Traditional forum thinking

ChadJessen

Hello, I know that this isn't rocket surgery, but I think I need to change my way of thinking when it comes to flarum. I am used to the traditional forum style, where you have your primary category, where you don't post in and then there are sub-categories underneath where you start threads. I have noticed that with flarum, users post in the primary tag and then you can have other tags underneath that. I think that I am just not used to being able to post in the primary tag. This isn't a complaint or a feature request, but just curious how others have gotten this wrapped around their heads when laying out their flarum forums?

EnDylan

ChadJessen I am used to the traditional forum style, where you have your primary category, where you don't post in and then there are sub-categories underneath where you start threads

Just a tip. If you like Flarum to have be "Traditional" styled forum. You can customise it by changing:
1. Homepage to tags instead of All Discussions
2. Change tags settings:
- Required Number of Primary Tags: Min 1 to Max 1
- Required Number of Secondary Tags: Min 1 to Max 1

I personally liked the "Traditional" styled forum, but I didn't want to give up Flarum so I did the above inorder to keep the Traditional experience while using Flarum.

Arkinn

It is certainly a different way of doing it and for some/most would require some getting used to, but in my personal opinion, it's so much better. As for being able to post in the primary tag, I've never really had to think about it that way, I just lay them out in the way I think it's best, primary tags for conversation topic, secondaries for any particulars.

If I may ask, what's your opinion on this method, do you have any preference of it this way over the traditional? I'm just curious to know ?

ChadJessen

Arkinn I like it this new way, just because everything is just right there and you don't have all the clutter like traditional forums. I just have to change my thinking from traditional to new way of doing things. I think this new way is more efficient than the traditional forums.

Prosperous

It's definitely more of an aesthetic thing but once you get over that 'comfortable' way of thinking you will definitely be surprised at just how much better this new feel really is. Forums haven't changed in so many years and I think that Flarum is stepping up and showing the internet world that change is good. Of course there are some scenarios where the current structure may not be suitable based on your subject but that all comes down to personal preference; extensions can always make something suit your needs. ?

ChadJessen

Prosperous I agree with you. Flarum seems to be way ahead of it's time and I like that. Of course, like you said forums haven't changed in so long and I think that Flarum is doing an awesome job of changing the road map.

Zack

Flarum's UI just like an email client ?

EnDylan

Zack like an email client

Quite true. I didn't notice until you pointed it out.
Its quite nice though.

ChadJessen

EnDylan Just a tip. If you like Flarum to have be "Traditional" styled forum. You can customise it by changing:
1. Homepage to tags instead of All Discussions
2. Change tags settings:
- Required Number of Primary Tags: Min 1 to Max 1
- Required Number of Secondary Tags: Min 1 to Max 1

I personally liked the "Traditional" styled forum, but I didn't want to give up Flarum so I did the above inorder to keep the Traditional experience while using Flarum.

That would work as well. I will have to try it out and see how I like it. I have been trying to just change my thinking, but sometimes that is hard.

luceos

Toby's idea was that you simply de-install the tags extension and install an extension that implements a more traditional layout. Sadly noone has built such an extension yet ?

ChadJessen

luceos Toby's idea was that you simply de-install the tags extension and install an extension that implements a more traditional layout. Sadly noone has built such an extension yet ?

I wish I was smart enough to program extensions. I never could understand programming stuff. I can read it just fine and usually figure out what is happening, but writing it from scratch is beyond me.

JasonLABS

"I never look back, darling. It distracts from the now."
-Edna Mode

Joking aside...
It took me a moment or two to come to grips with why I really wanted the traditional way of building a forum.

The following is just my journey, and is not meant to tell anyone else they are wrong for what they do... ?

I feel like I'm a forum junkie. I've been around forums/bulletin boards since the-good-ol'-days. Because of this history, it became enjoyable to create elaborate organizational discussion category systems. Everything was neat and in its place, and because I was familiar with the system, I knew exactly how to find things. Meaningful conversations could happen, and the subject of the conversations was protected by the rules. This allowed a topic to be discussed until its full conclusion, or at least while interest in the topic lasted.

Since the "social media wars", online communities have shifted.
This is just my opinion ... but for what it's worth ... I feel like the shift changed from meaningful online conversations to... talking "at" each other. It became so easy to log on... blast my opinion to all 300+- of my "friends/followers/top-8-people/pick-your-group-description" ... and not care about getting a meaningful response. One comment on a "wall/feed" could have 4 different opinions on 3 different topics that are completely unrelated other than "I'm offended by something". There are so many other scenarios I could bring up, but for the sake of brevity I will leave it here. This scenario isn't always the case. There are times when meaningful conversations do happen. I'm just pointing out that "talking-at" happens very often.

My experience thus far has been, that the "social culture" of today doesn't seem have the patience to find a community -> topic -> category -> sub-category to have a meaningful conversation with other people. A traditional forum system can often (but not always) be overwhelming from a newcomer's perspective. So, mostly, the only people willing to engage in conversation this way are other forum-junkies.

Now, I have many reasons why I want to get away from social media and take back control of our online communities, and I feel like somehow we need to provide a way. I feel like flarum is doing well with providing a way.

This software has such a fresh and open approach to engaging in meaningful conversation again that isn't difficult for a newcomer to be a part. It is very easy to install, and setup. It will be easier still as an installer package can be worked out for those who don't feel comfortable with command line access to a server. It is a joy to use. It's easy and fairly pain free to organize conversations with the tag system, so people don't have to be afraid to post in the wrong area.

To me, flarum is one of the best options out there to have ease of use, and meaningful online conversations with other people.

I hope that all came across well. ?

ChadJessen

JasonLABS "I never look back, darling. It distracts from the now."
-Edna Mode
Joking aside...
It took me a moment or two to come to grips with why I really wanted the traditional way of building a forum.

The following is just my journey, and is not meant to tell anyone else they are wrong for what they do... ?

I feel like I'm a forum junkie. I've been around forums/bulletin boards since the-good-ol'-days. Because of this history, it became enjoyable to create elaborate organizational discussion category systems. Everything was neat and in its place, and because I was familiar with the system, I knew exactly how to find things. Meaningful conversations could happen, and the subject of the conversations was protected by the rules. This allowed a topic to be discussed until its full conclusion, or at least while interest in the topic lasted.

Since the "social media wars", online communities have shifted.
This is just my opinion ... but for what it's worth ... I feel like the shift changed from meaningful online conversations to... talking "at" each other. It became so easy to log on... blast my opinion to all 300+- of my "friends/followers/top-8-people/pick-your-group-description" ... and not care about getting a meaningful response. One comment on a "wall/feed" could have 4 different opinions on 3 different topics that are completely unrelated other than "I'm offended by something". There are so many other scenarios I could bring up, but for the sake of brevity I will leave it here. This scenario isn't always the case. There are times when meaningful conversations do happen. I'm just pointing out that "talking-at" happens very often.

My experience thus far has been, that the "social culture" of today doesn't seem have the patience to find a community -> topic -> category -> sub-category to have a meaningful conversation with other people. A traditional forum system can often (but not always) be overwhelming from a newcomer's perspective. So, mostly, the only people willing to engage in conversation this way are other forum-junkies.

Now, I have many reasons why I want to get away from social media and take back control of our online communities, and I feel like somehow we need to provide a way. I feel like flarum is doing well with providing a way.

This software has such a fresh and open approach to engaging in meaningful conversation again that isn't difficult for a newcomer to be a part. It is very easy to install, and setup. It will be easier still as an installer package can be worked out for those who don't feel comfortable with command line access to a server. It is a joy to use. It's easy and fairly pain free to organize conversations with the tag system, so people don't have to be afraid to post in the wrong area.

To me, flarum is one of the best options out there to have ease of use, and meaningful online conversations with other people.

I hope that all came across well. ?

I 100% agree with you. I hate social media just for that reason. Especially facebook, all you see on there now days is people posting things that have nothing to do with their lives and a lot of what you mentioned above. I like how Flarum is taking forums and modernizing it in a nice orderly fashion.