[Skizz]

With the increase of traffic across the Equipment and Gear forum in recent times, the BigSoccer admin team have decided to run an experiment across the forum by splitting it up into a few Sub Forums, rather than having one big forum for everything. The categories are as follows and can be found here.

Boots – For all discussion of boots, pictures of your boots, new boots, and questions about boots.

Apparel – For all discussion of soccer-related garments including kits and training wear.

Field and Training – For all other discussion of soccer equipment, including balls and goalposts etc.

The SwapShop and the Off Topic forum will operate in the same manner as it did previously.

In line with the new thinking and testing of ideas, with the forums being split up into sub forums it has been decided also that the rules about thread starting will be relaxed slightly. It will be okay for users to start threads with questions, pictures and so on for discussion, therefore not limiting Nike discussion to the Nike thread, boot questions to the boot thread etc. The mod team will still retain jurisdiction over what is reasonable material to start a thread with.

There has not been a definite timescale set out for this experiment, but we would still like to hear your views and ideas about the way the forum is run. First impressions are fine to post here, but in a few weeks an anonymous poll will be run to see how people feel the forum is running and whether the changes have been beneficial. More on this later.

In the meantime please let us know your first impressions and what you think of the changes so far.

E&G mod team

[TRIXTA805]

I think its great, a lot more organized. Well Done.

[bassboi]

even though i dont post often, i still read the forum daily. so i was a little tripped up when i came back from lunch to find that the forum has changed since i visited it in the mornig. i do like the idea of seperate subforums, it's a step in a different, (and potentially)better direction. although i do think you should keep some of the nike, adidas, puma, etc. threads sticked just for the ease of finding general info/news.

[appleCORR7]

I was the same i was like ehh whats happened!

But i do have to say now its nice and organised. And pretty much easy to get your head around. I also think that newbies will feel more comfortable as everything is nice and easy to find.

appleCORR

[Case]

Case's initial 5 cents, it wasn't broke.....
Perhaps it will make the jobs of the mods easier, and may'be improve the functionality of the board in the long-run with more intuitive areas to post questions- HOWEVER I feel this was being accomplished before with the changes that had been implemented in the single forum and they simply needed a little more time and member co-operation (read newbies reading the rules!).
May'be im just old and bah-humbug about change, but initial impressions as a regular user is a big thumbs down. I know we have to expect increased euro-traffic, but in the earlier mini-experiment with the OT forum, the OT thread has pretty much died a death since it was moved- it's essentially just me posting in the hope that more than 2 people will get involved in what was once a vibrant and fast-paced online community. Hiding threads accross several forums makes navigation a time-consuming headache for myself and I do think it's more off-putting than it is utilitous. Time may prove me wrong in terms of consensual disagreement, but then thats the downfall of democracy......

EDIT: case in point- just seeing Petr Bonetti in that ridiculous foam headgear inspired me to comment on how the whole Czech Republic must be ashamed of the guy, but where do I post it? We used to have a nice all-inclusive player "spotting thread" which worked for all our action shots of new boots, kits, sock-tape and schweinstiger shinners- I jest a little with the latters BUT with the new setup this would technically not fit in the boots thread, or the apparel......and what happens when we want to discuss, as us footy-fashionistas do, how a kit looks with a new boots/style of wearing socks etc etc

a frivoulous point about the pedantic nature of the experiment, but it bugs me

sorry but I'm less and less impressed

a political point now, now that I find teh mods weren't even given a voice ahead of the changes- what kind of autocracy is this whereby the populus are subject to experimentation without right to consultation! I may disagree with democracy BUT I truly fear that we're victim of the whim's of those above and these changes will remain irregardless, or due to a lack of passion to revert to an old system- by nature change is more compelling than status quo so Im guessing I'd better get used to this as those that like it will be more vocal than those that preferred the old ways- I think apps's post sums up the non-commital apathy most of us (myself included) will end up resigning to.

[appleCORR7]

Yep .... FAR too long for me to be arsed reading once again!! if you say anything about me in furture can you bold it so i can just skip to that bit?

appleCORR

[Case]

anyone wanting to get away with breaking the rules take note, write alot and moderCORR won't bother reading it!

[m4k-10]

Agreeing with case I really dont like this system too. its a hassle having to check the forums' sub-forums to read the threads. Especially if your internet is playing up and you just want to visit one page.

In a lazy sense, i cant be bothered checking certain threads anymore as its not as accessable. Just a few clicks too many IMO.

[Bonnie Lass]

I kind of hated it at first, but it's grown on me. Especially since I realized the only threads I bother keeping up with are the ones about new shirts, shirt photos, etc.

It's much easier to find threads that have already been started. I don't have to scroll through a ton of boots/balls threads in order to find a well-buried shirt printing thread. I imagine it will also make it easier for new posters as well.