Time for some forum Spring/Summer cleaning! We've already been discussing some possible reorganization with our existing moderators, but we would love to get everyone's feedback on these issues.
1. Photography: keep it or merge it?
Thanks Jaclyn and Tina for doing great job keeping this forum going with interesting new posts! We realize that there has been a limited amount of activity in this forum due to the fact that our community is still fairly small, and photography is not our main focus. It seems likely that at some point in the future there will be a high demand for a dedicated photography forum, but my question is, what should we do for now? Should we keep this forum going, or should we merge it back into the chit chat forum for the time being, until there is a higher volume of photography-specific discussion?
2. New Blog Train forum under Digital Scrapbooking?
To help keep things organized, and make the blog train threads easy for everyone to find, We're thinking of created a dedicated forum for DigitalScrapbook.com blog trains. Thoughts?
3. Software Specific: thinking of merging into one "Software Specific Questions" forum.
Thanks a lot to Judy, Wilma, Lynda, and both Tina's for doing a great job with the Photoshop and PSP forums! They have done an awesome job answering questions, and posting lots of interesting and helpful threads. At the same time, we realize that these forums have had limited activity, and that they are perhaps a little bit redundant with the Tutorials forum, to some extent (at least for Photoshop). We're thinking of merging these two forums into a single "Software Specific Questions" forum under the "Digital Scrapbooking" header, and just having one or two moderators initially, to help keep things organized, and answer Photoshop questions, while leaving questions for other programs (PSP, GIMP, etc.) to the community at large. What do you all think of this idea?
4. Split Challenge Forum: separate forums for layout challenges and designer challenges. Vote here.
Any and all feedback is welcome!
Also note that we are looking for additional moderators at this time, so if you are interested, feel free to apply!
Thanks for the chance to offer input as users!
1) Personally, I've not spent much time in the Photography much, just because our camera is nothing much to shake a stick at. I plan on visiting more in the future. If you merge it back into one of the other forums, when you divide it again will there be an easy way to separate it back out, or will it just be starting new? Either way would be fine, if a search of forums was easier at that time.
2) With a new Blog Train forum, would you include and separate out designing threads in that location? I think it would be a great place to place questions and threads on designing, which I see a growing need for.
3) Software Specific, from the view of another smaller software user, GIMP, I think a single forum might encourage those using smaller software to actually be more open in talking or questioning.
4) Voted!
Moderators: If I read faster, I might consider this, but I just don't have enough time to invest in what it would take me to help out this way for now. Thanks to all those that are filling these shoes!
I've been following Blog Trains in recent months. There are so many of them out there & they all do them differently. Some are monthly, some are bi-monthly, some are scheduled regularly others seem sporadic, some start on the 1st, other's on the 15th, many announce them coming before they are live & it always tricks me... It gets SO confusing! What makes it even more confusing is the information a follower needs is different from the information a participating designer needs.
Here's what I recommend:
Under Digital Scrapbooking do a forum just for blog trains. Then have a topic for each blog train station name (for example a sticky for, ScrapsNPieces, StuffToScrap, Wilma4Ever, LDSBlogTrain, Triune, BitsNBobs, CUDigital, etc.) Under the topic for each blog train station have two sticky posts, one for designers & one for followers. Both stickies would contain a link for the blog train station & train departure schedule, but the sticky for the designers would also include participation requirements too. The regular (non-sticky) posts would be made monthly to include the color palette, theme/name, train stop lists, & other info that changes monthly.
Sugarbutt Designs (Jen) attempted the same thing with a Facebook group, but the group posts are complicated too. It is best to keep things organized & simple. One thing that makes the Facebook group complicated is the information for designers & followers is combined. For example the FB group requests designers to post their portion as a preview before the train departs. Followers see the previews & try to follow the train before it has even gone live.
1) Merge it!
2) Yes, please! All info in one location would be awesome!
3) Your idea about the merge is a winner
4) Will go and vote!
Thanks for wanting our opinions!
1) I think the Photography Forum should be kept, so the photography threads don't get lost under all the threads for digiscrapping, but that's jmho...
If you're looking for ways to have more activity in that forum, maybe someone could post tutorials on how to change your photo up &/or take better digital photos... And maybe you could have some color/texture challenges (with a texture being provided for it) or photo challenges. I'm sure there are other things that could be done, but those were just a few things off the top of my head...
2) DigitalScrapbook.com blog trains... What if you were to put that category under the Freebies forum?
3) I hope you don't merge the separate forums into one big "Software Specific Questions" forum. Personally, I like having the separate forums for Photoshop, PSP, etc. - makes it easier to find information when you're looking for it. If those forums are merged, I see things becoming lost in the shuffle & hard to find - especially since most of the tutorials & such posted in here revolve around Photoshop...
Honestly, I was hoping that someone would mimic the tutorials you put up for Photoshop, so that people that use other software can learn how to do/make the same things... I know that one of the things that usually holds me back from doing the challenges & participating in trains is lack of knowledge regarding PSP.
4) I think it's a great idea to have separate forums for digiscrapping & for designing.