Ski-Doo Forum Users: HELP ME OUT HERE

[wildcard28]

I like the new forum options it kinda breaks it down a bit, I started a new thread entitled why no S Chassis forum in general forum, and sorry that was before I read this section , but I think it would be cool to have a section for these sleds cause I seen alot of them still getting modded, and alot of sledders still putting time an money in these chassis`s. for instance I am also a member of Dootalk.com and they also have the seperated thread section like snowest here is changing to. and that section about zx and s chassis optioned sleds has alot of activity, since snowest will have the different section like mentioned and is getting changing too, I think what you are improving will pull alot more members from other forum sites too, making this great place ever better. which I understand is already the plan.

The new search option is cool too, but I have noticed if you type in something
in the google search and get to the list of results and get lets say about 3,4,5 pages in to it like numbered on the bottom of the page and click on one of the topics listed and then click back out of it, it seems to always take you back the the first page. then you have to go back forward from where you were. If that makes sence.

Good Work, Darren

 

[coyote9090]

I'm kinda leaning towards the "mountian, trail, racing, utility"

reason: You separate it enough that may make it easier to find something specific to a particular sled, but not to hard to monitor new posts

 

[christopher]

I am WIDE OPEN to all suggestions, so feel free to jump in and offer up your comments.

 

[PJ-Hunter]

Where are the turbo XP threads?

 

[christopher]

Mixed in with all the rest, For Now...

 

[Nubulin]

I am not a ski-doo guy, but I will comment on the forum seperation anyway.

I agree that we needed some more sub categories, but I think less is more. Lets add MAJOR classifications under each parent forum and leave it at that. I actually already hate searching through the Arctic cat section, performance modified, and mountain/deep powder sections to basically cover all the M-series posts I want to see.

The biggest problem you will have is is people will just end up posting in the general section more and the sub forums will sit mostly empty. The average user just posts and will not take the time to ensure it is in the right section.

Now if we have an army of moderators moving posts all day long, it can work, but most people just search under thier brand or main category and go through a few pages.

40 sub categories will kill the forum. You will have to search to find anything instead of just browse...

I have seen this on a fourm my old company was involved with with over 1,000,000 posts.... We added a bunch of sub categories and ended up going back to only a couple.

 

[onlyrotax]

I liked it the way it was, I could browse through and look at threads that might help me with a current problem of give me info to prevent a problem in the future whether or not I owned that particular platform or not, being the owner of 3 different skidoo platforms I will now have to read all of the sections to glean all the info, for instance a problem with clutching on an XP could also help someone with a ZX as the clutches are basically the same, as we have found out with our new president "change" is not always good.

 

[mtnpull]

First I liked all the manufacture threads under one heading. because so many features and accessories transfer over it made it easy to search them all at once. But if it has to be divided I think there should be 4 sections under Ski-Doo.

REV

REV-XP

REV-XR

Pre REV

I like this idea or something like it. Giving more categories is a good idea, but giving too many is a bad idea. What you may find happens is that some people will post about their old 670 summit in the rev xp forum and say something like this......I know this belongs in the pre rev forum, but I wanted to get some quick answers and this forum gets a lot more exposure.

It happens all the time on a hunting forum I spend time on. It is not bad and the other forums get used and sometimes the mods move it to the correct forum. Which is sometimes is lame cause the poster needs input asap and put it there for a reason. Anyways I still feel that too many subforums will result in more confusion and a harder time finding things.

 

[AK-Rider]

Change for its own sake rarely makes anything better. As a user that checks in fairly frequently in the winter, but rarely posts, I still don't understand why you want to make these changes. Were users complaining about the site being too simple? Are there server issues? Did somebody just get bored? Whatever the reason, it doesn't make any sense to me.

The Snowest Skidoo forum worked great the way it was: general Skidoo info for the average Skidoo rider. It was an active forum where members riding the "new hotness" could, and would, read and reply to posts about the "old and busted", and vice-versa. As far as the comment about the site being a "long way from being user friendly" regarding finding information, I have to disagree. If you have a question about a Skidoo, either search or browse the Skidoo forum. How can it get easier than that? I don't see how splitting all the info into sub-forums is going to make it easier to find anything. Please don't turn Snowest into a compartmentalized "file cabinet" where a guy has to sift through seventeen sub-forums in order to find the right information. I just don't have the time and energy for that in my life.

Two more things...

First, if it ain't broke, dont fix it. And as far as I can tell, the Snowest forums are an active community where members can easily find and share information. That doesn't sound broke to me.

And second, when in doubt, K.I.S.S. Why make things more complicated than they have to be? Simplicity is what draws me here. I own a Skidoo. I want opinions and information about Skidoos. And, I understand that someone who rides a different model than me, or rides in different terrain, may actually have the opinion or information I'm looking for. Heck, they may even ride a different brand entirely. I ask, and they respond. They ask, and I respond. The Snowest forums work because of their simplicity, not in spite of it.

p.s. Why would I continue to visit a forum that is bent on trying to be a clone of that "other" popular forum? Why wouldn't I just keep going to the original (yes, I check in at DooTalk too)? I come here for something different. I just hope you realize that sometimes different is good.

 

[c-bolt]

I wouldn't mind having a separate mountain/trail/utility/racing sections. A bunch of members riding xp's used to have rev's and before that, zx...etc... I think separating the forums up too much makes it too time consuming to read all the topics. I know its slow right now, but It will pick up a ton this winter. I really don't want to read 5 or 6 sub forums just to keep up on the posts, but I could swing a couple.

On DooTalk, I find myself checking the rev mountain, xp mountain, and xp renegade forums. I dont really check the others because it takes so much time....

My .02

 

[DaveB]

I don't like the sub forums and won't cruise them. Leave it as one. Snowest IS a mountain website.....if people want trail/utility/race info, they can post in the regular forum. I LIKE going into the Doo forum and looking at Rev stuff, turbo stuff, 4 stroke stuff.....I won't read that extra stuff if it's hidden in a sub-forum.

 

[daner]

i like the new setup and can only imagine what an a$$ pain in must be to do all this so thanks.
my vote is for the mountian, trail, racing, utility setup. that way it groups like sleds in the category of use not just model. i would also like to see a ski doo help forum. that way the old timers with knowledge galore could cruise that forum. but thats just my .02. thanks again
dane

 

[PJ-Hunter]

I like the sub forums. Regardless of what some peeps are saying, they will end up utilizing them. I also think that peeps will start posting where they should be instead of asking random questions in General.

The subforums aren't going to stop you from browsing, they are going to actually make it easier for you to find what you are looking for. It won't be like it is now, when sometimes you have to sift through 100s of threads to find a particular thread with the info that you need in it. Say what you may, but the current search function sometimes yeilds nothing but you KNOW that that thread is out there because you read/posted in it.

I think that customizing something frightens people, even if it makes it an easier tool to use. Hell, I have been guilty of that but all it took was some use and I ended up liking the updated version better.

 

[Little Eddy]

old forums

I don't like this new forum at all. The previous forum was simple and it was like one big family to visit . I have been hooked on (mostly just reading) SW for years (usually several times a day) and this new forum is not what I want to see as it takes away the brotherhood of the SkiDoo community. I enjoy reading most of the threads about all the various models . It's important to the sport to keep everyone feeling like they belong weather they ride an Elan or the latest and greatest. Everyone can ask a question and get an answer because we are all on the same page. Please put the forums back the way they were where it was simple to use and get usefull information and at times even a little entertainment .
Rob M.

 

[christopher]

THANKS for all the comments.
This thread has finally started to pick up some speed and draw some more of the users in.

 

[ripnit]

I'm fairly new here but I think the way it was is better. I own a REV now and have the ZXs for sale. If I'm browsing threw the SKIDOO section and see a thread about a ZX and I can help out in anyway I'll post my .02, but if ZX is a different catigory I'll not be looking in that catigory and won't be helping out like I would of. Also I have friends that have the XP and if I see a thread that might help them then I'll click on it but if its seperite I won't be in it. The way I understand all this change is for SEARCH info. Is there any way to leave the catigories the way they are on the fourm and change the search engine to catierise it like you want to in different files? If you have to brake it up I like.... Pre Rev, Rev, XP. KEEP IT AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE.

 

[jacmmaxwell]

Ripnit , you nailed it... That is what happens exactly. You will end up with a ton of threads with no info in them because each sub forum gets a way lower number of readers. Changes like this seem to cater best to the inactive members who don't give anything back, but limits the active members ability to help others.

I applaud change, I just don't see a need for it here.

 

[christopher]

Changes like this seem to cater best to the inactive members who don't give anything back, but limits the active members ability to help others..

What we are looking for here is BALANCE.

There are nearly 10x as many "lurkers" who come onto SnoWest to READ ONLY as there are active members who are online every single day actively participating in the forums.

One of our goals is to ENCOURAGE those lurkers to COME OUT OF THE SHADOWS and become active on the forum.

Thus we want it to be welcoming, friendly and EASY TO USE.

 

[christopher]

A compromise

A COMPROMISE FOUND.

I think I have a solution that will make most people happy!

We will use some set of categories for seperating the posts so it will be "easier" to locate information/threads your after. When you start a NEW THREAD, start it in the appropriate sub-forum so it lives where it belongs.

AND

There is now a BROWSE ALL sub-forum that allows you to see EVERY SINGLE THREAD in the Ski-Doo forum as posted by DATE/TIME.

That allows you to SIMPLY navigate the forum and stay on top of 100% of the posts without having to go directly into any of the sub-forums.

Is this a WIN-WIN solution for everyone?

 

[jacmmaxwell]

That should work but there is still way to many choices, four subs and a browse all would be a good balence IMO.