[vizion]

Hi

I was about to make a posting about 64 bit issues and realised an resultant discussion could apply equally to both XP and vista. I wondered if a separate forum focussed on 64 bit might be a useful addition to the forum tree?

david

[Ian]

Thanks for the suggestion David

We re-arranged the forums not too long ago, and I considered this briefly at the time. However, as there are 64bit versions of XP/Vista/W7 it would add 3 extra forums to the site and dilute the categories, as many of the queries are not version specific.

I'd recommend just mentioning the specifics of the OS version (such as 32/64 bit, if it is relevant to the query)... Exactly how you have done in your other post

Welcome to the forums

[vizion]

Thanks for coming back so quicky. I agree the proposal to have a 64 bit forum for each of the operating system would be unsatisfactory and I also would not support the notion because it is too messy.

My view is to have a single forum devoted to 64 bit irrespective of the OS/version. Most 64 bit specific discussion apply equally to all the systems. Currently it means the same discussion of 64bit specifics need to be repeated in each of the OS specific forums!!!

That is not good either.

david

[Ian]

I do see what you mean, but as it's likely to only apply to a handful of threads it is probably worth either putting it in the "current" OS version (for now, that would be Vista), or under the General Software / General Discussion forums depending on the content.

It's an imperfect solution, but there are quite a few other topics that would have their own section in an ideal world, but it would make the forums look empty with so many sparse sections.

[vizion]

Originally Posted by Ian Cunningham

I do see what you mean, but as it's likely to only apply to a handful of threads it is probably worth either putting it in the "current" OS version (for now, that would be Vista), or under the General Software / General Discussion forums depending on the content.

It's an imperfect solution, but there are quite a few other topics that would have their own section in an ideal world, but it would make the forums look empty with so many sparse sections.

I agree it is far from a perfect solution. One of the great benefits of forum software (I have run quite a few in my time) is the ability to have specific forums and thereby encourage highly focussed discussion.

It is not the volume of contributions in a forum that matter so much as the ease of finding what you want by selecting an appropriate forum. This increases ones chance of searching for what you want or finding the people who are likely to have the answers you seek or those who need the wisdom one can impart.

My experience leads me to the conclusion that too wide a forum topic and too many postings in an individual forum generate subscriber overload a reluctance to respond and difficulty in tracking threads. I know it is easier to manage a site with fewer forums but it is not, in my experience, easier for the end user.

But each to their own!!

My own posting is an example.. my question would be just as appropriate for vista or XP users but is definitely 64 bit and 64 bit is the way computing is going.

My two pennorth

David

[floppybootstomp]

I've been involved with online Forums for ten years now and in my humble experience I've found the less categories the better as a rule. And vbBulletin has a search engine which works reasonably well.

To have a dedicated 64 Bit category could encompass many Linux Distros as well as XP, Vista and W7 which would to my mind simply create confusion.

As Ian has mentioned, many topics in the software section of the forum relate to both 32 Bit & 64 Bit versions of the three Windows' OS's which to my mind is preferable to specifying a query as 64 or 32 Bit.

The software forums as they are work well, in my opinion, I see no reason to change them.

But thanks for the suggestion - food for thought - and welcome to PCR UK

[vizion]

There are always difficult calls to make and this is one of them!! I think we are all agreed there is no perfect solution and I support the idea you should go with what you feel is right for you at the present time.

Thanks for getting back so quickly

David

[vizion]

I thought you might to take a look at:

http://www.pcreview.co.uk/forums/sho...php?p=13103766

which is may way of trying to resolve the implications

David

[floppybootstomp]

Originally Posted by vizion

I thought you might to take a look at:

http://www.pcreview.co.uk/forums/sho...php?p=13103766

which is may way of trying to resolve the implications

David

One subject, one thread please.

A link to the thread in question.

As far as I'm concerned there are no implications to be resolved.

[muckshifter]

We only need one Windows forum ... isn't that enough.