Forum Organization: Request for help

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

I think it is now "logically" in place, but maybe not functionally in place compared to how it was before. Thoughts? Maybe a consulate thread in both visa category forums (overkill?).

As a stand alone forum with region specific sub forums.

[Fandango 1,439]

I'm aware this isn't a "Gaming Forum". I'm also aware this isn't a web site for news articles. Yet those appear in OT as well. I'm simply requesting that a little organization be brought to OT like it is in every other part of VisaJourney. Think about it this way, since you are so above the idea of people playing games on message boards, with a sub-forum specifically for games, you would be able to easily avoid them.

You're missing my point, so I'll try one more time. OT is a 'catch all' so to speak of everything not immigration related. There are obviously way more political threads than there are game threads. Have you seen a political subforum? No. There are not enough game threads (again, imo) to warrant a dedicated sub forum where the same two to three threads are going to get some action. Ewok obviously has enough to deal with straightening out the rest of the site (dealing with actual relevant issues) to (again imo) consider splitting ot into God-knows-how-many-sub-forums. What's next? A movie section? Music? Hobbies? Games? The list could go on and on, but the most logical thing to do (again, IMO) would be to not split OT at all, and let whomever deal with finding whatever they want to talk about. It's been that way for over 5 years now (that I've been here) and I think it works fine.

[GJen 9]

You're missing my point, so I'll try one more time. OT is a 'catch all' so to speak of everything not immigration related. There are obviously way more political threads than there are game threads. Have you seen a political subforum? No. There are not enough game threads (again, imo) to warrant a dedicated sub forum where the same two to three threads are going to get some action. Ewok obviously has enough to deal with straightening out the rest of the site (dealing with actual relevant issues) to (again imo) consider splitting ot into God-knows-how-many-sub-forums. What's next? A movie section? Music? Hobbies? Games? The list could go on and on, but the most logical thing to do (again, IMO) would be to not split OT at all, and let whomever deal with finding whatever they want to talk about. It's been that way for over 5 years now (that I've been here) and I think it works fine.

I wouldn't be opposed to a political subforum. Obviously, the site is undergoing lots of changes and OT shouldn't take precedence over other things. I still don't think it would be such a bad thing to eventually have some type of organizational system within OT.

[Captain Ewok 1,891]

As a stand alone forum with region specific sub forums.

We had that at one point. Ultimately most consulates follow the same policies with a few twists that the regional forums cover. Having a regional consulate forum created fragmentation of the same information. I still think it may be out of place like you said, but we have to find a good way to move it without fragmenting things with many new forums.

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

I hate games almost as much as I hate people. That's why VJ is a natural home for me.

[TBoneTX 45,288]

Agree with JQ about making the Consular forum itself more prominent & "upper," si man.

Tell ya one thing, Admiral: If we could pin the "US Consulate in Guayaquil, Ecuador" thread, I wouldn't have to keep bumping it every time another potential victim becomes a VJ member and innocently thinks that usual I-129F procedures & consulate-interview procedures apply. It's a full-time battle to warn the new people.

Edited to add: What about the idea of a subforum for "Problem Consulates," to include HCMC, Guayaquil, & others that are known to be anomalies? Maybe this could get wound up in its own underwear, but I'd like to hear some feedback.

Edited May 31, 2010 by TBoneTX

[TBoneTX 45,288]

I hate games almost as much as I hate people. That's why VJ is a natural home for me.

I hate people, animals, & things, si man.

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

I hate people, animals, & things, si man.

Exactly. Which is why VJ is YOUR natural home too. All manner of life and sub-life may be found on VJ, where it may be dissected, assessed and mocked cruelly for our delectation.

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

We had that at one point. Ultimately most consulates follow the same policies with a few twists that the regional forums cover. Having a regional consulate forum created fragmentation of the same information. I still think it may be out of place like you said, but we have to find a good way to move it without fragmenting things with many new forums.

I don't remember there ever having been divisions in the consular forum. I am certain there was never such a division in that forum since the Regional Forums have existed.

And no one dislikes carved-up sub-forums more than I. This is one time however IMO it makes a bit of sense.

I agree with you that consulates generally follow the same policies save for a few 'twists'. That is not the consensus though of most readers of this community. 99% of the time, if a member has a question about the medical or the interview procedure, they will be advised to consult the Regional Forums and not the Embassy and Consulate Forum.

IMO it would nice if we could naturally move immigration discussion back up to the DIY forums and out of the Regionals, whose original focus was supposed to be more of a cultural gathering place.

[Deb+Steve 13]

How about making it so that OT topics are not bumped into the New Content list?

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Ewok said,

I think it is now "logically" in place, but maybe not functionally in place compared to how it was before. Thoughts? Maybe a consulate thread in both visa category forums (overkill?).

I think the consular discussions can best be handled in the regional forums, since the non-USC often lacks sufficient English skills to understand the discussion, and because each embassy and consulate has its own regional peculiarities.

Edited May 31, 2010 by ##########

[LaL 418]

...since the non-USC often lacks sufficient English skills to understand the discussion....

straight from the push school of thought, eh? nice to see this perpetuating....

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

straight from the push school of thought, eh? nice to see this perpetuating....

God, you read my mind on this one LaL.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

straight from the push school of thought, eh? nice to see this perpetuating....

Private joke? Care to share?

[LaL 418]

^^ agreed and I will even go further and suggest why should there be any policing of what the questioning party understands? That's really far reaching beyond the colossal d-baggery of actually saying such publicly.