Lee Posted October 29, 2005 Report Share Posted October 29, 2005 This months poll was inspired by Phil the Cobbler’s post (Click here) What thinks our other members? This months Poll is not a question, so much as a discussion on a revamp of the forum. I have had 3 suggestions for new categories this month so have had a long look at the forum and am making these suggestions. Should I re-header the board as follows. ADMINISTRATION Welcome. Welcome to the forum & how to add images to your posts. Feed Back, wish list and Suggestions. Have any suggestions to improve the forum, leave them here. DAY TO DAY Shoe Repairs. Need a supplier, got a question or Answer to a problem, or just a general comment on shoe repairing. Key Cutting. Need a supplier, got a question or Answer to a problem, or just a general comment on keys. Engraving. Need a supplier, got a question or Answer to a problem, or just a general comment about engraving. Watch Repairs Need a supplier, got a question or Answer to a problem, or just a general comment about a watch. Shoe Making Need a supplier, got a question or Answer to a problem, or just a general comment on shoe Making. Retail Need a supplier, got a question or Answer to a problem, or just a general comment on retailing. Other services Need to post about any other service not listed, post here. MISCELLANEOUS For Sale Classifieds Wanted Looking for a particular item? or have a job vacancy? Non-Member Have a question or information for the forum, then post it here. MEMBERS AREA - To view you have to register, go on do it today! Just for fun, what am I Our quiz of the week! General Discussion Any thing unrelated! just general chit-chat. I feel these headings reflect the suggestions I have had, I am proposing to do away with Machinery repairs and My specialist subject is (both currently unused) and to have a small members area toward the bottom to encourage Non-Members (and there are lots of them) to become members. But what do you think? Have you say, post a response! Lee Ffrench Administration Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 30, 2005 Report Share Posted October 30, 2005 I have to say I am impressed with Lee's work on this site. The hardest thing is to balance what you want to say against what people want to read and I think the forum is doing just that. I have four websites and getting the content right is the most important side of it. Regarding the proposed changes. The only thing I would suggest in splitting the WANTED into a HELP WANTED/VACANCIES etc and a seperate heading for MATERIALS/SUPPLIERS. Lastly, maybe it's worth getting the shoe reapir magazines to get involved in some way. I'm sure a hand written articele to MSA/Shoe Repair Soc would be printed. Welll Done Lee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Posted October 31, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2005 Thanks Phil, I like the idea of the help wanted/vacancies However I am a little concerned about having a separate section for materials/suppliers for the following reasons. I am concerned that an individual heading would lead to posts in that section for all topics making it much harder once there are say 50 posts to find a previous post about the subject/item you are looking for. I kind of felt that If you was a specialist in one field which meant you tended to visit that section of the forum the most, say shoe repairs you may answer more questions posed in that section. if you was thinking about starting to do watch batteries you may look through all the posts in that section to get a feel for that part of the trade. I felt that each heading should be used for all topics within that field. what’s your views? Lee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 31, 2005 Report Share Posted October 31, 2005 Agree mostly Lee, the two headings I suggested go hand in hand with all the "sub-groups" on the forum... you already have a wide variety of headings so there is plenty of scope to find things, its my preference to look at topics that concern me but I look at other topics too. I think the materials/suppliers heading on top of the existing topics would encourage users to use more of the other topics.... sort of knowing there might be something of interest elsewhere..... but please don't make this a topic for another poll !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh-Candoit (ENG) Posted November 8, 2005 Report Share Posted November 8, 2005 If you are worried that we are going to have difficulty in backtracking on a particular question or answer then that will show how successful the site has become. One forum using the same engine as this(Castlecops) that I contribute to has one particular thread that runs to 70 or so pages yet is still very popular, you just ask the question again and someone will pick up on it. By the way, the pale Green headings are almost invisible, may I suggest changing the colour. I have noticed that there are many viewers but few contributions, to those readers I say, please join, it costs nowt but the gains can be and probably will be very rewarding, both mentally and monetary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Posted November 15, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2005 We are half way through the month and I have edited the forum to show the new look, which also includes the supply heading which I am sure phil will be pleased to see! And a new members only section, to hopefully encourage non-members to join. So what do you all think, is this the right look? do YOU feel something is missing? or have we got it about right? Continue to post your view to this months poll. Lee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevenB Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 Good work, Lee. I think the forum is definately improving all the time. I particularly like the fact that there's a private members only area - if we want to ask questions relating to, for example, trade prices, it's good to be able to keep the info to ourselves! StevenB www.cromertrophies.co.uk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hibsjo(SCO) Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 I feel the whole site should be accessed only by members, its back to this unity thing, its all for one and one for all, guests come and go. thats no use! I use another forum for car diagnostics/key programming and its members only. thats the way this site should be administered or else membership will not increase. dont let them see whats happening until they join.curiosity killed the cat. TELL Trevor to do a page in the SOMSR mag. TELL Cutting Edge you want the same in their mag TELL John/James Timpson to add it to their internal news letter Lets get suppliers as members who can inform us of whats new. can you tell Im new to this forum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh-Candoit (ENG) Posted November 18, 2005 Report Share Posted November 18, 2005 hibsjo, Good point on members only, but whow do they see what were all doing and how they can benefit if they cant view the posts? Is there a way around it? You have a insight into a forum for programming car keys etc that will be of benefit, is this shared in the Keys section, I did not notice it!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Posted November 18, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2005 HI all, this is my own personal prospective on members only, The whole concept of the forum idea, was to offer a place of free information and help for the shoe repair trade, I am only to pleased to see the numbers of visitors to the site rapidly increasing as the posts come, hopefully so will members. its always been a long tradition of human nature to have the movers and shakers and the on the fencers. At least whilst its not a members only forum we will get return visitors and although it seems sometimes like we are talking to our selves we are not, there is a wider audience. the idea of this members section at the bottom was to gain the best of both worlds! and at present I have no plans to become members only. whats the rest of the groups feelings? Lee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh-Candoit (ENG) Posted November 18, 2005 Report Share Posted November 18, 2005 Let it run as it is Lee, you can always change later if needs be. As you say,more visitors may bring more members. How about a joke section, that may bring a few more into the enclosure and make it a bit light hearted to boot! By the way, I am one of the old codgers and although I have many talents, deciphering phone text sybols is not one of them, I can understand BTW but that's about it. Tried it and gave it up to be a recluse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kobblers Posted November 18, 2005 Report Share Posted November 18, 2005 as a relative newcomer to the site i've gotta say that i'm very impressed with the way things are. when i first logged on i was expecting a couple of pages of posts by the same person, i was pleasantly surprised to see the amount of posts and even more surprised to have my first queries and comments answered in such a nicely personal way. this has kept me logging on whenever i can so you must be doing summat right Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh-Candoit (ENG) Posted November 18, 2005 Report Share Posted November 18, 2005 It gets rather adictive dunnit, wonder if my quack dispences anti-forum pills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hibsjo(SCO) Posted November 18, 2005 Report Share Posted November 18, 2005 members only means they have to type in username and password after that it does not matter. There is some material such as price that you would nt want joe public to see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh-Candoit (ENG) Posted November 18, 2005 Report Share Posted November 18, 2005 If you dont want the public to see confidential information then be very wary of publishing it on a forum. Even forums restricted to members only are not immune from google search engines, eg, if you publish your prices then anyone typing in shoe repair prices will get a link to your article. I believe in openness to a degree, if someone wants to know, tell everyone, unless you have a niche market for a unique service. How are we going to break down the barriers if you are secretive. As for prices, Trading Standards law is that you have your prices in a prominent place for viewing by the public. (or have I got the wrong end of the stick here?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevenB Posted November 19, 2005 Report Share Posted November 19, 2005 Yes, I'm sure we have no problem with the public seeing all our retail prices. The problem would be if we had a discussion about - for example - pricing up a particular hypothetical repair where the materials cost £1 and the retail price was £10. The man on the street wouldn't see the time & craftsmanship that went into the job (let alone the overheads, rent & rates, mortgage / car / wife we all have to pay for) , they would only think '£9 profit out of a £10 job is outrageous'. StevenB www.cromertrophies.co.uk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh-Candoit (ENG) Posted November 19, 2005 Report Share Posted November 19, 2005 Cant see the need to go that deep on an open forum Steven, but I do see your point. I think the public would be more interested in the mark up on Trainers and branded goods in general than a shoe repairers price structure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Posted November 19, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 19, 2005 I have a robots text file, which is read by search engines for site indexing, which should stop them crawling this part of the forum. But I expect one of you will find a post on a search engine somewhere! although I have only just submitted the site so it will be a few months before we get any results. Plus I believe even if someone found a members only post, they would have to sign in to read it, even from a direct search engine result. its the SQL data base that allows them to read it, NOT the search engine! Besides I don't know any one sad enough to read a forum from a trade thats not one they are linked with! so although yes its all open source I don't think the reputation of the industry is on the line with posts including costings. Lee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hibsjo(SCO) Posted November 22, 2005 Report Share Posted November 22, 2005 Its back to the them and us scenario again. Them that want to read topics/replies/posts. Us that want to post topics/replies/posts. Them that want to read Cutting Edge magazine. Us that want to send letters and become more involved. Its is just a statement if you join. Means you are interested. Doesnt mean you have to get involved/take part. It does mean however that the Administrator knows whos on. (I personally think this is good) Sorry, its not to say that every Cobbler has access to a computer, but there has to be more than 43....... and counting. MEMBERS ONLY (shouting and not sorry) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Posted September 3, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2007 The only thing I would suggest in splitting the WANTED into a HELP WANTED/VACANCIES etc and a seperate heading for MATERIALS/SUPPLIERS. For the first time since this post was made I have had a couple of calls & Emails this month about the wanted section. With some uncertainty as to which section to post in. So today I have been back over the re-vamp topics for insperation! Despite ruling this reply out at the time I have today re-titled the two sections to hopefully make things clearer! we now have Miscellaneous, Materials & Suppliers wanted - Sponsored by Benchmark. For sale, wanted & situations vacant etc - Sponsored by Timpson Lee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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