Should the "General" and "Related Software&am

[Volker Pittlik]

It has been suggested to unite the "General" and "Related Software" forum.

It would like to read some opinions and you're votings. This poll is running for 7 days.

I stopped the poll because the majority for a unification seems to be overwhelming.


Personally I like the idea.

Regards

Volker

[Sven Schüle]

I think that both might be renamed but they should remain separated. As I understand, one major intention of the "Related Software and Small Talk" subforum was to cover off-topic posts, so maybe it should be renamed into "Off Topic" (see below for some reasons).

The current description of "Related Software and Small Talk" lists these parts:
- other chess GUIs, databases, tools (this might sometimes be "off-topic", sometimes not);
- chess in general and other topics (this will most probably be "off-topic");
- discussion about the forum itself (perhaps not worth an own category, will probably occur here and there, except for "Tournaments" I think).

As already proposed, "General" might be renamed into "WinBoard and Related Software", including "non-off-topic" parts of "Related Software".

As I see now, my vote is not yet on the majority side, but nevertheless I try to convince you

Cheers,
Sven

[Joachim Rang]

Yes i think they should be united. I think the change from one big all-issues-forum to a more complex setting should be gradually. I think three sections are a good start. If we may identify over time another category which occupies a decent share of the General section we may create a subsection any time.

regards Joachim

[Volker Pittlik]

...
As already proposed, "General" might be renamed into "WinBoard and Related Software", including "non-off-topic" parts of "Related Software".
...

Thank you for that suggestion. I'm going to think about that.

Regards

Volker

[Dan Honeycutt]

I vote combine. Too hard to decide whether many posts belong in General or Related. If someone has an off topic message they can, as in the past, put OT in the subject. I think it's a bad idea to have a category with the implication that it is for off topic messages - we invite unwanted garbage. The moderators have been tolerant of OT messages that were reasonably related to winboard. If things go too far afield the moderators act. I think we have had just the right amount of off topicness (if there is such a word) and I'd like to see it continue as it has been.

Dan H.

[Reinhard Scharnagl]

It is very intolerant to qualify contributions to the "Related Software ..." chapter as off topic. Even if some members will (in their view) regard them as off topic, it does not mean that this will meet everybody's view.

I think it would remain a good idea to have the members itself qualify their postings to be off topic or not - or is already now such a big missuse of postings to be seen here?

Reinhard.

[Sven Schüle]

I have written:

As I understand, one major intention of the "Related Software and Small Talk" subforum was to cover off-topic posts, so maybe it should be renamed into "Off Topic" (see below for some reasons).

Reinhard has answered:

It is very intolerant to qualify contributions to the "Related Software ..." chapter as off topic. Even if some members will (in their view) regard them as off topic, it does not mean that this will meet everybody's view.

I'm very sorry to have written something that could be misunderstood that way, and I apologise for not having found the best words to describe my intention. I should be more careful in the future.

It has never been my idea to be intolerant against anyone or anything. It was not intended to qualify any (past or future) contributions to the (currently still existing) "Related Software ..." subforum as "off-topic". It is definitely - and I believe that's what Reinhard and Dan say - up to the author's decision to declare his own contribution as "off-topic".

So I agree with both of you, especially with Dan's note that an "OT" in the subject will be enough. My original idea, not analyzed very deeply (only one ply I think ...), was influenced by the current description of the "Related Software ..." subforum containing this:

"... chess in general, and other topics."

So I thought it would be acceptable to have an own subforum for this.
Probably I have chosen a very bad name in my proposal, "Other topics" might sound better at least.

But I withdraw my proposal, and again: I'm sorry!

Sven

[Dan Honeycutt]

Hi Reinhard.

Were you replying to me or making a general comment?

I wasn't saying related software was off topic, but I gathered from comments by Volker and Roger that related software was the category where off topic comments were supposed to go.

Dan H.

[Sven Schüle]

Hi Dan,

my recent reply is based on the assumption that Reinhard was replying to me.

Sven

[Dan Honeycutt]

Hi Sven

I think so. I wasn't sure as we both touched on related software and off topic.

I'm growing to like the new forum software better, but it still leaves something to be desired as far as who is replying to who. Unless I'm making a general comment i'm going to try to start all my replys with hi so-and-so.

Dan H.

[Reinhard Scharnagl]

Hi all,

my posting does not target at a special person's posting. It was intended to keep some themes (relevant for me) possibly alive instead of being brandmarked as off topics just as the new forum has been started.

But nevertheless concerning fora I am sufficiently flexible to obey decisions of the owner or moderators. Also if an amount of members does not like to have some special related themes discussed here, I would of course respect this. I only have to know about that.

Reinhard.

[Volker Pittlik]

Hi all,

my posting does not target at a special person's posting. It was intended to keep some themes (relevant for me) possibly alive instead of being brandmarked as off topics just as the new forum has been started.
...

Don't worry, Reinhard. I hope we will find a solution to discuss about a wide range of topics without discriminating someone.

Regards

Volker

[Sven Schüle]

I'm growing to like the new forum software better, but it still leaves something to be desired as far as who is replying to who. Unless I'm making a general comment i'm going to try to start all my replys with hi so-and-so.

Hi Dan,
I have the same impression, now that the "tree view" has gone it is a bit difficult to post to a thread with already several small "sub threads", like this one here.
But that's clearly OT with respect to the original question Volker is polling for. We will learn how to do it.

Regards,
Sven