Air Gun Home :: View topic - Talk of a "Crosman Specific" forum/zone...

AirGunEric · Site Admin

As was brought up in another thread, the idea of a "Crosman only" area on the site.

I personally am not sure how this would work.

A) We (I) don't want to "dilute" the content of the forum by too much segregation.

B) As someone had mentioned- is a 'Crosman' just 2240's and such, or does it include things like their entire current springer line-up, which, excluding the Remington Genesis, are all made in China? Does it include the (now discontinued) Mendoza rifles Crosman had sold? What does it include/exclude?

C) Can this work? Let me point to another site in which I have been extensively involved over the last 10 years: http://www.nastyz28.com

I am an Administrator there and have been around since its start. Originally, it was laid out much like airgunhome.com - simple, easy to read and understand and chock full of content useful to its primary subject. Look at the forum now: http://www.nastyz28.com/forum/index.php

25,000-ish members, hundreds or thousands of people online at any given time, over a million posts- but look at the number of individual forums! Some were done originally for technical content, then some were added for "Regional" activities, then some for specialized (i.e. paid) members, another for "adult content" and so on. While I still have some say in what goes on there, I am not an "owner" and see nothing money-related in respect to the place- sometimes I think back and wonder- "has this place become a giant whorehouse"? My point is that I worry that AirGunHome, if we start slamming down specific topic areas in a big hurry- will we end up like that forum? Not that it's all bad- but maybe it is a bit too much as well- I dunno. I don't have any requirement for AirGunHome to generate big dollars, at the moment it is essentially paying for itself and nothing much else with the Google ads. So perhaps I am just worrying for no reason as long as we expand things slowly and carefully. Personally, and I don't say this with any enthusiasm- I think the forum I am pointing to as a comparator is probably too large- but I believe it generates a fairly good $$$ for it's two owners who's motivations are obviously different than mine at this point.

Thinking it over- maybe if we eliminated our "Regional" forums and combined them into one single "Geographic Discussions" area or something like that- i.e. "talk about your home country" type thing (someone help me here!)- maybe then we can then integrate the manufacturer-specific type of thing. Anyone have any ideas? My point really is that I don't want to flood the forum with scores of topic areas so that it quickly become indigestible and visually confusing/overcrowded to alot of people. So- how can we avoid this and still keep moving forward with content people want and find useful?

Please offer up suggestions if you have them.

yourdaddyjoe · Supporting Member

I am with you even though I am the one who suggested the Crosman mess...

I am a firm believer in the K.I.S.S. method... Keep It Simple Stupid

It just works.

I like the way it is set up now. If someone writes an outstanding post on, let’s say… “Tuning your pile o’ crosmans” ect…. Linking it to “Useful Topics” on the home page like you have done.

The only problem I have ran into is I get so many update emails that I launch from that I never see the home page… I totally forget about all the good content that is posted there…

I’m still mulling it around in my head so please excuse me if I am a little random…

Here is my best shot…

How about making another page with a link in the header titled “Useful Topics” so it shows up on each page?

Jaxom · Senior Member

I fully understand where you are coming from Eric. I'm a co-host of a political debate chatroom with assosicated forums. It seems to me there's a fine line between balancing what the users want and what is good for a forum/chat. Sure you want the place to be popular, but just how popular?

I've seen places so slow, you're luck to see one or two posts a week, where as others the forums move so quick, it's almost like you're in a chat room. Gawd forbid life gets in the way and you can't read them for a day or more, take you hours to catch up. Not good when you are seeking advice about something.

RE: The recipie sub forum you started with my suggestion. I really though I'd have the time to write up a few recipies. It's been kinda odd typing as is, after driving a framing nail through one of my fingers and I still can't feel the tip of it. And then there's also the issue, I think of of my neighbors seen me take the last dove I shot. So, I've been laying low while finger heals. I was really hoping others would post their recipies while I put together a few of my own.

AirGunEric · Site Admin

yourdaddyjoe · Supporting Member

Okay... let's see if I can explane it a bit better

I have a cold and my head is a bit foggy...

On the main home page... you have some useful links to topics on the forum...

Can you make a new page on the site titled "Usefull Topics" for all of thoes links to be placed on...

Then have a link like *** look up literialy... *** in the header it states... "Click Here for AirGunHome.com Main Page" Have a link in the header for the "Usefull Topics".

That way it shows up no matter which page or topic we are on...

Does that make sense?

Or you can place it in the nav bar next to "Forum Index * Profile * Private Messages..... so on...

You have so many great stuff... IMO it is just not easily remembered once you are acustom to launching from email updates...

If you are on my site... I have the nav bar to the left so you can hop around my site with out a lot of trouble...

AirGunEric · Site Admin

I see what you're getting at. That's an idea- but I'm not sure it really addresses the idea of manufacturer-specific content per se.

Perhaps there should be more links on the top of each forum page with the individual "utilities" we have on the site- i.e. calculators, silencers, pellet specs, etc. i.e. a little "table of contents".

I'm not a fan of the sidebar type thing on discussion forums, however- for the number of times most of the things listed would really be useful to each person, I think a sidebar would absorb alot of screen "real estate". On a commercial site it makes perfect sense- someone wants to make an inquiry on a product, go to a different product or category, that sort of thing- people tend to click on regularly so the use of the "real estate" is almost a requirement so as not to irritate potential customers in not being able to find a product immediately. That being said, some vendors don't "get it" either. Look at the Leapers website- it is, in my opinion, a disaster- but this may also have to do with the fact that they seem to offer 'everything under the sun' and the end result in trying to present this is unwieldy.

yourdaddyjoe · Supporting Member

What about "Brand Specific FAQ's"? In the format you all ready have... Regardless of which country it was farmed out to for manufacturing.

I come from an Automotive/Truck/Tractor/Construction Equipment/Snow Cat/Trailer/RV/Generator parts background and that was confusing enough... especially after bumping my head in a car wreck... (Yes I worked in Fleet for the phone co.)

It did not matter who did the actual manufacturing... It was about the brand... Then it broke down from there...

Then sticky the most popular or post that has the merit to be sticky...

A hot button link for AG utilities would be great...

***Note***
Yes, I remembered to run spelling and grammar checking this time Faq-U

…

Slavia · Moderator

The two things that make hanging out here enjoyable for me are the quality of the people and the ease of navigation. I elected to not receive e-mail notification of replies, so I use the site's structure to get around, and it works just fine. A Crosman "zone" would lead inevitably to other marque specific zones, which would complicate things. After some thought, I say let's leave it as is.

I would agree that we could do something to consolidate the regional topics, simply because there isn't that much activity there.

As far as a "useful topics" button - "useful" is a subjective term, and for my "use" the search function and "stickies" perform well. I guess I'd like to hear more from yourdaddyjoe regarding the need he perceives. Not to put down your idea, yourdaddyjoe - I'm just not clear on where you're at and where you want to go.

yourdaddyjoe · Supporting Member

True Slavia,

The search function works very well here... I been on some real doozies... One in particular you have to define too many perameters to find what you are looking for... another just does not work... sucks because they are both very popular forums... and there is good info hidden from plain view...

broommaster2000 · Moderator

Joe, I got some advice. Try using the forumname in combination with what you're looking for on Google.

The Dutch forum has a search function too, but it works as well as a bucket that's standing still.

Alstone · Moderator & Site Supporter

Personally I like the site basically as it is, it’s a bit of a mish mash of different makes and types of airguns, also is an international site If you make a Crosman section then will there be a BSA section or Webley, AA etc?

What I like about this site is the international flavour where you get a good exchange of ideas, if you go for a Crosman section you will finish up with an American airgun site, no different to many others.

I must admit I am not a big fan of Crosman but I find some of the posts interesting and informative, but if all the Crosman posts were in there own section I probably would not bother to look at them, some of the other airgun sites I use have multiple sections and I find that I only use probably two or three, and never look at the others.

So there you go That’s my opinion, don’t forget Crosman is an American airgun that does not get a lot of respect outside the US Especially in countries that make there own airguns, so consequently air gunners from these countries would not be interested in another American site.

Al

vAgRaNt · Member

FWIW, I think it's just fine the way it is.

The option to "view posts since last visit" lets me see anything new, and the search feature guides me to
anything in the archive.

Dividing into further subheadings may make searching easier, but it'll make it more difficult on the admin
to ensure everything is properly pigeon holed. As they say, "if it ain't broke". . . .

Oh yea, my collection is currently greater than 80% Crosman. . . . .

rsterne · Moderator

FWIW, I agree with the above Vague Rant.... Rolling Eyes

If it ain't broke.... don't fix it.... Very Happy

Bob

ustilago · Member

I'm with those two^^

yourdaddyjoe · Supporting Member

I believe that it was all ready determined that it is not going to happen.