I'd like to advocate for turning "The Study" into a section called "Academic & Career Development"In the olden days tdub served a much more student based population. And The Study served as a place for discussion of development and advice in our job of the time (being students). Now that Tdub's demographics are aging, even though we have some new students & some older members who are grad students, we are serving more alumni who are working full time. This new section would serve as a place for discussion of development and advice in ours job of the present (often full time employment).Furthermore, beyond the same basic mission to share professional advice whether it be academic or career oriented, it would help bridge the gap between the two. I think career fairs, how grades/degrees tie into getting jobs, and all that would be well served by such a section.It would be a small thing to make such a name change, but it would prop up an otherwise dying section as people age out of its use, and only look back fondly at a time when The Study & School Tool had more relevance.This is a prime example of a thread that could thrive there, that as of this moment has 51 views, 0 responses, and may fall off the chit chat front page before its ever utilized, whereas in the proposed section, given its slower pace relative to chit chat, it could live on:http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=604022I'd like to see this tried, even if only piloted on a 3 month basis. What do others think? Would you use such a section more than you currently use The Study?
10/28/2010 4:23:39 AM
Do you mean Study Hall or are you talking some older long-since-removed feature that I don't know about?
10/28/2010 6:16:42 AM
Professor Plumin The Studywith the wrench
10/28/2010 8:36:33 AM
Supplanter in the feedback forum with the fail.
10/28/2010 8:53:22 AM
The Sports and Chit are the only sections I care about
10/28/2010 10:43:27 AM
As long as this suggestion doesn't affect Garage Hall I'm fine with a 3 month pilot.
10/28/2010 11:07:21 AM
Title is too long.
10/28/2010 11:15:39 AM
Lol, yes I meant Study Hall, not the Study. Thanks for cluing me in to that fail. ^As for name length, that is a fair point. Currently the longest section name is 14 characters long with Feedback Forum. Anything that captures the same spirit is fine for this suggestion.Academic & Career Development is a bit longer than that. (although my original idea was to use the word professional development instead of career, so that's already progress right there)Academic & Career Advice shortens it a littleSchool & Career Dev.School & Work Talk is 15 characters so its about the same as Feedback Forum or Premium PalaceI'm open to other ideas.My thought is just that our main formal thing in our lives as students is school, & for most of us now its work, and that combing the 2 can keep a dying section alive & well, however its named.
10/28/2010 4:01:54 PM
Another thought to improve the Study Hall is School Tool Tip of the day.I don't know if its doable, or exactly how one would do it. But we have a random joke of the day on the front page, having a link to a random school tool entry of the day in the Study Hall might help bring that back into more awareness & use.
10/28/2010 4:03:09 PM
I don't see why people think we need all these over-specialized forumsQuestions pop up all the time in the lounge and old school and are handled fine there--Also, didn't see that you actually wanted to replace study hallDumb idea, would seem like we're cutting off the audience that we're trying to recaputure[Edited on October 28, 2010 at 4:13 PM. Reason : ]
10/28/2010 4:08:59 PM
I agree that we don't need overly specialized forums, but I think this actually cuts in the other direction.A better choice of words might have been expand the breadth of the study hall to include formal/professional discussions on both an academic basis & and a career basis.
10/28/2010 7:42:56 PM
Qfred, if you let them have this they'll want their own gay\lesbian forum.
10/28/2010 11:31:12 PM
10/29/2010 12:21:22 AM
call it Real Shitso basically what you're saying is you want half the people who post in the lounge to also post in study hallI'm AstralAdvent and i approved this message.[Edited on October 30, 2010 at 3:38 PM. Reason : let me see if i get this right]
10/30/2010 3:38:25 PM
While it wouldn't hurt to add some lifeblood to the Study Hall from other sections, it wouldn't be overly leeching from any specific section.Looking over the front page of the lounge, out of all the threads, I only find 2 that are career/job related. Losing 2 threads from the lounge, maybe a few from chit chat, and a few from elsewhere every month wouldn't damage any of those sections with the amount of traffic they get, but it could really liven up a section that doesn't get much traffic.
10/30/2010 5:56:46 PM
10/30/2010 6:37:53 PM
In chit chat I made a thread asking if people post regularly in Study Hall, and if not, why not. The answers I got, not surprisingly, is that has become irrelevant.In particular, one response that I found particularly insightful, was this:EMCE:
10/30/2010 7:38:55 PM
Another idea for how to shorten the name.School/Job Talk
10/30/2010 9:13:13 PM
Maybe it doesn't need talk on the end, some other sections don't have that.Maybe just "School & Work" or some other combination of the suggested names w/o talk on the end.
10/30/2010 10:58:07 PM
This might be a good idea. I could see it being useful.
10/31/2010 2:38:56 PM
http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=604186This lounge thread about FAFSA would clearly have a place in Study Hall (as it stands now, even with no changes made), but probably didn't go there b/c of a feeling that no one would see it. I think this further supports the need for making some changes to the study hall to increase traffic there. Short of it becoming more active it doesn't even fully serve its intended purpose.In the other thread, asking if & why people do/don't post in Study Hall, Chop 2nded the notion that "Well Chop, if you're no longer a student, why do you still post on TWW?"-3 problems my suggested change could help address:1) Better serve the tdub community as many of its population ages out of the student range2) Help Study Hall serve its original purpose better too, as it is under trafficked & under used right now3) Create a culture of welcoming to working adults rather than creating a sense that they do not belong. Its cheaper to keep a client, than to get a new one.I don't expect my suggested change would radically change the Study Hall into the most happening place on Tdub, nor do I expect it would instantly fix the broken parts of the Study Hall, but I think it would be a step in the right direction on all 3 fronts I just mentioned, and I think its worth showing that the feedback section is used to implement feedback sometimes, and feel that it should be piloted for 6 months, especially since the change is so simple (a name change to one section).I've built all the case I can for it. More formally & in-depth than most of what happens in the Feedback Forum (ban this guy, no that guy!) Garnered some support from tdub members & a tdub moderator. I leave it to the powers that be to determine whether or not this deserves a shot. And will stay out of this thread short of more questions or comments that need a response.I've studied negotiations enough in my coursework to know that its more important to look at someones interests than their stated positions. As in, there is more than one way to skin a cat. So I'm open to alternative solutions to deal with the 3 problems I've laid out (although of course I'm biased towards my own idea in terms of thinking its the simplest/most effective way of doing it).Thanks for considering my proposal.[Edited on November 1, 2010 at 8:36 PM. Reason : .]
11/1/2010 8:17:16 PM
That thread also has a place in the lounge, or even old schoolStudy Hall is working just fine, not broke, don't fix it, etc.
11/1/2010 10:25:30 PM
Why is everyone on this forum so opposed to change? This isn't a bad idea. I would definitely read/post in a section like this.
11/2/2010 2:46:29 AM
^conservative liberals
11/2/2010 1:30:40 PM
Seems to me that you're intent on pushing any meaningful content off the first page of Study Hall by spamming it with all your bullshit chit chat survey threadsI know that no one uses Study Hall to begin with, but you're making it an even less useful forum ]
12/6/2010 10:38:23 PM
12/6/2010 11:36:26 PM
vetoed, sorry, please dont let the veto prevent you from coming up with future ideas for improvements to tdub
12/7/2010 12:20:39 AM
^^^Very few ppl were posting in Study Hall. It regularly has threads on the front page from 3 to 4 different months at a time. And threads with under 10 posts are often the norm. No other all access section of tdub moves so slowly.Its usually a random question about a class asked and answered months ago that no one is ever going to post in again. It still has threads back to October on the front page as we speak so I'm not sure what "meaningful" threads you're worry about.If I can't bring the section to life by expanding its scope towards making it relevant, since much of tdub has aged out of classes, then I'll increase its breadth in terms of the ways the current subject matter is discussed.
12/7/2010 5:44:35 PM
Perhaps a better and more debatable point is whether it's just fine for Study Hall to be less trafficked. I would contend that it doesn't need to be a hoppin' place to serve its purpose. I wouldn't call it "slow" and contextualize that as a problem just because the last thread on the front page is a few months old; I would only say there's a problem if new threads that are posted are slow in being responded to and resolved.By that metric, my general impression is that Study Hall is still doing just fine. I don't post there much, but I still scan the thread titles a few times a day while browsing the site to see if there's something relevant I could post in. I imagine others do the same, given that most threads still get answered. Having fluffy social threads cluttering it up actually makes that a marginally less pleasant experience for me. My hunch is that any slowness in responding to Study Hall threads is caused less by perceptions of the forum being "dead" and more by the shifting demographics of the site; there are simply fewer active posters with relevant information to post about when current students have specific questions about classes or instructors that may not have existed when alums were enrolled. "Bringing the section to life" with Chit Chat threads won't help that or make Study Hall more useful again; bringing more current students to the site will. At the same time, as users age out of school, there is simply less need for them to make Study Hall threads.TL;DR: 1) I would say that the supply of Study Hall posts is still meeting demand, it's just that demand has decreased. Less used does not automatically mean less useful.and 2) There's nothing inherently wrong with having decreased demand. Please don't take this as a personal affront or imagine that I'm being a hater; I'm just proposing an alternative explanation for the issues you're perceiving.[Edited on December 7, 2010 at 10:59 PM. Reason : ]
12/7/2010 10:57:50 PM
12/8/2010 1:04:43 AM
Again, I don't really care about the first page being "taken over." The bottom of the first page is full of month-old threads because they've been resolved and can safely sink; that's totally fine, regardless of what they're replaced with. I don't "view more activity as a threat;" I'm not even sure what that means. I just think that people would enjoy posting in those threads equally well if they were posted in Chit Chat, and I don't think the usefulness people get out of Study Hall would be diminished in the least if those threads were absent. I understand that's simply where we disagree.The point is more that Study Hall is viewed as a place for people to ask questions, get advice, or discuss serious issues related to academics. In my mind, and I think in most others, general chatting that happens to be related to school is better suited for Chit Chat. People post threads in Study Hall to get meaningful feedback to inform some decision or issue.Some of the threads you list certainly meet that criteria, or are close enough that they're not worth quibbling about (none of this is, really, but the Internet is serious business). But threads like "When did you graduate?" miss the mark, and "Your first post in the Study Hall - Quote it" doesn't even come close. "Workplace Logos & Slogans" isn't even remotely Study Hall material, except insofar as you made it as a companion thread to a mascot thread which is also more Chit Chat material. I won't say they serve no purpose, because you've made your case for that, but I still think that purpose is aimed at solving a problem that doesn't exist.
12/8/2010 1:34:48 AM
My most active, 10+ responses, 1st page threads are:Post Your Spring 2011 ScheduleBest/Worst ClassroomsWhat kind of student were you in High School?Which classes shouldn't you take?When did you Graduate?Has you degree helped you in your job?Your School Mascots (elementary - college)How was class today?Hypothetical: Free Ride-What Degree would you add?Every College Class You've Ever Taken... and go!If a lot of people start saying this are making our experiences in study hall "less pleasant" then I'd stop posting. But if I'm getting plenty of 10 to 30 post threads in a section that commonly has 0 to 5 posts, then I'm going to keep running with it for a while. Besides, if any thread that doesn't belong comes along it can be locked or deleted.For example my where do you see yourself in 5/10/15 years thread in the lounge was trashed. But they let someone start up the same thread in chit chat 3 weeks later. There are regulators in place on tdub if they feel topics are unwarranted or in the wrong section.
12/8/2010 2:07:23 AM
So you hope to sustain Study Hall on questionnaire threads?
12/8/2010 11:51:54 AM
While we're updating all the messageboard sections to keep up with the new, here are some more ideas:Entertainment ---> Streaming Digital Multimedia DiscussionTech Talk ---> Nanotechnology and Biomedical BanterThe Garage ---> The Space Shuttle Hangar]
12/8/2010 5:08:36 PM
^^Not that alone. Obviously the ECE 407, MAE 301, GN 311, MAE 415, ENG 101, MAE 208, HI 275, CSC 226, PS 311, PHI 340, MAE 315, MA 305, ENG 266, CH 220, CE 426, EVE 407, BCH 451, MA 341, PY 205, PE 243, SOC 413 one-off question threads are still a main function of study hall.^Those would narrow the breadth of each section rather than expand it. And all those sections are already more active than study hall. None of them are greatly affected by tdub's aging away from being a student board.[Edited on December 8, 2010 at 6:05 PM. Reason : .]
12/8/2010 6:04:46 PM
I like this idea. I no longer go to school and I don't really want to go back to school, either. There are enough people on this website that no longer attend a university to justify making a section like this.
12/8/2010 8:20:55 PM
^^i'd argue that my new name for Entertainment is just as relevant as 'Entertainment' based on the current trend of everything going to streaming digitalbut in general, my post was in jest ]
12/8/2010 8:42:54 PM
^touché wdprice3:
12/8/2010 10:51:46 PM
12/11/2010 7:47:06 PM
I'd only point out that most of your study hall posts are "crap thread" posts.
12/13/2010 7:52:17 AM
^ Really? You're going to try that. Let's see. I'll go back over each of my posts, if you'd like.Here's my first post:http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=509606&page=1#11244917I'm giving insight into a class. This was one of my first posts, but it's certainly not a "crap thread."Then I made 4 posts in the only thread I've made in Study Hall:http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=523798&page=1#11532403Which was asking about CE214 (I ended up getting like a B or a B+ in the class, so I guess I did well on the final).Then, in a thread about cheating in Thermo, I posted about how I sent that professor an e-mail:http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=583555&page=1#13562378Hardly a "crap thread" IMO.Then the Fall 2009 grades:http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=583516&page=1#13569276Seems to be a yearly tradition. Hardly "crap."Then there is someone asking about MAE or CE dynamics. I gave my insight into the differences of the two courses:http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=588274&page=1#13737323Crap thread:http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=588731&page=1#13757353Not so much a crap thread, but a non-insightful post:http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=587972&page=1#13773468Guy asking about some humanity courses. I gave some help on a guy:http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=591398&page=1#13869479A thread about some MAE professors and which ones are good and which ones to avoid. I gave help on that matter:http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=592250&page=1#13899783A thread about Spring 2010 grades (inappropriately named though). I posted my grade and then a snarky comment:http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=593543&page=1#13958267Then your Spring 2010 grades thread:http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=594106&page=1#13967822I made 1 post that wasn't relevant out of 8 posts.Someone posted a bitch thread about Fortran. I guess it can be considered a "crap thread," but I don't, as it is still within the scope of the section. Anyway, I made a post that contributed in the general spirit of the thread:http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=594660&page=1#13989757evan's fall schedule thread. I didn't post my schedule, but answered another user's question, although I was a bit hostile:http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=593388&page=1#13999073Guy looking for a tutor. I asked a simple question regarding the logistics of his situation:http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=595448&page=1#14019298Someone made a thread about MAE 407 with Boles. Someone bitched about him writing the book and having a new edition that comes out every 4-5 years:http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=595181&page=1#14099902I set them straight in 2 posts.Crap thread:http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=597941&page=1#14117623Thread about PE 243:http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=598043&page=1#14122097Made 3 posts to help the guy.Crap thread:http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=598272&page=1#14133209Thread about Boles. They were asking if he had retired or something:http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=599386&page=1#141735663 posts that contributed.Crap thread:http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=599751&page=1#14199334Post about different course numbers that are the same:http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=600230&page=1#14204889Posted my experience.Crap thread:http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=600898&page=1#14229603Crap thread:http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=600948&page=1#14237769Helped a user out with MAE 208:http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=601786&page=1#14268065Thread about MAE 301. Helped a user out 3 times:http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=601783&page=1#14268080Crap thread (one of your threads):http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=600520&page=1#14309084Crap reply:http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=603291&page=1#14345788Crap thread with 4 crap responses:http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=603694&page=1#14352819Crap response:http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=603793&page=1#14356267Ok thread, ok responses (2):http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=603851&page=1#14358212Talked about ENG101:http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=603832&page=1#14377617Crap thread:http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=604401&page=1#14379933Crap thread (you):http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=605760&page=1#14443602Crap thread (you):http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=605953&page=1#14451317About film class. Offered obvious advice:http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=605901&page=1#14452892Serious thread, crap response:http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=606005&page=1#14453138So. lets see... No. I don't think that most of my study hall posts are crap. I have 62 posts in Study Hall. I counted about 17 crap responses. Hardly the 31 that would constitute "half." And at least 3 of those were to your crap threads.My point about your filling up study hall with your crap threads stands.
12/13/2010 10:56:24 AM
I think defining anything that isn't focused on a specific concern about a specific class as a "crap thread" is too narrowly defining the study hall. I mean, I get it, you have very particular tastes for what you feel should be allowed in study hall, but given that threads you define as crap are the ones that get the most responses, I think you'll just have to live with it.
12/13/2010 12:41:26 PM
Where did I say anything about forcing you to stop the crap? I just find it ironic that the person advocating for making the section supposedly better is the one who is posting Chit Chatty threads in the section.
12/13/2010 3:40:11 PM
I think Supplanter has a good idea here.
12/13/2010 3:48:15 PM
I think it would be insightful if all of Supplanter's posts were vetted in a similar fashion as well
12/13/2010 3:56:11 PM
12/13/2010 4:09:08 PM
Lock, Terminate.
12/13/2010 5:55:09 PM