Reference Area.

[Duke]

I've decided to archive some of our more helpful content in the form of a Reference Archive, which will function as follows:

Reference Archives:

- Categories: this will be alpha-numeric (where applicable) and organized by individual issues first letter, ex: A = Abuse, Addiction, Alzheimer’s (Current Topic Title/Category).
- Each individual issue will be a hyperlink to a new, static, .html page that will contain info., on the issue, links to news articles/forum content here, and links to external articles.

I've wanted to do this for quite some time now but I need your help in getting this program off the ground.

Essentially, I'll be starting another topic that asks for your favorite threads that were most helpful and informative in nature. If you can, please provide a forum and/or news topic link. I will remove all spam and off topic content from each of these discussions and move the spam to an archived forum so we can keep to the issue, perhaps revive some of these important topics and lastly, no one will lose post counts because the spam will be split, not deleted from the individual topics.

Thoughts?

[Duke]

Also, what do you think would be a better name for this section?

I really don't think "Reference Section" is going to cut the mustard.

Please keep in mind that it cannot be anymore than two words long as it needs to fit both in the Modules Block at the upper left of the page and also on the "quick nav." bar under the header (HOME, FAMILY FORUMS, DOWNLOADS, TOPICS, YOUR ACCOUNT, etc.)

[TKDLady]

Is the thought that this area will contain the topics that have been brought up in all the forums that hit on areas people want information on? By removing the spam, do you mean removing the posts that sort of strayed off the topic? I think this is a good idea. Someone visiting the site for information on a particular problem they are having could more easily find the information if they could search by the topic instead of sorting through the forums.

As for another name, how about something like Archive Index or Forum Index. Most people would associate the word index with some sort of alphabetical listing.

Just my thoughts.

[Duke]

Personally, I don't want it to have anything to do with the forums other than link to the discussions covering the indexed topics. If the discussions are brought back to life from this type of indexing then all the better but linking to the forum topic is the icing on the cake.

I'd rather address the issue from as many sides as possible while linking to our news articles and information resources scattered across the net. This will also help us target our news articles better so we can view particular issues from all sides instead of looking at one particular issue once, from one POV, and then moving onto the next article. It is this type of cross-linking and information resources that I believe will:

- give people an in-depth analysis of the issue
- discuss the issue from all possible sides and POV's
- find informative resources online that deal with specifics regarding individual issues
- give us all a larger understanding of said issues

all the while:

- helping people
- educating
- generating discussion.


All spam in linked topics will be removed so the topics can address the specific issues they are linked to. Also, when the topic progresses to become another topic (which happens frequently as more viewpoints are added), the new topic will be split and linked to the old as another POV.