Forums Restructuring

Discussion in 'Forum Announcements and Feedback' started by Daniel Mosquin, Feb 1, 2010.

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  1. togata57

    togata57 Generous Contributor 10 Years

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    Have noted your address, tgplp. I have enjoyed your posts! Am hoping I will continue to do so!

    Hey, joclyn---check out http://unusualplants.net
    Some of us are already there! We would love to have you join us.
    (Just gave tgplp my sales pitch a minute ago. :-)
     
  2. vicarious1

    vicarious1 Active Member 10 Years

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    Thanks I just joined looking forward to enjoy your environment.
     
  3. Ganesh

    Ganesh Member

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    As a recent new joiner I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Daniel and Eric and all of the members for creating such a great resource.

    I feel like I've been handed a key to a secret garden full of plants to be discovered, when I return to this garden to take a stroll in the future I'll be forever grateful to Daniel and Eric et al for keeping the paths clear and not allowing the garden to be overgrown. Thankyou
     
  4. cloudy

    cloudy Member

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    I can only agree with everyone here, I am also saddend - and wish you all the best.
     
  5. JenRi

    JenRi Active Member

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    I'll second that and to be fair, this site has been running for so long in a lot of cases there is bound to be an answer for most questions already in the archives. Its not going to be the same as being able to interact with each other but we have a week to exchange emails and anyone who comes back can still read this thread to get those people's details who left them.

    Just wondering Daniel, can we still use the PM facility after the forum restructuring? That would solve a lot of problems with people not being able to keep in touch, which seems to be upsetting most people.
     
    Last edited: Feb 3, 2010
  6. Michael F

    Michael F Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    The forums aren't closing, they're just getting a bit smaller. And Daniel has already said (about 6 times!!) that the PM facility will still be there.
     
  7. photopro

    photopro Well-Known Member

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    Thanks Michael. I went back and reread the original post and this is now much clearer.

    Everyone please read the last line several times.
     
  8. Bulucanagria

    Bulucanagria Member

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    As I read that, a person can register and ask one question and that's it? That seems odd to me. May I ask what the reasoning was behind that?
     
  9. JenRi

    JenRi Active Member

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    As far as I can see he only said it once but nevertheless thanks for letting me know and I am glad we can all stay in touch that way:-)
     
  10. tgplp

    tgplp Active Member

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    Yes, I'm glad we can stay in touch! Also- a lot of us have been joining unusualplants! Spread the word- it's a great site, and we can all interact with each other again! Use your username from this site, please, so we know who everyone is!
    Thanks! I hope to see lots of you if possible!
    If not, I'm gonna miss you guys. Thanks for making this place the best it can be!
    ~Tgplp :)
     
  11. Daniel Mosquin

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

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    Not one question, but probably somewhere around a dozen. Most people who register post only a question or two.

    There needs to be a forum in place to categorize the (inevitable) postings that will be initiated from new registrants not from the PNW or interested in maples / science / biodiversity. Any forum member can then reply. Workload should be low, because it is assumed threads will stay on-topic.
     
  12. Daniel Mosquin

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

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    Done, cheers.
     
  13. janetdoyle

    janetdoyle Active Member 10 Years

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    Oh, just as I was getting so much information, so many suggestions, getting the expert advice and identifications from the experienced group of horticulturists who participate and are so generous with their time and energy in helping... what a shame. Is there no job here for a student who wouldn't mind at least monitoring the manners online, if not the plant information?
     
  14. janetdoyle

    janetdoyle Active Member 10 Years

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    If 50 of us [or more] paid $100 each per year, as a membership, and received the privilege of asking and answering questions, sharing photos, etc., yes, perhaps in a limited number of forums and threads, could a graduate student or talented undergraduate in computer science or botany [with requisite computer skills] monitor the forum for glitches and intrusions and bad manners, and let the experienced pros who participate and who answer a lot of our questions, do the plant advice? The fee would pay a small part-time salary. Of course, the overhead costs would still be there I suppose. The fee would screen out the malpractice, perhaps. [Life is really strange, why people do that kind of online garbage talk would be interesting to know -- is humanity really an advanced form of mammalian life?]

    And I have gone back and noted that Daniel said there still would a place for Pacific North West gardeners to exchange information... so I guess that is something very valuable. It is mainly that topic that I have sought information on, and shared photos regarding, although the plants we use in our gardens are not by any means all native plants... I hope something can be done.
     
    Last edited: Feb 3, 2010
  15. janetdoyle

    janetdoyle Active Member 10 Years

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    Michael F, what is "the PM facility"? [Your proviso above: "The forums aren't closing, they're just getting a bit smaller. And Daniel has already said (about 6 times!!) that the PM facility will still be there. "] I am pretty confused about what will be and what won't be in the forums, so I guess it will be a matter of trial and error...
     
  16. Katalina25

    Katalina25 New Member

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    Too late was the cry lol
     
  17. Katalina25

    Katalina25 New Member

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    The sending of private messaging system in your user cp.

    I think people would be hard pressed to find $100, or want to pay that amount of money.
     
  18. Barbara Cameron

    Barbara Cameron Active Member

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    Daniel,
    Just to say a HUGE THANKS for allowing us members to have this wonderful resource. Sad day but very understandable. Odd that I just sent a message to a really good friend on YouTube who is into Hydroponics to go to this wonderful site. I'll have to write him back that its disappearing.
    Are you taking names for volunteers to keep it going?
     
  19. janetdoyle

    janetdoyle Active Member 10 Years

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    Re Katalina25's comment -- well, I suppose it would be too much. But having a community of ready-repliers who know what they are talking about, or who at least have interesting specialized opinions based on long experience, IS valuable to the fanatic hobbyist, like me, and although I don't pay $100 a year to any other membership I can think of right now, I wouldn't mind doing so for a consuming hobby, gardening. So far the advice and information I have received is that valuable to me. Just think of the people who pay more than $100 a year to a club for membership for either sports, hunting, fitness, or who take lessons in art or upholstery or whatever... I would consider it well worth it as a hobby. The alternative is buying more magazines and books, which could easily add up to about 3 times the amount! I leave it out there as a suggestion.
     
  20. Katalina25

    Katalina25 New Member

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    I would contribute, just not anything like $100. Charge an entrance/registration fee, or make some forums paid for the answers they need.
     
  21. bob 2

    bob 2 Active Member

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    A website like this with adequate picture storage goes for about $400.00 per year.
    That does not include Admin remuneration but there are hundreds of sites out there running without a hands on administrator.
    For those worried about communcating this would seem to be a reasonable alternative if the expense was shared among the endusers.
    Nobody wants to do this job for free but it is available for anyone so driven.
     
  22. Daniel Mosquin

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

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    The easiest way to see what will remain open is to log out, and see what the forums look like when you are not logged in (go to the main page: http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/forums/ )
     
  23. Daniel Mosquin

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

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    I will have to address the topics of fees / potential moderator lists / other posts later today. Need to work on other things right now.
     
  24. janetdoyle

    janetdoyle Active Member 10 Years

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    Perhaps as one last effort, Daniel, could you figure out how much the monitoring of this for a limited amount of topics [sub-forums or threads] would cost? [please include "woody plants" or call them "shrubs", and "conifers"] Let the participants answer the questions, as they were anyway, let the participants suggest alternate sub-forums or threads to use if they are off the topic of the particular thread, although you kindly intervened occasionally to do that, and have a student job-holder monitor the politeness of the entries. Even if the new posts in real time were delayed a few days to screen out the inappropriate entries, that would be great! Then the entry fee or membership fee of $100 might pay for a student to do it...
     
  25. Junglekeeper

    Junglekeeper Esteemed Contributor 10 Years

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    Daniel,

    I'd like to point out an inconsistency. The description under the Archives category reads "Archives of old forums. Only available to be read by registered forum members." However it is viewable even when I'm not logged in which means it's open to the general public. It seems to me the "For Registered Members" and "Archives" categories should be combined, now or on the changeover.

    What is the reasoning for restricting the archived forums to registered members only? Why not make them available for viewing by the general public?
     
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