Forum:The future of the Central forum - looking for YOUR thoughts

Hi all. We've been talking recently about how to continue growing the Community Central wiki and to improve what needs improving here. One of the things we were talking about was the Community Central forum. For example, we currently just have one forum&mdash;at the aforementioned link&mdash;but we're open to the idea of splitting it into sub-forums for different sorts of topics.

Rather than rambling on about what ideas I have or what ideas other helpers and staff might have, what I'm looking for&mdash;and what Wikia is looking for&mdash;is your thoughts on the forum (not Central as a whole, perhaps that'll be a topic for another time). Do you find the forum effective? If you don't, why? Are you satisfied with how they are now, or do you have ideas for how to improve the forum?

Basic questions like that are part of what we're looking for, but I'm deliberately leaving this question of how best to move into the future with the forum as open-ended as possible, because I don't want to try and direct you in one specific way. If you have suggestions that may seem like they've come out of left field, by all means we'd like those too. Sometimes the unexpected replies are the best replies.

We look forward to hearing what you have to say! - Brandon Rhea (talk) 04:29, September 25, 2010 (UTC)


 * I would like a way to "tag" or categorize threads into multiple topics and/or categories. If one clicks on a tag or category, then one is taken to a separate forum index that lists only threads with that tag. In reverse chronological order same as here (at the central forum). In other words according to reply dates and times.


 * All new threads started anywhere would still show up in the central forum. Any reply to a thread in the tag forum would cause the thread to also show up at the top of the central forum. So the central forum would basically remain the same, and be the place to scan all thread titles quickly.


 * Tags or categories act as sorting mechanisms. Much better than just searches. People can categorize much better than search engines. --Timeshifter 18:11, September 25, 2010 (UTC)

What types of tags are you thinking of? Things like Templates, Features, etc? - Brandon Rhea (talk) 01:03, September 26, 2010 (UTC)

I think clearer guidelines for exactly what content belongs (and doesn't belong) on the Central wiki as a whole would help build a community here if that is what is desired. Also, stickying helpful replies in the forums (or making a FAQ) would help with the most asked questions. -- 01:11, September 26, 2010 (UTC)