Classifieds overhaul?

[gregmonsta]

Think it might better to have a thread based classifieds system? The threads would stand a better chance to stay current and would also be more noticable me thinks. Also, once completed, any mod should be able to delete the thread.

Might be another idea to use the old section but add it to unread posts updates?

[adamanteus]

We did have a threads based system before.... Jason placed the Classifieds Tab there when he modernised. I'm inclined to agree with you though, Greg. It doesn't seem very effective in it's current format. No one visits it!

[gregmonsta]

It would make it more accessible to visitors too :) ... I know it's on the top tab but that does escape people sometimes.

[adamanteus]

I'll highlight this thread to Boots, see what he thinks about restarting the thread based classified sysyem.

[brain]

It would make it more accessible to visitors too :) ... I know it's on the top tab but that does escape people sometimes.


It might help to just move the "classif" tab in front of the "Home" tab??


Just thinking out loud ..

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

It might help to just move the "classif" tab in front of the "Home" tab??


Just thinking out loud ..

not in my case at least it wouldnt... I just don't like the current classifieds setup at all. It's all really outdated stuff in there and it doesn't seem to attract any attention.

[Boots]

While moving the tab would be a change but I would rather look at what is wrong with the current setup and see if we can fix that instead. If anyone has any thoughts or ideas on how to improve the classifieds I would love to hear them. If there is no way to fix it we could always go back to having the ads as a sub-forum. It cost me money to maintain the classifieds and I would have not problem saving the money if they are not useful to our members. That said, I would rather figure out what is wrong with the current setup and work on improving it.

Jason

[zooplan]

The clasified section is on the right place!
The feature block at the Homepage should be enough at that place.
Maybe it will work better when the running-time is limited, or there is an option to reset the date of the ads.
Maybe the moderators could have a little look on it(I found an European ad without an active member?)
And last but not least I´want to ask for the permission for more than two ads, even for "active members"
(like James and Sefan ;-D )

[jitami]

I think the classifieds would work better as a sub-forum. I know I almost never use the portal page. I try to check in there every so often, but it just doesn't happen on a regular basis.

Here's a very busy forum example with a VERY busy, and useful, classified section Pirate4x4.Com Bulletin Board - Powered by vBulletin (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/) They haven't always been this active, of course. They started out small and I've watched them grow over the last 12 years or so. They now have a paid vendor section up top, then a free classified section at the bottom.... and a whole bunch of stuff in between, including VERY specific sections as well as a miscellaneous section that houses their general chit-chat area, where anything goes. I only bring this forum up as an example because I think it's very well run, there are very strict "on-topic" rules which are typically moderated well, if not a bit heavy handedly, but it works and works well. It's not the largest forum out there, but I do think it's particularly well run... As is Thamnophis, in my opinion, but we may want to look outside our "little box" to see different ways to proceed as we grow.

[gregmonsta]

Certainly I still think a sub-forum would be best ... it seems to work better on other forums ... it's livelier and also easier to see when things have been sold etc ... as part of the unread threads it would also peak more interest and reach more people actively ... even if the established format were to be transferable to this style it would be a big improvement.

[drache]

bump
still interested in this subject
could we at least clean up the current section?
my assumption is that most ads placed last august are no longer relevant
perhaps we need a classifieds manager?
we could have an attendant thread with a weekly summary or some such thing
sort of like real estate where they list open houses once a week

[prattypus]

You mean you can get them other than WC or from Scott????

[drache]

You mean you can get them other than WC or from Scott????
well yeah - there are people who breed (both intentionally and accidentally) on this forum
have you looked at our current classified section?
there's a tab in the top right corner of this very page
however, it needs something to get people to look at it a bit more
and it needs a tiny bit of maintenance

[Quibble]

i would appreciate the thread based classifieds, but if the current classifieds can be improved, then by all means go for it! im sure it would be visited more often if it was more up to date and easily accessible.

[drache]

i do think it's pretty accessible through that tab at the top right - it's always there
but i never go to the gallery either, because i like seeing the photos in threads (there's a second reason not relevant to this thread)
the classifieds is perhaps a more specific utilitarian destination? i do go there when i'm looking for something, or when i want to sell, trade, or give away
btw - there are also featured ads right on the home page
i do believe that many of us who are regular forum visitors, don't go to the home page very often; i know i don't go every day, so i just had to go to check whether those featured ads were still there, and yes, they are - including one placed by a member who hasn't been active on the forum since early last summer, and the ad has been running for almost two years now
so perhaps we do need some sort of limit on running time, and people can renew if they need to

[prattypus]

well yeah - there are people who breed (both intentionally and accidentally) on this forum
have you looked at our current classified section?
there's a tab in the top right corner of this very page
however, it needs something to get people to look at it a bit more
and it needs a tiny bit of maintenance

Yeah, I knew that, I was just being a smart alec. I've bought from Scott before, and I know that a bunch on here have as well.:D:D

[gregmonsta]

I thought I'd bring this up again :o ... I still think a thread based system would work better. Older adds would just drop off the radar, when posted they would be a part of the 'unread threads' section (better for the seller as it might peak more interest) and easier to deal with for the mods? (ie older threads could be deleted?). :rolleyes:

[Boots]

I will post a poll in the next couple days. If enough members would prefer just using the forum for the classifieds, so be it.

Jason

[ConcinusMan]

clearly something needs to change. I'm against getting rid of it altogether, definitely. But an overhaul in time for all those babies this year would be nice.

[Snaky]

I'm member of another forum with a nice system. There you have a classifieds section, like here, but for each add that is posted also a thread is started on the forum. The thread links to the add in the classifies and you can not post there.

Would this be a possibility maybe here to?

[jitami]

Will be looking forward to the poll :)

[ConcinusMan]

bump
still interested in this subject
could we at least clean up the current section?
my assumption is that most ads placed last august are no longer relevant
perhaps we need a classifieds manager?
we could have an attendant thread with a weekly summary or some such thing
sort of like real estate where they list open houses once a week

I hereby volunteer to be the classifieds moderator? manager? whatever. It doesn't look like it would be huge job anyway. I like the idea of an ad having an expiration, like craigs list does. For cryin' out loud, Don's ad for Iowa albino plains garters is still up. I bought the last one he had.