OT forum?

[WestCoastSVX]

I was going to post this idea in my other thread but I ended up saying an awful lot there so thought I'd give this simple idea it's own place.

This idea has come up now and then around here, and many other forum sites have similar set ups.

What if we added 2 new forums - 'New Members' and 'Off Topic'?

New Members - This would be at the top of the page and under its description would just say something like "A place for new members to check in and meet the group". There could also be some text in the email a new member gets when they register suggesting that they go to this forum first and post an introduction. This forum would basically be nothing more than a series of threads started by new members as their first post when they join the group. They could say as much or little as they want about themselves and their SVX or interest in finding an SVX, etc. Then all the other members can go in and reply to the thread and welcome them to the Network, ask them a few questions, whatever. Basically the kind of thing that goes on already when a new member joins, but with its own dedicated forum. This might encourage more new people to post an introduction than do now. It also might be cool to look back on in a year and see a list of threads, each started by a different member as their original "profile" of sorts. Could be cool.

Off Topic - This is where we talk about the SVX. HA! Gotcha! No, this would be just what it says, all Off Topic posts not relating to the SVX. I definitely think OT's are the heart and soul of this group now, we have rehashed just about everything about the SVX we can and now being here is more of just a social hangout for many. But there are still many that come here strictly for the car information, and they have mentioned that they generally ignore the OT's. Some have even went as far as to say they get mad when they are reading a technical post or question and the thread gets derailed into a joke or some other discussion. This may be a problem, but that is another issue for another time. I'm simply suggesting a OT forum for anything non-SVX related, including stuff about Subaru. General SVX Babble (as it is actually called I just noticed) would be just what it says, general discussion about the SVX that doesn't fit into the other categories of mods, tech fixes, etc. No longer would it have stuff about the new WRX, me losing my job, Rob fixing up a scooter, etc. This would not only clean up the forums a little more, it might make it easier for new members to understand how we are structured and what we like to see as far as posting.

Post your thoughts on this here and if there is enough support for the idea I will contact the admins directly and show them the support for the change (if they don't see it first). If you are not in support of this, try to change my mind.