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There are two factors:
(One) the discussion begins appropriately for a 'Buddhism for beginners' topic, but then comments bring in more complex matters to consider, regarding the original point, which go beyond a preliminary basic discussion -
OR -
(two) People are lazy, negligent or forgetful or merely not mindful about which forum they need to post in....
'Buddhism for Beginners' is the default option, and I am constantly shifting threads to more suitable locations, because people don't pay attention.... .
@federica said:
Maybe we should add Linc to the mix.... .
Yes, that would be good. A lot of comparable forums have too many sub-forums IMO, but I think this one would benefit from a quick overhaul of structure and adding 1 or 2 more.
My suggestion:
Beginners discussion;
General discussion;
Advanced discussion
Meditation and practice ( though that might be redundant );
Then the miscellaneous ones like Arts + Writing, Comparative Religion, General Banter, Members only.
@vinlyn said:
Although I am not pushing for it, I always thought we would benefit from sub-forums dedicated to the main branches of Buddhism.
I wondered about that. The only difficulty might be agreeing what those main branches are, which schools they include, and where to put Secular Buddhism.
Also I sense there are quite a few members here who wouldn't associate themselves with a particular branch, or even necessarily the tree.
I think the category structure communicates something about the intention of the site. To add categories for sects is the antithesis of that intention.
We have a "general" category, it's called "General Banter".
@Linc said:
I think the category structure communicates something about the intention of the site. To add categories for sects is the antithesis of that intention.
We have a "general" category, it's called "General Banter".
"General Banter" sounds like general chat to me, like a lounge or tea-room function.
I get your discomfort with the idea of sect categories, but I still think the current structure is muddled and could do with an overhaul.
@poptart said:
Does it really matter which category things are in? Why the need to pigeonhole? I must confess I rarely look at the category.
The categories don't bother me personally as I've got used to the muddle. I was thinking more of people coming in new, and of Federica who has to move threads around on a regular basis because people aren't sure where to start them.
It's about making the forum structure more user-friendly, easier to manage, less idiosyncratic.
Comments
And this is Buddhism for beginners??? Phew ... :dunce:
You're right, Advanced ideas might have been better.
@SarahT, not always...
There are two factors:
(One) the discussion begins appropriately for a 'Buddhism for beginners' topic, but then comments bring in more complex matters to consider, regarding the original point, which go beyond a preliminary basic discussion -
OR -
(two) People are lazy, negligent or forgetful or merely not mindful about which forum they need to post in....
'Buddhism for Beginners' is the default option, and I am constantly shifting threads to more suitable locations, because people don't pay attention.... .
The options here are a bit muddled though, and the Beginners forum comes under "Your practice" so it's a bit unclear.
Why not add a forum for "General discussion"?
PS I still have no idea what "Modern Buddhism" means! As opposed to "old-fashioned Buddhism"?
Maybe we should add @Linc to the mix.... .
Yes, that would be good. A lot of comparable forums have too many sub-forums IMO, but I think this one would benefit from a quick overhaul of structure and adding 1 or 2 more.
My suggestion:
Beginners discussion;
General discussion;
Advanced discussion
Meditation and practice ( though that might be redundant );
Then the miscellaneous ones like Arts + Writing, Comparative Religion, General Banter, Members only.
Although I am not pushing for it, I always thought we would benefit from sub-forums dedicated to the main branches of Buddhism.
I wondered about that. The only difficulty might be agreeing what those main branches are, which schools they include, and where to put Secular Buddhism.
Also I sense there are quite a few members here who wouldn't associate themselves with a particular branch, or even necessarily the tree.
Linc, is it technically difficult to re-structure the sub-forums?
I think the category structure communicates something about the intention of the site. To add categories for sects is the antithesis of that intention.
We have a "general" category, it's called "General Banter".
"General Banter" sounds like general chat to me, like a lounge or tea-room function.
I get your discomfort with the idea of sect categories, but I still think the current structure is muddled and could do with an overhaul.
I assumed you would value customer feedback.
Does it really matter which category things are in? Why the need to pigeonhole? I must confess I rarely look at the category.
What about a BUDDHISM 404 for those of us who feel a bit lost?
The categories don't bother me personally as I've got used to the muddle. I was thinking more of people coming in new, and of Federica who has to move threads around on a regular basis because people aren't sure where to start them.
It's about making the forum structure more user-friendly, easier to manage, less idiosyncratic.