continuation of "input re: 3 forums to maybe re-open?"

Discussion in 'Forum Announcements and Feedback' started by Daniel Mosquin, Aug 18, 2010.

?

What 3 forums should be added to the proposal?

Poll closed Aug 25, 2010.
  1. Annuals / Biennials / Perennials

    3 vote(s)
    9.1%
  2. Araceae

    17 vote(s)
    51.5%
  3. Citrus

    8 vote(s)
    24.2%
  4. Fruit and Vegetable Gardening

    9 vote(s)
    27.3%
  5. Garden Pest Management and Identification

    14 vote(s)
    42.4%
  6. Grapes and Grape Vines

    3 vote(s)
    9.1%
  7. Gymnosperms

    9 vote(s)
    27.3%
  8. Propagation

    8 vote(s)
    24.2%
  9. Small Space Gardening

    7 vote(s)
    21.2%
  10. Woody Plants

    14 vote(s)
    42.4%
Multiple votes are allowed.
  1. togata57

    togata57 Generous Contributor 10 Years

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    Daniel, thank you for your information and clarification.
     
  2. jimmyq

    jimmyq Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    voted!
     
  3. Daniel Mosquin

    Daniel Mosquin Paragon of Plants UBC Botanical Garden Forums Administrator Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    Ok, looks like the poll is closed.

    Anyone interested in moderating any of the following, please send me a private message.

    Indoor and Greenhouse Plants
    Plant Identification*
    Gardening in the Pacific Northwest
    Araceae
    Woody Plants
    Garden Pest Management and Identification

    and...

    Gymnosperms
    Fruit and Vegetable Gardening

    I am presently in receipt of offers of moderation for:

    Plant Identification
    Araceae
    Gymnosperms

    (though there is nothing saying there can't be multiple moderators or possibly having a choice)
     
  4. M. D. Vaden

    M. D. Vaden Active Member 10 Years

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    You asked a question. Here, see if this clarifies ...

    Suppose I want Woody plants to get 10 more votes. I can easily email five or ten people, or twenty, who may not have voted or read the topic otherwise. That's hypothetical, not something I tried. Otherwise one category would be at least 10 higher than it is.

    It's not much different than in politics where people go around on a get-out-the-vote campaign. Such campaigns exist because they know that a single vote per person has nothing to do with recruiting voters of similar interest.

    From an educational standpoint, I think the volume of what is being read is very important, in regards to tallies of posts and replies in a given amount of time.

    This forum has 28,000 members. And 612 are shown to be active. So when barely 100 votes go into a poll, that vote may not sound very convincing one way or the other.
     
  5. danc

    danc Active Member 10 Years

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    Sorry I missed the poll. I would have voted for Gymnosperms
     
  6. photopro

    photopro Well-Known Member

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    My suspicion is that if the addition of selected forums is successful then others will follow in time but at the same time perhaps UBC should remain a forum dedicated to the NW United States and the adjacent area of Canada instead of the international forum I once perceived it to be.

    If this is going to be a continual cause of dispute on this forum I will gladly request that Daniel remove my favorite forum(s) from consideration. I voted for 3.

    Perhaps the reason only 612 of of 28,000 members are now participating on UBC is the fact the forums they loved to use have been removed already. My personal email box and PM's would indicate that is so. Since many of the other popular forums, certainly not all, prefer to see who can be "the boss" and how many knowledgeable growers can be run off the forum. Any forum of the quality of UBC deserves to exist. I just regret that all the astute growers along with a few scientists that once had an intellectual forum to bat things around are now out in the woods. I do not intend that to be intended as Araceae, but all forums.

    Those that were interested chose on their own to place their vote(s). Of 612 members surely more would have considered taking the time to vote if they truly cared or believed strongly in any forum.

    It should also be known that in the long term, the Araceae forum was only added in 2008 and did not have the time to build up the long time larger user ship of others. It is likely 80% of households in the US grow an aroid, they just don't know them by that name but instead a Pothos, a Philodendron or a Peace Lily and many other names. The group has worldwide acceptance as extremely popular house plants.

    Daniel, please feel free to ask again if the aroid forum is valuable to UBC and if not allow others to have their preferred forums instead. I can't help but believe there is some belief those that love aroids somehow "cheated". Personally, I only know of 4 people that took the time to vote for Araceae.

    If the results of the original vote were bogus then perhaps there should in fact be a rerun.

    Steve Lucas
     
  7. Daniel Mosquin

    Daniel Mosquin Paragon of Plants UBC Botanical Garden Forums Administrator Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    The goal of the poll was to solicit input, and that is mixed into the pool re: decision-making. Other factors include: where I notice the most work is for me; what broad topical areas are asked about most often; and what reflects the interests of UBC Botanical Garden and the resources it can supply to those areas.

    I am aware of how polls can be be skewed on forums. If it was the only factor to be considered, perhaps it would be important to have controls on the vote (say, a mass email send-out to all members of more than 5 posts soliciting input, as an example) -- but it's one of a few factors, so even if it was skewed, the skewing would be mostly mitigated by the consideration of other factors.

    Since the poll is closed and the input's been received, what value is there in revisiting the earlier discussion?
     
  8. togata57

    togata57 Generous Contributor 10 Years

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    An open thread is open for comment.
    The logical thing to do would be to close the thread. Daniel's call.
     
  9. togata57

    togata57 Generous Contributor 10 Years

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    So, Daniel...any news here?
     
  10. photopro

    photopro Well-Known Member

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    I just had a query about this today from Leland Miyano in Hawaii. Leland is a well known artist, botanical garden designer and aroid expert and although he does not post on UBC does use it as a reference. He gave me a post to make on his behalf which can be read here: http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/forums/showthread.php?t=54345&highlight=saxicola&page=2

    You can learn much more about Leland by looking him up on the internet, Wikipedia or at this article about his private botanical garden in Hawaii. He has worked on the designs of some well known botanical gardens and has been a close friend for quite a few years.

    http://archives.starbulletin.com/2001/06/01/features/story2.html

    Steve
     

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