What would you like?

[CADTutor]

Dear CADTutor Community,

 

It's now nearly 6 years since the current version of this website was implemented (version 4) and it's now due for for an overhaul and a freshen-up and possibly even a new paint-job.

 

I'm currently planning version 5 and since the forum is the beating heart of the site, I aim to make it the focus of the upgrade. At the moment we have a pretty standard forum that allows questions and answers to be posted and I aim to retain that functionality. But there are lots of additional tools we could be using. For example, we could add a gallery element so that members could post images of their work, a file-sharing facility so that members could share resources and a tutorials component so that our very knowledgeable members could write and publish their own tutorials.

 

What I would like to know is whether any of the above appeals to you as a member of this community - are they functions that you would be likely to use?

 

Also, are there any other functions you would like to see such as closer integration with social websites like facebook and twitter or the ability to run your own blogs?

 

What do you think are the best elements of this forum - the things we should retain and what's not so good -the things that could be improved?

 

The changes I'm planning are likely to be in place for the next 5 years or more so I'd like to get as much feedback as possible so as to make sure that CADTutor remains the best independent CAD community on the web.

 

Thanks

[ReMark]

File sharing as in blocks? We're constantly sending people off to other websites to download blocks. Of course that means we, the active members, would have to upload blocks. It's a thought.

 

A change in color scheme might be nice but please do not throw the fish out with the bathwater. We love the fish!

[dbroada]

being a member of other fora (not professional ones) I would have to say new members are hard to come by. One of the main reasons given is that "social groups" such as facebook have taken over. However Facebook seems much harder to get involved. It looks like a few people posting links without much to say.

 

Obviously on a professional forum you need the interaction which is what we have here. In otehr words, I am not telling you what else I want but just reinforcing that what you have is good and make sure you don't dilute it.

 

I know there is nothing you can do about it but its a shame people don't get involved. We have some posters who have been members for 5 years who have only posted 5 times, each about a year apart, but that attitude appears everywhere.

 

Its ngood to see other peoples work so a gallery might be nice, especially if comments were easilly added but I can't see anybody wanting to se the wiring diagram of a door fan so I doubt that I will be contributing.

[ReMark]

Dave: Please be the first to post the wiring diagram of a door fan. I've been wanting one of those to hang on my wall for years but I'm too lazy to draw it myself. In return I will upload a drawing of a level probe which I know will just thrill you to no end.

[CADTutor]

A change in color scheme might be nice but please do not throw the fish out with the bathwater. We love the fish!

 

The fish is definitely staying

[f700es]

All sound like good ideas

[Cad64]

I like the idea of adding a gallery, but you already knew that.

[tzframpton]

The Tutorials and Gallery options sound great. The social networking tie-in.... although my initial expression was a bit "expressive" in a negative manner, I do know that these internet giants are hard to get away from. That being said, sounds all good to me. I'm excited to see an interest in upgrades coming as this is (and has always been) my favorite home for CAD talk and help.

 

I know if there's an easy way for me to login and produce tutorials I would probably offer much more in this area, especially in AutoCAD MEP. There's been a significant rise for help in AMEP so I've been very active lately in the sub-forum.

[Glen1980]

I don't want to criticize the forum as I love it and it and the people on it (mainly the posters above!) have helped me no end, but would it be possible to get more of a google style search for the forum? The current one is quite limited for searching when you need more than one or two words to describe the problem.

 

I would definitely use a block library/gallery both up and down loading. Manufacturers blocks are usually fairly shoddy in their CADding.

 

Linking into social media won't help me at all as they are all blocked at work.

[tzframpton]

I don't want to criticize the forum as I love it and it and the people on it (mainly the posters above!) have helped me no end, but would it be possible to get more of a google style search for the forum? The current one is quite limited for searching when you need more than one or two words to describe the problem.

You can do this with Google already. In the search bar, at the end of your text string, type "site:cadtutor.net/forum" and that's it.

 

Here's a link for an example:

https://www.google.com/#hl=en&safe=off&output=search&sclient=psy-ab&q=incremental+text+site:cadtutor.net%2Fforum&oq=incremental+text+site:cadtutor.net%2Fforum&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_l=hp.3...3521.9140.0.9331.40.35.0.5.5.0.194.3439.22j13.35.0...0.0.BRLbl6o6Yug&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=15d75812b8b4e1a0&biw=1133&bih=720

 

I use this method ALL THE TIME.... it's such a better way of searching this site in my opinion.

[f700es]

Well I'll put my vote in for no FaceBook integration what-so-ever!

 

The Tutorials and Gallery options sound great. The social networking tie-in.... although my initial expression was a bit "expressive" in a negative manner, I do know that these internet giants are hard to get away from.

[Glen1980]

Well I'll put my vote in for no FaceBook integration what-so-ever!

 

Glen1980 Likes this comment

[CADTutor]

...would it be possible to get more of a google style search for the forum? The current one is quite limited for searching when you need more than one or two words to describe the problem.

 

I agree - search on vBulletin is not good. I plan to implement a much better search system on the new board.

[f700es]

Glen1980 Likes this comment

 

..........

[Dadgad]

Well I'll put my vote in for no FaceBook integration what-so-ever!

 

I'll drink to that! I spend so much time on this site, and have less than no interest in seeing it become FACED. It would drive me away.

[nestly]

I'm pretty happy with Cadtutor the way it is, but a facelift would be cool. Add me to the list who hates Facebook/Twitter, so if either of them get incorporated into Cadtutor, please make it an option that can be disabled in user preferences, similar to Avatars and Signatures.

[Squirltech]

I too am relatively happy with the site as is. Granted, a facelift would be refreshing. I use Facebook, not Twitter, but to be able to incorporate those social media sites might be a good addition but like nestly said, it should be something that can be disabled in each user's preferences.

[Lee Roy]

I like CADTutor as it is.

 

I've implemented Facebook and Google+ at my own forum. It gives us more options to drive traffic and potential members to our site. It makes it easy to Like or +1 an interesting thread for the world to see. If members don't want to use it, they don't have to; but it's there for those that do.

 

I like the gallery and file sharing ideas.

 

I hate Twitter.

[Patrick Hughes]

I would echo Lee Roy's position on social networking integration. I haven't gotten into FaceBook but I participate in Google+, also LinkedIn and like Lee Roy I hate Twitter although I do use it to a limited extent.

 

Regarding a gallery and related repositories for models and/or drawings have you considered (or is it worth considering) a collaborative effort with an established outlet. I'm thinking of something like GrabCAD, which has over 250,000 members. Although it is intended for more strictly a mechanical crowd. I have no affiliation with GrabCAD but I think it's a great site, a little sparse on the discussions but that is where a collaboration could benefit both. If it's worth pursuing let Hardi Meybaum know I sent you to them, I'm sure that will help your chances.

[Jack_O'neill]

I'm not on here much anymore since my career change, but I too have reservations about a Facebook/Twitter/other social media link. Maybe having that as an option would be ok, if it's not a requirement. One of my sons-in-law is an iphone/android programmer, and he has a blog page that's linked to his twitter account which is linked to his facebook page, which is linked to his google+, and so on. He posts on any one of those, and it goes to all of them at the same time. When someone replies to him on one of them, it shows up on all of them. It just all seems like too much to me. I use facebook on a daily basis for friends and family, but have always kept professional contacts separate (with a few exceptions). I've never seen the point in twitter.