Designing a new "Target Area" - we want your input!

[Mark Blue]

I don't have much to add but I voted for two categories and agree with the sentiments here that the Reports should receive their own thread. Having it separate will facilitate moving and sharing content around over at the new forum, such as featured threads as an example.

Maybe the Event thread could contain the forecasts, nowcasts and discussion material, but I'm with Patrick Martin about what we used to call MISC. That was just too much noise for me and only fun for chatter that fits nowhere else. That could move to the Chatroom or just be axed altogether IMO. I think we'll need to be lenient on what members can talk about in the Event thread, but the Reports thread should be combed thoroughly for posts that do not belong. Thanks for asking Jeff.

 

[Jeff Snyder]

I echo Ben's statement. I would like to see forecast / nowcasts in one thread an all reports in another.

What about all the post-event discussion that accompanies many chase events? I'm thinking of links to stories about events, comments on ratings or damage assessments, evaluation of chase strategy, discussion of why an event happened the way it did, etc.? I'm asking honestly, since your comment and Ben's didn't specify where those posts would go.

Thanks for all the input!

 

[Travis Davis]

Jeff, I actually forgot about those. Sorry.

Before the forum changes a couple if years ago, did we have three threads per event? I liked that format and absolutely hated when it was changed.

I understand that it might be seen as 'clutter', but I like being able to view each topic without everything mixed together.

Thanks everyone for the hard work being put into the new Stormtrack.

 

[Marcus Diaz]

I think we should have a FCST thread before the event. Then on the day of...we can change the title to NOW...then the day after and from then on it can be titled simply as DISC. That way we know what phase the thread is in. I hardly see threads go beyond 10 pages here...so even the biggest days wouldn't be too hard to navigate. Maybe the new site can incorporate a local search within threads. That way if someone posts something you may want to come back through, we can search their name within the thread to see what all they posted inside that thread. I'd much rather have a cleaner looking site and do a little searching for what I need, then have clutter. Especially those days that aren't that big (cause let's face it, there only about 5-10 major days per year) probably don't require 3 or more seperate threads simply for discussion purposes.

 

[Adam Lucio]

What about all the post-event discussion that accompanies many chase events? I'm thinking of links to stories about events, comments on ratings or damage assessments, evaluation of chase strategy, discussion of why an event happened the way it did, etc.? I'm asking honestly, since your comment and Ben's didn't specify where those posts would go.

Thanks for all the input!

I think FCST/NOW/DISC can all be one thread. Less cluttering of the board. Of course, that will be annoying for the threat starter to type out each time. Maybe we can come up with a new category such as EVENT that will encompass all 3? Then we have the reports stay as is. Just a thought.

 

[Dave Gallaher]

I'm voting for two threads, one for FCST/NOW and one for REPORTS. However, the MISC threads were valuable too in being more free-wheeling in real time, and for providing third-hand accounts and links. Is there a way to incorporate the spirit of the MISC threads without overly cluttering FCST/NOW?

On several occasions, mods gently informed me they were removing a post I'd made due to being inappropriate or unnecessary. I still think this is a good idea in real time, especially in active NOW situations.

 

[Ben Holcomb]

Jeff, I would think either in the same FCST/NOW thread or start a third thread. My strong opinion is on reports threads as I think those are key. Not sure if the new forum software allows it, but a 'template' would almost be awesome. Instead of the typical 'post here' box, if we actually got kind of a form to fill out for our report and it allowed us to link youtube videos and upload or link photos, etc. It could theoretically be used in all sorts of ways outside of the forum then as well. Just a thought.

 

[Robert Forry]

I like being able to visit one thread and have nothing but forecast/nowcast discussion, and I like being able to read all reports in one place, without having to sift through a dozen miscellaneous posts about media coverage, damage reports, or radar grabs, or comments and questions. QUOTE]

Echoing Skip here..I'm relatively new to ST but even that said, I like the idea of one place to go for FCST/NOW discussions, then a seperate one for REPORTS. I'm personally not a fan of the MISC type posts. They're OK, but to me that just add to much noise and clutter to what I want to see here. If I want to get media coverage, damage reports, radar grabs, etc., I'll check out the social media channels for that stuff.

 

[Jason Boggs]

I think the MISC posts should be done away with altogether because they just get cluttered in the mix. I agree with the thread for FCST/NOW discussion and another thread for the REPORT discussions.

 

[Jeremy Perez]

Voted for a 2-Post per day system: REPORTS in one clean thread, and then FCST/NOW/MISC batch in another thread. I'd prefer that MISC discussion be permitted, since it provides opportunity for interaction that the site sorely needs. If it actually does wind up cluttering into FCST/NOW content, perhaps it could be prohibited until after the event so at least there's a chronological cutoff in that section.

 

[Sean Ramsey]

I also agree with the FCST/NOW thread and REPORTS separately. I also think any subsequent discussion (MISC) about the details of an event like there was for El Reno should be a totally different thread outside of the Target Area. It could have its own section maybe for analysis purposes, but I think it needs to stay apart from Target area threads.

 

[Skip Talbot]

I'd be cool with a two thread model if it was an EVENT thread like Adam suggested combining FCST/NOW/MISC and then a separate REPORTS thread. I think the flow of the event will naturally allow for a smooth transition between FCST, NOW, and MISC as the event shifts from forecasting, live updates, and then post event discussion, damage surveys, and third party reports.

I say we have separate forums for each, then we don't even need a thread suffix. We could just have a Forecast/Nowcast/Misc Events Forum and each thread title would simply be the date and location. Then we'd have a separate First Hand Chase Accounts Forum, again with just the date and location as the title.

What I don't like about this is that I think one of these threads should allow for posts like:

Live chase chatter that is not a nowcast:

Sitting here Grand Island, and grabbing some lunch at Subway if anyone wants to join us. Looks like a big event. Things are really heating up and I think we'll have storms soon.

Before the event chatter that is not a forecast:

Wow, this looks like it could be the first significant tornado event of the year. Models are all over the map, and there's lots of time yet for things to change. It'll definitely be interesting to see what happens though. Not sure if we're chasing yet, as I'll have to request off work and I want to see more agreement from the models first.

We used to see a LOT of those posts and depending on how strict the moderators are on that day, you could actually get an infraction for posting one of the above posts in the Target Area as both posts are essentially devoid of any real forecasting content. I think that's too strict, and cracking down on these posts probably stifled Target Area posting and significantly contributed to the exodus from Stormtrack. All chase chatter and event buzz is now on Facebook.

However, I still think these posts do not belong in a Forecast or Nowcast thread. I don't want to see posts like this cluttering up the ones that do make a real effort to provide quality forecasting content. Let's have a thread that catches all the noise, chase chatter, and comments.

 

[John Farley]

Although I see two is leading in the poll, I think we need three. One for forecasts and nowcasts, one for reports, and one for after-the-event discussion. Definitely need to keep reports separate from other after-the-event discussion. And don't call any of them MISC - always thought that label was rather confusing and useless.

 

[Jason Boggs]

I agree that MISC was rather confusing......Maybe Event Post Discussion or After Event Discussion or something similar might work.

 

[Andrew Pritchard]

I liked having two separate threads - FCST/NOW/DISC, whatever you want to call it - the meteorological discussion of the event. And then the "I personally chased the event and here's what I saw" thread.

I had issues at times after an event remembering a post that someone had made that I wanted to go back to for whatever reason, but then not remembering which of the four different threads from that date it was in. I'd just like to think, "hey there was a really cool map posted in the thread from that day" and just be able to track down the one discussion thread regarding it.

I might be a big whiner, but once an event gets underway it was kind of annoying to have to bounce back and forth between NOW and FCST - there are nowcast and real-time data snippets that are still relevant to the overall forecast picture and I don't think the two should be segregated. If we *had* to have a separate thread for post-discussion of an event then so be it, but I still don't see why it couldn't be tacked onto the end of the main event thread. Then you've got forecast leading up to, real-time discussion, and then post-event discussion all in one place. And then a separate thread for those who were there (again, banning "Hey man, cool photo!" posts from reports threads).