MansionNET Forum

this is just a gut feeling on my part, but, i think its good to raise the users-to-forums ratio so things don't feel too empty.

currently we have a whopping twenty-two forums spread across twelve categories and only sixty registered accounts. that's a ratio of about three to one.

i would propose the following mergers, which can always be un-merged later if they suddenly explode in popularity:

• console gaming + pc gaming + retro gaming + the bookshelf + the media room. combine these into a single board just called "the parlor" or "the library" or similar, and placed in the "general" group next to the open floor. this forum would then be the place for anything you've seen, done, or eaten played, that you want to share. it even works for tabletop games!

• get rid of the switchboard category. if "irc & chat" is intended to be a technical discussion, it should go in the garage. if it's intended to be information for new members, move it to the foyer. similarly, "service desk" should definitely be placed in the foyer.

• combine the craft room, the workbench, the greenhouse, and the stove. similarly to the parlor proposal above, i think one room for 'stuff you made' is plenty for now. again, if this category proves too popular, you can always subdivide it later.

• why is 'stables' its own forum at all? do we anticipate racing being so, SO much more popular than other sports-watching? or is it more of a quarantine?

Very good observations, thank you for taking the time in making the "culling" proposal.

Few of the forums you've mentioned were actually requested by users, like racing and sports, as we have a couple of motorheads with us

I think we'll be keeping the current structure for a bit longer, to see how we go with more newcomers getting to posting, but if anything becomes reasonably inactive, will take queues from your proposal to merge them

why is 'stables' its own forum at all? do we anticipate racing being so, SO much more popular than other sports-watching? or is it more of a quarantine?

I'm expecting to spam stuff in there once I have my things in order. I'd say that about 80% of the sports discussion on the IRC and forums is racing stuff, mostly me rambling on about it. The 20% is divided about 19/1 football/ice hockey. And the football discussion happened pretty much only because of the world cup stuff.

So yeah, its a sort of self-quarantine for me to shout into the void about car go wroom.

Avatar wrote: Thu Jul 23, 2026 6:08 pm

Few of the forums you've mentioned were actually requested by users, like racing and sports, as we have a couple of motorheads with us

ah, that makes sense! i figured it might be something like that for the oddly-specific ones. still, i think for the most part, having racing threads show up regularly in the sports forum isnt the end of the world.

nycki wrote: Thu Jul 23, 2026 7:28 pm

Avatar wrote: Thu Jul 23, 2026 6:08 pm

Few of the forums you've mentioned were actually requested by users, like racing and sports, as we have a couple of motorheads with us

ah, that makes sense! i figured it might be something like that for the oddly-specific ones. still, i think for the most part, having racing threads show up regularly in the sports forum isnt the end of the world.

It may become a problem when I get going and 99% of the posts are about racing when someone wants to find that one thread they saw about volleyball

Also, because the forum is like a few weeks old, the forum-to-user ratio is out of whack because of that. There's no plans of adding any at the moment, so once we get more users, things will correct naturally

didn't read all but i agree to a cull in general, when and if there is too much of a singular topic, then we can expand again, in an organic manner.