What parts of CycleChat do you use?

[Night Train]

I use the forums almost exclusively.
I do look at the blogs occasionally but little else to be honest.

I did try the chat room but my Asperger's brain doesn't process the written word quickly enough to be able to keep up with conversation quickly enough to be able to process, understand and respond with sufficient speed to make any sense of it.

ETA:
Of the forums I tend to post in cafe but do read commuting, technical, special interest and classifieds.

I avoid P&L and competitive and club riding stuff.

 

[CopperBrompton]

I use the forums and nothing else.

 

[Shaun]

I feel there is a gap in the forum for those engaging in utility and leisure cycling.

<snip>

I would see a utility and leisure section being of interest to those who cycle to shops, meetings, hobbies etc., and who fit in an hour or two of leisure cycling on a summer evening, but are not involved in the frenetic home to work run.

Discussion on the pros and cons of the various cargo bikes available would be just one example of a topic ideally suited to Utility and Leisure.

Hmmm ... I did wonder myself whether we should rename "Beginners and Riding" because, well, once you can actually ride you're no longer a beginner.

Something like ... General and Leisure Riding ... instead perhaps?

Cheers,
Shaun

 

[Noodley]

Please don't ditch the chatroom though! Noodley and I would have nothing to do but read and that would never do and, more to the point, my online flirting would be curtailed and that would be a disaster.

Have you been flirting with me I'm touched

 

[Rhythm Thief]

I visit Chat occasionally. I have a couple of blog posts kicking about somewhere, but I haven't visited the blog since before the software change. Otherwise, I use the forums and that's it.

 

[summerdays]

Hmmm ... I did wonder myself whether we should rename "Beginners and Riding" because, well, once you can actually ride you're no longer a beginner.

Something like ... General and Leisure Riding ... instead perhaps?

Cheers,
Shaun

But does Beginners ... make the new people feel that it is easier to post in? ... unless you can somehow fit that ethos of no question is too stupid to ask into the explanation of that forum.

I don't really like how I've worded that sentence ... I sound as if I'm looking down my nose at beginners when all I want to do is make it feel a cosier bit to put your first post in.

 

[Shaun]

Beginners and Leisure Riding?

 

[PpPete]

I'm not sure bout that..... sounds like you are classing Leisure riding as something only fit for beginners

 

[theclaud]

Beginners and Leisure Riding?

Beginners and Riding sounds fine. It's a welcoming place. Sometimes people feel like beginners or novices for quite a long time after they have got riding - I know people who commute for months but only ask about bikes when something breaks. Let's not press people too hastily to become experts.

 

[PpPete]

Not in anyway a criticsm of Shaun, but I find the hierarchy of the forums rather "bitty". I generally restrict myself to certain boards, and then find I havnt answered questions that were put to me in response to posts in those parts I only rarely visit ( I should spend less time in Chat & get out more )


I thought I could do better.... but it's not as easy as it looks.

Just for the sake of discussion I'll throw my "best effort" into the ring...

 

[Ravenbait]

I just use the "view new posts" button. So much easier. I don't much care how the various sub-fora are arranged because I'm only interested in active threads anyway.

Sam

 

[Dan B]

I just use the "view new posts" button. So much easier.

+1 to that

 

[summerdays]

I just use the "view new posts" button. So much easier. I don't much care how the various sub-fora are arranged because I'm only interested in active threads anyway.

Sam

Me too ... the only time it comes into it is when I want to start a new thread and I have to decide where or if I'm trying to locate a thread and decide where best to hunt for it.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

I just use the "view new posts" button.

And me. One of the things I find worse about the new software is that it doesn't give you the "these posts have not been updated since your last visit but still contain unread material" posts.

 

[Shaun]

Yes, the whole "view new content" system is a bit of a mystery and doesn't make much sense a good deal of the time.

You can view your own content, expecting it to sort in "latest reply" order but it doesn't. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to some of the results too sometimes.

I believe it is going to be overhauled in the New Year major upgrade, so it'll be interesting to see what IPS come up with.

Cheers,
Shaun