IMPORTANT! Travel Board Future. Pls try the new boards

MSE_Martin · 11 May 2009 at 1:37PM

Hi folks,

As you'll see we've started a new 'itineraries and planning' trial board (and sorry it didnt say trial at the start). The aim is simple, this board is so busy that people's questions often clog up the thread and deals get missed.

So we decided to try a new board with itineries on - its going to stay up for a few weeks to see how it works. If it isn't a success, we can merge it back in about 12 seconds.

However I would ask you to try following the new system

This main board is for deals, and bargains within overseas travel (and maybe the name should be changed towards that)

The other board, is for swapping suggestions, asking questions about iteneries and what to do when you get there.

Of course there's overlap but hopefully this gives more prime space for everyone to get their bargain spots up and questions answered.

While i know regulars often hate change, please give it a go, once you're used to it you may just like it.

Alternative suggestions welcome

Martin

M4RKM · 11 May 2009 at 2:51PM

Reverse It..

the sub forum should be for the deals.. it has been there a week and each new post on the main board is destined for the "planning" board..

but i'm sure you've seen the threads on the trial board that tell you what the regulars think..

honestly.. we don't hate change, just as long as it is change that is right!!!

Incapuppy · 11 May 2009 at 4:07PM

Totally agree with Markymoo, where is the logic in having a sub-board that is larger than the main board?

As I have said countless times, if you follow this line of thinking then practically everything should be moved over to the sub board, including most of the stickies.

I do hope that the view from TPTB isn't that 'regulars' don't like change - far from it - by the same token you could ask why the 'regulars' even bother to suggest improvements (from a regular users' point of view) when these suggestions are consistently ignored.

MSE_Martin · 11 May 2009 at 4:16PM

Hi folks,

First of all let me say that the reason we did this change is responding to user feedback - not vice-versa.

The idea of doing it in reverse has some logic. But I would like it to bed in first and see how its doing. If people would support it in a trial scenario we can always put the titles in reverse in future - and that should work.

As for ignoring users suggestions - to an extent this is true, primarily because with a site this size we can't be expected to read every post.

When suggestions are made for substantive change they need to go in the this site board, which we do monitor keenly.

However because i know there is concern over this trial, I have started this thread (and its partly my mistake i didnt do it at the start myself - as i normally do for changes) which I am monitoring, so i would welcome suggestions here for this board and they will be read.

Again as I've said enough times now this is a trial not a fait-accompli - yet i do believe something needs to happen here to make this board cleaner and easier for users.

Martin

Incapuppy · 11 May 2009 at 4:23PM

I'm really not trying to be obstructive Martin, but you say on the one hand that you are making this change in response to user feedback, yet in the next breath say that it is primarily true to an extent that you ignore users suggestions as you can't be expected to read every post (a point which I do understand)

Is anyone else baffled?

Who are all these people that have given the feedback that has prompted this change? I'm mystified as they don't appear to have commented publically on the boards about it?

Are you saying you would rather yourself and board guides are bombarded with a series of PMs from regulars so that you are all left in no doubt what the regulars are suggesting in terms of making the forum more user friendly?

MSE_Martin · 11 May 2009 at 5:19PM

OK I would really prefer to move this onto thoughts and suggestions on the board.

As noted. We responded to suggestions made in the "board restructuring thread" and PMs we've had. We do respond to feedback in the this site board, but don't generally see feedback on individual boards. So my point was I havent read this boards internal feedback (assuming there has been some)

And to state again - I am here - reading every word written on this... though most of it so far seems to be just about whether we read feedback - which is rather frustrating.

So folks if you want o change this board, make it works more smoothly, have new options in here, redo the way it operates then Im listening. Over to you.

M4RKM · 11 May 2009 at 5:31PM

Martin,

Ok, so i post here, or PM you directly? how about both.

It's been discussed before (you know when you asked everyone's opinion on every board), and i remember posting something there, and 1 or 2 things got noted, like moving the Motoring Section, and Public Transport out, so that's a good thing, however, everything else that has been discussed, and has had good support from people around these boards, didn't get implemented. And then an idea, out of nowhere comes along... I'm sure you can understand why the regulars are quite vocal.

Yes it is a trial, I appreciate that, but 90% of the posts, including most of the stickies, need to be moved to the new board. This IMO, is the wrong way around things.

After a bit of discussion on the new board, mainly the "what is this all about" and the "dear mods" threads, a general consensus from the noisy regulars (yes, me included!) is something along the lines of the following

1 - Main Board - Planning Overseas Travel & Holidays
2 - Sub Board - Overseas Holiday Deals & Special Offers
3 - Sub Board - Budget Airlines
4 - Sub Board - Holiday Insurance & Holiday Currency

Yes, I know we'll have 4 boards, but you want more focus on the deals, so the best place for them is their own board, that people can go to.
Budget Airlines is a monotonous one I know, so I'll say no more on it.
Holiday Insurance & Currency - questions crop up DAILY that drop off the board quickly, hiding them away in their own little room as such is probably a good thing, because they can be reasonably repetitive, and then people who are planning, can get more help.

The thing with the planning is that this is the way a lot of deals are communicated. Someone asks for help, then a deal crops up, and then boom, loads of people read about it and book. Also, new people to any forum, see something that is similar to what they want, and will just click new post, without searching or reading anything. This means that if they're asking for help, it will no doubt end up on the main board, not the sub board, and thus creates more work for the very very few board guides that can actually merge and move posts around.

Maybe this is another thing to look at. Having a board guide that looks after 5 or 6 boards, is ok, but when it feels like the Holidays board gets neglected, and IMO, and others, should be a pro-active thing to move posts around, then maybe you should ask for nominations for an extra Holidays only board guide that is around quite a bit..

It'd be interesting to hear back what you think of these ideas, and hope you take everything I've said constructively.

Thanks

Mark

dmg24 · 11 May 2009 at 5:39PM

markymoo wrote: »

1 - Main Board - Planning Overseas Travel & Holidays
2 - Sub Board - Deals & Special Offers
3 - Sub Board - Budget Airlines
4 - Sub Board - Holiday Insurance & Holiday Currency

Agreed - plus using the nice, straightforward titles suggested by mm is more conducive to people posting in the right place ... and for once, I'll keep my mouth shut on the feedback issue, other than to say, I concur!

M4RKM · 11 May 2009 at 5:59PM

actually, i've just adjusted one of the sub board titles, to make it even clearer -

2 - Sub Board - Overseas Holiday Deals & Special Offers

Moonchild · 11 May 2009 at 6:02PM

markymoo wrote: »

1 - Main Board - Planning Overseas Travel & Holidays
2 - Sub Board - Overseas Holiday Deals & Special Offers
3 - Sub Board - Budget Airlines
4 - Sub Board - Holiday Insurance & Holiday Currency

That's a great idea, the best by far, and i'm sure it could work fantastically well.

However maybe Mark should be made Mod of the new format in case it all goes wrong

I currently cannot differentiate between the two forums in the new split, at all.

Confused from Tonbridge Wells.

dmg24 · 11 May 2009 at 6:06PM

markymoo wrote: »

actually, i've just adjusted one of the sub board titles, to make it even clearer -

2 - Sub Board - Overseas Holiday Deals & Special Offers

I like it!

Moonchild wrote: »

However maybe Mark should be made Mod of the new format in case it all goes wrong

Now that is a novel idea - someone that contributes to the Travel boards being a BG on there! :T

(Goes back to sitting on hands in the corner ...)

IMPORTANT! Travel Board Future. Pls try the new boards

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