Any thoughts on better organization for Forum Categories & Pinned Posts?

[zephyr1]

@Petri

We also have tags here which could be used more. Would those be helpful?

I haven’t found the tags feature to be super useful in its current state.

I tag all of my thread series, but I doubt people use them to navigate much, and I personally never use them to navigate.

I also see some pretty random tags on posts a lot of people create.

[nevarmaor]

For tags to be useful they need structure. Otherwise they’re just like hashtags on twitter. OOH what’s trending now?

[Duaneski]

@Gryphonknight

I haven’t read them or opened them…

Interesting.

Probably to prevent players from skipping important forum announcements.

Should go away if you just open them

Ahhh yes, the critical, must read important forum announcements of our time:

@zephyr1

How are you navigating to new topics, then?

I get to new topics by either forum searching if it’s a specific topic OR if I’m just browsing I click on the category I want to browse (general discussion, bugs, user created etc)

@zephyr1

But this is also a pretty ephemeral occurrence, since Avalon will end in a few days, and the posts won’t be pinned then. And other than during Seasonal Events, this is the first time there have been this many hero threads plus an event thread at the same time.

That’s a really good point. Makes a lotta sense. And I’m sorry if I’m just making trouble for the sake of it. Sometimes I do that way

I appreciate you splitting this off and giving the discussion a go.

For the record: I do 100% see the value in having these new hero threads pinned. Saves people having to search. They’re threads worthy of being promoted. Saves time merging threads.

Obviously I wish this could function somewhat differently. But I know that isn’t always practical or possible.

@Expired

And only Mods (we all know that @zephyr1 lovesbto do ALL of the above topics and i really apperciate all the hard work) can create topics in these sub categories

I like this solution.

But the million dollar question: is it necessary and does it overall benefit the users of the forum?

Even tho I posed this complaint I don’t feel qualified to answer that at all.

@Infinite

I don’t think many people use or understand tags. But that is just my thought, you may have better evidence from the back end diagnostics you’d probably get from the forum engine

I don’t know what a Tag is LOL

Dang it I’m such a noob :))

@Petri

Just wanted to quickly comment that having too many sub-categories might end up the forum being too cluttered

Totes agree. This is a tricky thing to balance.

@princess1

like the idea of categories. My frustration comes from doing a search for a specific thread/post that I remembered reading and not being able to find it.

That’s usually because of some creative headings, for instance …

THATS THE WORST !!! I have been there my friend.

[Gryphonknight]

@princess1

My frustration comes from doing a search for a specific thread/post that I remembered reading and not being able to find it.

This happens all the time. Even when I use forum bookmarks.

I was searching for a post including a photo about @Checker 's training camps but searching any thing about training camps, or photos, is a disaster.

Maybe a category “Searching for post” that people could say "I remember this one post. need help finding "

Might catch on and cut down on duplicate topics.

[nevarmaor]

I generally surf the forums from the Categories page. Never even checked the Latest or New pages until today . Categories shows Latest posts anyway. I will usually go from thread to thread via the suggestions at the bottom of each thread, or via notofications in my avatar pulldown menu. I just meander aimlessly unless I’m looking for something specific, then I use search (e.g. info on a specific hero or best farming for filling elemental chest).

I have bookmarked the odd thread/post, some by accident it seems.

@princess1

My frustration comes from doing a search for a specific thread/post that I remembered reading and not being able to find it.

Yes.This. So many of my posts contain “I read somewhere here that … can’t find it now”

[nevarmaor]

Another feature I’d like to see is the ability to filter certain categories from the “Latest” list (eg Alliance Recruitment)

[zephyr1]

You actually can do that if you add them to your Muted Categories.

It’s under Preferences > Categories > Muted.

[nevarmaor]

Aah, thanks. Could not figure that out on my own. Had to break down and ask directions (there goes my manliness ).

[Gryphonknight]

Pinned

@Gryphonknight

Adding in:pinned

Adding in:pinned lets you search only pinned topics

Tags

@Gryphonknight

tags initially, but there are problems

Found a use for tags

If you tag fun posts with forum_fun

Then

You can add, or exclude, them from a search

Example

Search Tag

tags:forum_fun @Dudeious.Maximus dragon

(Search results for 'tags:forum_fun @Dudeious.Maximus dragon order:latest' - Empires & Puzzles Community Forum)

Exclude tag

-tags:forum_fun @Dudeious.Maximus dragon

(Search results for '-tags:forum_fun @Dudeious.Maximus dragon order:latest' - Empires & Puzzles Community Forum)

Notes

#StalkingErWatchingTheModerators #ForumGamesAreSpammy #GaveUpAndJoinedDiscourse.OrgForumToPostInSuggestionSubForum

(About the feature category - feature - Discourse Meta)

FIN

[Gryphonknight]

Testing, 1 2 3

@Gryphonknight

Found a use for tags

If you tag fun posts with forum_fun

@PlayForFun

My user name and the tag of this topic has something in common
Fun

Thx @Gryphonknight

So Count 4 Fun

( teasing )

Eek

The test subjects talk!

( end teasing )

FIN