HOW CAN I IMPROVE 14ERS.COM?

[jaymz Profile 14er Peak List (8) Trip Reports]

Please delete/ban the user profiles katrinav, chocnuts, tsrobinson115, and bradcapo112. They are spammers infiltrating one of the threads.
Thanks, Bill!

[jimlup Profile 14er Peak List (26) 14ers in Winter (1)13er Peak List (8)Trip Reports]

By Default, OFF ROUTE does not show up on the main page. You have to turn them "on" in your display settings. Additionally, OFF ROUTE threads can't be seen if you're not logged into the forum.

Thanks - I'll change my settings!

[jford Profile 14er Peak List (23)]

I didn't read through all the posts so this may already be there, but I'd be interested in how long it takes people to hike peaks. That way I can compare what I've already done and find out how long it may take me to climb a new peak. Thanks.

[BillMiddlebrook]

I didn't read through all the posts so this may already be there, but I'd be interested in how long it takes people to hike peaks. That way I can compare what I've already done and find out how long it may take me to climb a new peak. Thanks.

I just added this system a few days ago...

Climb Times

[Gary Brady Profile Website 14er Peak List (13) Trip Reports]

Put the Off Route section on hiatus. Give it about 4 weeks. Many of the people that treat it as a political forum will look for another venue.

[BillMiddlebrook]

Put the Off Route section on hiatus. Give it about 4 weeks. Many of the people that treat it as a political forum will look for another venue.

I agree that there's a lot of crap there, but the purpose of the Off Route area was to move threads like that away from the general forum. And it has worked.

By default, the Off Route threads do not show up on the 14ers.com home page and can easily be ignored. The only way to see the threads is to enter the Off Route section (when logged into the forum) or to turn on the display of the threads on the home page, using the Display Settings. Even then, they only show up when logged in.

If I suspend the Off Route, I bet the posts will creep into the other forums...

[dcbates80911 Profile Website 14er Peak List (31) 14ers in Winter (1)13er Peak List (7)Trip Reports]

If I suspend the Off Route, I bet the posts will creep into the other forums...

Yes....they will and most of us certainly do not want that.

[Gary Brady Profile Website 14er Peak List (13) Trip Reports]

Put the Off Route section on hiatus. Give it about 4 weeks. Many of the people that treat it as a political forum will look for another venue.

I agree that there's a lot of crap there, but the purpose of the Off Route area was to move threads like that away from the general forum. And it has worked.

By default, the Off Route threads do not show up on the 14ers.com home page and can easily be ignored. The only way to see the threads is to enter the Off Route section (when logged into the forum) or to turn on the display of the threads on the home page, using the Display Settings. Even then, they only show up when logged in.

If I suspend the Off Route, I bet the posts will creep into the other forums...

True. But it would be more policeable. Most people know enough not to bring up non related topics in the mountaineering sections. But, the Off Route section has gotten completely out of hand. Usually not a problem for me. I have particapated in those ridiculous discussion before. Thankfully only for a short time.

Since the 2008 elections, the Off Route forums have become the like pool halls of the 1950's. They are a place for the malcontents to hang out to see if they can one up the competition. Every once in awhile, one of the valued posters of the site stumbes in to the wrong neighborhood and gets into trouble. Sometimes their experience is bad enough that they leave and never come back. One of the pitfalls of the internet chat room. For the casual user of this site it is no big deal. But, if you are daily user, the loss of good contribuitor can be disheartening.

[BillMiddlebrook]

I think if a climber leaves the site because of something that's posted in Off Route, then he/she may be here for the wrong reasons. Off Route is used to deflect crap from the general forum and has really done so over the past 2 years.

It's easy to ignore.

It's a free site, so we're going to get people that post junk like this. I'd rather have Off Route than censor the site with a heavy-hand or make people pay to use the general site.

I'll post a warning in the Off Route thread to try and clean things up a bit...

[dbroudy Profile 14er Peak List (1)]

What about filtering the "new posts" link (search.php?search_id=newposts) to not include off route either? That's what I have bookmarked. On another forum (vBulletin based) I read it's easy (and convenient for the same reasons as here) to modify the new posts link to exclude certain forums, and then bookmark that, but I don't see a way to do that with phpBB.

[BillMiddlebrook]

What about filtering the "new posts" link (search.php?search_id=newposts) to not include off route either? That's what I have bookmarked. On another forum (vBulletin based) I read it's easy (and convenient for the same reasons as here) to modify the new posts link to exclude certain forums, and then bookmark that, but I don't see a way to do that with phpBB.

Done. Off Route has been removed from the Search function entirely.

[rmd Profile 14er Peak List (24)]

I think if a climber leaves the site because of something that's posted in Off Route, then he/she may be here for the wrong reasons. Off Route is used to deflect crap from the general forum and has really done so over the past 2 years.

It's easy to ignore.

It's a free site, so we're going to get people that post junk like this. I'd rather have Off Route than censor the site with a heavy-hand or make people pay to use the general site.

I'll post a warning in the Off Route thread to try and clean things up a bit...

Bill,
I agree with your philosophy 100 percent. Its easy to ignore the Off Route, and most people on the mountaineering threads are good about restricting their comments to climbing ones. As long as you have the server space to accommodate everyone.