Forum for the Opus

[gerraldo]

Originally Posted by Alexander Turcic

It's optional now and people are using them. It's been our experience that *enforcing* thread prefixes is not practical. What if a user wants to talk about multiple devices of the same vendor? What if he does not want to talk about the company but not about a specific device?

What if you have 3 prefixes?!
- Gen3
- Opus
- Bookeen (or "n/s" or a blank one - as a generally prefix)

BTW: I'm a games designer and this means "making up rules" and believe me "you can either use it or not" is no good rule...

Originally Posted by Alexander Turcic

Why doesn't it make sense? It makes sense that it immediately pops up all threads of a particular prefix. If you are concerned about missing threads that are not prefixed, you can always browse the forum itself, use the "New Posts" feature, or use the Search feature in general (if you are looking for something specific).

If you are a new user ALL threads are new to you. Sorting with optional prefixes is absolutely useless in that case (and I believe it's new and relatively new users that'll need the most help in finding information for their device)!

Idea: Can't we use tags?
If we had some useful categories, like e.g.:
- Opus
- Gen3
- General
- Bookeen
- Content
- Accessories
- Troubleshooting
- Developer
- News
(like the subforums now)
that are shown with tickboxes underneath the textbox (similar like the smilies on the right side) and have sorting by this tags.

(Plus it's mandatory to use at least one tag...)

[Alexander Turcic]

Originally Posted by gerraldo

What if you have 3 prefixes?!
- Gen3
- Opus
- Bookeen (or "n/s" or a blank one - as a generally prefix)

I don't see how "Bookeen" adds any new information relevant to the thread, considering that the thread is posted in the "Bookeen" forum. If someone compares the Gen3 to the Opus and follows your prefix layout thus choosing "Bookeen" or n/s or a blank prefix, how would it be of any help to others?

If you are a new user ALL threads are new to you. Sorting with optional prefixes is absolutely useless in that case (and I believe it's new and relatively new users that'll need the most help in finding information for their device)!

I don't see how it is useless. Can you explain why it is useless?

Idea: Can't we use tags?
If we had some useful categories, like e.g.:
- Opus
- Gen3
- General
- Bookeen
- Content
- Accessories
- Troubleshooting
- Developer
- News
(like the subforums now)

The Content, Accessories, Troubleshooting, Developer subsections will go away. The nature of tags is that they can be freely chosen (we do have tags already in place; everyone can add new tags to existing threads).

My experience is that trying to "order" a live community is only practical to a certain degree. We are trying to come up with a selection of useful and logical forum categories. But in regard to discussions, we do not want to forcefully restrict users in how they have to categorize their threads. It's limiting, and I honestly fail to see the added bonus.

[gerraldo]

Originally Posted by Alexander Turcic

If someone compares the Gen3 to the Opus and follows your prefix layout thus choosing "Bookeen" or n/s or a blank prefix, how would it be of any help to others?

You asked: "What if a user wants to talk about multiple devices of the same vendor? What if he wants (corr.) to talk about the company but not about a specific device?"

A possible solution could be, to have a "general" prefix, assuming the starting point has been "make prefixes mandatory" = If it's not Opus/Gen3 specific it's "general", so you'd need (at least) a third prefix.

Originally Posted by Alexander Turcic

I don't see how it is useless. Can you explain why it is useless?

If I sort by prefix "Opus" I won't find ALL posts regarding Opus, so it's simply useless if one tries to find information for (t)his device.

Posts for Opus can have:
- Opus prefix
- Gen3 prefix (wrongly choosen or info on both devices)
- no prefix (either not set or posted in the pre-prefix era)

See, it'd be no problem for you and me to find something, my concern is new and unexperienced users. Sorry, but I can't see, how optional prefixes are useful for them?!

BTW: How can you find out, if a part-time liar tells the truth? (= same problem)

Originally Posted by Alexander Turcic

(we do have tags already in place; everyone can add new tags to existing threads).

I know, but I thought of making them - don't shoot me - mandatory...

Originally Posted by Alexander Turcic

My experience is that trying to "order" a live community is only practical to a certain degree. We are trying to come up with a selection of useful and logical forum categories. But in regard to discussions, we do not want to forcefully restrict users in how they have to categorize their threads. It's limiting, and I honestly fail to see the added bonus.

What if you don't change anything at all?! Or at least, just add some needed and requested features/functionality (like e.g. prefixes, Netronix forum, new devices forum, developer section etc...).

Radical changes, like "no subforums" or "different categories" may sound tempting at first, but as is written "never touch a running system" - and that is soooooo much TRUE...

[Alexander Turcic]

Originally Posted by gerraldo

If I sort by prefix "Opus" I won't find ALL posts regarding Opus, so it's simply useless if one tries to find information for (t)his device.

I don't see how not finding all posts makes it useless. There are many other places in this forum where people may talk about the Opus - a mandatory prefix won't find these discussions either. We have a search function that works very well - if someone is looking for all discussions containing the Opus, he or she can search for them.

See, it'd be no problem for you and me to find something, my concern is new and unexperienced users. Sorry, but I can't see, how optional prefixes are useful for them?!

Many successful forums don't use prefixes at all, and they seem to do pretty well without (e.g. HowardForums). I consider us having prefixes an added bonus, but by no means a requirement for users (new or old) to be able to find their way around.

I know, but I thought of making them - don't shoot me - mandatory...

I believe one aspect why users come back visiting us is because we do try to have a relaxed atmosphere with relaxed requirements. If we started to make things mandatory that haven't been mandatory before (because of no need to make them mandatory), I am concerned that some users might find these changes anything but helpful.

What if you don't change anything at all?! Or at least, just add some needed and requested features/functionality (like e.g. prefixes, Netronix forum, new devices forum, developer section etc...).

I am lost. Are we still talking about the Opus forum?

Radical changes, like "no subforums" or "different categories" may sound tempting at first, but as is written "never touch a running system" - and that is soooooo much TRUE...

Thanks for your advice. Don't worry, we consider every change we do very carefully, and I don't think anyone would say that we are known for making radical changes to our forum layout.

[sassanik]

Originally Posted by Alexander Turcic

I am lost. Are we still talking about the Opus forum?



Thanks for your advice. Don't worry, we consider every change we do very carefully, and I don't think anyone would say that we are known for making radical changes to our forum layout.

Not entirely still talking about Opus forums, Cool-er forums are being talked about as well, and what to do with future devices such as Pocketbook 360.

Amy

[sassanik]

So you gave Pocketbook their own forum area but have not given one to the Cool-er? I know the Cool-er has been having some serious issues, but it has been out longer than the Pocketbook.


Amy

[Nate the great]

Originally Posted by sassanik

So you gave Pocketbook their own forum area but have not given one to the Cool-er? I know the Cool-er has been having some serious issues, but it has been out longer than the Pocketbook.


Amy

Pocketbook is like Bookeen. Each has an exclusive device and each developed a custom firmware. Interead is not as important.

[JSWolf]

Doesn't Cool-er have their own firmware?

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Doesn't Cool-er have their own firmware?

I thought someone said they use the stock Netronics firmware.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

I thought someone said they use the stock Netronics firmware.

Even if Cool-er uses Netronix firmware, there should be a section for ePub and a section for Mobipocket as they are two different firmwares.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Even if Cool-er uses Netronix firmware, there should be a section for ePub and a section for Mobipocket as they are two different firmwares.

Well if we had sections for everything folks want there'd be way to many sections. Sometimes I think there already are.

[sassanik]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Even if Cool-er uses Netronix firmware, there should be a section for ePub and a section for Mobipocket as they are two different firmwares.

Cool-er only supports drm epub, not drm Mobi, though it can read un-drm Mobi.

I think that in general the forums we have are good and allow for users to find info that they are looking for.

Amy

[orwell2k]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

Pocketbook is like Bookeen. Each has an exclusive device and each developed a custom firmware. Interead is not as important.

I dare say they are important to Cool-ER owners. Where do they go for help, info and so forth on their devices. I have been trying to find info in these forums, and Cool-ER reviews and other infor are spread all over, because they have no forum. Some earlier posts said "they were just a Netronix device," but I don't see a Netronix forum. Then someone said "Netronix is Bookeen"... anyway, I'm reasonably device literate and I can't easily find info on the Cool-ER, so newbies will have no chance.

I say Cool-ER should get fair treatment and get their own forum, or be clearly marked as grouped under whatver forum you think they should belong in. At the moment they seem to be stateless, and that's doing a disservice to the device, regardless of our opinions of how good it is.

Even if we had a forum for "other" devices if there's some problem with creating a new Cool-ER (sub)forum. I mean we have legacy device forums.

Of course, if they are already allocated somewhere then I apologise and please tell me (and the rest of us) where they reside...

P.S. I do not have a Cool-ER, but it is an option for me, and I think Cool-ER users are being marginalised in these forums.

[codeMonkey]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

I thought someone said they use the stock Netronics firmware.

They have their own firmware area here.
The firmware is, I believe, a modified Netronix one - from what I've heard you can't just take another Netronix firmware and flash it on it without some breakage.

I would also very much appreciate having somewhere on here for Cool-ER users.

[mtravellerh]

Originally Posted by orwell2k

P.S. I do not have a Cool-ER, but it is an option for me, and I think Cool-ER users are being marginalised in these forums.

Working on it!