VJ Site Idea: SubForums for States/Regions in the USA...

[antda 13]

Hi Everyone (especially to VJ Administrators),

How about a "Regional Discussion SubForum Areas for specific States/Regions in the USA?" here on VJ, since similar forums are already here on VJ for specific countries. So why not further extend it to the VJ members who are already here in the USA, and would like to discuss topics and/or meet-up with others in their local USA area? I'm sure it would make everyone feel more welcomed into America knowing that they can further "connect online and in-person with other VJers locally within their new home of the USA..."

Maybe if enough VJers agree with this idea too, then it will hopefully come true here on VJ someday!

Ant (Dreaming of USA State/Region specific forums here on VJ, and hoping this comes true...)

Edited September 14, 2008 by AntandD

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

I want a subforum for my neighborhood. No one understands my visajourney concerns like people who live on my street.

[Marilyn. 340]

nah, I think that would be too much... if you want you can always start a thread in the appropriate regional forum about your state or city...

[William33 110]

As we continue to subdivide VJ, valuable immigration information is getting lost. I think we have enough topics and sub-topics. Captain?

[Jenn! 918]

I want a subforum for my neighborhood. No one understands my visajourney concerns like people who live on my street.

[Captain Ewok 1,891]

As we continue to subdivide VJ, valuable immigration information is getting lost. I think we have enough topics and sub-topics. Captain?

I agree that making too many forums can make things very hard to find. The Portal function of VJ was created to help people find local members and to connect people. I would be open to improving its features .

[antda 13]

Hi Marilyn,

Been there, done that, and these threads always ends up lost somewhere in the maze of countless VJ messages, never to be found again. Hence, I sugggested making another sub-forum, to make these threads easier for everyone to find....

Ant

nah, I think that would be too much... if you want you can always start a thread in the appropriate regional forum about your state or city...

[antda 13]

Hi Captain Ewok,

Thank you for your reply in this message thread. Oh well, at least I tried asking and dreaming for a subforum. As long as there is a way to make it easier for VJers to find others locally and to make message related to that easier to find, I'm definitley all for that. By the way, when you mention "portal" function, I assume you mean the VJ members list, or do you mean something else? Where is the "portal" located, exactly? Yes, I agree with improving the "portal system"! Good idea about the "meetup" feature too. And maybe long the way, there can be more "local features" too....

Keep up the great work improving and maintaining this website, Captain Ewok! Thanks for being open and listening to everyone's ideas and suggestions for this website. Thanks too for making VJ such a helpful, useful, and fun place for everyone on their immigration journey to connect in.

Ant (A VJ addict, connecting to everyone...)

I agree that making too many forums can make things very hard to find. The Portal function of VJ was created to help people find local members and to connect people. I would be open to improving its features .

(Posted by Captain Ewok in another thread) I have been thinking of improving the Portal system to improve on many things you guys have suggested. Possibly adding a "meetup" feature would be useful as well..???! I could do something like this if there are enough people interested. It would help simplify meetup coordination.

Edited September 14, 2008 by AntandD

[antda 13]

Hi Everyone,

Never mind about the question that I asked earlier about finding out where the "portal" is, as I just found out where it was just now. Lol...I guess I learn something new about VJ each day, which is good. When I clicked on the "portal" function, sure enough, I did find that it was a function where VJers can find and connect with others in the same country and/or local region. It's good that VJ has this function and now that I found it I hope that I'll be able to use it more.

However, I did not associate the word "portal" (also meaning doorway/gate/gateway), with that concept before, and the word "portal" seems a bit unspecific when one first looks at it and not discovering it further that it's a function for connecting with others in the same country and/or local region. So perhaps the word "portal" used in that context should be changed to something more clearer, to reflect more of what its true purpose is used for here on VJ. For example, maybe instead of using the word "portal"; the words "local", "country", "region", etc. can be used for that tabbed part of the website? Just a minor suggestion change, but I'm sure it will make a difference for VJ to be easier and more functionable for everyone to use...

Ant (Found the "secret portal", and hope that others can find it too....)

Edited September 14, 2008 by AntandD

[rebeccajo 14]

As we continue to subdivide VJ, valuable immigration information is getting lost. I think we have enough topics and sub-topics. Captain?

Delete about 20 of the present subforums and you might actually have a useable community.

In a fervor to create 'safe' havens for members from certain countries to 'hang out' without being attacked, another atmosphere of 'clanishness' has occurred.

Subdividing a message board doesn't create a diverse and helpful community. Active moderation where Admin actually trusts the moderators to deal with troublemakers does.

Edited September 14, 2008 by rebeccajo

[Captain Ewok 1,891]

As we continue to subdivide VJ, valuable immigration information is getting lost. I think we have enough topics and sub-topics. Captain?

Delete about 20 of the present subforums and you might actually have a useable community.

In a fervor to create 'safe' havens for members from certain countries to 'hang out' without being attacked, another atmosphere of 'clanishness' has occurred.

Subdividing a message board doesn't create a diverse and helpful community. Active moderation where Admin actually trusts the moderators to deal with troublemakers does.

Yep the current portal system was designed to hopefully help people cut through the number of forums and find relevant posts of interest. One good point above was that the name Portal is not very good. Any suggestions?

[antda 13]

Hi Captain Ewok,

Thanks for your replies. The current portal system is a good feature to have on VJ, so you should definitely keep it on this website and add more functions to it as need be (such as the "meetup" function suggested). The only thing is that it needs a better name for it than "portal", as I mentioned before. The name change is so that VJers will be able to find it easier, be able to understand it, be more interested in it (be more catchy), and hence use it more.

How about using the keywords such as these to describe the existing "portal" instead: "local hangout", "easy search", "same home", "VJ connections", "find quick/quick find", "all-in-one", "the shortcut", "same interests", "the commons", etc....

Can any other VJers here can think of any other words to describe the current "portal" on VJ too?

Ant (Thinking of new "portal" names...)

Yep the current portal system was designed to hopefully help people cut through the number of forums and find relevant posts of interest. One good point above was that the name Portal is not very good. Any suggestions?

Edited September 17, 2008 by AntandD

[Captain Ewok 1,891]

I like "VJ Connections" on your list. Anyone else? A nice short but catchy name is the best thing to have.

[antda 13]

Hi Captain Ewok,

Thanks for liking that "VJ connections" name that I suggested earlier. I'll think of some more names along the way and post them on this thread, as the ones that I listed above were just spur-of-the moment random thoughts. I agree though, "a nice, short, and catchy" name should do the trick for the newly-naming the "portals".

Likewise, anyone else here have any other "portal" name suggestions to help Captain Ewok out here?

Ant (Thinking of new "portal" names...)

I like "VJ Connections" on your list. Anyone else? A nice short but catchy name is the best thing to have.

Edited September 18, 2008 by AntandD