I'd like your feedback on a couple topics: Search, Subforums, Banner Ads

Forum speed and reliability trump minor search features by a lot! I sympathize
with Spark's note that allowing non-paying members to search helps knife makers and
others who are more likely to have their stuff found by potential customers (at the
least its cheap advertising).

I don't really care about limited ads that I won't see as a paying member. I do care a lot
about anything that will cause problems with Adblock on Firefox -- most sites with ads don't.

I completely agree with Page about obnoxious, huge, animated signatures or avatars.
To the point that I've added custom Adblock filters for some of the worst offenders.

A few new sub-forums might be OK. I might even leave my knife makers ghetto for a
cooking forum... I'll just ignore most new sub-forums just like I ignore most of the site.
 
I came to this site looking for info on my camuillus knifes. A person named by phil helped me out that is on this site A lot and told me everything I needed to know about them. I just went to A gun show and did really good there. With the extra money I went and got A gold membership because I want to help out just like everyone else is doing. I am on A fixed income so I dont have that much to play with but I am not free-be person eather. I think that non-paying people should see the adds and have no search engine to use. I belong to A bunch of sites but this is the only one that I am very happy to pay for. This is the only site that I see that is worth a damm too.
 
I would like to see search made available to all to hopefully reduce redundant threads and thread necromancy.

A lot of people will not notice or think to use google, nor desire to pay for membership before asking some questions and doing some posting. So they will start new threads on tired subjects. Then we waste posts rehashing arguments, posting links to old threads, and telling people to upgrade/google it.

Google will stick a 5 year old thread at the top of the results if it has the most relevant content, and then someone decides to reply without ever looking at post dates. Imo it would be better if the older threads were buried deeper with another search function, since the general opinion of the fora seems to be against bumping older threads, particularly to answer old questions.

Banner ads for non-paying members and expanded sub-forums sounds very cool.
 
I am looking forward to becoming a gold member as soon as the change takes place.
This is the best knife forum and anything else pales in comparison. If you have the bandwidth more sub-forums are a great idea. I find that a lot of knife people are also into collecting watches and that would make a great sub-forum. I think Spark has done a hell of a job and improving the site is icing on the cake.
 
One banner either top or bottom(or even both if one is narrower) is ok with me-I agree with Esav that side banners narrow reading too much. And please dont use the kind that photobucket uses that pop up as soon as you move the cursor over it:mad::thumbdn: Hate those. In short, if it keeps the forum open and less strained, ok by me. Even if paying members see it. Esp ads with girls in bikinis holding knives:D
 
Some banner ads are in a package subscription form where all sorts of products are presented including political campaign ads.

If ads were to be presented here, I'd like an opt-out option or an opt-in option for paid members. I wouldn't mind seeing ads that were related to this forum, but I can find all the other stuff elsewhere and to me it would be redundant and distracting. I can see why forums run subscription ads to help cover the costs of the forum.
 
I don't mind top and bottom of page ads for hunting and fishing products, trips, vacations.....keep it outdoors oriented and I'm fine with ads.

Any politics or Viagra or Menard's ads and I'm outa here!

:D
 
Good ideas. I'm good with banner ads, and the sphinx search, and some new subforums. You're awesome, Spark.
 
So long as the paying members can opt out of the ads I'm behind it. If people don't want to see them then pay to support the forum.
 
If the search performance is increased while server loads are greatly decreased, I see no reason not to open search back up to all members, not just paid subscriptions. This will benefit sellers, as buyers will be able to find their ads much faster and easier. The flip side of this is that we may see a reduction of paying memberships, so who knows.
Non-issue for me, most of the time. I wonder if anyone actually pays just so they can search, but for all I know, that could be the proverbial straw that breaks the camel's back for someone debating buying a membership.
How much decrease in load? I say keep search as a paid privilege if it interferes with the next item.

With that in mind, if the server loads are lessened, I'll see no reason not to open up a bunch of new subforums...So, if you have specific suggestions, I'd love to hear them. Be reasonable.
I'd like to see more specific outdoor forums. Actually an outdoor section separate from Tactics/Training. Maybe add a Hiking/Camping forum, or both, something for trip reports where we can browse each other's pics, things like that instead of just a "survival" forum.

Please give me your thoughts on putting in banner ads that would only be visible to registered users (members without paid subscriptions), and unregistered guests browsing the forums, and not to members with paid subscriptions.
Doesn't affect us paying members, so we're not going to care about the banners, either way. If you can make some money from them, or it will encourage people to upgrade(i.e. you can make some money from them), great.
Something I had thought about awhile ago-you don't advertise 1sks here anymore, or have a store link. Still yours? Maybe put the link back. Maybe make sales or closeouts visible for paying members in place of a banner ad.
 
Spark, I appreciate that as a paying member I won't be subjected to 'banter'(my term) ads. Do It.

The search is bad and anything that would improve it would be welcome.

Subforums can be closed if not used.

Thanks for all that you and the mods do to keep this fine forum up and running. Preston
 
Sounds like positive directions to me. Reliability of the site is very important to me - and the times it is going down for maintenance, the "heads up" or one line explaination page is always appreciated.

To be honest, I haven't had much trouble with search - and if it gets better - :thumbup:

I have no objections to banner ads and I promise never to click on one. :rolleyes:

I know the challenges we face regularly on our little site and I'm sure you face far more. That they are often transparent to the user speaks well.

Thanks

Rob!
 
dawsonbob said:
Spark, I detest banner ads and pop-up ads (and I'm in the ad biz — go figure). Having said that, I also have to say that they're simply a fact of internet life nowadays. I like the idea of them being only visible to registered members. Those of us with paying memberships support the site one way, and registered users can support it another.

To all that you've said, I say go for it: all the way!
Click to expand...

+1 to what Dawson Bob said. You have to pay for the site somehow, and some registered members may want to upgrade to get away from the banner ads. I don't like them, but a BF with ads beats having no BF at all.

Bill
 
I think search is great, and useful...

But also, I think its great that it is disabled too. Other forums, if people ask a redundant question, they get flamed for not searching.

While we see a lot of repeat threads, I think its great that people can ask age old questions, but get fresh answers.

-Freq
 
OwenM said:

Something I had thought about awhile ago-you don't advertise 1sks here anymore, or have a store link. Still yours? Maybe put the link back. Maybe make sales or closeouts visible for paying members in place of a banner ad.
Click to expand...
:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
As a member of BF, I would not mind at all the link to your store, even at The higher membership levels.
Just my .02, but if it helps you, it helps BF.
Jim
 
JatMat said:
Quote:
Originally Posted by OwenM:
Something I had thought about awhile ago-you don't advertise 1sks here anymore, or have a store link. Still yours? Maybe put the link back. Maybe make sales or closeouts visible for paying members in place of a banner ad.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
As a member of BF, I would not mind at all the link to your store, even at The higher membership levels.
Just my .02, but if it helps you, it helps BF.
Jim
Click to expand...

Agreed! :thumbup:

I guess you have your own reasons for not have a link to 1SKS on BF Spark.
But.... I agree with the two quotes above and have no problem, as a paying member; viewing whatever type ad you place on here for your own store. :thumbup: ;)
 
OwenM said:
I'd like to see more specific outdoor forums. Actually an outdoor section separate from Tactics/Training. Maybe add a Hiking/Camping forum, or both, something for trip reports where we can browse each other's pics, things like that instead of just a "survival" forum.
Click to expand...

Unlike Owen, I'd rather have just a single outdoor forum. I find that too much fracturing into more specific forums for a general topic can be worse – more forums to look through, fewer posts overall, difficulty figuring out where to post something that doesn't quite fit into any of the specified options, etc.

Of course, you know that I'm in favor of a photography forum.

One thing I'd like to see changed is: I'd like to be able to edit the titles of threads I start (perhaps this is already possible, and I don't know it). For example, right now I have a thread in the For Sale forum, titled Rare Busses, A Swamp Rat, A Scrap Yard, and Something Truly Unique – now that I've sold all but one of the Busses, and the one Swamp Rat, and am thinking of adding another Scrap Yard to the sale, it would be nice if I could edit the title to reflect that.
 
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Evolute said:
One thing I'd like to see changed is: I'd like to be able to edit the titles of threads I start (perhaps this is already possible, and I don't know it). For example, right now I have a thread in the For Sale forum, titled Rare Busses, A Swamp Rat, A Scrap Yard, and Something Truly Unique – now that I've sold all but one of the Busses, and the one Swamp Rat, and am thinking of adding another Scrap Yard to the sale, it would be nice if I could edit the title to reflect that.
Click to expand...

I don't know if there's any problem with what you're asking. But I've had people ask me to do that for them and I'm always glad to. Send me a visitor message with the URL and the new title you want.
 
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