Suggestion: Main Threads in Each Forum Section to Link to Other Threads
I'm thinking we could have pinned threads about key topics on each forum segment that links to other threads on specific cases.
We can put up links on this pinned thread to other threads as we realise their relevance & association when we go about reading & posting on this forum.
This serves as a network of linked threads so people can jump from one thread to another to learn about a topic.
The hierarchical structure of the forum has limitations because, as we see, we can always break the content down into more and more sub-forums.
This is not always better because now people get confused as to where we should post a particular topic.
Many areas of power dynamics are interlinked.
For example, under Power Dynamics, there can be a pinned thread on references to
- Covert and Passive Aggression
- Aggression
- Conflict Resolution - this can even link across forum segments (social life, strategies) which make it interesting
- Collaborative Frames
- Body Language of Dominance
An alternative to group threads together would be hashtags.
I'm not sure if this works well with the forum search bar.
For example,
#covertaggression #passiveaggression
#aggression
#deepwork
The organisation of knowledge on this forum becomes more like a well-connected graph.
Rather than a tree which is also a graph but more limited in connectivity:
Organising Knowledge
Organising knowledge is a huge topic.
There is no single proven method to organise information effectively.
And how to make it easy for people to access.
If it becomes overwhelming, the search function may become the most important like Google.
I think it's a great idea.
Ali was proposing something similar for the forum's knowledge organization -more about "ebook" as initial proposal-.
The next question then becomes: which topics should go in the pinned threads?
And just to be clear: would you not add anymore sub-forums -John for example proposed a "self-defense" subforum-, or would you remove some that are already there?
Matthew: This is not always better because now people get confused as to where we should post a particular topic.
Many areas of power dynamics are interlinked.
I agree.
The way I see it, it doesn't have to be perfect, to make sense.
The moment one opens a sub-forum, it's more something like "most threads in this section have as their main focus this specific aspect of socialization" or, at least "the main focus of the thread-starter was to better understand/share knowledge on something about this specific aspect of socialization".
Still, that doesn't mean that one can't have both, both trying to have a tree-approach, plus adding the graph-level.
The next question then becomes: which topics should go in the pinned threads?
I think the topics found inside Power University could serve as a guide to the topics in the pinned threads.
Then the other specific threads found to be good after discussion could be put into these pinned threads via links.
We could follow a crowd-sourced approach with cleaning and structuring through discussion along the way.
For example, under Power Dynamics,
- Assertiveness
- Covert Aggression and Passive Aggression
- Covert Power Moves
- Domination Showdowns
- Manipulation
- Power Signals and Submissive Signals
- Frame Control
- Relevance to Social Life (Here is where the cross-linkage comes)
- Dating (Power Dynamics in Dating)
- Strategies (Linking to the Strategies Sub-forum)
- Self-Development (Becoming more assertive)
- Researches, Studies, Book Nuggets (External Resources on Power Dynamics)
And just to be clear: would you not add anymore sub-forums -John for example proposed a "self-defense" subforum-, or would you remove some that are already there?
We can keep the tree and graph structures like you mention.
So we can add sub-forums if we think it does not add to the clutter and brings clarity & value to the forum participants.
OK, so if I get it correctly, you wouldn't link just to other forum posts, but to articles as well?
I would link to the relevant content in various forms.
For example, for assertiveness,
- Power University Lesson on Assertiveness (since only customers can access and see the content)
- Articles
- Other forum posts
Also as a way to encourage people to not post duplicate content and check out other links before posting.
Mind Map - Possible Alternative (Probably High Maintenance)
Maybe experimenting with an external, online mind map could work better.
Brainstorming More Ideas to Organise Forum Knowledge
How to crowdsource information in an organised manner?
- Get the forum participants to produce high-quality content
- How to make it easy to add a link to this high-quality content
- As the content grows and number of links grow, how to organise these links via the crowd?
StackExchange seems to work quite well on pooling together knowledge based on what the community thinks.
There is also an Interpersonal Skills Stack Exchange.
StackExchange works really well for the more technical subjects like Stack Overflow.
My gut feeling is that because even the very technically savvy people contribute to Stack Overflow.
But the power astute people don't typically spend their time advising strangers on forums.
Tags seem to be a good idea.
Community-based way of organising knowledge.
Here I would put
#forum #knowledge #organisation #network #tags
OK, let's go for it.
I will add some stickied threads today and start populating them.
What I'm thinking to do them for ease of implementation is that everyone can reply to that thread and add their own links to what they thought was most helpful/enlightening.
And then if different people agree, I will add that link to the first post of that thread.
Also, I will move all the sub-forums to the bottom of the page to make up some space (now they're at the top of the page).
This is awesome.
I saw the forum post under Power Dynamics.
Thanks for the solid breakdown!
What I'm thinking to do them for ease of implementation is that everyone can reply to that thread and add their own links to what they thought was most helpful/enlightening.
And then if different people agree, I will add that link to the first post of that thread.
Maybe we could use the thumbs up - thumbs down feature as a way to vote.
People in short of time to comment or don't want to over-populate the thread could read and press the thumbs up/down button.
Yes, exactly, I agree with that, great point. Thumbs up and down is a good and quick way of providing feedback and support (or disagreement) for a new entry.