Separate Forum for Advice Issues?

This is just an idea based on something I saw on another forum that has worked quite well and been more productive than just asking for/soliciting advice amidst general discussion.

Could we create a Love/Life Advice forum dedicated to focusing on personal problems of members on the forums? In Farore we created a separate stickied thread because advice asked for/solicited in our Community thread got buried in spam and other Utopia-esque nonsense, and it's been very productive so far. But on a forum-wide scale, I think this might work even better if we devoted an entire forum to it anyway, because then the thread won't get buried (as the Love threads in GCC often happen to) and members will be able to create threads for specifically addressing their particular issues without having to worry about those being buried by other forum stuffs.

Another thing this particular board did was to form an advice team devoted to giving out advice. Now they, of course, wouldn't necessarily be the only members allowed to give advice, but it would be a good way to ensure that members asking for advice know which members are undoubtedly trustworthy and whose advice will definitely be wise and helpful.

Community/staff opinions?

Originally Posted by Seran Aileron

In Farore we created a separate stickied thread because advice asked for/solicited in our Community thread got buried in spam and other Utopia-esque nonsense, and it's been very productive so far. But on a forum-wide scale, I think this might work even better if we devoted an entire forum to it anyway, because then the thread won't get buried (as the Love threads in GCC often happen to) and members will be able to create threads for specifically addressing their particular issues without having o worry about those being buried by other forum stuffs.

I'd prefer this sort of thing stay in the clans. I see the clans as providing more of that community support than the general ZU populace. I'm also not particularly fond of the idea of increasing the amount of space devoted to advice for personal issues; having a thread for general advice, and having another thread for love advice... I would think that'd be enough.

An entire forum seems like a bit of a stretch.

I love the idea. Even though I haven't posted in it, it is easy to see how well the one thread in Farore is working. Taking the thing forum-wide would work at least as well I think. And as a seperate forum, it would probably work better than this thread does, as this forum would have a broader sense of what could be asked there.

And congratulations on your 11,000th (counted) post Seran.

Originally Posted by Jehanne

I'm also not particularly fond of the idea of increasing the amount of space devoted to advice for personal issues;

May I ask for your logic on this?

I would think, as the one topic that all of our members deal with, it is completely logical to give it as much space as is possible and productive.

My opinions aren't based so much on logic; it's more of a preference.

Originally Posted by Seran Aileron

I would think, as the one topic that all of our members deal with, it is completely logical to give it as much space as is possible and productive.

As much space as possible?

I'm as sensitive as the next person, but I don't see the primary role of the ZU forums as being a support network. I do, however, see that the clans would perform that role.

Firstly, I'm in support of Alex' idea

Originally Posted by Jehanne

I'm as sensitive as the next person, but I don't see the primary role of the ZU forums as being a support network. I do, however, see that the clans would perform that role.

The clans, all three without exception, are all very exclusive and close-knit mini communities, where it's difficult to get into and be part of easily. The number of "regulars" who form that close knit group are very small in comparison to the forum regulars in general.

I also know and have seen that the clans are primarily a fun fun quick-move-along spammy type of atmosphere that is not, at all, a suitable one for someone to come forth and speak seriously or ask for help and advice. Why, I've heard clanners complain before when someone writes semi seriously within that the clan is becoming more "blog" and complain that it makes the clan less fun and that there is no place within for that.
It also astonishes me jUST how many people - the very sAME people who act happy and carefree in clans - who have deep problems and seriously want a bit of honest and genuine support but have nowhere within the forums to speak of it, and expect mature helpful listening ears and responses.

We have sections within the forums to help people with games, and to help them with homework - sUREly it is far FAR more important that our community offer support that is of REAL help and needed badly by it's members?

ZU's strongest point is it's community -- and support should be but a natural extention and extrapolation of what is already provided here.


I am compLETEly in support of this idea.

I support this idea 120%. A separate place for love/life issues would be great. Not only would members be inclined to post more there without the fear of being buried, but this is another great way to bring the community together. We all have problems, and this is a great way to show that we're all one big happy family and can help each other out if needed. Clan exclusiveness would be a bad idea since that would exclude over half of ZU. This idea should be for the whole community since it's most obviously a community function. We are a community, right? Maybe it's time we started acting like one. ^_^

How about a separate advice forum for everything? Not just love/life, but for any sort of issue that may arise with a person, be it in real life, a technical problem, or even simply a problem with the forums. The Temple of Knowledge forum gets almost no hits; it has the least number of threads and posts out of all the Community forums, save for the Awards forum, and therefore could easily be merged into it.

Oy.
You
*pokes Duo*

Stop sounding like Scott xD

But you make a brilliant point..
advice forum, with seperate school advice bit and personal ... sounds good

I don't know about the advice thread, because I don't visit it, but if the problem is that the thread providing this support is too spammy, then we will simply make sure that someone is watching the thread and deleting the spam there. I don't really think that a single topic is worthy of a separate board all on its own.

Maybe we can start one of those "ask wiselady" sections on the main site, like in so many magazines, where all your "halp i think my bf is more interested in video games than me, what do i do!?" woes can be answered. Because half the sections currently on the main site haven't been updated in over a year. <_<.

Originally Posted by Cody

I don't really think that a single topic is worthy of a separate board all on its own.

A "single topic" doesn't do justice, since there are many topics and problems people could have. And again, it deserves its own place since it has the potential to be a section unto itself.

The problem with a single topic is that particular problems can be buried within the topic. With a forum where each problem or class of problems can be grouped into its own topic, there is much less clutter, or, at the least, individual problems are easier to track down for reference because they're in their own thread instead of a single post.

While I do understand there are ways of searching for users' posts within a thread, this is much less reliable than separate threads with respect to keeping tabs on particular problems, questions, and advice.

Precisely. A person with a problem can start their own thread, instead of risking having their post ignored by other posts that have been made. It's a lot like having many people talking to you at once with different subjects, and you just can't keep up. Being able to post your own thread in a forum for love/life advice would be much more simple, and would guarantee having more hits, which increases the chance of receiving advice for your problem. It's at a much easier pace, not to mention much more organized and easier to read this way.

My position is the same as previously stated.



However, if you're interested in seeing what the categories would be for such a subforum, you can take a look here --> student advice forum . This appears to address the issues that teenagers would be seeking advice for.

Originally Posted by Jehanne

My position is the same as previously stated.

I should have added "within reason" to the end of the post in question.