Ok, so if Heather is "TMI Queen", do we now have a candidate for TMI King there?



Some very good points there. "Photoshopping" sounds more precise and less daunting than "Ask the Experts". Also "Suggestions & Ideas" sounds better than "Brainstorm", and more descriptive of what the category is about.

But I'm not sure that it would be too much to have a whole section for suggestions. There are always threads asking for/arguing the possible merits of changes to the voting system, the site layout, etc. At least a whole section for them would separate them out from all the other various topics (like creating the "Fun & Games" thread also does).

all i have to say is "I before E Except after C" incse you didn't notice cuz you spelt it dieing it's supposed to be di... well i dont know how you spell it but i dont think thats right, and i dont think ne 1 cares but i was bored so i thought i'd point that out...

Ahahaha!!!

Does that make him a master?


Hey, small suggestion. If the present nav isn't going to be changed in a major way, how about a small change-- Could the links on the home page jump to the *most recent* posts in an active topic, rather than the first page?

I frequent several forums that use the phpBB system. Most of them have a "basement" section where anything goes. And I mean anything. Only registered users who are logged in can read the posts in the basement.

But it does make life very interesting. It's full of topics from all areas: interesting links, religion, politics, jokes, general humor, etc.
It makes for some very interesting and often humorous reading.

I brought this up back when the forum switched to the new style, but even JMH disagreed with me. And it goes like this:

This forum is set so microscopically small that it's a pain and too much effort to follow it.
meaning: this forum would look great on a 14" monitor, but on a 19" or 21" monitor, it's just too dang small.

text is light gray and is the equivalent of 6 point font. plus, the forums are locked into a tiny column centered on the screen. I know this sounds funny, but it really makes the forum a pain in the rear to read and follow.
This is how it looks on my monitor:



Couple that with the fact that some of the more prolific posters no longer hang out here, and you have a forum that's difficult to navigate, difficult to read, and doesn't get enough new posts to hold people's interest.

I'm not saying that this is THE reason, why it's dying, but I think it's part of it.

Hi all,

Yes, I’m new here. No, I’m not someone’s alias. I realize there is a “Welcome Center” but I have something to post besides ‘Hi all’ or should that be ‘Hi All’?javascript:emoticon('')
Wink

I’ve been visiting PSC for a couple/few months now, admiring the great works and imaginations of the members here, and wanting to join in myself. Finding the time to chop is the issue. I’d say I’m an intermediate beginner. I found this site while searching for PhotoShop toots.

I hope to shed a little light, a non-members perspective, on the dying/dieing (whatever) forums. I suppose that after I post this I will loose this perspective, so cherish it while it lasts.javascript:emoticon('')
Smile

I’ve always enjoyed the posts I’ve seen here. Often the members are very inspirational, helpful, encouraging and critical of each other. Other times (or at the same time) they are fun, satirical, and mean… in the good friendly kinda way. I think this is all excellent.

After reading through a lot of the PSC forums one thing that I notice quite often is how the original topics are lost amongst the bickering that precedes the few posts or pages. I think that this could be a factor. What new member is going to post a message amidst a fight? It’s not a good sign when I had to recheck what the thread was about because I had forgotten after reading ongoing fighting.

*mother mode – ON*
In some cases the bickering is amusing but it distracts from the thread, everyone can see that. In nearly every case the two individuals (or more) that personally ‘get in to it’ are both wrong. Sure someone started it but it takes two. If you have been involved in a personal, hurtful, mean, name calling, whatever dialog with another member you are just as guilty as the other party. You both end up looking like little children who can’t play nice together.
If anyone decides to start with me just remember… my dad can beat up your dad!
*mother mode – OFF*

At this point I do need to point out that I think disagreement, conflict and mass debates are necessary, fun and at times enlightening. I’m not advocating the “make nice” policy.

I can’t speak so much for the forum layout/nav system because I don’t really follow the threads that closely, I just sit down for an hour or two once in a while and browse through everything. Personally I don't see a big deal in browsing to the forums instead of following a link from the main page, but again, I have very little experience with following a thread daily.

So, what I think this particular factor (how ever big it is) in the forum issue is is a few members with grudges between each other polluting the forums with their own selfish banter about why they are better than someone else. Or more so, why that someone else is not a good as them.

In my opinion, the basement is a good idea, if you can’t allow a free-for-all then moderate these forums as well but maybe allow a bit more than the other forums do.

If an off topic or just plain sinister argument arises, let the two parties… no, FORCE the two parties involved to continue in the basement. I’d bet that a lot of the time they wouldn’t even bother to continue their fight in the basement because it’d be a waste of their time… oh, but it’s not a waste of the forum readers time eh?!?

I know that I’d visit the basement to watch a few fights, when I had the time to kill.

Please know that I realize that I am generalizing and that this may only be a small factor in “The Great Dying” and I don’t mean to preach or condemn. Let me know if I’m out of line in saying all this. I think the vote speaks for it’s self.

One thing I have notice off hand is the active forums are listed off screen on the bottom of the main page, new members & guests may be missing it.

For what it’s worth the forums that I have ‘frequented’ to this point are Contests and Entries, Fun and Games, General Discussions and recently Brain Storm. I’ve never used the “Active Photoshop Contest Forum Topics” links on the main page, just the one on top.

Anyway, I’m open for ‘Free Shots’ now so if you don’t like me already, need to vent or just want to have some fun I have added some places you may wish to start (just make sure you start a new thread so as to not clutter up this one javascript:emoticon('')
Wink ):

- For you Mac users… I’m a Windows user, I do not own a Mac.
- For the PC people…. I have nothing against Macs.
- I think a swastika has it’s appropriate times, places and contexts in art, unfortunately I missed the entry that caused all that commotion before it was removed.
- I over punctuate…. ‘sometimes’
- Chevy over Ford ANY day!!
- Pepsi over Coke

That’s my 2638 cents worth. But then I’m only a noob.

Whew!

That's some great thoughts there, noob. What a sane person you sound like. A breath of fresh air.

Terminator, I don't have a problem with the screen layout at all. The type has always been this size, and I think most people find short-width columns of text easier to read, hence - that's why newspapers & magazines are formatted that way. It does mean some extra work on the scroll wheel though... (hey, you can always adjust your text-view size setting in IE to LARGE). I like the basement idea.

.

zed,


I've reached the part now where you're talking about how you can't find the time to chop.

It's getting good. I'm going to print out your piece and try to finish it on the bus ride
to work in the morning.

BTW, you can pretty much take that as a compliment from badcop, zed.

Changeing the text size to large doesn't work. Tried that already.
Why can't the forum change dynamically with the width of your window? I've seen umpteen forums like that.

click on this link to see an example of a forum that's done correctly.
http://www.mmba.org/index.php

You will not see the "Basement" unless you register and log in.

You're probably not interested in the subject matter at all, but click around for a few minutes. resize the browser window, view some threads, etc.

You will see that even though this forum and that one are essentialy the same software, that forum is a pleasure to read, while this one feels squeezed into a capsule.
even simple things such as the color scheme makes that other forum easier to read.
I know this sounds nutty and nitpicky, but like I said, I frequent several forums using the phpBB, and this one needs more improvement than any of them.

And really, to those that work so hard on this site, I mean no offense and I appreciate your hard work. I'm trying to bring up points that may be considered an improvement.