Computers Forum.

Creamy Goodness

Just thought that this needed to be brought to your attention.

A while back the technology forum was renamed to computers which everyone was in favour of at the time (even me I think)

But i've noticed recently there's been a lot of threads that specificily belong in the windows forum.

sample 1

sample 2

sample 3

sample 4

(They are only from the front page of the computer forums).

Would it be feasible to rename the forum to a less generic name or rename to the orignal name of technology?

Or would it just call for stricter modding?

Or am I just being a bit too narky?

DonkeyStyle \o/

Just get Dogs to moderate the computer forum
Windows? off-topic 'mfraid - banned.

I'd be more in favour of a generic tech support forum, instead of people having to know weather their problem is hardware or software related before posting... make it easily noticable aswell... who knows, it might even take some heat off the security forum in terms of spy/mal-ware requests.


[edit]: Actually, the Windows forum is under a sub-menu that a new user scanning down the list probably wouldn't bother checking.
Instead, he just sees 'computers' and thinks, "ah right, that'll do".
Definitely need something more lazy-noob friendly... instead of repeated wrist-slaps for people posting tech support requests where they're not wanted.

stevenmu

Just had a quick look at your first 2 samples,

In the first one windows wasn't booting, possibly due to a floppy drive issue, either way it could just as easily have been a hardware/BIOS issue as a specific windows issue.

The second was written specifically in relation to windows but it a general issue really. I'm sure even linux users can have difficulties organising there links/shortcuts/icons.

The point is really that there's a very blurry grey line between what is windows specific and what isn't. There are often topics that should be nudged in the Windows forum direction, but there's many people out there who can't tell the difference between Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office and a chair. Banning people in that case would be a little bit harsh

Hobbes

What the moderator should do is forward the page onto the related forum but leave the link.

DrIndy

If you don't know much about computers, getting the forum right is not easy!

Tech support would be a very good idea - although the charter would need to clearly state that boards and its respondents would not be responsible for any data loss incurred by following the instructions of any of the respondents.

Creamy Goodness

stevenmu wrote:

Just had a quick look at your first 2 samples,

In the first one windows wasn't booting, possibly due to a floppy drive issue, either way it could just as easily have been a hardware/BIOS issue as a specific windows issue.

The second was written specifically in relation to windows but it a general issue really. I'm sure even linux users can have difficulties organising there links/shortcuts/icons.

The point is really that there's a very blurry grey line between what is windows specific and what isn't. There are often topics that should be nudged in the Windows forum direction, but there's many people out there who can't tell the difference between Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office and a chair. Banning people in that case would be a little bit harsh

i wouldn't want the people to be banned god no that's too overboard, i just posted here as i think it does need some looking at on how it could be tackled

Chalk

what percent of people using boards use windows? 90? 95?

windows = computers to many people tbh.
prety much any problem i have witn one of the 6 pcs in the house could be deemed windows related, whether its a power issue, driver issue etc as im runing windows.

there would be very few posts that are hardware spcific, since theres already a modding forum that people with tougher questions have already headed off to.

i like it the way it is, it may be general but theres alot of good people using it.

windows,i find, is becoming more technical which as far as im concerned is a good thing.

kinkstr

Cremo's first example was a question i posted last night, i agree that sometimes the wrong topics can be brought up in the various "Comp" forums but with problems like mine i wasnt sure if it belonged in Windows or Computers, i pondered it for a few minutes before deciding on on the Computers Forum, i doubt renaming forums will make much of a difference.
Id have to go with Hobbes suggestion to leaving the link in the original forum and letting the moderators decide where a particular thread belongs
My 2 cents anyway

stevenmu

Cremo wrote:

i wouldn't want the people to be banned god no that's too overboard, i just posted here as i think it does need some looking at on how it could be tackled

I'm not sure why I was thinking of bannings, it's not in your OP. I suppose moving some threads mightn't be a bad idea, if the forum got too busy it would be a good way of thinning things out, but I think the number of threads is pretty manageable at the moment

Nukem

Don't think renaming the Forum would really help (may be wrong) linking the misguided would help,not even by a mod but another just insert a link to the appropriate forum.
The mods in the comp forum are busy out hence the appointment of Khannie about a month ago but he is trying to tidy up whole Computer forum (links and stickies) so he's busy but iv seen him shuffle threads to other Forums a few times.
My 2 cents
Nukem

Khannie

Thanks for the linkage Nukem

Yeah, I have shifted posts to other forums....usually one or two per day (I always leave a link behind)....and some posts probably /do/ belong in the windows forum (even possibly one of the stickies!), but I reckon it's better to either move them, or leave them where they will get most visiblity and the most good will be done (as was pointed out, lots of people don't even know that there's anything other than windows out there).

I think the forums name is grand (defo better than technology), but that's just my tuppence. It's definitely not just a forum for tech support...there's a fair bit of discussion goes on too. New CPU architectures, best graphics card, etc. etc.

Cremo: Do the windows specific threads bother you? I could start moving more of them, though I don't want to be overly harsh either. I view the windows forum as being more for OS specific questions (not necessarily apps for that OS). e.g. What's the max page file size? What's the best way to optimise disk access? etc. though that's probably just because of my comp. sci. background.....you learn to separate apps and OS's.

< /ramble>

Creamy Goodness

they don't bother me, but it's that if there's a windows forum there i'd hate to see it go to waste.