off on a tangent that really deserves it's own thread, I'd prefer to see the thread split into two topics. That way you and others don't have to read a bunch of posts that you might not be interested in and if you are, well, you can read the other thread. I think I feel the same way about merging. If there are two threads about the same topic, I'd rather not have to hunt all over for everything concerning it. Your thoughts? Now even if it sounds like most everyone likes that idea, that's not to say that I'll start looking for threads to merge or split. I'd only do it if I stumbled upon a good case or someone asked and I agreed there was good reason to.

Thirdly, any thoughts on moving threads? I don't imagine there is much to be argued about it. A thread either belongs on this board or it doesn't. I think online leagues should have been called multiplayer leagues right off the bat, but I think we all understand that this board is for anything concerning multiplayer leagues, online or not. If there's a thread you think should be moved, feel free to PM me.

Fourthly, the closing and deleting of threads. As more of a helper than a moderator, I don't see myself about to start closing or deleting any threads. Even if I was to act as a moderator, I really don't like the deleting of threads. I don't like the closing of threads either, but I've definitely seen threads closed that I've agreed with. So if you want to give your thoughts on this, be my guest, but I doubt I'll start doing either. Well, if something is spam as in "click on this link to help me make money", then I guess I'll close it if someone brings it to my attention, but don't expect me to close threads where there's a disagreement between people. That's up to others; it's not what I agreed to help with. (If you would like to discuss forum moderation as in moderating disputes, please do it elsewhere like on the General Discussions board. That's not what this thread is for.)

Lastly, anybody know of any good online reading material on forum organization? I certainly have plenty of my own thoughts on the topic, but I really would like to read up on what others have had to say on it. I want this board to reflect what we all think is best, but it wouldn't hurt to read what outsiders have had to say about their own.

So let's have at it: how can we make this little board of ours better? If ours becomes a success then maybe others will use ours as a model! Okay, probably not, but who knows.