Cross-posting - is it feasible?

paul-collins · 11 Dec 2002, 19:02 (Ref:447799)

I was browsing the Champcar forum, and saw a thread about Adrian Fernandez, an owner/driver in Champcars. It was about the new IRL team he's co-founded, and it had been moved to the IRL forum. I was glad that the marker was still there, as I was interested, but rarely go to the IRL forum.

It got me thinking - is there a way to cross-post on this forum like you can in usenet?

I found it challenging to post the same topic three times earlier when I was interested in soliciting views on Spa, its loss of the F1 race, the strong rumour about Champcars running there in early May, and my own speculation about ALMS and its plans for a May European race. It would have been a better discussion, I think, if people who participate in the three separate forums could have had input in a single thread. Some of us view many fora, but I've noticed many, for instance, who only ever visit F1. Yet they probably have something to say of interest to those of us who are more generalist in outlook.

If it's technically feasible for the threads to be cross-posted, would you be interested in implementing it, even on a trial basis? Otherwise the only time it happens is if someone posts a topic in the wrong forum and the moderator moves it. I certainly don't think it would be a good practice for a poster to do this deliberately...

redshoes · 11 Dec 2002, 19:54 (Ref:447823)

It's not something possible using the current release of the forum software. As you've noticed we try to keep the redirect link if a thread is moved to another forum but still may be of interest to posters in the original forum.

paul-collins · 11 Dec 2002, 20:58 (Ref:447863)

Having looked at the vBulletin website, this doesn't surprise me. It's an otherwise robust system, and I think the best boards either use it or something like it (excepting my favourite, which is logistically a mess but content-wise enormously useful). This, however, is a drawback.

Has anyone asked them if they're likely to implement this? If they do, is 10/10ths likely to utilize it?

**Craig** · 11 Dec 2002, 21:15 (Ref:447871)

Version 3.0 is a matter of weeks away from a beta release so there is a feature freeze on that release at present. If it is not included I will suggest it to them and consider implementing it here but only on a trial basis at first.

The major problem with cross posting on Usenet, as you probably know, is that people are able to spam multiple groups very easily and I would be reluctant to allow users to do that here. I think if we were to use this idea here it would have to be an admin option rather than a user option.

paul-collins · 11 Dec 2002, 21:58 (Ref:447908)

That sounds reasonable. I think that you could reasonably try out letting the posters decide whether it was cross-post-worthy, but I could see where it might cause discussions to descend into churlish or childish behaviour. Although we don't need cross-posting to do that all on our own, do we?

Since you have member control, spamming and flaming are more easily controlled, so I'd think you wouldn't be worried about the existence of that possibility. And I'm not sure what would be more work for your mods, granting or denying the cross-post.

As always, judicious use on the behalf of the posters would be required.

I look forward to v.3.

**Craig** · 11 Dec 2002, 23:51 (Ref:447978)

Well, if such a feature were included in future we would likely try it out on the basis that if a moderator deemed a topic worthy of discussion in two different forums simultanious (s)he could deem it so. eg. What do you think about Eddie Irvine possibly driving for Bentley this year (would be of interest to F1 and Sportscar forums.)

If that was a success we could additionally consider extending it so that users could cross-post... but that would go against my better jusgement I have to say - it has a big danger of becoming the new 'poll' option whereby someone thinks a topic is vital to half a dozen forums and cross-posts to all. Something to be considered if and when we have the software I think.

**Aysedasi** · 13 Dec 2002, 13:09 (Ref:449015)

Well I'm often cross when I post.

Wrex · 14 Dec 2002, 01:20 (Ref:449493)

Quote:

Originally posted by Craig Antill
What do you think about Eddie Irvine possibly driving for Bentley this year (would be of interest to F1 and Sportscar forums.)

Nah, the sportscar forum can keep Irvine

I have to agree craig. from a moderating point of view, it could get complicated, especially as a standard user option.

On the (very) rare occassion I've started a topic related to more than one forum, I post it in both forums and get both opinions (without the arguing between them).

**bella** · 14 Dec 2002, 01:43 (Ref:449511)

oh, can you imagine the fun in baiting classic rivalries, for example ascar vs btcc or irl vs champcars...
how long do we think it'd take to descend into basic 'yes it is' 'no it isn't' type arguements? 2 pages?

paulzinho · 14 Dec 2002, 01:56 (Ref:449519)

It would be useful with regards to Historics, there are often threads in Sportscar and F1 relating to long gone times, cross posting on these sorts of threads would help to increase responses and promote discussion as many members seem to stick to one forum or the other.

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