Should we replace the Events system with a normal Events forum?

Should we drop the Events system and change it to a normal sub-forum for discussing events?

  • Yes

    Votes: 8 80.0%
  • No

    Votes: 2 20.0%

  • Total voters
    10
  • Poll closed .

Admin

You there; behave!
Staff member
I am in the process of upgrading Stafford Forum. There are a lot of brilliant features that this will bring, which I will announce at a later time, but I've hit a bit of a stumbling block.

The Events system that we use was created by a third party, who now no longer seems to support the system. What this means is that, whilst it does work with the incoming upgraded version of The Forum, it may well not work in future, thus delaying future upgrades and possibly causing system instabilities.

To that end, I am thinking of doing away with it. This would mean that there is no Forum Calendar, and no notification of upcoming Events. The Events sub-forum would remain, and people could continue to post details of things happening in Staffordshire in there, but it would just be a discussion forum like Stafford Chat, General Chat, etc. - there would be no embedded Google Maps, not RSVP system, etc. It would just be a case of creating a new thread with details of your event, then people could reply and interact with it, ask for information, say they were attending, etc. - like they would with any other thread in any other sub-forum.

How do people feel about this? I get the impression from some people that the Events system isn't viewed as terribly useful, in which case I dare say people won't care. I may be wrong, however, and people would rather I try and keep it. If that is the case, I can make enquiries about the possibility of paying someone to maintain and support it, or perhaps moving to a different calendar/events system (although to be honest I've looked into that and it doesn't seem too feasible at present).

Just to clarify: We wouldn't be losing the ability to post and chat about upcoming events - it's just that there will be no calendar system, and therefore there will be no side-block showing you upcoming events, etc.

Please let me know by voting in this poll. I would also appreciate some feedback as to why you chose your vote, if possible, please.

Thanks. :)
 

Andreas Rex

Banned for smiling
Being able to view events on the calendar and in chronological order on the home page is something I find very useful. Many of the events which get posted on here don't elicit any replies, so that would mean they would disappear down the forum list and not be as visible as they should be.

Having the map/link/time etc is also really important.
 

Wormella

Well-Known Forumite
I don't find the calendar and events all that useful - I do put things onto it but don't ever feel there's much response, and I never thing to check it myself - where as an events thread, properly policed would work ok.
 

Admin

You there; behave!
Staff member
I don't find the calendar and events all that useful - I do put things onto it but don't ever feel there's much response, and I never thing to check it myself - where as an events thread, properly policed would work ok.
This is exactly the way I feel about it. I almost feel like a normal sub-forum would actually encourage people to chat more about events, as at the moment they might not "get" the Events system and so are a bit daunted by it and never check it!
 

Wormella

Well-Known Forumite
This is exactly the way I feel about it. I almost feel like a normal sub-forum would actually encourage people to chat more about events, as at the moment they might not "get" the Events system and so are a bit daunted by it and never check it!


There's also the issue I find that not everything needs a thread, and things that do no one posts in
 

andy w

Well-Known Forumite
Yes a simple events sub forum would be good although my only reservation is that threads sometimes end up going off on a tangent!
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
The fact that the current system generates the "Three-Day-Warning" chart on the main page is really useful to me - I would have missed the Classic Car show the weekend before last without that telling me, for example.

Actually setting up an 'event' is not the simplest task on here - it's very easy to get both the date and the venue wrong, which is fairly fundamental to its success. It's frequently not necessary to make any response to an event notice - it's often a case of "it's on, what more do you need to know". If the poster has included all necessary information, then there can often be no point in commenting on it.

My other forum has just events threads, but Admin generates a calendar from it - the best of both worlds? Except for Admin, perhaps......
 

darben

Well-Known Forumite
Maybe putting stickies on event threads on an event sub forum would be a way round relevant threads disappearing or needing bumping up , releasing the sticky when the event is done. People could still chat about the event after the event but it wouldn't jump over the forthcoming events.
 

proactive

Enjoying a drop of red.
The fact that the current system generates the "Three-Day-Warning" chart on the main page is really useful to me - I would have missed the Classic Car show the weekend before last without that telling me, for example.....
Yes totally agree with that. But apart from the loss of that feature I wouldn't mind losing the rest of the current system as it is not really very intuative to use.
 

Admin

You there; behave!
Staff member
Yes a simple events sub forum would be good although my only reservation is that threads sometimes end up going off on a tangent!
Yes, I would police the Events forum more tightly, so that threads are kept to discussion of the event/thread title.

The fact that the current system generates the "Three-Day-Warning" chart on the main page is really useful to me - I would have missed the Classic Car show the weekend before last without that telling me, for example.

That's the part I wasn't sure about; if people find the "Upcoming Events" box in the sidebar useful. I personally rarely pay attention to it, but I know that everyone uses The Forum in very different ways; hence the need for this thread!

Actually setting up an 'event' is not the simplest task on here - it's very easy to get both the date and the venue wrong, which is fairly fundamental to its success.

Indeed. That's part of the problem. Even if one does find it useful, the vast majority of members are put off by the complex Event logging procedure, so it's a case of weighing up how useful it is in its current incarnation vs. all the other improvements a Forum upgrade would bring.

I have heard back from the original Events System coder, and he has confirmed that the project has been abandoned and that it will not support future versions of the Forum platform, so to be honest it might be a forgone conclusion, so I'm glad the majority seem to favour getting rid!

Maybe putting stickies on event threads on an event sub forum would be a way round relevant threads disappearing or needing bumping up , releasing the sticky when the event is done. People could still chat about the event after the event but it wouldn't jump over the forthcoming events.
Whilst I could do this, I think it would encourage the event organiser to promote the thread, bump it when the time is right, foster discussion, etc. if I just let threads rise to the top "organically". :)

I get what you're saying about past events 'superceding' upcoming ones, though. I could perhaps have an Upcoming Events sub-forum, and once an event has happened I could move it into an Archived Events sub-forum (or even just Events).
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
I get what you're saying about past events 'superceding' upcoming ones, though. I could perhaps have an Upcoming Events sub-forum, and once an event has happened I could move it into an Archived Events sub-forum (or even just Events).

Some events, the Model Railway Exhibitions, for example, only really get talked about when they have happened - there can often be very little to say before the event, if all the necessary information is supplied in the OP.

I'm not sure if anybody has ever used the RSVP function deliberately.

Without a calendar, people with an axe to grind may feel obliged to resort to regular 'bumping'. I've just put next year's Railway Exhibition on there, safe in the knowledge that it will appear three days before the event, even if there are no more intervening posts.

There is no perfect system - there are often "if only I'd known" posts about events that have been posted.
 

darben

Well-Known Forumite
Some events, the Model Railway Exhibitions, for example, only really get talked about when they have happened - there can often be very little to say before the event, if all the necessary information is supplied in the OP.

I'm not sure if anybody has ever used the RSVP function deliberately.

Without a calendar, people with an axe to grind may feel obliged to resort to regular 'bumping'. I've just put next year's Railway Exhibition on there, safe in the knowledge that it will appear three days before the event, even if there are no more intervening posts.

There is no perfect system - there are often "if only I'd known" posts about events that have been posted.

An idea, events sub forum that is locked and managed by admin people so it can't get abused and another sub forum for raising and chatting about said event which is not managed, you could also have a sticky section on the chat side for need an event posting ask here/ contact admin (bit like need your name changing thread) which might help the more shy come forward with things.
 

Admin

You there; behave!
Staff member
Some events, the Model Railway Exhibitions, for example, only really get talked about when they have happened - there can often be very little to say before the event, if all the necessary information is supplied in the OP.

I'm not sure if anybody has ever used the RSVP function deliberately.

Without a calendar, people with an axe to grind may feel obliged to resort to regular 'bumping'. I've just put next year's Railway Exhibition on there, safe in the knowledge that it will appear three days before the event, even if there are no more intervening posts.

There is no perfect system - there are often "if only I'd known" posts about events that have been posted.
Bumping is commonplace on most Internet forums, so there would be no problem with that. In fact, I would encourage it, as alluded to in my previous message (e.g. "Just bumping this thread to the top as this event is tomorrow...").
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
Bumping is commonplace on most Internet forums, so there would be no problem with that. In fact, I would encourage it, as alluded to in my previous message (e.g. "Just bumping this thread to the top as this event is tomorrow...").

Mmmm, I am aware of places that have had to institute restrictions on bumping frequency. Actual information just gets submerged in a sea of bumps.
 

darben

Well-Known Forumite
Mmmm, I am aware of places that have had to institute restrictions on bumping frequency. Actual information just gets submerged in a sea of bumps.

I'm sure I've noticed in the past if I've bumped something on this forum, some people have seemed a bit confused.
 

Noah

Well-Known Forumite
A lot of forums & websites have something that looks like an ordinary paper week or month per view calendar so that people can enter events on particular days. Is that possible? The current system isn't particularly easy to use or helpful.
 

Admin

You there; behave!
Staff member
A lot of forums & websites have something that looks like an ordinary paper week or month per view calendar so that people can enter events on particular days. Is that possible? The current system isn't particularly easy to use or helpful.

At the moment, that isn't possible, but it will hopefully be coming some time in the future. For the time being, based on the very useful input from this thread (and, ultimately, the decision from the designer of the current system plug-in to stop supporting it), the Events system will be dropped.

I am hoping to upgrade this weekend, so it will disappear then. With any luck, you will be too busy playing with some of the new features to care, though. ;)
 

My Name is URL

Well-Known Forumite
I didn't even notice this calendar / 3 day warning thing, so changing it to just a normal sub-forum thingy would be fine for me.

With the closer moderation suggested above to ensure consistent thread titles "Event name, date, location" or something for every thread, should be nice and easy to use.
 
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