Large Scale Central

(NTT) Long Subjects in Forums

General Discussion
#1

(NTT = Not totally about trains)

On another site that many of us visit, have visited or evolved from, in the “Beginner’s Forum” there is a subject that has gone 45 pages and now been active for a year. At first I thought this was ridiculous, but I’ve rethought that and now look at it as a complete history about a railroad, totally in one spot. Is this not like a website? Is this not like Richard Smith’s article? (I just found an unbelievable Adobe File on Richard Smith’s complete construction of his outdoor table top railroad, but can’t remember where I saw it now.) Is this not like many websites?

I have a website, its cumbersome to me. Not fun. Some of you have helped me with it. But it is a pain in the ass to update and certainly not how I want to spend my time with my railroad and my hobby. To each his own, but its not something I like and therefore not interesting for me and not much that I want to learn about or devote time to.

So how hard would it be to have a construction log, a website or something like that here on these forums or at least in this format?

Why couldn’t there be a KVRwy forum subject? And then one for the IPP&WRR, the Jackson & Burke Railroad and every other railroad that is associated with people that hang out here. Is this lame? I know you “Confuser Guys” want more independence than that, want to show each other up with the latest and greatest wall paper or whatever, but I just want simplicity. I also want some one to assist me with problems. Some one I can get simple answers to questions from and keep it easy for me. I don’t want to learn a new language, so I can talk to a machine. I want to spend my time enjoying my hobby.

It seems that is what a “newbie” got over at the other site, just by refusing to post anyplace but at his original post in the “Beginner’s Forum”. Its not a bad log of what he has been doing with his hobby for the last year.

#2

Ummmm so wharts stoppin ya from starting a KVRwy Thread and updateing it as a running monolog? Take my tankcar project…I’m not even doing a write up about it on my webpage…just linking to the thread from over yonder. I personally like doing the webpage its sort of a hobby within a hobby, but to each their own. Yeah it does get sorta tedious at times…but thats generallly when I have ignored it waaaaay too long. Like now…I hadn;t posted anything in some sections of it since 2005…no updates since February, and hadn;t really worked on any material for it since June. But anyways…whassstopin ya?

#3

Thats an interesting idea, Ric. How about a “RR Construction Log” forum, something like that, where you can post progress on your entire RR. Separate subjects would still live under modeling, trackwork, etc, but actually putting those things to use and laying another 100 feet of track go into the Construction Forum…

Hmm

#4

I like it. Of course, I’ve been doing it… just haven’t had anything to actually ADD to it in the longest time … but a seperate forum for them would at least make it easier to find… :slight_smile:

MB

#5

You ask - “What’s stopping me?”

I guess etiquette. I didn’t think it was the proper thing to do and I guess under present circumstances, I don’t know what forum it would fit under. As I said, at first I thought the idea was bad and selfish, but the idea has kind of grown on me. I like the idea of the construction log forum idea and I think I would go back and repost a lot of past postings. Wouldn’t this be a lot like the article thing you guys were trying to get me to do a couple of weeks ago?

#6

Ric as many of us out here in the real world who have visited and operated trains on the KVRwy , it is a real RR to us , we wish you would do what you are considering , for the enjoyment of the KVRwy railfans .
I would place the subject under prototypes , because the KVRwy is a prototype .
Thanks …and Feb is getting closer .

#7

So, this brings up an interesting question. In the last 11 months, traffic on the site has gone way up. We’re averaging about 50 new posts a day in the various forums.

I’m against having scale-separate forums, we tried this once, and its too finely grained. BUT, what about a “Beginners Forum”, as some have mentioned? And should we break out “Construction Logs” into its own forum, or just have a site-etiquitte of titling our construction logs? I can see it going either way, but it might be nice to have them all in once place.

Opinions from the floor?

#8

Ric -

I think it’s a great idea with one reservation…

For some reason on this forum almost every topic moves away from the original subject and can, over time, become a mis mash of unrelated posts. I think your idea would work well, if the members can discipline themselves into only posting comments and questions relative to your railroad.

I know the thread you speak of. I have resisted even opening because of it’s size. I didn’t follow it from the beginning and I don’t want to wade through 30-40 pages of posts just to see if there is any good stuff hidden inside. Since our group here is a lot smaller, it stands to reason that the thread would never grow as big as the example, but there is a point at which a post might become intimidating to a new member.

I update websites for work and keep a few as a hobby. You’ll notice that I haven’t updated my website in nearly a year for one of the same reasons you mention… I have better ways to spend my time. If we were to start Construction Log topics here I think it would be quite simple to post the background material (history of the RR) a little at a time until the information was current. Then adding an item about something new would be a simple matter of a post with a few pictures just as we do now in separate subjects.

Bottom line is I think we should go for it. If it gets out of control or wanders too far off course, then we can say it was a good idea that didn’t work. We’ll never know unless we try it.

Bob’s idea of a separate forum is a good one. Perhaps we could make a gentleman’s agreement that posts in that forum would stay on topic. Keep the free-for-all in the general forum :slight_smile:

JR

#9

Don’t think it would work here. We do too much thread drift :smiley:

Perhaps one of those blog sites?

#10

Well, what if people other than the author couldn’t post there? Questions or comments would have to be directed in the “General Discussion” forum or in subject specific forums like “Operations”. I kind of invisioned a subject being posted in “Operations” and then parts of it being moved to the “Construction Log” or whatever Bob calls it. Not to scare Bob and if it did I would be willling to pay for the space I use, but I could see moving my entire website (its pretty small) to this location and just keep it here for ease of maintenance and ease of posting.

#11

US ??? Drift off topic??? Ya gotta be kiddin! But ya know some ‘other’ sites seem to have “forum nazis” that tend to kery to keep folks in line…here…we just sorta drit from one thing to another…like one would a converstaion at the local pub…Hard for the new guy topickup on all the in jokes…but makes for good retelling during the slow periods…There are times that I read back through my construction logs and blogs on my website and I gotta wonder…“What was I thinkin’ That day?” Personally I like the littel tidbits everyonje else contributes to a thread…so how bout we have a Construction Log Forum kinda deal…title your railroad …(poop! OVer my last 10 years not even thats remained constant) and work from there…

#12

Ric,

The PDF file on the Port Orford Coast RR was done by Steve Conkle who did an outstanding job correlating and culling the posts on various forums. It was successful because it was done “after the fact”. That is after the information was already posted over several years online. I was quite surprised and honored at what he had done when he first presented it to me. A fellow like Steve would be worth his weight in gold for such a task.

Short of setting up either a real or defacto webspace it would be quite difficult to do ongoing on a regular forum because of the many repeat questions, off topic remarks, etc. It would also be disruptive to the forums themselves I believe because either of the restrictive nature needed for participation to keep on topic or the large volume of unrelated posts needed to be waded through. Like Jon I haven’t looked at the very long topic mentioned for the same reason as him, too much to wade through. Also like Bart I like an informal type of forum that’s akin to shootin’ the bull and letting the conversation drift where it will and also to be able to discuss ideas and decisions as they’re being made. Makes for some valuable feedback.

The best way I think would be a search engine that would allow for easy compilation of subject/author into a sort of article or list that could be linked to an index of the various railroads and cross referenced by author. I don’t pretend to know how practical or difficult such a system would be to set up but unless it is easy and convenient for the searcher(s) it wouldn’t work. Of course having a compiler/editor like Steve C to pull everything together and then post it in a manner similar to the articles would be ideal. Unfortunately that would take a lot of work, certainly more than Bob would have time for.

[i]Here’s the link for Steve’s PDF file for those interested…[/i] http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/stevec/POC%20RR/POC_Main.pdf

#13

Richard,
Thank you for your comments, along with everyone elses. Seeing your PDF, which I really encourage everyone to read, amazed me becasue I knew I had read all of those postings over time articles and yet to see it put together in book form is wonderful. Like you and Jon, I have gone long periods of not reading any of that post. I just didn’t want to wade through it. Well, the first part of last week, I was trapped in the marina store for 3 days, because the staff that works there was off to their yearly trek to a Trade Show. Lousy weather means little traffic in a marina in the Fall, so to say I had a lot of time on my hands would be an understatement. Between tasks, I waded through the whole thing and took a new look at my thoughts on the idea. At that point, I wished that all the postings I have made over the years were in one place. Then I thought of my website and how I should post all of that stuff there and once again thought of how I have a lot more interesting things to do, if working on the railroad.

This weekend is our Fall OPs Session. After that, I may start working on that Construction Log. I’ve got a few questions out to Bob and right now I have a little yard work to master.

#14

— WE INTERRUPT THIS TOPIC FOR THE FOLLOWING COMMENT —

Wow Richard - That’s awesome. I’ve been following your posts from the beginning when you started building the roundhouse, and have read the progress reports over the years as they were posted. Seeing the entire railroad develop in one document gives an almost unbelievable picture of what you have accomplished in a few short years.

Steve C. is quite a guy. He has been relentless in trying to solve a Java script problem I’m having on MLS. I know how much time it must have taken to compile this PDF and he is to be commended for his effort. A job well done.

I’m going to print off all 196 pages on the color printer and put it in a binder for future reference and inspiration.

Thanks for posting the link.

JR

— WE NOW RETURN TO THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED TOPIC —

#15

I knew you’d like that. :wink: It was posted and referenced in a reply I haven’t been able to re-find. Pretty good, huh?

#16

Jon,
Glad the link was helpful. Small task compared with Steve’s work!

Ric,
I sure like your idea of being able to access info on the various RR’s. Maybe Bob will come up with an idea on how to implement it and still be practical.

#17

Richard,
Bob suggested I try putting it in the “Articles” section. I entered my “History of the KVRwy” there, but still trying my way around. It is password protected, so it seems promising. Lots of stuff out there that I’ve never looked at. We’ll see if that works.

#18

Bob,

As a moderator of the “Beginner’s Forum” on the other site, I can honestly say I don’t recommend starting one here. I’m not convinced the Beginner’s Forum over there is working quite as intended. So many topics get started within that forum that really belong elsewhere that I think more info is getting lost or missed than anything else. It’s almost become a second “public forum.” While I have the ability to move threads to their appropriate forum, I rarely (if ever) do more for continuity’s sake than anything else. I think the forums here are specific enough without being too specific or confusing.

I do like the idea of a builder’s log forum, especially for long, ongoing projects like railroads. I’ve got many of my construction threads bookmarked, so I can reference them as needed, but it would be cool to have such things all in one place for everyone to be able to access without complex (and often unsuccessful) searches.

Later,

K

#19

So, from email and such, the consensus seems to be:

No beginners forum
A “read only” Builders Log forum, similar to the articles section, where only the owner of the thread can write to it.

More work for me!

#20
Bob McCown said:
So, from email and such, the consensus seems to be: No beginners forum A "read only" Builders Log forum, similar to the articles section, where only the owner of the thread can write to it. More work for me!
Bob, All:

Yes, total agreement here. I just wonder where the comments & suggestions to the builder logs should go.

Hopefully it’s a labor of love??

Happy RRing,

Jerry