Forum and Category Reorganization

[Akimbo]

Given this, you should be arguing for putting Snorkeling and Freediving at the very top of the list, followed by New Divers etc .

I would agree if it were "New Divers" but the forum is New Divers & Those Considering Diving. I have thought about that Those Considering Diving would have been better and the New Divers post moved to Basic, but changing it now would be a massive task with marginal return.

That reminds me/correction. Ref @-JD- 's comment about using replication of paths or permanent redirects. There is one (maybe more) inside the same category, but they are sub-forums. Diving Into New Gear is under Basic and the redirect is under New Divers & Those Considering Diving.

Here is where my old school perspective shines through: I was thinking how I would organize it if starting with a blank slate. Starting with "Swimming & Conditioning" didn't get any positive responses.

Maybe I'm confused. Isn't this site about scuba diving? It is called Scubaboard and almost everything public on it is about scuba diving.

I never thought of ScubaBoard as that restrictive. Many Scuba divers also snorkel and freedive. We also discuss tethered diving — surface-supplied including recreational hookah, public safety, aquarium diving, commercial, and saturation. I think that a lot of people are interested in all of the above even if they don't actually do them all.

Heck, even as a scuba diver, if I were interested in advancing my limited freediving skills, I would look elsewhere.

We would prefer that there was enough quality content here that you didn't have to. In an ideal world, there would be enough content that we are faced with separating them into a Snorkeling forum near the top and a Freediving forum closer to Technical diving. One day perhaps.

For reference, here is how the old order and reorganized order compares. Forums in red were moved from another category:

 

[MichaelMc]

Snorkeling can be the entry drug to scuba. As in: "I'd like to scuba, but maybe I'll try the snorkeling first as it is easier and come back here after that." Also, many instructional methods suggest ironing out the snorkeling mask, weight and fins skills prior to scuba. Not that those discussions often seem to be under the snorkeling section.

 

[Akimbo]

Not that those discussions often seem to be under the snorkeling section.

The hope is that the Snorkeling & Freediving forum will see more activity by moving higher on the list. Same with moving Physiology into the Explore Diving category. I am very interested to see how it changes new thread locations over time.

 

[MichaelMc]

The hope is that the Snorkeling & Freediving forum will see more activity by moving higher on the list. Same with moving Physiology into the Explore Diving category. I am very interested to see how it changes new thread locations over time.

Maybe naming the forum 'With mask snorkel fins' or "With just snorkel gear". The fin discussions of snorkeling vs jet fin scuba would be a bit different though.

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

Seems reasonable. This might be a good time to solicit ideas from some of our more active medical moderators with far more insight than mine. Ping: @Duke Dive Medicine @doctormike

FWIW, I would shy away from anything entitled "Personal Medical Questions". It could give the impression of privacy and we don't have that here; also, the forum name itself could be perceived by some as a direct provider-client relationship (thinking in terms of liability here).

Best,
Eric

 

[Akimbo]

FWIW, I would shy away from anything entitled "Personal Medical Questions". It could give the impression of privacy and we don't have that here; also, the forum name itself could be perceived by some as a direct provider-client relationship (thinking in terms of liability here).

Best,
Eric

Good point, thanks.

Another post indicated that organizing types of questions might be useful for people browsing the Medical forum. Could we use thread title prefixes? They could distinguish between different medical conditions or between questions and information threads. Classifieds is a good example of thread title prefixes:

Come to think of it, it might be hard for some members to know how to classify a dive injury question — DCS, barotrauma, bad gas, too much Jack Daniels??? Would a "Question" prefix/flag be helpful for medical moderators? There may be a useful concept hiding someplace in the fog.

 

[-JD-]

@Akimbo @Duke Dive Medicine

Individual Medical Situations
Specific Medical Situations
?

 

[lowwall]

@Akimbo @Duke Dive Medicine

Individual Medical Situations
Specific Medical Situations
?

Diving Medical Issues or just Medical Issues

 

[-JD-]

Diving Medical Issues or just Medical Issues

I like @lowwall 's better than mine ...

Maybe a hybrid ... "Specific Medical Issues"

 

[Akimbo]

Maybe a hybrid ... "Specific Medical Issues"

Keep in mind that the Diving Medicine forum is home to information and diving experience threads, not just individual medical questions.

Diving Medicine was a long way down the forum list, a sub-forum of the Marine Science and Physiology Forum, and was in a different category until a few weeks ago. I haven't noticed a lot of Reports to move "can I dive with XXX medical condition" questions from New Divers, Basic, or Advanced to Diving Medicine. Is it possible that we are over-thinking the problem?