If that's the case, can you define those lines?
I do also wonder then who made the decision to merge the forums without really looking into it..

Without having a good idea of the limitations that are in place, we are bound to keep going in circles. As an example, from my limited experience with website design, I really don't see much of a practical difference when it comes to placing the Tag in the Title (Option 2) or Below it (Option 3), unless I know what you consider an issue in this case, I will keep coming up with plans that would end up being unrealistic, as I have no way of correcting for the lines that are in place. If I were to know the underlying issue, I would have a chance to either work with it, or find ways around it, which, again, is not an option for me at the moment.

Honestly, I do believe this ship has sailed right when the Forums were combined, if there was any damage to be done, then it is already in place. I am not trying to pour sand on the wound, just stating the fact. I do still believe, however, that separate forums will be easier for everyone involved, including for Google to come up with results that are actually relevant to a given Generation. Right now, unless the thread actually mentioned the Generation in question, it pulls up everything that matches the keywords, meaning that I could be halfway down a given thread before I discover that it has nothing to do with my car, if ever.

With the Tags being a brand-new feature that doesn't even exist yet, I don't see how it will be more convenient for anyone involved, including for Google as a tool to serve correct results, than to have a tried and true option of separate forums, which, by design, is the sole purpose for them to exist.

Besides, while Tags will help differentiate between the Generations, they won't help with user base (which is rather different for those generations) being mixed into one bucket, nor will it help with Sticky Threads that are unique for those Generations, and appear to be sorely missed not just by me.

Also. to state the quiet part out loud, it's not always about the pure fact of being able to find something either. Similar to having socks and underpants in the same drawer, while I am still fully capable of distinguishing between the two, it still doesn't prevent the clutter that it causes, with me having to look for a proper garment instead of simply grabbing the first available option. It is not the experience that I would like if I was to have a choice, and I do believe that I am not the only one feeling this way.

It is the same with the separate Forums, even if there are tags added, it won't reduce the number of threads I will have to look through to actually access what I am looking for. As a yet another example, I own a 2000 ES300, and I am also a fan of the 2nd and 4th-gen, while it may offend some people, anything beyond those is really not something I prefer for a variety of reasons, meaning that a good part of the results will be utterly irrelevant to me. Same goes for the 5th and 6th Gen owners.

I have suggested it numerous times, but no one seems to have listened, so I will try again - to make a decision on what is best for the consumer, one must have a good understanding of the Needs of said consumer. We can keep guessing on the best approach, or we could provide the options that are within the lines you referenced and ask to at least provide some input. It does not mean that you will absolutely must follow it, but if nothing else, at least you will have a chance to get a better perspective on the issue at hand.

As suggested earlier, I would ask to create a Sticky Thread in the 1st to 6th Gen Forum with an explanation of the situation, and ways of dealing with it. This merge has already caused a number of active members that made up those forums to leave, and I am very close to being one of them, which would be a bummer for me as I do enjoy being here. Doing any more strange patches that most would be unfamiliar with may only end up pouring more fuel on the fire.

Hope this helps and best of luck!

 

i can't do any function the software can't already perform. this would include design elements like placement of pre-fixes outside of where they already appear. I think I have a handle on what your expectations are as well as what our constraints are. I'll need to discuss internally now to see what we can do programatically as opposed to manually for next steps as well as get a timeline on resource availability and allocation. (the other constraints).

 

Well, at least please give us an update before taking any actions..

 

I think that tech can move merged threads back into the 5th and 6th gen forums. this is the list of threads we'll be asking them to unmerge: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...it?usp=sharing

 

The chart you linked is missing threads from Page 20 and beyond for a 5th Gen ES Forum as compared to my list, see the screenshot below. The "Add" button doesn't seem to do anything. I am not sure if they are actually missing, or the Google Sheets is unable to load them all. Those threads are still missing if I download the chart you linked as a separate file and open it in Excel.



Otherwise, everything appears in order. So long as the missing threads are added back, it should be good to go.

Hope this helps and best of luck!

 

thanks, looks like Google had truncated the list. fixed and given to tech.

 

Any news so far..?

 

not as yet, we meet with tech on Thursdays.

 

Just checking in. Not happy with the change either. Have no hard data, but without a dedicated sub forum, I sense less interest in our specific ‘13-‘18 generation. There has to be far more vehicles on the road than previous generations. Seems 13-18 owners/readers/posters have lost interest seeing less pertinent posts and “nothing to see here”. At the very least , I’m losing interest.

And who are we providing feedback to? Ourselves ?

 

we are just waiting on tech time to re-separate things.

 

ok, sounds great, Thank you.