Restructuring messageboard/forums

[Sam Fraser]

Has anyone ever had any difficulty deciding where to start a certain topic or discussion because there didn't seem to be a directly relevant forum? I do from time to time, the most recent example being a NASA multiplayer game I decided to stick in the "Mission plans and scenarios", since it's a lunar scenario. It really doesn't seem to fit there, though.

So any thoughts on renaming, splitting, reorganising or adding forums on the messageboard?

My 2c is I think "Transportation" should become "Transportation and Propulsion". I also see the need of some kind of "Media" forum (for want of a better name) to cover things like animations, presentations, games, brochures, press releases etc. That's where the NASA game above and also another post I have in mind could go.

All feedback welcome. I'll then run by the Big Man. :rolleyes:

[moonus111]

Yeah I've had the same problem, with the media category.

[JohnHunt]

I just went through my own posts and categorized them. Merging that with the current categories and trimming, I came up with the following:

Welcome to PERMANENT

General

News

Nano, Bio, Chem, AI Risks

Rationale

Destinations
- Asteroid
- Moon
- Mars

Mission Plans & Scenarios

Launch, Propulsion, Transportation

Industrial and Manufacturing Operations

Habitats, Bases, Colonies, Hotels, Real Estate

Industry Players

Finances

Promotion, Marketing, Politics, Legal

Web Resources

Projects, Tasks to Do

Off-Topic

--------------

The extinction major category isn't being posted to much. I think that it should be towards the top next to a Rationale category. Rationale could include commercial interests but existential risks are, in my opinion, of such importance that it deserves its own category not only in respect for Mark Prado's rationale for starting the PERMANENT website but also to keep reminding us of its importance.

I added Moon and Mars to asteroid under a destinations category. I know that the original PERMANENT placed asteroid mining very prominently but our forum has largely concluded that it is the Moon that we should develop first. So, what discussion about asteroid mining there is could be put there.

Industrial and Manufacturing Operations would also include telerobotic operations.

Habitats, etc is basically the more permanent human element.

I added Industry Players because we've have a fair amount of discussion about SpaceX, but also Shakleton Energy Corp, SpaceDev, Spudis, etc.

Finance would include our own for prospecting, initial funding, government funding, investors, donors, and sales of product.

I added Promotion to Marketing, Politics, and Legal because I think that we've got a significant challenge in getting attention. We've discussed videos, inflatables, etc.

I combine Web Resources and Links.

I think that SPS needs to go somewhere but it is not clear what category it should go with my proposed new ones.

------------

It may be too late to change the categories since threads have already been placed in the current categories. But I figured I'd give my analysis just in case it might prove useful.

[sgeos]

Not having a forum that perfectly fits your post is the nature of forums. I'm content shoehorning if I need to. I don't think there is enough activity here to go crazy with the sub forums.