Constructive ideas on improving the forum - Page 21

One of the things I liked most about the redesign was having all of my recently updated threads on the homepage. Oh well, I understand it's hard to keep everyone happy.

Really like the front page I am seeing right now. JohnGalt, subscribed threads are available under subscriptions, top right corner, below messages.

 

IMO, the "Latest Discussions" drop down box on the main page should really be for "subscriptions". How many people really care what the latest discussions are? That's why you browse though the forum, but I would think almost everyone cares about the threads they have subscriptions to and would be great to have that right on the top of the main page.

 

The new layout in general is great, but think switching out the mentioned above would be a great change.

^ Disagree. Subscriptions are boring if you reading often.

I agree with this. It would be nice if, at the least, you could customize it to include "All forum" "", or "Subscriptions". But getting rid of the front page / carousel =

Bring back the dedicated New posts button already! Jeasus.

This is probably in here somewhere, but I'm too lazy to search...

When adding an image to a thread, why are the only options to upload or link? Why not another tab to link from my SF album? It is so difficult to re-link pics in my SF album that I typically just do a google image search each time.

Just kind of throwing this idea out there. Not 100% sure where the best place to put something like this would be or exactly how to implement it. I have started two threads which have links to Google documents. In this case each link is to a spreadsheet.

 

The first one I started was a private invite only document which members would add eBay member ID's that they have had problems with in the past so others on the forum don't have to deal with those people. This was brought up in the Official Thrift Thread so I got the ball rolling, but only the people in that thread really know about it (a very very small percentage of the forum). This list took a bit of time as each person who sent me a PM asking to join, I  had to check their post count, where they posted/quality along with checking ebay feedback if possible to make sure everyone had the right intention with the list.

 

1. http://www.styleforum.net/t/279161/the-official-sf-ebay-black-list/0_50

 

The second one was based on an Ask Andy thread for compiling a list of Shell Shoes so when thriftings, looking on ebay, etc you can see what make/ID number is a shell shoe. I think we improved the Ask Andy thread idea by making an editable list (open to anyone who clicks the link). This never really took off as no one knows about it. With the huge wealth of information here on the forum it should be easy.

 

2. http://www.styleforum.net/t/280558/the-official-sf-shell-shoe-list/0_50

 

Another idea for the use of a document would be the hof label thread. It would be an open editable document (word document maybe?) that everyone could add photos of the tags and ID's to instead of having to scroll through a long thread. A one stop shop for all suit labels.

 

http://www.styleforum.net/t/24109/hof-labels-heels-and-nail-patterns-secrets-to-id-the-maker/500_50#post_5091410

 

Seeing these two Google documents, I dont know if there is a better way to "spread the idea" or a dedicated area that I can put these in that would attract more members to participate as that is the key to really have great community documents. I think this open style (or limited depending on the case like the ebay ID list, dont want joe schmo the scammer having access) would be a great resource on the forum and could be implemented n a variety of other ways.

What we need are dedicated, in-thread wiki's. After the OP, comes the wiki section that is user editable.

People should only be allowed to use "grail" in a classified once in their life

That would be really nice feature, especially if you could put sizing info on different items so people don't have to update the thread each time asking. Maybe a consolidated album of fit pics inside a thread as well? Kinda hard searching threads for a specific pic.

Might I suggest bumping the random health & exercise thoughts thread up as a sticky on H&B? Based on views and replies (also, based on everything else too) it's the #1 thread in the entire subforum. I mean, the only sticky is a hair threak ffs.

I think I have thrown this idea out in the past when we were on vbulletin. Slickdeals.net uses it (on vbulletin) so I knew it was possible. The wiki posts only exist if someone chooses to start one (they don't exist automatically so there aren't a bunch of empty wiki posts)

On their site, it is really pretty useful--lets say you have a PSA thread. Somebody posts a deal in the thread "RL is having 40% off with this code"
A bunch of people post later and they add useful information like "Free shipping with this code" "omg works on darlton's!!" "these sizes are still in stock" etc.

The only way for a new reader to find that would be to read the whole thread--but the wiki post lets anyone take that info and compile it into a wiki post right after the OP where you can have a list of promo codes, list of the best items.
Then when the deal dies and the promos expire, you can edit it to say **DEAD** so you don't get those 3 month old threads that keep getting people excited until they make it to page 20 and realize that the deal is long gone.

Also works kind of nice to build a sort of after-the-fact thread index. e.g. in the Shoe Care thread you could link to the posts that describe the best method to get a mirror shine or take care of shell.