"Create new conventions and clubs folder at the top levell" Topic

…of the message boards.This would enable permanent sub-folders that would be based on countries, states, and/or cities sorted alphabetically. This would give travelers a quick sorting of what they might be able to visit, and basically give all users a quick idea of where an event is even if they aren't familiar with it and prevent things getting buried.

Hmm. Well, I won't say it couldn't work, but wouldn't a calendar be more to the point? I'm not likely to open five different state folders, let alone city sub-folders, to see what's available, but I can see myself scrolling down a list of conventions to see what was coming this month or next which might be within reach.

(Note to con directors. By the time I get notices on TMP filled with capitalizations and exclamation marks saying "CuteNameCon is coming SOON! Make your reservation NOW!!" rooms on site are booked, other activities are scheduled and it's much, much too late to prepare a game or even fill the flea market crates. So we're talking day trips.)

No.

A calendar doesn't do anything for clubs who would want a permanent listing. As for a date, the postings themselves would serve that purpose just in that most recent postings sit at the end of a thread.

MajorB, what is the downside that I might not be considering that prompted your brief nay?

Nope.

We did have a Clubs Directory back in the day.

It would be nice if somewhere there was a calendar or just a listing under each month with the con name, location and a link. The challenge would be to keep it up to date. Notices posted on a random board just does not get it done. Often times I don't see the post until long after the date of the convention.

The clubs should not get a permanent listing. The clubs need to tell everyone that yes, there will be a convention this year, that they have secured a facility, what that facility is and what date they have it for.

If they can't be bothered to tell us these things, who exactly is going to drive 100 miles because "well they usually have a con the second week in April, and they didn't say they wouldn't. And last year it was right here."

Otto Schmidt of late and glorious memory wrote that for a campaign, he made everyone mail in their first orders by a specified date, because if they couldn't or wouldn't do that much, you couldn't count on them for anything else.

Posting notice of your convention falls under the same heading. If filing notice of where and when it is is too much trouble for the organizing committee, what are they going to do for games and dealers?

I agree that sub folders down to the city might be a bit tedious but at least states or regions might be more useful. It really comes down to what is more important to the searcher where or when? I tend to be on the road a lot and I would love to be able to find clubs or groups when I am in a new city. Too I have no idea of where many of the cons (even as to the continent!) are although I usually no when.

Isn't there this?
TMP link

And a club directory would be a good idea. Maybe once a year they would be asked to verify the information just to keep it current and be sure it's active.

what is more important to the searcher where or when?

I travel a lot too. When is your primary identification criterion.

If I am going to, say, Colorado Springs CO next week, I really don't care what happened there last week. And if organizers are doing reasonable planning, there would be several posts about last weeks stuff, probably with updates after the event to wade through.

Also, if I were going to, say Kaua'i in November, I would be more interested in looking at the dates when I was traveling to/from to see if there was a layover spot with an event where I could take a no-cost to work personal day. Same for driving across country or any vacation – the dates are more fixed than the location.

Using the TMP structure, boards for the next 12 months, with a weekly underneath (probably Friday – Thursday weeks) would be a good structure. Then require one thread per event with the location and name in the title. It would be relatively easy to find the initial announcement and the latest info (most likely primary concerns).

The breaking point where this doesn't work is if there would be more than a screenful (two dozen?) of entries in a specific week. If weeks were grossly overloaded, you could go to days (with crossposting to all the dates). If days were overloaded, you would need to implement a data tagged solution outside the current TMP approach.

MajorB, what is the downside that I might not be considering that prompted your brief nay?

There are far too many boards as it is. The last thing we need is any more.

If you want an international calendar of events go here:
partizan.org.uk/events.php

And a club directory would be a good idea. Maybe once a year they would be asked to verify the information just to keep it current and be sure it's active.

A club directory is published every few months in "Miniature Wargames"

Create new conventions and clubs folder

Conventions and Clubs are apples and oranges. They should be discussed separately.

A calendar doesn't do anything for clubs who would want a permanent listing.

Is there a permanent game convention? Even Historicon lacks a permanent site. Without a permanent site it has no permanent date. It hasn't been able to keep to the 4th weekend of July (not the last weekend), and if it did, I would still need to turn to that page of a calendar to see the date (and what else I might have scheduled).
As a calendar needs to be referenced as part of the process, it is simplest to start there.
KISS

Why can't there be a clubs listing, and/or one for conventions too, by city/state/country?

Seems reasonable to me to have such, with links to their respective sites.

Of course, given the large number, it could be unwieldy to keep current. Perhaps the owners could be given that task, if listings by states and countries are set up, by request.

Same goes for conventions.

I will submit that "Historicon" is a permanent fixture in the wargaming community. Only dates and venues change.

> will submit that "Historicon" is a permanent fixture in the wargaming community. Only dates and venues change.

I couldn't tell you which state it's in. I am not even totally sure which region, nor can I be sure of the date.

For me, when I travel, I look to see what might be available in the region I am in…I can't be bothered trying to figure out if a show or group is even in the US, the UK or Australia first by going to each and every website. I do know I am going to be in a city at a certain date, or if I have a better inkling of if a show is close enough to me that I might be able to go to it…I might exercise the research needed to figure when it occurs. Clubs in particular don't really have a problem of when unless they only play once a quarter or less, just the where is necessary for me to figure out if further research is necessary.