I don't fly much. But when I do, I mostly fly UA. I've learned a ton from UA Forum over the years.
Originally Posted by
LessO2
With a few exceptions, I think the UA Forum is, as a whole, unfriendly
Friendliness or unfriendliness of a forum has nothing to do with the forum structure per se. It has to do with the forum participants/frequents. FT may have 10 subfora under UA, but that wouldn't make UA Forum 10 times friendlier.
You probably didn't get the chance to experience the "old" AA Forum. Otherwise you wouldn't think UA Forum is unfriendly.
Originally Posted by
LessO2
if someone creates a thread that has been discussed before, look out. Frankly, it sometimes reminds me of Ogre and the locker room scene in "Revenge of the Nerds" screaming out "NEEERRRRRRRRRRDS!"
This is nothing new on FT. It happens not just in UA Forum. There are always people, newbies or not, asking questions that have been answered thousands times by starting new threads. I doubt subfora are the answers.
Originally Posted by
LessO2
Even as a 1K MM, I avoid making posts in the UA Forum, and I feel bad for it. Mostly because I have learned a lot by the good eggs in that forum. I don't feel comfortable to consistently post in there due to being attacked by other FTers for my opinion and a seemingly arbitrary policy of moderating in the forum.
1. If moderation is the issue, subforum is not the way to address it.
2. If "bad" manners are the problems, subforum can't make people behave any differently.
3. If posters are holding back because others might disagree with them, there's nothing we can do about it.
Originally Posted by
LessO2
I think the UA Forum would benefit from not only a new structure in dividing the forums, but taking it all a step further.
In addition to creating the divided forums, let's make what is done already in the UA Forum a regular thing. Create a sub-forum for new threads, and let the moderators move the new thread in the appropriate thread, and lock out the divided forums to new threads, but open to replies in existing threads.
I doubt this is a step-further solution.
What you are proposing is mods to be on the lookout 24/7 and screening
every single new thread on UA. How does it make things better?
I agree some FTers are more direct or "rude", but that's life. Online or not, there are rude people everywhere. The sad thing is as long as they don't violate FT TOS, there's nothing mods can do about it.
You can't change the human factor by creating subforums.
OTOH, I also see a few "old timers" in UA (& AA) Forum that are tiredlessly answering the same questions for the million+1 time. They are always polite and welcoming. I don't expect every FTer to be as nice. I can try my best to be polite, factual and informational in my replies.
The bottom line is I fail to see what's broken in UA Forum. Leave it the way it is.
ETA:
LessO2, there are other folks sharing similar things like you in this thread. Even though I might seem to reply only to your post, I am actually using it to make my points. Please don't take it too personally.