Reorganisation of ASX Stock Chat forum

[Joe Blow]

Over the next couple of days, I will be moving all threads on specific stocks to the three subforums you can see on the forums index page: Stocks A-H, Stocks I-P and Stocks Q-Z.

This reorganisation is intended to make threads on particular stock easier to track down as ASF grows and the number of threads increases.

At the moment, some threads (mostly earlier ones) have been moved to the subforums and some are still in the main ASX Stock Chat forum. After all the stock specific threads have been moved out of this forum (ASX Stock Chat), it will only contain all of the more general and sector specific threads, along with things like the stock tipping competition threads.

Please bear with me while this reorganisation continues.

[ob1kenobi]

Over the next couple of days, I will be moving all threads on specific stocks to the three subforums you can see on the forums index page: Stocks A-H, Stocks I-P and Stocks Q-Z.

This reorganisation is intended to make threads on particular stock easier to track down as ASF grows and the number of threads increases.

At the moment, some threads (mostly earlier ones) have been moved to the subforums and some are still in the main ASX Stock Chat forum. After all the stock specific threads have been moved out of this forum (ASX Stock Chat), it will only contain all of the more general and sector specific threads, along with things like the stock tipping competition threads.

Please bear with me while this reorganisation continues.

Sounds like a good idea Joe. I hope you're not doing it though on your birthday!

[cashcow]

Yep, thumbs up for this move. :bigthumb:

Cheers
CC

[Joe Blow]

Will move the rest of the threads tomorrow... ooops, today!

I think it will make the forums much better organised and make it much easier to search for specific threads as the forums become bigger.

It may take a bit of getting used to though. :D

[Joe Blow]

Okay, just an update on this process:

I have transferred all of the threads on particular stocks into their respective subforums. However, there is still a little bit of cleaning up to do in the default ASX Stock Chat forum which, from now on, is for general market commentary and all other non-stock specific discussion. Threads that compare two or more stocks may end up in there too.

When starting a new thread on a stock for which no thread currently exists please try and remember to start it in the correct subforum.

Just a note about using the search function: Don't forget that there are two ways of searching for information on ASF. There is the sitewide search which you will find in the navigation bar near the top of the page:

http://www.aussiestockforums.com/forums/images/search.jpg

And then there is the individual forum search which just searches the forum (or subforum) you are currently in. You will find that search just below the page numbers on each page of that particular forum:

http://www.aussiestockforums.com/forums/images/searchforum.jpg

Searching within a forum will return fewer results as there are fewer threads to be searched. This will hopefully help you to find what you are looking for quicker.

If you have any comments or questions regarding the new forum structure, which I hope will make ASF more user friendly, please don't hesitate to post them in this thread! :)

[The Once-ler]

Just a bit of feedback,....

I hate the new ASX stocks A-H, I-P etc.

Makes it a lote more time consuming for me. Could just check out all the posts in one go. What was wrong with how it was?

Cheers.

[Joe Blow]

Just a bit of feedback,....

I hate the new ASX stocks A-H, I-P etc.

Makes it a lote more time consuming for me. Could just check out all the posts in one go. What was wrong with how it was?

The Once-ler, I appreciate the feedback.

I made the change after realizing how cluttered the ASX Stock Chat forum was getting and receiving some feedback to that effect. I decided that the best way to deal with the issue was to separate threads that discussed specific stocks from threads that were more general or sector related. Since most people already know the stock/s they are looking to discuss I felt having a few subforums that split them up alphabetically would make those threads easier to home in on... especially as ASF grows over time and the total number of threads increases exponentially.

I also felt that over time the usefullness of the search function would diminish with the current forum structure. A forum search in the ASX Stock Chat forum for 'AMP' will pick up every mention of the term 'AMP' and bring up many, many threads. Going into Stocks A-H and doing a forum search for 'AMP' will bring up less results and allow people to get to the thread they are looking for much quicker.

However, we will continue with the way things are as a trial, just so people can get used to the new system and give it a fair chance. If I receive a significant amount of feedback along similar lines as yours I may consider reverting to the old system. But to be honest, I think in six months and another 500 stock related threads later I think that members will be glad that stock related threads are separate from more general market observation and sector analysis threads.

Time will tell but, as always, I am always open to more feedback on this issue. :)

[The Once-ler]

Thanks for the reply.

Just as a thought. If cluter is a problem, I would prefer if stocks were divided into financials, Resources and others, or maybe big cap/blue chips, and small cap/specs or along those lines.

I would still prefer it how it was though.

Cheers.

[GreatPig]

Joe,

Might it perhaps be better if you just made the three sub-forums main forums instead?

One less click then to get to the stock threads.

[Edit: oops... looking again, I see the sub-thread links are directly available from the main page.]

Cheers,
GP

[crackaton]

quiet frankly there are way too many threads. My sugestion.. Go through and work out every ticker code for the asx. make a forumn. assign a thread to each of these. disallow any new threads that contain these tickers. all searchs in the asx should then lead to these.

[Rafa]

Hi Joe,

I am finding the new system a lot more messy to use...
Before I would just check once a day in the main ASX thread, and all threads that had new posts would come up first... it was great...

Now i have to check each of the sub forums for them...

I understand your point about the search... but I think if the search engine is clever enough, then we should be able to find the post we are looking for... (the theory behind the use of database structures is to store every thing in one place and rely on the search query to find the right results.... folders are a thing of the past, before the time of databases and search engines)

The main problem about sub folders is that you have to rely on people posting in the right sub folder (or you will have to move it later...) Plus if you start the search from a subfolder, you won't find the thread if its in the folder above... So the best way to find a thread is to search from the top of the tree, which means we are back to square one.

My suggestion would be to go back to how it was before, with maybe an improved search engine to find what we are looking for...

Thanks

Rafa.

PS: these are only my thoughts, i'll be visiting the forums regardless...

[Happy]

This way, with sub-forums we have a chance to see more ads

[Joe Blow]

Hi Joe,

I am finding the new system a lot more messy to use...
Before I would just check once a day in the main ASX thread, and all threads that had new posts would come up first... it was great...

Now i have to check each of the sub forums for them...

I understand your point about the search... but I think if the search engine is clever enough, then we should be able to find the post we are looking for... (the theory behind the use of database structures is to store every thing in one place and rely on the search query to find the right results.... folders are a thing of the past, before the time of databases and search engines)

The main problem about sub folders is that you have to rely on people posting in the right sub folder (or you will have to move it later...) Plus if you start the search from a subfolder, you won't find the thread if its in the folder above... So the best way to find a thread is to search from the top of the tree, which means we are back to square one.

My suggestion would be to go back to how it was before, with maybe an improved search engine to find what we are looking for...

Thanks

Rafa.

PS: these are only my thoughts, i'll be visiting the forums regardless...


Thanks Rafa!

The mods and I will be doing our utmost to make sure that the threads are all in the correct forum so people will be able to find the threads they are looking for. Give this system a go and see if you become more comfortable with it as you use it more. I will be monitoring the feedback and will review the current arrangements after everyone has had a chance to get used to it.

[Joe Blow]

This way, with sub-forums we have a chance to see more ads

Happy, without the ads, ASF would be long gone. Only a handful of members have ever made a donation to the site and to be frank the running costs far outstripped my ability to pay for them personally many months ago.

I try very hard to maintain standards at ASF but as the memberbase increases the demands on my time also increase. I easily spend six hours a day working behind the scenes at ASF to try and keep everything organised and maintaining the site. I would like to stress that ASF does not provide me with a full time income. I have to earn a full time income separately to my work with ASF. This is what I do in my time off.

[GreatPig]

Joe,

I would guess that most people spend far more time browsing than they do searching, so making the browsing most efficient would probably be more useful.

Personally I also prefer it as it was without the sub-forums.

Cheers,
GP

[Happy]

All of the sudden I became subscriber to all threads I opened.
How did I do that? Without knowing it? Is it automatic new feature?

I unsubscribed, but what did I do to subscribe without intentionally doing it?

[BraceFace]

Joe,

I would guess that most people spend far more time browsing than they do searching, so making the browsing most efficient would probably be more useful.

Personally I also prefer it as it was without the sub-forums.

Cheers,
GP

I agree with GP.
As a user who mainly browses the ASX Stocks area of the site, the new subforums make browsing a more cumbersome process.

Either way Joe, keep up the good work, your time and efforts are appreciated.

[Narkov]

Yeah sorry I don't like it either. If you must split it up I would suggest Blue Chip/ASX200 and then Small caps. I don't see how cutting it up by letter makes any sense.

[TjamesX]

The subforums definitly make it harder to browse stocks, especially when you just want to see the latest updated threads (which is what I usually do).....

If you need to limit threads, I would put my hand up for 1 thread per stock, with the stock code and name in the title - then if you want to search for a stock, search on thread title.

TJ

[Odysseus]

Alas, Joe, I join the crowd in finding the arrangement utterly confusing. There are far too many links this way, and you literally don't know what you get into when you try them. Unworkable, however well-intended ... Thanks for all your hard work, though.

[Joe Blow]

So I guess the obvious question to ask at this point is: Does anyone find the new subforums more useful than the old system?

[Julia]

I've just caught up with this thread after being immersed in my computer problems earlier.

I'm quite easy about it either way. Whatever most people want is fine with me.

However, possibly beside the point: There are a few members who have expressed appreciation to Joe for his efforts to constantly provide improvements and modifications which make this site more enjoyable for all of us. I just wonder how many of the majority who consistently use and enjoy ASF have actually considered making a financial contribution towards the running of the site instead of just offering criticisms of, for example, the minimal amount of advertising featured. I wouldn't like to be in Joe's place, particularly when it comes to refereeing squabbles amongst warring members, coping with "Analyst" type crazy stuff , along with keeping all the background technical stuff happening smoothly.

Just seems to me to be a bit unfair to always take for granted that everything will always be as we expect it to be, without considering the possibility that just maybe one day Joe might say to himself: "I think I'll just stop providing this forum - it's all just become too stressful".

Just a suggestion.

Julia

[surelle]

Hi Julia
I tend to agree with you about Joe. I think we should just show appreciation, rather that criticism....
cheers

[BraceFace]

I'm quite easy about it either way. Whatever most people want is fine with me.

I just wonder how many of the majority who consistently use and enjoy ASF have actually considered making a financial contribution towards the running of the site instead of just offering criticisms of, for example, the minimal amount of advertising featured.
Julia

Julia, I think you should stop sitting on the fence. Either you like the new format or you don't. I think Joe is looking for feedback either way.

Your suggestion about making financial contributions towards the running of the site is very sentimental but quite unrealistic. Perhaps you might be the first person to offer him a donation?

Although I'm sure we all obviously admire Joe's unselfish efforts, no-one (apart from yourself maybe) is going to set up a donation fund for him (Sorry Joe). Obviously the few people who chose to donate would be subsidising the forum for all the rest of us freeloaders.

To make it fair, and help fund the forum in an equitable manner, there would have to be a subscription fee for all "members".
No way Jose. The forum would die overnight.

So lets get real here. The forum is great how it is. Joe does an awesome job running it. We appreciate his time and efforts and we all encourage him to keep up the good work. But.... we must all be cognizant of the fact that it is not his full time gig and the forum may have some shortcomings.

[Julia]

Julia, I think you should stop sitting on the fence. Either you like the new format or you don't. I think Joe is looking for feedback either way.

Your suggestion about making financial contributions towards the running of the site is very sentimental but quite unrealistic. Perhaps you might be the first person to offer him a donation?

Although I'm sure we all obviously admire Joe's unselfish efforts, no-one (apart from yourself maybe) is going to set up a donation fund for him (Sorry Joe). Obviously the few people who chose to donate would be subsidising the forum for all the rest of us freeloaders.

To make it fair, and help fund the forum in an equitable manner, there would have to be a subscription fee for all "members".
No way Jose. The forum would die overnight.

So lets get real here. The forum is great how it is. Joe does an awesome job running it. We appreciate his time and efforts and we all encourage him to keep up the good work. But.... we must all be cognizant of the fact that it is not his full time gig and the forum may have some shortcomings.

Braceface:

1. I am not "sitting on the fence" as you put it. I simply do not care which way I access stock information. Simple as that.

2. I don't see anything "sentimental" about showing appreciation for something I value, whether it be in a verbal or financial form. For your information I have made and will continue to make a financial contribution towards the running of ASF. There is nothing unrealistic about that. Joe has always made it clear that he will keep ASF fee free so as not to disadvantage those who cannot pay. I have no different an attitude towards this as to many other situations - when I value something I'm happy to express that.

Your attitude is yours. You are welcome to it.

Julia

[Rafa]

Take a deep breath everyone...

[Happy]

Just a thought.

We have 3 sub folders in ASX one and just last post shown.

Would it be possible to show the latest one from each sub folder?

[Joe Blow]

Just a thought.

We have 3 sub folders in ASX one and just last post shown.

Would it be possible to show the latest one from each sub folder?

Hi Happy,

If you click on the 'ASX Stock Chat' forum you will see each of the subforums listed separately at the top, each with its own 'Last Post' shown.

With regards to the reorganisation of the 'ASX Stock Chat' forum generally, I will keep it going for another couple of weeks to give it a fair chance and then will create a poll and put it to a vote. I have always respected the wishes of ASF members and will continue to do so. :)

[Richard Willoughby]

Hello Joe,
like most i liked the old better however i have been using the "new posts"
to browse if that could be limited to "new posts stocks" only i would be happier. appreciate your efforts here, and will be returning anyway.
cu richard

[Happy]

On the other hand we could thank our lucky stars it is not 26 Sub-Forums

Did anybody think of 2, or I am the first one?

[Happy]

Joe,
Is there a way to jump between: A-H, I-P, Q-Z subfolders without having to go back to ASX Stock Chat?

Maybe there is, but I have extra talent in not seeing and finding things, so apologies in advance, if I make a fool of myself again.

[Joe Blow]

Joe,
Is there a way to jump between: A-H, I-P, Q-Z subfolders without having to go back to ASX Stock Chat?

There certainly is Happy. If you scroll down the page, toward the bottom on the right you will see the 'Forum Jump' drop down box (see attached pic). Simply select the forum you wish to 'jump' to, and you're there! :)

[Happy]

Thanks Joe,
Found it, actually I new it existed, but somehow didn’t click before asking my question.

But I have 1 more wish.

Could you put the button on top of the page?
Because everything aligns to top of the page and this way, suppose I can change to ‘last post last’ configuration so I can be more often on the bottom of the page.

Well, it is no crime to ask.

[Joe Blow]

Could you put the button on top of the page?

Hmmm... this may be a little trickier. I will have a look but can't make any promises.