Advice On Forum Structure Needed

[Jacque]

SMF Version: SMF 1.1.3
Hello!

I'd greatly appreciate any help or guidance or even tiny suggestions that can be offered.

I'm setting up a  photography forum.  I intend the site to be highly focused on teaching and member/students submissions, articles and instruction, rather than the normal 'open' participation thing.  That will be there too, just not the main reason for creating the forum.

I've run into a snag, and I am having a bit of trouble determining a good setup and structure for the site. 

I originally intended to have it focused on one genre of photography (portraits) but have considered including others (landscape/commercial etc)   Now with the possible addition of the other genre's... I'm stuck.

My problem is there are sometimes quite a few Category's to break things down into, within any one genre.   


Here are the vitals:
SMF ver. 1.1.13
forum in question:  http://www.jacquedufrene.com/forum/ [nofollow]   

If you take a look at the forum, most everything there pertains to only portraiture, or more precisely, I'd like to have most everything that's there divided up into Category's (as it is now) in a Portraiture section, but beyond the forum index. 

It would be a lot more organized if I could only have the main genre's in the board index... say Portraiture, Landscapes, Nature & Wildlife and whatever other 'general' stuff, rather than 'Portraiture' and it's relevant 15-20 boards followed by 'Landscapes'  and it's relevant 15-20 boards, followed by.. etc appearing in the forum index.

I'm trying the child boards out, but it's really not cleanly organized for so many topics as the index is, with the Category's.  I've set up small tests using child boards, but again... no way to divvy things up with Category Sections inside the mother Board.

-Do I need several different installs of SMF to adequately structure this?  Then some members would have to sign up to multiple forums/accounts to cover other genre's they care to participate in.

-Is there a somewhat easy way to have the  insides of boards display categorized sections like the board index?  Honestly that would solve a lot of my concerns if so.  It would make everything soo much 'cleaner' and organized to me.

I hope my rambling made some semblance of sense.  If not, say so, and I'll try again.  Thank you so much in advance.

Jacque

[Fiery]

Well could you have Portraiture, Landscapes, Nature & Wildlife (and others) as the categories.

Then under each of those have a general board, other boards that relate to the category and then child boards as needed. 

For example

Landscapes (category)
   General Board (board)
   Water Landscapes (board)
       Oceans   (child board)
        Freshwater (child board)
    Mountains (board)
    Deserts (board)
        Western Deserts (child board)
        Eastern Deserts (child board)
              Posts about eastern deserts here?
    Other (board)
Learning Center (category)

Let me know what you think, I may be confused as to what exactly you are trying to do.

[Jacque]

Let me know what you think, I may be confused as to what exactly you are trying to do.

Yeah, me too

I'll try to format my questions/goals more clearly, but I'll have to get back to you with that.
Thanks so far!

Jacque

[Fiery]

ok, just let us know.

Also, note that some themes may help out as some change a lot of the structure etc.

[Jacque]

Thanks pmp6nl for your efforts with me.

Ok lets see now... I think what I'm looking for is that I want the forum index tidy and fairly compact, without tons of boards creating sensory overload.

Child boards is a way of handling that, but I didn't like them displaying on the index, cluttering it up (to me)

And I would like to create categories inside a board, to break things up again, visually.  Plus users could also minimize the category sections in a board if they so desire


Ok, the more I think this out, (and I've been thinking pretty hard already... sigh)  I believe I could achieve what I want with just 2 things:

1) the ability to create categories inside a board, and not just the index page (or the ability to categorize child boards)

2) prevent the child boards from displaying on the index


I found a post on preventing the child boards from displaying, and i'll try that now.  So any ideas on the creation of categories inside boards thing?   I've searched, and It's been asked before, but never any replies to the queries.

Thank you,
Jacque

[KGIII]

This is off-topic but has to do with the goal. Go sit down with some paper and a pencil. Start drawing out what you need, what you want it to look like, take notes, and make a sort of site map. THEN return to your forum with that in mind and all sketched out. It may well help you a great deal in this effort.

[milly]

I think you have difficulties separating the "learning" from the "discussion".
You might consider setting up 2 forums. One for examples, teaching, experiences, etc., and one for hints, tips, questions, etc..

And KGII's tip to sit down and write out a structure is gold!

[Jacque]

Thank you KGIII and milly!

I'll be the first to admit I'm terrible at sitting and planning!  Though I have done much, much of that this time.  Enough? Oh heck no    

Nearly all my intended boards, categories, genre's have been decided upon, organized etc, but not yet implemented in the forum.  Fined tuned... no.  I'm mostly trying to see how I can proceed in a way that, to me, is fairly 'clean and tidy'.. and whether it's 'doable' or not.  Or perhaps someone knows of a better way, an the suggestions are coming in (ty!).  Or maybe this might best be solved using separate forums or not, or really delving into customization, I don't yet know.

I think you have difficulties separating the "learning" from the "discussion".

I most definitely appreciate all help, and I can see your point here milly.  Though from my years of participating in photography forums, and from past experiences in similar forums situations where instructors were trying to teach, separating the 2 really is a nice way for the 'instruction' to be separated from the 'discussion' or 'class participation'   The instruction boards are read only, no posting allowed.  Not enough content (that can be forseen..) for 'Instruction' to have it's own forum.  The one of the main goals is an environment like a self study course or class... read, study, practice at your own pace, then have the instructor critique your work. 

It's also possible I totally misunderstood you


So, can I have separate forums, yet have member accounts accessible to each forum, or  would members have to sign up to each forum that they are interested in?  And the instructors too?  And then many boards cross all the genre's and would have to be duplicated in each separate forum... ?

Perhaps I should post in the coding help for creating 'Categories under boards just like the index' ability.

Much thanks to all so far!
Jacque