The US Coin Forum: Breaking up is hard to do ...

Askari · March 9, 2003 9:00AM

Okay, there's been quite a bit of discussion lately about splitting the US Coins forum into two or more forums so that members can better find threads of interest to them before they get blown off the "front page" by the ever-growing volume of new posts. In Anaconda's thread, there were a lot of ideas thrown out, so I thought I'd collate them and let people vote on their favorite option.

darktone · March 9, 2003 10:04AM

Askari, Thanks for doing the nice poll. Maybe it would be better to retitle it as being a poll to split the forum into different catagories so everybody knows what it is. I think the modern collectors out number the classic collectors by about 8-1 so we know the modern collectors will win the totals in the poll. And I think this is one of the reasons why many of the collectors of classic coins would rather have a forum solely dedicated to the coins they collect. I do not see where this will divide newbee's from the long time collector's- look at how many seasoned collectors of modern coins there are on this forum- lots! There are also many newbee collectors of classic coins. I see no division here only collectors being able to enjoy their hobby. mike

MadMarty · March 9, 2003 10:07AM

If you ask Lucy, it's Frankies and all other crap coins!!!

DHeath · March 9, 2003 10:12AM

Askari,

Thanks for the opportunity. I chose ‘General US Coins’ & ‘US Coins – Issues & Debates’ . I think much of the clutter is coin related and interesting, but I believe it would fit nicely into Issues & Debates. I don't see the problem as Modern vs Classic.

copperhead · March 9, 2003 10:19AM

I'm very happy to see the vote going in the direction it is. "STAY THE SAME". I really see very little positive to come out of splitting the forums up any further. I enjoy reading posts of all nature in the SAME forum. There is no need to search the various forums for constructive posts. Keep the posts all on one board and pass over the ones that don't appeal to you. JUST MY OPINION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FatMan · March 9, 2003 10:29AM

I chose to leave it as is. I have interest in both Classics and Moderns.

But if the decision is ever made to split, that would be fine. I will be here to find the posts that interest me regardless of how many clicks between forums it takes.

I just hope that we don't end up with the same posts being posted in each separate forum because the person doesn't know which is appropriate or they just want to be seen by everyone. That will make it even more difficult to get through to the posts that interest me. Sounds like we might cause more pain, not the fix we are looking for.

TONEDDOLLARS · March 9, 2003 10:32AM

Leave it like it is. If there is a post or poster I do not want to read ,I just skip over them or it. Its not really that hard to do.

BSqr · March 9, 2003 10:32AM

Where is Arrogant vs. Humble?

dwood · March 9, 2003 10:33AM

Seems the overwhleming majority want to leave it as it is.

Rats!

fantasiize · March 9, 2003 10:37AM

I am with Al (and what looks like the majority) on this one.

The thread that started this was another Seinfeld-type thread or like I said in that thread, a confirmation that the only bad marketing (or exposure) is no marketing (or exposure).

EDITED for spelling of Seinfeld

tradedollarnut · March 9, 2003 10:43AM

If you had an ebay forum, an AT forum and a coin forum, that would be about equal!

DesertLizard · March 9, 2003 10:51AM

Speaking of ebay....

Ebay splits their coin auctions based on series. Why can't we do the same? Or Copper, Silver, Gold, Other?

Askari · March 9, 2003 11:06AM

<< Askari, Thanks for doing the nice poll. Maybe it would be better to retitle it as being a poll to split the forum into different catagories so everybody knows what it is. I think the modern collectors out number the classic collectors by about 8-1 so we know the modern collectors will win the totals in the poll. And I think this is one of the reasons why many of the collectors of classic coins would rather have a forum solely dedicated to the coins they collect. I do not see where this will divide newbee's from the long time collector's- look at how many seasoned collectors of modern coins there are on this forum- lots! There are also many newbee collectors of classic coins. I see no division here only collectors being able to enjoy their hobby. mike >>

Thanks, Mike! I've retitled this thread for clarity ... although I'm quite sure that word will get around.

RegistryCoin · March 9, 2003 11:08AM

I chose (N) for No Brainer.

It's not too big. It's a Tupperware party

Russ · March 9, 2003 11:09AM

<< Okay, there's been quite a bit of discussion lately... >>

About something that is never going to happen.

Russ, NCNE

agfox · March 9, 2003 11:14AM

Another selection that would have been nice. Better Moderation of OT posts.

prooflike · March 9, 2003 11:24AM

I chose leave it as it is, although I could go classics & moderns, but where is that dividing line??

Askari · March 9, 2003 11:24AM

IMHO, there are two very good reasons for considering splitting up a popular forum.

One is when there is a sizable subgroup focused on a particular theme and little interest in much of the remainder of the topics. Too few people, though, and it will likely slowly die ... like the Stamp Forum. Based on my experience with the two Darkside forums, the "critical mass" is something like 10-12 active and engaging posters; it also needs to have a subject that will draw "flesh blood" in and members interested in encouraging new participants to get involved.

The second reason is that a popular forum inevitably attracts so many posts that the specialists and general experts have an increasingly harder time finding interesting posts to read (4 pages seems to be the max) and begin to drift away, becoming unavailable to the newbies. This is an enduring problem and the fact of this drift-off is familiar to all of us oldtimers on the CU forums. In fact, that's how the several "Buy/Sell/Trade" forums and the "Coin Swaps, Tags & Giveaways" forum came to be. Although controversial at first, it revitalized the forum when people discovered that there were indeed merits to visiting more than one board. It's actually not a bad idea to separate out a thriving "subculture".

Right now, even with the flame threads aside, the US Coin Forum has grown to a point where it's actually a reasonable idea to consider whether -- and what manner of -- a spinoff would be a good idea. Maybe it's the "Modernists" -- or the "Classicists." I personally -- and very strongly -- feel that whatever is done should be something that doesn't increase the distance between the newbies and the experts here. As I've said elsewhere, that's the true "soul" of this forum and what has made it so popular.

darktone · March 9, 2003 8:22PM

TTT

MadMonk · March 9, 2003 8:32PM

Coins is coins!

Dukie101 · March 9, 2003 8:38PM

Stay the Same. Not perfect,but what is-----MS70????

Steve27 · March 9, 2003 8:46PM

"One Big, Happy, Dysfunctional Family"

Yep, that's what it is, and that's what it should be.

izzy452 · March 9, 2003 9:04PM

Just leave well enough alone.

Walt

satootoko · March 9, 2003 9:28PM

<< Speaking of ebay....

Ebay splits their coin auctions based on series. >>

With 83,392 Liteside listings and 39,587 Darkside listings (as of a couple of minutes ago), they bloody well have to!

<< Why can't we do the same? Or Copper, Silver, Gold, Other? >>

When I'm on the board I want to spend my time reading and responding, not switching forums!

darktone · March 9, 2003 9:41PM

satootoko, there are 9,171 members on the CU forums and over a hundred joining sometimes in one week alone. mike

coinkat · March 10, 2003 9:26AM

Well, I guess I know how Alfred Landon felt... if the present trend continues there will be no separation of the US coin forum based on a classics/moderns split. While I share Askari's view that if there is a separation, there needs to be enough balance among experienced and newbie collectors. I still think a classic/modern separation still provides that balance.

coinkat · March 10, 2003 9:28AM

Askari:

Thanks for taking on the responsibility to conduct a survey and get a response from those boardmembers that participated.

madeddie · March 10, 2003 9:30AM

You pose an interesting question, Askari. Looks as if the majority puts the "fun" in dysfunctional! It's good to see that we are true to form...hehehehehehe!

tgilliams · March 10, 2003 10:08AM

ttt

Askari · March 10, 2003 10:19AM

<< You pose an interesting question, Askari. Looks as if the majority puts the "fun" in dysfunctional! It's good to see that we are true to form...hehehehehehe! >>

My pleasure, Madeddie! ... I did it all just to put a smile on your pretty face!!!

<< Askari:

Thanks for taking on the responsibility to conduct a survey and get a response from those boardmembers that participated. >>

You're welcome!! As one of the CU "oldbies" I think it's our responsibility to help see the forums through their "growing pains." I am unsurprised that there is a lot of resistance. If forum history repeats itself, this is just the first "birth pang." As the forum continued growing and became more frustrating, the issue would arise with increasing frequency. Some folks thought that spinning off those other forums would kill the US Coins forum. Not only didn't it, you can check out these others. Many people couldn't see that there'd be much interest in checking out more than one board. They learned otherwise. The Registry Forum folks spend a fair amount of time in both places.

Anyhow, when it comes up again, we'll at least have a better idea on how to scope down the range of choices.

RegistryCoin · March 10, 2003 10:28AM

We are all relative newbies to slabbing, new grade standards, and moderns, and thus, the only thing we have in common (if that) is "old stuff", but times change. Welcome to the All-incompassing Coin Forum.
...bring us your old-timers, your returnees, your state quarter collectors...

ps. Remember, there are always emoticons.

pps. Hey, BJ, come to think of it, we might need a "plonk" emoticon.

WhiteTornado · March 10, 2003 10:52AM

Thanks to Askari for arranging this poll. I agree that there needs to be some kind of split. We also need to weed out most of the OT threads. The Liteside gets so clogged with threads I can hardly keep up anymore.

All that being said, the closest I could find to what I'd like to see would be "General US Coins’ & ‘US Coins – Issues & Debates’.

As it is, it's too dang unwieldy.

Clankeye · March 10, 2003 10:57AM

Just signed on and it said there are currently 175 users signed in--right now. Wow. That number does seem to be getting larger on a daily basis.

The forum grows fat. What'cha think about that?

Clankeye

darktone · March 10, 2003 11:19AM

Well the way the poll stands right now it looks like about a third think there should be a new forum of some kind. I guess that's more than I thought the number would be. If you split the thread count this forum has right now by a third that would make the new forum more than double than that of the registry forum. mike

9185

Clankeye · March 10, 2003 11:25AM

Man! I just made a post to a thread and I swear, not two minutes later is was 3/4ths down the page. That's zipping.

Clankeye

darktone · March 10, 2003 11:30AM

Clankeye, a thread will only stay on the front page for about fifteen minutes if there are no reply's this time of the day. mike

DHeath · March 10, 2003 11:33AM

I keep 50 per page, and I have stuff up that has not been responded to since 7:30. Scrolling isn't bad.

michael · March 11, 2003 3:56PM

first choice 1954 and before us coins and 1955 and after us coins

sincerely michael

Hadleydog · March 11, 2003 5:13PM

One big, happy, dysfunctional family! Kinda makes me feel right at home.

jeffnpcb · March 11, 2003 6:50PM

Variety is the spice of life! Complacency breeds contempt! Cry babies don't need help or Kleenex, just calm down and it will past! Then you can start all over again!

darktone · March 11, 2003 8:07PM

Since I started keeping track Saturday we have had over 100 new forum members join at this rate we might need two new forums.

mike

Askari · March 12, 2003 11:34AM

Well, it's easy to see what the two most favored choices are.

RegistryCoin · March 12, 2003 12:10PM

Well, I guess if we wanted to take it a step further, it would be good to define the line between "classic" and "modern". Since we haven't been able to agree what this date should be, perhaps a poll to determine that date is in order. Than, in another step, we can compare, one-on-one, a choice between "keep it dysfunctional," and "split the forum" with certain delineation of "moderns" and "classics".
I've heard: '32, '38. '50, '54, '58, '64...
Today, I heard Frankies are "moderns", so, '48? Where would you place the line of distinction? What should be the choices in a poll?

Joshiah · March 12, 2003 1:24PM

I voted to keep it the same because it has been my experiance that any thing involving large numbers of people is best kept together. Focusing on out differances seems to me to cause dissention. If we focus on U.S. coins then we all have the same common ground but if you break it up then where do you seperate it. Is it moderns and classics which to me being new is confusing and I for one don't want to be kicked off of a forum or told I'm not one of us because I ask a question about the wrong coins on the wrong board. I also agree that we need to keep the people with much experiance with the newcomers. I have much gratitude for the people who came before me and made all this possible. If the boards do split then I think it would be best to do it according to slabbed coins and coins intended to be slabbed vs. raw or unslabbed coins. This would at least leave the coins disscussed the same and only seperate proffesionaly graded coins from the rest of the coins and give people who want to get better at grading coins a place to practice or study coin grading. This is just my opinion for what it's worth which probably isn't much since I'm fairly new to the hobby. Thank you Askari for all your work here.

DHeath · March 12, 2003 9:12PM

RegistryCoin,

I believe an appropriate split is 1836. That IS when the minting process changed. Besides, everyone knows the junk minted since then is common.

BTW - If we pull that off, imaging how fast most submissions will fly through PCGS graded under the modern tier, and think of the money we'll save.

The US Coin Forum: Breaking up is hard to do ...

Comments

Leave a Comment