DIY Book Scanner

Hi everyone,
Scann sent a proposal that we re-organize the forums. Since there are only 1500 topics or so, it should be doable.

scann wrote:I have been trying to find a post in the forum (the hardware section),
and it has been so difficult to do so that I want to propose you an
idea.
Is it possible to organize the hardware subsection in specific
sections? For example, to make a subsection named: "complete scanners
build", "cameras", "platten", "light", "trigger", "page turner", and
put the threads about those topics in those specific sections. Or
instead of having a hardware subforum, to have subforums with those
names.

Now, I don't think we should get as specific as "trigger" - but maybe we should.

I am looking for suggestions on how to re-organize the forums in a way that is most useful to all of you.

And also, I will be putting some serious effort into making a custom Google Search box for the top right, so we don't have to suffer the crappy search anymore.

Could really use some feedback on this.

Well for my 2 cents, I really like the idea, even breaking down to the idea of a trigger forum, as I have been working through parts of my own the same way. I get to the point where I have a build, but want to add a different trigger. It would be nice to have an easy way to read the discussions.

On the other hand though, many of the discussions are about someone's complete build and we would need a place to discuss the issues as a whole.

A better search function, or a tagging mechanism may be just as easy.

And an added help would be to configure RSS feeds so that we can track threads as they update.

If you need help with the Custom Google Search, or configuring RSS feeds, let me know. I have implemented several for State agencies.

Wow... got double posted somehow.

I'm interested in any help/feature building you are willing to do - I'm really a PHPBB n00b and it takes me a long time to make things work. RSS sounds good, and it's probably more archival than using the notification features of PHPBB.

Aighty... I will PM you.

I may not be much help in building scanners but Web Apps are something else entirely ;0)

revjoe wrote:On the other hand though, many of the discussions are about someone's complete build and we would need a place to discuss the issues as a whole.

yeah, the idea is to have a section like that, probably named "builds".

I think the Software section is also due for a cleanup.

Maybe you could create a Help section, a section for Scripts & Software (possibly a Requests subcategory) and a Tutorials section?

Also, if you ever need any help with any sort of web design (both clientside and serverside), I have experience in both fields.

Two things:

1. Since we're installing a Google Custom Search mod, we don't want to mess up the existing links that Google has saved. When moving links in PHPBB, does the "Leave shadow topic in place" option preserve our existing linkage?

2. So, am I interpreting you right:

Help:
Requests for help with software.

Scripts and Software:
Software packages and releases, software people find online, threads created by programmers/script writers.

Tutorials:
User-generated tutorials and how-to's.

Sound right?

BTW, I am planning to begin this reorganization today. Scann is going to help, and revjoe has offered to help with some back-end stuff (that I am going to first try myself). Anonymous2, and others who have been around for a while, if you want temporary mod powers to help move things around, let me know.

I do want to write out a complete theoretical forum structure here before beginning, and have a little discussion, so we are all in the same page. If someone wants to tackle that while I take care of some other things, that would be great.

Any advice on the "best" (least disruptive) way to do the forum reorg would be most helpful.