plcs.net

[userxyz]

sort

Something I do too sometimes, but still reading in a mess.

Regards,
G

If you click on the headings you can sort the forum threads differently. Occasionally, I will sort the forum according to the number of replies. Sometimes I may know an answer or have a response for a thread with very few replies that may have occurred several days ago when I was not looking.

 

[Steve Etter]

I think sub-forums is the wrong way to go here. When I check-in, I like to see everything, new and old, of every category and will often look at posts that have nothing to do with my current interests and, as others have said, I frequently learn something from them, too. I find on other sites where sub-forums are used, I typically don't look in areas where I have not direct interest. It may be only one or two extra mouse-clicks, but it's enough to keep me away.

Keep it the way it is.

 

[Bering C Sparky]

What is needed is more subforums.
Just LIVE PLC Questions And Answers isn't enough anymore.

I would also have to disagree on this one.
I visit another forum that is broken down this way and I will rarely ever open any of the other sub forums aside from A.B.

However here on PLCS.net I will often open and read threads that contain information on other than A.B. products, simply because they are right there and I see them.

Also the fact that all threads appear in one common area keep the forum moving along with fresh new questions and ideas to look at each time I log in.

With the other forum it seems like there is no one home at times, as there may be nothing new posted in the area I look for hours or days.

IMHO, this site is great just the way it is.
Thanks Phil and keep up the good work, we appreciate it.

BCS

 

[Chris Taylor]

maintain the status quo please, I fear change, some people think it equals progress, it don't

 

[pal]

The format as is , is great , but I notice that some people are suggesting sub-catorgories . Is it possible to add a catagories option from the Live Q & A i.e. as well as the current format , for those that wish to view just , for instance , ABlogix5000 .
I agree the search engine is good , but if you don't have a specific query - just want to browse to keep up to date , it could be useful . For me , it isn,t essential .
To sum up , IMO change for the sake of change is a no-no .

Paul

 

[wes.s]

I'm perfectly happy the way this site is right now. It works and I'm used to it as it is.

 

[Paullys50]

Its interesting to see how the attitudes of change reflect the same attitudes I see in the automation industry towards change. That way of thinking is expiring quickly.

The overall site, it's dated. And when a new person finds this site, the first impression is that it's obviously dated. The flashing heading text, the typefaces, the non-intuitive homepage, the forum are all vintage 2005. There is a marketing aspect at play, and as we age you hope to see the next generation become active members in this community. But I can't imagine the millennials are arriving here and think it's the place to be, there isn't much ***-appeal to draw them into the treasure trove of content embedded here.

Does that mean a complete re-vamp to what everyone else is doing? Of course not, the heart of this site is the forums and the content within them. The model has been successful, but unless it appeals to the millennials, what will this site become in 5 years? 10? Will it even be relevant? So updating the site and forum interface to give it a modern feel would very much welcome. Maintain the core of what has made the forums successful. Social media, app access are all critical to the future of this place. Maintain the status quo and see this resource slowly fade from relevance.

Progress should be promoted here and in the automation industry as a whole. It should be seen as a positive and not a negative. There will never be another Windows XP, the days where automation networks are completely isolated will be over soon, and the days where IT didn't touch the manufacturing floor will be over just as quickly. Change, progression, 'new' must be embraced and not shoved into the closet like it has over the past 20 years.

Technology is moving so quickly, and if you don't embrace it you'll be left behind. Anyone still stuck on XP? Anyone going to keep Win 7 going for as long as possible? What about continuing to use Office 2003/7?

As for the forums, I feel that minor changes are all that is needed. Separate sub category: 'For Students' and 'For Professionals' should be incorporated. Same with the use of 'stickies' especially in the students category. Promote that we WANT to be a resource for students, and we are here to help them learn. We probably scare off more students than we do welcome them.

EDIT: Seriously, are webpage hit counters still relevant?

 

[merc1136]

I agree the site looks dated, but this type of forum site can still be found in use around the web. Think of The Drudge Report - that's as bare bones as you can get and yet is still popular. The value of the site is that a lot of good information can be found here. Don't really care what it looks like to be honest.

 

[realolman]

Anybody who wants to actually receive the most current help on most anything electronic from the most knowledgeable people in the world will come here.

...dancing babies be damned.

 

[NetNathan]

Ditto for me. Let's face it, some of the newbies here would be totally flummoxed trying to figure out what category to post in.

Also, most automation problems are multi-disciplinary.

If someone is trying to get a Siemens PLC to control an ABB VFD so he can implement flow control, does that go in Siemens, in VFDs, or in process control? If the OP used a Siemens forum, for example, I'd never look at it, even though I may have experience directly on point.

This is a very valid reason for not having subforums related to devices.
And in this case, it may also lead OP to double post in Siemans and ABB.

 

[BobB]

Leave it alone - it is really nice to check in and have everything in a list. If it were broken up there are areas I would never visit and miss out on something of interest. As it is when I see the list page I can very quickly see all the topic headings and open anything that interests me. If I had to search many headings it would cost me valuable time. As it is a quick glance and bingo!
The site just works very well for me.

 

[SandwichMagic]

But I can't imagine the millennials are arriving here and think it's the place to be, there isn't much ***-appeal to draw them into the treasure trove of content embedded here.

Being one of those dreaded "M"-words myself, It made me laugh at how old the site looked, but that was PART of the appeal, if you can believe it. I thought "Man, this is an old website", and when I showed a friend of mine of a similar age who couldn't be in a more different field than myself, all he said was "Man, this is an old website." We thought it was funny. But regardless of how it looked, I still browse here in my free time trying to learn anything I can that might come in handy. On a side note, I will say if there are any prospective students that are going into the field of automation/integration, I would hope that said individuals would have enough brains to actually read into the site instead of saying "This website looks boring" and looking for any other PLC website. I guess my point is that the people who we want here won't be interested in how the site looks. But hey, I'm kind of a weird guy, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.

 

[realolman]

Being one of those dreaded "M"-words myself, It made me laugh at how old the site looked, but that was PART of the appeal, if you can believe it. I thought "Man, this is an old website", and when I showed a friend of mine of a similar age who couldn't be in a more different field than myself, all he said was "Man, this is an old website." We thought it was funny. But regardless of how it looked, I still browse here in my free time trying to learn anything I can that might come in handy. On a side note, I will say if there are any prospective students that are going into the field of automation/integration, I would hope that said individuals would have enough brains to actually read into the site instead of saying "This website looks boring" and looking for any other PLC website. I guess my point is that the people who we want here won't be interested in how the site looks. But hey, I'm kind of a weird guy, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.

There is hope for the future

 

[SandwichMagic]

There is hope for the future

Aw, Shucks. Too Kind. I'm just speaking my mind. I mean I guess I've been on the internet since I was about 7 or so, so websites like this are kind of nostalgic. But I really do think that the people my age who usher in a new age of PLCS.net wouldnt care about the aesthetics of the site, and would rather see it the way it was when they first created their accounts.

 

[alan_505]

The only thing that I would like to see is the title of the thread go from bold only after you have read it, not when you refresh the screen.

Alan