Restructuring Florida, Take Two...

[scubafool]

If we are going to go with subforums, I see no need for a main Trips and Local Marketplace area. The dive trips for each area can be posted in their respective subforums, along with trip reports, questions, and local chatter. General stuff germane to the state overall and the really big gettogethers can go in a general forum. A lot of the questions from out of state/country divers will end up there as well.

 

[427Dave]

Doesn't matter to me if "caves" is added to the springs forum or not. Cavers know that caves are usually in the springs.

I really don't see a need for a separate central Florida forum. If one is diving in central Florida, it'll be in the springs.



Exactly. If it's a spring and it's in Florida, it's in the springs forum.

I suppose that makes sense about springs and central Florida. The past Central Florida forum had most of the springs activity, it also had The Bay Area, which would become The Bend to St Pete it had some even as far south as Venice. It also had some from the east coast. I guess it makes sense if there is a Springs Forum that it covers The previuos "Central Florida Forum" However there were some springs items in the North Florida forum, which are actually in the panhandle. I reviewed a few request that were posted in the "Central Florida Forum" in the past. A few of them were specifically pointed to the Orlando (Central) area from outsiders requesting information on diving while they were visiting Orlando on vacation. Where would these be posted if there wasn't a Central Florida Forum? A few may make it to the Springs Forum, but they would probably just put them into the main Florida Forum. I don't see anything really wrong with that. Would that be bad?

I do not think Central Florida Forum should just go away, like it has right now. Weather it is called Springs or Central does not matter.

I think Walter has a viable proposal. As for trips and local market, I think that is sort of nice to be independent and have only one for the entire state. Although it is not a biggy where that information ends up. If someone is looking for equipment or a trip it is nice to be able to look in one spot for it. If this information where split up in all the various sub forums no one would take the time to go through all of the subforms to see if there was a trip or equipment they might be interested in. It would just end up posted in the main Florida forum, would this be bad? Maybe a little confusing but probably not bad.

 

[CBulla]

If we are going to go with subforums, I see no need for a main Trips and Local Marketplace area. The dive trips for each area can be posted in their respective subforums, along with trip reports, questions, and local chatter. General stuff germane to the state overall and the really big gettogethers can go in a general forum. A lot of the questions from out of state/country divers will end up there as well.

Noooooo.. to confusing. To find out whats going on one would have to hope its posted in the calendar or visit every sub forum.... talk about creating work!

 

[SeaYoda]

I guess the cave thing begs the question of is it a destination or technique we are talking about. There is already a specialty diving forum for cave diving so that takes care of technique. If it is location, just like springs, caves will fall in more than one geographic area. I would still rather go to a geographic region subforum and then talk about whatever needs to be talked about. I don't think there will be as much post traffic in each of the regional subforums, if we split, so no one should get lost or feel left out. You could talk about cave diving at the Mill Pond under the Panhandle subforum and other caves under their respective geographic subforum. I think springs are the same way and that's why I like the Central Springs subforum to cover that big chunk of diving that is not covered by the other, more coastal driven, subforums. I think this would be less confusing because it keeps the divisions geographical in nature and lowers the number of divisions, YMMV.

 

[SeaYoda]

I had an interesting thought (for a change). Are there any members still active that can tell us the trouble they have with the single forum style. It would help me to understand the problem better. I have heard from those who have said they know some members that left, but surely there are some members that are actually experiencing the issue still around that could help. I have not heard anyone describe the difficulty first hand.

This is an open discussion and there has been no direct representation of members that want the split for themselves (other than the club issue). I would like to know what happens when someone cannot find a certain area or cave or spring or someone to talk to about diving of any kind in Florida. I understand the club thing but still don't get the other issues. Is there anyone out there that has attempted to use the single forum and failed that can explain it?


Missdirected,
You said you knew some folks that may have left because of these issues. Do you have any contact with them still? If we could get them to tell what caused them a problem it might help in structuring this thing in a right way that would make them want to come back and keep others from leaving.

 

[Oceanus]

Interesting that the FL Tourism site boils the destinations into 2 areas (and kinda gives credibility to the basic North/South split nobody likes)

Northwest Wrecks
Southeast & Keys

Add Central Florida Springs and we might be back at our previous compromise/structure....

If we go with the 6way split, that I don't support, I predict the NE the won't last long followed by the Big bend shrimpers/oysters/scallopers :1poke:

I'm with Yoda, KISS and give me a single forum & a calendar. The folks that find a single forum too busy may petition for a subforum/club

 

[dldiver]

why dont you just call the caves/springs "inland florida diving" as the caves and springs are throughout most of the state. and a Cave specific forum already exists on SB.

i was happy the way it used to be split- north/central/south. searching those 3 for trips, events, etc was managable.

I'm also all for ONE main calendar for the Conchs.

But will continue my quest to UNTIE peeps froom the lost city of Or-lantis!

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

I'm with Yoda, KISS and give me a single forum & a calendar. The folks that find a single forum too busy may petition for a subforum/club

I still don't see how the singular forum was too busy when it moved no more than a page and a half a day anyway... and thats on a busy day. If people are too busy to scroll down a couple threads, they aren't gonna figure out how to use the board anyway.

 

[Oceanus]

^ exactly

I've participated in forum's with 10x the traffic in a single forum...
Specifically note this car forum has the entire Southeast in one forum with a Google Calendar and a Classified section. They have 25,800 threads and 432,000 posts in one forum... we have 7,650 threads and 97,691 posts... a 1/4 of that and consider splitting it up!? You'll never build comradery/community that way

Chant it with me... One single forum, One single forum... (with a calendar, and maybe a nice shrub)

 

[Walter]

Interesting that the FL Tourism site boils the destinations into 2 areas (and kinda gives credibility to the basic North/South split nobody likes)

Northwest Wrecks
Southeast & Keys

Add Central Florida Springs and we might be back at our previous compromise/structure....

That leaves out as much as it covers. No credibility at all.