ED - A question for you...

[~sillycow~]

I've been a member of AB for a while now and wondered how long it would take to introduce a new topic as i have not seen any new ones ever since reading what people suggest. Loads of people ask for the same or simiar topics to be introduced - so when and how do you decide if its a good one!!?? Or are yuo just ignoring the ABers suggestions?

[dot.hawkes]

I thought you would have had a few replies with the stock answers by now sillycow, I guess they are all watching sport or shovelling snow. It might be interesting but the debates keep going on about this idea. Some of the catagories are overused and overwide ranging, like quizzes and puzzles, the questions seem to get put in appropriate catagories anyway.

[jno]

well, ChatterBank was launched after months of earnest pleas, then closed down several months later, so they may be a bit cautious about new topics. I think the last new topic before that was The Horseless Carriage.

[foxy.fagin]

What (sort of) new topic would you like, sillycow?

[january_bug]

I totally agree sillycow - it would be nice for ABE to perhaps use the blog to say something like:-

"The following topics have been considered and rejected for the following reasons...."

"The following topics were deemed not right for immediate introduction, but we would like to consider them again in the future".

Sharing this information could actually reduce the number of questions ED has to deal with that involve requests for new topics/section, e.g., a separate relationships section, a separate Harry Potter section each time a book comes out, separating film & TV, a World Cup section to stop Sport becoming swamped, an actual debate section separate from news. These have come up time and time again.

An entry in the blog explaining rejections AND WHY would reduce this I would have thought.

[foxy.fagin]

Aha! a "Topic of the Moment " section. Yes!

[january_bug]

Precisely! I think that temporary sections - where it is stated from the start - this will only be open, e.g., until 7 days from the end of the Football World Cup, could be very useful.

But moreover, I do reiterate that I really agree with sillycow - that answers are deserved - more than "ABEd will get back to you on this" or "send me an URL".I'm sure it would be worth the extra 2 minutes - as it would save some time in the long run.