Limiting New Threads/Forums listed on the Home page?

[WYNot]

Is it possible to block certain parts of the forum from displaying on the home page where it lists all the new posts? Nothing personal against the people who post in them but I'd rather not see and sort through all the RP and story threads of the Games, Jokes, and Fun! forum to get to the new posts that are actually relevant to raising chickens. I'm just here learn about chickens.

Thanks

 

[OwlLover]

It's not on the FP, but this works too, I guess. Scroll down below the categories, and you'll have the latest posts.

All chicken raising stuff:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/64/raising-backyard-chickens

All chicken breed stuff:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/65/chicken-breeds

All you need to do is click on the subforum titles (above each group of categories) to narrow it down.

 

[WYNot]

So, there is no way to ignore or block a specific area of the forum? Specifically the "Games, Jokes, and Fun!" forum? Frankly, I'm getting tired of seeing all the new threads listed on the home page taken up by that nonsense. When I log in, I would much rather see new posts that are actually relevant to chickens.

 

[DuckLady]

It is frustrating, I agree. While I personally would LOVE for the new posts to actually be chicken related, unfortunately there isn't a way at this time to pick and choose where the new posts come from on the home page.

For myself, I have not seen the home page in years unless I accidentally click something I didn't intend to. I have my browser come directly to the forum, where I CAN pick and choose what I want to see by using the +\- controls for each sub forum.

 

[WYNot]

Pity. I don't mind the other animal related threads because they at least animal related and one can always glean something useful out of them.

I like hitting the homepage as it is a quick view of the new/active threads without having to dig. Once I get done with it then I can go dig for the buried treasure. hehe Normally it doesn't bother me too much but this morning all but one or two of the new posts listed were the inane RP nonsense. If people want that kind of stuff, there are plenty of other sites that offer it. That and wife has been out of town for a week now and I'm getting crankier than normal.

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

Correct, we an't currently limit what is seen on the homepage list, but it's actually very simple to only see what you want to see and avoid other sections, by changing browsing and bookmarks. For example, if you only want chicken related topics, simply bookmark this page:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/64/raising-backyard-chickens

If you only want to see ducks, bookmark this index: https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/42/ducks

Our forum is one of the biggest, strongest, and fastest growing because our wonderful members connect on a level that extends beyond just the interest graph of "chickens". People become friends and want to associate outside of a specific topic, and the "off topic sections" provide this. Any community (online or off... including religions, politics, book-clubs, knitting groups, hobbies, etc.) that only focus on a specific topic and don't allow their members to build relationships and have discussions outside of those topics, are often doomed to fail.

 

[WYNot]

Never said anything about not allowing members to build relationships and have discussions outside of the site topic. That stuff can be done without letting it take over the homepage. I simply said that I personally come here for relevant information and discussions. And when the relevant information and discussions gets lost in the shuffle then I'm more likely to go elsewhere to find them. Because I do find the information and the people here of value, I was just trying to figure out if it was possible to tune out some of the useless noise to make getting to the useful information and people easier and less time consuming.

To counter what you said... Sites that allow themselves to lose focus and try to be everything to everyone also are doomed to fail. This is a chicken site. When a person hits the homepage and 75%+ of the new/active posts listed are RP games and "lets count as high as we can before so and so posts" threads, that is a little off-putting and doesn't make a real good impression on a first time visitor as to the valuable information that is actually available here.

But hey, your site your rules. I was just asking a question.