The AM Forum

I think there was a thread called "how I got started" and one similar to that got posted to after a long dormancy just now that made me think of this...

It would be nice if this was a separate thing, like the K4KYV and W2DU sections? The stories that I recall from the "how I got started" thread were wonderful, iirc.

Seems like a great thing to keep as a separate chronicle and journal. For example we will never get some SK members that we all knew to tell us how they got started and what their recollections of "how it was" are now...

I suggest the title might be How I Got Started & Early Recollections.

It would be nice to start out with two stickies:
- How I got started
- Early Recollections

(once they get really long, they can be split and a new thread started to continue)

OT posts in both sticky can be simply moved out to new threads under the topic... seeding the category with new topics... :D

What a great set of stories we'd have.

                   _-_-bear

 SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT IDEAL ;)

+1!

Spleek up boyz! Don't be shy!!

428 views and 2 comments? Wats up wit dat??

Show of hands - yeah or nay.

Tnx.

                        _-_-bear

It would be nice if each member had a "personal profile" section.
Under each member's login profile, you presently have several options:

Modify Profile
Account Related Settings
Forum Profile Information
Look and Layout Preferences
Notifications and Email
Personal Message Options

Why not one additional line, "Personal Profile" which could accessed when one clicks on a member's username. The "Personal Profile" could be some size of defined space where members can relate their early experiences, i.e. "how I got started", interests/hobbies (amateur or other stuff), educational background if desired, vocation, technical abilities, or anything else that would define who you are. Basically, a bio. Each member would have the ability to click on the member's username to find out more about that person. There's no long page after page of posts, no long page after page of searching to find one particular member's information, or random posts in the thread that tend to sometimes wander from the original topic causing the thread to be even longer.

I like, great suggestions everyone!

This site has more value every time I log on!

-Bruce

Pete,

The aim of the "How I got Started" sticky or Section is not for an individual to chronicle their own story that then could be found and searched.

Instead the idea is to have these stories more or less all together, like a series of chapters in a book. A good read.

The comments that go off topic are then taken out by the moderators and set up as their own thread. While the main series of stories continues in their own sticky topic, keeping series of stories clear.

For example if W2--- tells his story and then someone comments on X, then there are 3, 4 or 5 more comments diverging off on related points, then the moderator takes a copy of W2---'s story with the follow ups off to another thread, keepingthe original story intact in main thread.

If there are one or two supporting anecdotes then they can stay - only when it starts to go afar do the subsequent posts need to be moved.

Sound ok to you?

                        _-_-bear

That might be a good idea, but the problem I see is that, unlike QRZ.com, the moderators here have a life outside this message board and might have other things to do besides periodically checking all day long to make sure threads stay on topic.

They seem to be fairly active now... doubt that this would result in an overwhelming flood of posts... but I don't know since I am not one of them...


                       _-_-

Vote: NAY

Theres more then enough categories already on this board.  There's  a post in the QSO section titled "When were you first on the air, how old were you, and your first call?" which has pretty much covered the topic.   http://amfone.net/Amforum/index.php?topic=6491.0 (http://amfone.net/Amforum/index.php?topic=6491.0)

At first, it sounded like a great idea, but I think I will have to say "nay" as well.  The problem being that so many categories that are permanent fixtures are rarely viewed...and then just as references.  I have enjoyed immensely the past threads on the "how I got started" and "my novice days, etc." topics, but they might not have received much attention if they were permanent listings.  It becomes more like a directory than a free flowing discussion with everyone contributing.  There would certainly be nothing wrong with including more info in our profiles, however, if folks wanted to include stuff on their early days in the hobby, that would be fine.   I think we should continue the discussions under QSO on our early stations and experiences.  Just my two cents worth, and only my opinion, YMMV.

73,  Jack, W9GT

Jack,

There is nothing wrong with a free flowing discussion. Keep the discussion going.

The idea is to put a compendium of these stories together in one place where it can be READ as a single entity.

The problem with the standard thread is that eventually it "sinks to the bottom of the pond" and then is more or less lost. Unless, as it has in this case been found by someone searching and bumping it up. Otherwise it gets lost more or less permanently. It's the getting lost part that I'm trying to address... and to try to get as many of these stories as possible!

If I wanted to interest someone in ham radio by having them read something about it that conveys the excitement, allure and interest one of the things I'd like to be able to give them is just such a compendium of "how I got started" stories.

So, again it's not the personal info for any given station, it's the broad swath of many experiences, stories and anecdotes for many that's the idea! :D

As far as this forum having too many categories, there are other forums with far more categories or equivalent number of categories, and many many more participants than we have here.

Where and how we could do this surely needs to be considered, and jamming up the top of any given forum sub heading with endless stickies seems to be not a great idea either. So, I suggested another heading as a possible solution... some forums have the ability to open up a topic area and have sub headings under that... a basic tree system.

Again, what I'm thinking is that having all the stories in a single place that can both be found easily and where new stories are being added all the time is what to do.

                     _-_-bear


PS. a feature that could do this, but probably does not exist is a line that says something like: "How I Got Started: CLICK HERE TO ADD YOUR STORY". That then opens to an editor which posts to a place that is like one of the buttons found up top (The AM Window The AM Reflector - etc). Then it is not part of the threads... but the stories can be read like a book... we have that with the pix of AMers and I think some Audio clips. Isn't there an "east coast sound" section somewhere part of this site??

PPS. Speaking of which it would be nice to bolster the audio "clip" capability - more clips (facilitate upload)  and perhaps an embedded player thingie capability..? :D