What could make Cavechat better?

[David Grimes]

I want to add some new stuff to Cavechat to help keep users active and encourage new users to be more active. Well since nobody knows what Cavechat members want better than Cavechat members I am asking you. What would you like to see added or changed or modified in any way to make Cavechat better?

This is not limited to new forums and things like that. We could add things like a live online auction (like a very simple ebay). We could add singles sections, the sky is the limit (but the simpler the ideal the faster we could implement it). Even if you don't have an ideal of your own but you like or dislike someone else's ideal please post here and let me know.

[wyandottecaver]

any way we could set up email alerts on topics of interest to let us know when someone adds a post?

[David Grimes]

That addition is already in the works. I loaded a mod that added that functionality but there were some errors so I have to fix the errors and re-install the mod.

[Andy]

A "like" and a "dislike" button for each post would be nice. This would give lurkers a simple way to express their feedback without fear of retaliation.

A way to turn off the smiley faces, dancing bananas and other such icons when reading posts. Some people go way overboard using these.

[NZcaver]

A "like" and a "dislike" button for each post would be nice. This would give lurkers a simple way to express their feedback without fear of retaliation.

I've seen other forums with this option and I like it. Some forums also have the option to vote up or down each member based on how much you feel they contribute to the forum, or how much they irritate you. Perhaps a more useful rating method for each for member than simply post counts alone. (Any chance we could add that feature, David?)

A way to turn off the smiley faces, dancing bananas and other such icons when reading posts. Some people go way overboard using these.

Andy, you already have that option. Go to user control panel > board preferences > edit display options > display smilies as images. Click no, and then submit. Done!

any way we could set up email alerts on topics of interest to let us know when someone adds a post?

I assume you're aware of the "subscribe topic" and "subscribe forum" features we already have? I haven't used it for a while but I assume it still works. If you want to be notified of replies to an existing topic, scroll down and click on subscribe topic on the lower left of the page. Or go to one of the forum list pages, and do the same to subscribe to any new topics/posts in that forum. You will receive a PM whenever somebody posts.

[wyandottecaver]

actually no I wasnt. missed it. thanks.

[David Grimes]

Sorry I thought you were aware of the subscribe as well. That is a built in feature but it has limitations, things like if you do not view a topic after receiving a notice that there have been new posts you will stop getting notices. The mod I was talking about would give you the option to keep things like they are now or receive the notices even if you don't view the topic after a new post.

On the like and dislike buttons, I will look into existing mods and see what I can find but it sounds like something we could add easily enough.

All good suggestions keep them coming.

[wyandottecaver]

ahhh good to know about the auto fail if I dnt view.

[cavedoc]

The BOG discussion area is a great improvement, if it gets used. It should have been done long ago.

[KD5NRH]

I want to add some new stuff to Cavechat to help keep users active and encourage new users to be more active. Well since nobody knows what Cavechat members want better than Cavechat members I am asking you. What would you like to see added or changed or modified in any way to make Cavechat better.

A hyperlinked teleport system would be nice. Just clickon any cave or feature name in a post to go there.

[David Grimes]

A hyperlinked teleport system would be nice. Just clickon any cave or feature name in a post to go there.

I'll see if theres a phpbb mod for that lol.

[Squirrel Girl]

While you're at it, how 'bout an app?

[Marduke]

No other forum I have participated in tolerates the type of rude behavior typically allowed here, making it a very unfriendly environment to share information. I no longer recommend new cavers come here, because if this is their view of the caving community they are sure to turn around and leave. I have recently seen several other members here share the same sentiments.

Bring out the ban hammer. There are some especially bad apples allowed to troll because none of the mods know how to wield both common sense AND the rule book when it comes administrative actions.

[LukeM]

No other forum I have participated in tolerates the type of rude behavior typically allowed here, making it a very unfriendly environment to share information. I no longer recommend new cavers come here, because if this is their view of the caving community they are sure to turn around and leave. I have recently seen several other members here share the same sentiments.

Bring out the ban hammer. There are some especially bad apples allowed to troll because none of the mods know how to wield both common sense AND the rule book when it comes administrative actions.

I have to disagree. This forum is pretty mild in my opinion, and most adults are capable of ignoring someone they have an issue with. In my experience, once a moderator gets a taste of banning at will the power goes to their head and they become ban happy. Ok, If someone is clearly violating a rule after having been warned about doing it in the past then something needs to be done but the whole idea that you can simply gag someone if you don't like their attitude rather than trying to work through it constructively doesn't sit well with me. That's the kind of thing I see happen a lot in large online communities run by faceless mods. We're a small community, and a lot of us know each other IRL. You wouldn't kick someone out of an NSS convention for being annoying or for trolling. You'd walk away or try to deal with them directly.

[David Grimes]

We have our own operating procedures here on Cavechat and while sometimes conversations to get a little ugly, the majority of the time they remain civil. Most members who do argue are not violating our terms of service but if it is getting out of hand a mod is more likely to simply ask everyone to cool down and then come back or even lock a topic.

We do not often ban legitimate users without a fair warning. Plus our operating procedures require approval of multiple mods before a regular member can be banned just to be sure they are being fair.

I agree with LukeM, I think this forum is pretty mild also.