Have your say - SAU forum categories

[PranK]

Hi All,

We're in dire need of a categories reshuffle so we can more easily find content and also make new content easier to find. The current structure is too busy and complex.

Note that all moved topics will be tagged with the original forum category they came from so we will retain that info.

Current Automotive structure

- Newbie Introductions
- General Automotive Discussion
 - - Other Nissan Imports
- - Evo discussion
- - Euro Discussion
- VR Series - R35 GTR, Juke-R
- - R35 GT-R For Sale
- - R35 GT-R WTB
- - RB Series - R31, R32, R33, R34 (1986-2002)
- - VQ Series - V35, V36 & Infiniti
- Four Door Family
- - Members and Their Rides
- - Cefiros Parts Classifieds
- Wagoneers
- - Stagea Parts Classifieds
- Classics (1953-1988)
- Motorsport
- - Drift & Drag
- - Motorsport Builds
- Importing Vehicles

My suggested Automotive structure

- Newbie Introductions
- General Automotive Discussion
 - - Other Nissan Imports > Move to General
- - Evo discussion > Move to General
- - Euro Discussion > Move to General
- VR Series - R35 GTR, Juke-R > Move to General
- - R35 GT-R For Sale > Move to For Sale
- - R35 GT-R WTB > Move to WTB
- - RB Series - R31, R32, R33, R34 (1986-2002) > Move to General
- - VQ Series - V35, V36 & Infiniti > Move to General
- Four Door Family > Move to General
- - Members and Their Rides > Move to build threads
- - Cefiros Parts Classifieds > Move to For Sale
- Wagoneers  > Move to General
- - Stagea Parts Classifieds > Move to For Sale
- Classics (1953-1988) > Move to General
- Motorsport
- - Drift & Drag > Move to Motorsport
- - Motorsport Builds > Move to Build threads
- Importing Vehicles

Automotive after restructure

- Newbie Introductions
- General Automotive Discussion
- Motorsport
- Importing Vehicles

Modifications & Maintenance currently;

- Forced Induction Performance
- - RB30 conversions
- Naturally Aspirated Performance
- Suspension, braking and tyres
- Drivetrain and transmission
- General Maintenance
- Cosmetic, Styling & Respray
- Car Detailing & Paint Care
- Car Audio & Electrical
- Tutorials / DIY / FAQ
- Fabrication
- Projects, Overhauls and Build-ups
- - Motorsport Builds
- - Four Door Builds

Modifications & Maintenance suggested;

- Forced Induction Performance > Add new 'Performance' under General Automotive
- - RB30 conversions > Move to Performance
- Naturally Aspirated Performance > Move to Performance
- Suspension, braking and tyres > Move to General 
- Drivetrain and transmission > Move to General 
- General Maintenance > Move to General 
- Cosmetic, Styling & Respray > Move to General 
- Car Detailing & Paint Care > Move to General 
- Car Audio & Electrical > Move to General 
- Tutorials / DIY / FAQ > Retain but move to 'Automotive'
- Fabrication > Move to General 
- Projects, Overhauls and Build-ups > Retain but move to 'Automotive'
- - Motorsport Builds > Move to builds
- - Four Door Builds > Move to builds

Remove 'Modifications & Maintenance'.

Automotive after restructure

- Newbie Introductions
- General Automotive Discussion
- - Performance (Maybe this should be top level?)
- Motorsport
- Importing Vehicles
- Tutorials
- Projects, Overhauls and Builds

This is obviously a significant change but I believe it is one that will foster more discussion.

Please leave your opinions. I'd like to make the changes this coming weekend.

[GTSBoy]

Mmm. I'm perhaps more in favour of a top level forum category being "Technical" with all the technical things that you have proposed to put under "Performance" and "General" being under there. Suspension and Handling is just as much a part of "Performance" as adding boost or working an NA engine.

The main problem you have now is that other categories like "Suspension and Handling", and "Drivetrain" have a mixture of performance mods posts and maintenance posts. Ditto even the "Forced Induction Performance" forum. So unless you're proposing to tease out all those threads (and I can't imagine why you would volunteer or why any one of us would consider it to be a good idea either, perhaps just go with a structure that has "General Automotive Discussion" as a top level, under which you squeeze most things that are not technical, and a "Technical" top level under which you put everything that we already have, just with less of the hierarchical nesting.

To be frank, I seldom use any of the forums under General Automotive now. I only respond to new threads in there when they occasionally pop up. Actually, to be even more fair, I really don't browse any forums directly. I just look at the new posts indexes and my notifications to see if there's anything worth looking at.

So perhaps just flatten the whole structure down to only have "General" and "Technical" top levels and put everything in under those in as flat a structure as you can tolerate?

[PranK]

1 hour ago, GTSBoy said:

Mmm. I'm perhaps more in favour of a top level forum category being "Technical" with all the technical things that you have proposed to put under "Performance" and "General" being under there. Suspension and Handling is just as much a part of "Performance" as adding boost or working an NA engine.

The main problem you have now is that other categories like "Suspension and Handling", and "Drivetrain" have a mixture of performance mods posts and maintenance posts. Ditto even the "Forced Induction Performance" forum. So unless you're proposing to tease out all those threads (and I can't imagine why you would volunteer or why any one of us would consider it to be a good idea either, perhaps just go with a structure that has "General Automotive Discussion" as a top level, under which you squeeze most things that are not technical, and a "Technical" top level under which you put everything that we already have, just with less of the hierarchical nesting.

Yeah, I think we're on a similar page here.

1 hour ago, GTSBoy said:

To be frank, I seldom use any of the forums under General Automotive now. I only respond to new threads in there when they occasionally pop up. Actually, to be even more fair, I really don't browse any forums directly. I just look at the new posts indexes and my notifications to see if there's anything worth looking at.

This is precisely why we need the change. You'd have only a few areas with new posts in them so much easier to see activity and contribute. Not everybody uses the new content streams or even knows they exist. 

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

I recall we had a healthy discussion about this half a decade ago and nothing happened lol.

[PranK]

35 minutes ago, Dose Pipe Sutututu said:

I recall we had a healthy discussion about this half a decade ago and nothing happened lol.

Yep. Just a reminder that this is not my full time job.  

[Murray_Calavera]

If we wait another 5 years maybe Chat GPT can just sort it all out for us lol. 

[funkymonkey]

Community

• Newbie Introductions
• General Automotive Discussion
• Motorsport Discussion & Builds
• Members Rides, Project Overhauls & Restorations

Model Specific

• R Series (R30, R31, R32, R33, R34)
• V Series (V35, V36, V37 & Infiniti)
• Classic & Vintage (1950's-1980's)
• Four Door Family & Wagoneers
• R35 GT-R

Performance & Modifications

• Engine & Forced Induction
• Suspension, Brakes & Drivetrain
• Exterior & Interior Styling
• Car Audio & Electronics

[funkymonkey]

would you believe the majority of that was ChatGPT generated? Just had to clean up a couple of repeats and obvious nonsense because it didn't have context

[funkymonkey]

Here's a Shan augmented AI generated structure:

Community

• Newbie Introductions
• General Automotive Discussion
• Motorsport Discussion & Builds
• Members Rides, Project Overhauls & Restorations
• Importing, Compliance, Modification Laws & Regulations

Model Specific

• R Series (R30, R31, R32, R33, R34)
• V Series (V35, V36, V37 & Infiniti)
• Classic & Vintage (1950's-1980's)
• Four Door Family & Wagoneers
• R35 GT-R

Performance & Modifications

• Engine & Forced Induction
• Suspension, Brakes & Drivetrain
• Exterior & Interior Styling
• Car Audio & Electronics

Regional

• Australia - National
• Australia - New South Wales
• Australia - Victoria
• Australia - Queensland
• Australia - Western Australia
• Australia - South Australia
• Australia - Tasmania
• Australia - ACT
• Australia - Northern Territory
• Japan
• New Zealand
• North America - (USA & Canada)

Off-Topic

• The Wasteland
• Art, Music & Photography
• Tech & Games
• Health, Wellbeing & Lifestyle

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

Do we even need the regional stuff? Nearly could just runs tags or prefixes like OCAU.

Have like Australia & New Zealand, Northern Hemisphere, Southern Hemisphere (ex. ANZ)

[inark]

Funkys seems clean... but could also see how not inc every region could work too. Not sure there is enough traffic / posting to justify splitting it up. Could always just have regional sticky threads within each region.

So maybe just;

Regional

• Australia 
• Japan
• New Zealand
• North America - (USA & Canada)

[funkymonkey]

You could just subsection the states under Australia

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

I'm not a fan of creating so many subsections, say if you lived in NSW and saw a great VIC discussion, maybe you would want to join it.

I like the prefix idea, e.g. OCAU

[funkymonkey]

6 hours ago, Dose Pipe Sutututu said:

I'm not a fan of creating so many subsections, say if you lived in NSW and saw a great VIC discussion, maybe you would want to join it.

I like the prefix idea, e.g. OCAU

I foresee mods/admin renaming a whole bunch of threads

[r32-25t]

We can’t get rid of the project area

[r32-25t]

But put all the project cars in one area instead of having to search around for them 

[PranK]

I like the prefixes idea over subforums too.

I'm trying to find out when the next version of Invision is due to drop because apparently they've done a lot of work to tags and prefixes.  

[MBS206]

I am going to vote, please keep the motorsport builds separate, from the general builds.

 

I look at each, at different times, for different wants. And it makes a lot of sense to keep it separate, and also helps you to understand who's building a wild street car, vs who's building a great race car, without needing to memorise every single persons build thread and objectives.

[funkymonkey]

10 hours ago, MBS206 said:

I am going to vote, please keep the motorsport builds separate, from the general builds.

 

I look at each, at different times, for different wants. And it makes a lot of sense to keep it separate, and also helps you to understand who's building a wild street car, vs who's building a great race car, without needing to memorise every single persons build thread and objectives.

If we go with tags then maybe just tagging the objective of the build?

Then I can rock the “1999 nostalgic habib sex spec” tag.