Expanding Rand Paul Forum - seeking input

[CaptUSA]

Video subforum.

Maybe even make it so everything with youtube or /video/ url in the url of the OP gets directly copied or collected there.

I have kind of a routine of watching news videos while drinking my morning coffee. This would change my life.

Thing is, I don't wanna miss a thing. Not one new Rand Paul video; so I comb through all the front page threads to "make sure" i have them.

I wouldn't have to do that if I could trust something to collect the videos.

I agree with this. One of the pleasures of this site is that all video clips of interest are posted here at some point. It would be great to be able to easily find them all in one place.

[philipped]

I would suggest a section in a Rand Paul forum where we can make suggestions to candidates RANDPAC should endorse and spend money to help elect in 2016 throughout the country.

[Jamesiv1]

Rage against the tyranny of too many oppressive subforums.

Only one we need is "Kelley is HAWT"

[philipped]

More ideally, RPF should have a formal representative/liaison between us and Rand's digital team (Vincent Harris) whose job it is to brief them weekly (and/or immediately whenever necessary) on the best ideas, suggestions, recommendations, and/or work-product (re: epic youtube videos, gifs, memes, etc.) made by RPF members since the last brief was submitted.

Yes

[nayjevin]

Yea I agree in regards to security, in regards to communicating info someone may not necessarily want to discuss in the open, but with other forum members idk. For example (not sure if this is still the case) but back in 2012 we had to send out multiple PMs through forums with a 5 member limit addressed in the "to" field at a time. So say you had a group of 15 that would be three separate PM threads you would have to track and keep everyone filled in by copying and resending messages to the other two groups. We eventually just switched to emails, but for convenience social groups would make things easier as an all in one and part of forums, also some people don't like sharing out their personal email addresses or check them regularly, but still want to be included in the discussion.

I see what you mean. Food for thought: Are online polls important? If so, who are you hiding coordination from? Why?

I don't like sub-forums. I've only every really looked at a few forums on this site. First, I think it was Ron Paul Grassroots, then it was General Politics, then it's now this Rand Paul forum.

'New Posts' is how I use the forum. I go to the forum index page about twice per year to get to the site guidelines forum. There could be 1000 subforums and it wouldn't change the way I use the forum at all. This is an issue that has been discussed before. Everyone uses the forum differently. One cannot expect 'new posts' and tags to be used efficiently by random internet user, unless a major overhaul of design is undertaken to make those usages prominent and obvious. Therefore what is the best catchall strategy for all ways of using the forum?

My philosophy is to breakout a subforum when it is handy to have a type of thread together for reference, but a tag doesn't suffice. For instance, gossip. It's handy to have it together because it's handy to have it out of the way of the rest of discussion. A tag 'discussion' doesn't work because it applies to every thread on the forum. Therefore subforum.

If I'm a complete stranger and I don't know this guy, I come here, and what I want to see is "where does he stand on [my pet issue]."

So if every thread impacting gun policy was tagged gun policy, I am thinking you can put buttons or menus on the front page to just scroll down click whatever policy you want and read it.

For it to work, you will kind of have to point neon signs to the thing, it's out of normal so random visitors may not know what it is. Or a reframe. "Discussions categorized by policy positions, click here"

and that just goes to your tag system. No subforums. Or across several subforums. Even better, I like the subforum plan you already have, but add the tags on top of that, and a user clicking for tags will get articles from all of Rand's subforums. That way you have both organized for browsing AND easier for users to find.

This is all good, the neon signs are vital. People will not use the most efficient path without it. If tags become 'the' way to find things, vs subforums, a major design change is necessary, or we'll just end up with people who can't find anything.

Video subforum.

Maybe even make it so everything with youtube or /video/ url in the url of the OP gets directly copied or collected there.

I have kind of a routine of watching news videos while drinking my morning coffee. This would change my life.

Thing is, I don't wanna miss a thing. Not one new Rand Paul video; so I comb through all the front page threads to "make sure" i have them.

I wouldn't have to do that if I could trust something to collect the videos.

This is a place for tags IMO. Then a massive VIDEOS button.

[jbauer]

Less = MORE

There is already 25+ subforums on this site. The interesting stuff will stay at the top. The stuff thats not will fall by the wayside. Almost an analog for capitalism.

[orenbus]

I see what you mean. Food for thought: Are online polls important? If so, who are you hiding coordination from? Why?

Oh I wasn't talking specifically about polls if the other person I was replying to was talking about that. Was just saying in general "social groups" addon may be a nice to have on forums as another way of communicating.

[orenbus]

'New Posts' is how I use the forum. I go to the forum index page about twice per year to get to the site guidelines forum. There could be 1000 subforums and it wouldn't change the way I use the forum at all. This is an issue that has been discussed before. Everyone uses the forum differently. One cannot expect 'new posts' and tags to be used efficiently by random internet user, unless a major overhaul of design is undertaken to make those usages prominent and obvious. Therefore what is the best catchall strategy for all ways of using the forum?

I think most users by default are going to come to a forum and think one thing, where is everybody?

They will look for the subforum that has;

1. The most current users viewing
2. The most most recent posts in an active forum
3. a forum that has a title called "general" or something specific to the overall topic/theme of the forum


Then they set up camp and stay there for a very long time until they realize they can hit "New Posts". But using the "New Post" link is for the hard-core forum users that can manage keeping track of a number of threads going on at the same time, the ones that are going to be clicking it 20+ times per day to see what is going on, a lot of users aren't interested in that they are fly-by members that come maybe a few times a week if that to see if anything "new" is happening. Also Some (most?) never realize they can click "New Posts" so they stay in that most active forum forever, or unless another forum area takes it's place, then back to 1,2,3,wash,rinse,repeat.

[William Tell]

I see what you mean. Food for thought: Are online polls important? If so, who are you hiding coordination from? Why?

Obviously there are much more important things. But with the family leader poll, we had our reasons for not talking openly about our elimination strategy. Other candidates supporters were following us. Its not that big a deal at all, it was just an example. Food for thought.

[GunnyFreedom]

This is all good, the neon signs are vital. People will not use the most efficient path without it. If tags become 'the' way to find things, vs subforums, a major design change is necessary, or we'll just end up with people who can't find anything.

I don't mean for tags to become 'the' way to find things, just special-use. Like finding policy discussions on a Presidential candidate. The point being you can have things in 5 different subforums, all organized perfectly, and some noob who just wants to read about "guns," can.

[squirl22]

Originally Posted by William Tell

Is there any demand for a members only Rand strategy/whatever sub-forum? There have been a few times I wish we had a private forum in addition to the spin chaff flak forum. If no one else wants one there's no point setting it up though. Just throwing that out there.

I agree with this. Otherwise, I'm not all that excited about subforums. If you do go that way, I hope you will keep an open general forum, too.

Also, I hope there will be a way to keep out trolls and also to keep this a forum for people who are 100% Rand supporters. That's why I signed up here. I can go to a lot of other places if I want to read about Ted Cruz or read about how Rand is not libertarian enough, or conservative enough, or not good enough in some way.

[GunnyFreedom]

I think most users by default are going to come to a forum and think one thing, where is everybody?

They will look for the subforum that has;

1. The most current users viewing
2. The most most recent posts in an active forum
3. a forum that has a title called "general" or something specific to the overall topic/theme of the forum

After that, they may investigate a subforum that is of particular interest to them, to see what it offers.

Then they set up camp and stay there for a very long time until they realize they can hit "New Posts". But using the "New Post" link is for the hard-core forum users that can manage keeping track of a number of threads going on at the same time, the ones that are going to be clicking it 20+ times per day to see what is going on, a lot of users aren't interested in that they are fly-by members that come maybe a few times a week if that to see if anything "new" is happening. Also Some (most?) never realize they can click "New Posts" so they stay in that most active forum forever, or unless another forum area takes it's place, then back to 1,2,3,wash,rinse,repeat.

Making New Posts a heckuvalot easier to 'discover' may help some with that.

I have others too, like promoting various subforums on a rotation for highly specialized and valuable discussions.

[mad cow]

Making New Posts a heckuvalot easier to 'discover' may help some with that.

Yeah,or a big old button right up top for Today's Posts might be even better.

I think I was here about five years before I even knew there was a Today's Posts button

[Barrex]

Another chance to expand on my theory (I am also somewhat serious about this):

SOCIALIST FORUM THEORY

Forums, sub-forums and forum threads on the internet are based on socialist model. This forum is socialist. By that I mean that means of productions (threads) are owned by workers (forum members). Moderators are equivalent of secret police - . We all know what happens when everyone owns everything- no one owns it and no one is responsible. This way we get activism threads where there is no activism or different people are doing same thing and wasting time.


How hard would it be if person who is interested in starting some project is given ownership of that project thread? He could make it public or private; he could invite people he trusts and needs for the project or he could keep it open for all; he could delete posts that he thinks are useless or dont contribute to the project...

If someone gets kicked out he can start his own version of that project in his own thread that he will own.... and we get competition.


Can we transform this forum from socialist one into free market, liberty, personal responsibility, ownership one. Imagine the chaos, anarchy, explosion of unknown and prosperity if people could create and own their own threads...give liberty a chance on this forum. I have no idea where it would lead us but I have faith in it.



P.s.

All of you who dont agree with me are socialists.

[FriedChicken]

I don't have a lot to add here but on the subject of new people coming here to read up on Rand's positions ... this forum is a terrible place to do that IMO.

if they're searching for info like that then they are probably not hardcore libertarians and most discussions that take place probably won't win their vote.

I'm probably more sensitive to this than most but I think a lot of discussions that go on publicly should be members only.

I think two forums - a news and general discussion forum and a an activist discussion and strategy forum (for members only).
try to keep the open forum "average republican primary voter friendly"

[philipped]

If you guys are gonna switch up the age and start some members only $#@! I want my little stand with rand logo under my name by my posts. What do I have to do to get one of those? lol

[GunnyFreedom]

If you guys are gonna switch up the age and start some members only $#@! I want my little stand with rand logo under my name by my posts. What do I have to do to get one of those? lol

Just click the box that says you want it and voila it appears. I think it's under setting, edit profile.

ETA - just checked. Yes, Settings / Edit Profile and then aaalllllll the way down at the waaaayyy bottom is the checkbox to stand with Rand.

[jct74]

I'd be hesitant in doing more subforums at least until traffic picks up drastically. The concern is having good intentions of pushing certain categories out on their own and if those end up being more popular ones (the trash gossip) then the not so popular (and some would say more important) activism threads that should get views don't end up going anywhere because no one knows that they are happening, since more people are interested in reading gossip.

Echoes from the past: (11/11/11 Support The Troops MB)

I kind of agree about not adding any forums until the need becomes much more clear. There was perhaps a need for it for about the first week after Rand announced, but that has passed and it may not get that hectic again for a while. It's good to start thinking about this and get the discussion started though.

Didn't we use prefixes in 2012? I'm wondering what the argument would be against using them? Perhaps we can have both the general Rand discussion forum like we have now, and allow thread creators to assign a prefix from a drop down menu of categories and have those threads with reference links redirecting them in the specific subforums to the actual thread so that they are in both places (general and sub). For those that want to look at certain category of threads for organizational purposes they can, for those that want to see everything in one view (which will be most people) they can. This way important threads that should get eyeballs can continue to through bumps in the general forum, i'm thinking activism threads as opposed to gossip garbage (that unfortunately generates more traffic).

Yes, there were thread prefixes in Ron Paul Grassroots Central during the 2012 campaign. I didn't like them for several reason. The bright colors across the rainbow spectrum and bold text were a distraction to the eyes, and the prefixes took up space in the title field which often cut off titles when viewing New Posts. The prefixes were also very often applied improperly and/or inconsistently. And I don't think many people actually used them for what they were intended for, as a way to filter posts.

I like tags a lot better than thread prefixes. An "activism" tag might be useful for activism threads. And then a link could be provided underneath Rand Paul Forum, clicking on would display all of the threads tagged with "activism". It would be the same as how is done underneath the 2016 Presidential Election - each candidate has their own thread tag filter link. I wouldn't want to go crazy with a bunch tags either, but if there was at least one for activism threads that might be worthwhile, since that is the most important type of thread.

[RonPaul4Prez2012]

The thing I dislike most about the layout of these forums is that all of the subjects are fragmented into so many categories that I miss a ton of news trying to dig out articles from each of the many categories. And if I post a very hot topic, its usually thrown into some sub-category where nobody can see it.

I think the best way to fix this is to have a main general discussion where you can post anything, and after it dies out then move it to a smaller category. This is the way that the best forums I visit do it. That way everybody can see the hot topics in one place.

[Suzu]

There have been a few times I wish we had a private forum.

"Members Only" is not private and never can be, as long as anyone can join RPFs with no one knowing who they are and why they joined.

[squirl22]

Here's a question. I'm new and I don't see a general discussion/info forum for this type of thing.

I was in my local Best Buy a few days ago looking for a new laptop. So the sales associate was going over this model I was interested in and we needed to run a bunch of things to see what it could do. I selected a conservative site that I go to everyday to see how things are going. Not really Rand Paul, guy who runs it is pretty establishment, but also plenty of Cruz supporters and some Rand supporters. Anyway, we needed to play a video so I selected a clip of Megan Kelly doing her thing on Fox. Well, you must realize, I live in an extreme left wing, progressive town, so when I selected Kelly he couldn't contain himself..yes, he interjected politics into the sales pitch! ( He thinks Rachel Meadow is "brilliant"). Anyway, I said I had more of a conservative bent and I said I supported Rand Paul, period. He said, and I quote, " I like Rand." Bingo!! Rand is connecting with the left. I said well I think he could win the general election (guy looked surprised) but would have the harder time winning the GOP nomination. Then, get this, I said I liked Ron Paul also, and he said he liked him, too! Kind of cool....if only people like this guy voted in the Republican primary.

[Suzu]

....if only people like this guy voted in the Republican primary.

Show them this article.

[squirl22]

Show them this article.

Thanks! I didn't buy anything yet because he convinced me would be unhappy with what I thought I wanted (he was right) so I am going back in this week and I will see him again.

[alucard13mm]

Here's a question. I'm new and I don't see a general discussion/info forum for this type of thing.

I was in my local Best Buy a few days ago looking for a new laptop. So the sales associate was going over this model I was interested in and we needed to run a bunch of things to see what it could do. I selected a conservative site that I go to everyday to see how things are going. Not really Rand Paul, guy who runs it is pretty establishment, but also plenty of Cruz supporters and some Rand supporters. Anyway, we needed to play a video so I selected a clip of Megan Kelly doing her thing on Fox. Well, you must realize, I live in an extreme left wing, progressive town, so when I selected Kelly he couldn't contain himself..yes, he interjected politics into the sales pitch! ( He thinks Rachel Meadow is "brilliant"). Anyway, I said I had more of a conservative bent and I said I supported Rand Paul, period. He said, and I quote, " I like Rand." Bingo!! Rand is connecting with the left. I said well I think he could win the general election (guy looked surprised) but would have the harder time winning the GOP nomination. Then, get this, I said I liked Ron Paul also, and he said he liked him, too! Kind of cool....if only people like this guy voted in the Republican primary.

I know a couple of actual italians living in italy. They like rand paul. They recognize part of italys illegal immigration and asylum problem is because usa is leading the group the mess around in middle east and northern africa. The conflict and destruction we cause make these migrants flee to eu and italy.

They see rand as the least likely to go to war, less dicking around in those regions and causing issues for italy

[jct74]

Yeah,or a big old button right up top for Today's Posts might be even better.

I think I was here about five years before I even knew there was a Today's Posts button

Yeah, the Today's Posts button is very useful. There are many occasions where I would like to see New Posts past the time that the forums were last marked read, which the Today's Posts button provides. And sometimes the cutoff point that New Posts uses is not quite accurate; it will leave off one or two threads that should be displayed according to the time that forums were last marked read. So I almost always use Today's Posts instead of New Posts actually. A more prominent location for Today's Posts would probably be beneficial, such as next to New Posts in the red bar along top.

[jct74]

The thing I dislike most about the layout of these forums is that all of the subjects are fragmented into so many categories that I miss a ton of news trying to dig out articles from each of the many categories.

Use New Posts or Today's Posts so you don't have to waste time navigating to a bunch of different forums. I prefer to use Today's Posts (see post above).

And if I post a very hot topic, its usually thrown into some sub-category where nobody can see it.

Everyone sees it in New Posts (or Today's Post), unless someone has chosen to specifically exclude that particular forum.

[invisible]

Here's a question. I'm new and I don't see a general discussion/info forum for this type of thing.

I was in my local Best Buy a few days ago looking for a new laptop. So the sales associate was going over this model I was interested in and we needed to run a bunch of things to see what it could do. I selected a conservative site that I go to everyday to see how things are going. Not really Rand Paul, guy who runs it is pretty establishment, but also plenty of Cruz supporters and some Rand supporters. Anyway, we needed to play a video so I selected a clip of Megan Kelly doing her thing on Fox. Well, you must realize, I live in an extreme left wing, progressive town, so when I selected Kelly he couldn't contain himself..yes, he interjected politics into the sales pitch! ( He thinks Rachel Meadow is "brilliant"). Anyway, I said I had more of a conservative bent and I said I supported Rand Paul, period. He said, and I quote, " I like Rand." Bingo!! Rand is connecting with the left. I said well I think he could win the general election (guy looked surprised) but would have the harder time winning the GOP nomination. Then, get this, I said I liked Ron Paul also, and he said he liked him, too! Kind of cool....if only people like this guy voted in the Republican primary.

You should have tried to talk him into changing his registration in time to vote in the primary.

[tennman]

As Rand's campaign heats up in the coming months it might be a good idea to add some more forums to accomodate the increased amount of activity and group similar topics together. Recently when Rand announced his candidacy the Rand Paul Forum became very congested and threads were getting pushed down off the first page very quickly. Splitting up Rand's main forum would prevent this from happening and allow people to find items they are looking for more easily. Of course, splitting up has drawbacks and sometimes can be more bad than good. So maybe the best course of action would be not to split up Rand's main forum at all, at least for a while.

Some categories of Rand Paul threads are:

-news articles/editorials
-interviews
-speeches
-general discussion posts (original OP's about various topics, such as Rand's campaign strategy for example)
-activism

What other categories are there? There would probably not be a forum for each of these categories individually, but some of the categories could be combined to fit under one forum. For example, news articles/editorials, interviews, and speeches could maybe all go into a forum called News & Media. That would be by far the most active forum as there is a lot of those posts. What to do then with the general discussion and activism posts? Combine them into one one forum -or- should they each have their own forum? Or throw the general discussion posts in with News & Media and have activism as the only other forum? What do you think would be a good way to split up? Or should it not be split up at all? Tags and/or thread prefixes could also fit into the equation, although I personally do not care much for thread prefixes.

I felt one of the most valuable subforums on this site when Ron was running was the Grass Roots one. I forget exactly what it was called, but it was part support group and part educational. It would give me ideas on how to get the word out and actually make a difference to help Ron while also encouraging me in doing so.

[Warrior_of_Freedom]

I think there's already too many sub-forums, to be honest