Confuses me that there is a lot of discussion in some of the sub-forums - particularly in other languages. Shouldn't we encourage (like other public forums) people to discuss, in English, on the primary 'General Forum'? Would generate far more debate which, to be fair, is somewhat lacking in the General Forum.

I know we need to keep some of the Lifestyle and other forums, but do we really need North American sub-forums and other languages? Some people never seem to stray beyond their individual sub-forum and then discuss new products outside the main forum.

¡Hay algunos que prefieren hablar con los que pertenecen a su propio pais!

moxxey:

Confuses me that there is a lot of discussion in some of the sub-forums - particularly in other languages. Shouldn't we encourage (like other public forums) people to discuss, in English, on the primary 'General Forum'? Would generate far more debate which, to be fair, is somewhat lacking in the General Forum.

I know we need to keep some of the Lifestyle and other forums, but do we really need North American sub-forums and other languages? Some people never seem to stray beyond their individual sub-forum and then discuss new products outside the main forum.

I'm totally agree with you !

I was thinking the same. Some times I don't have time to go trough all sub forums, therefore I'm 95% on main forum.

But also it's good to give people opportunity to discuss on their language.

moxxey:

particularly in other languages

Would you be able to discuss on a French speaking forum?

I thinkto combine North America and General is OK, however there are some peeps in germany, france, spain and other countries that do not speek english well enough.

Cheers

JK

PhilLondon:

moxxey:

particularly in other languages

Would you be able to discuss on a French speaking forum?

PhilLondon:

moxxey:

particularly in other languages

Would you be able to discuss on a French speaking forum?

But that's not the point? I wouldn't head over to speak on a German magazine's forum, in Germany, unless my German was fluent (it isn't). However, there some people speak on the Australian forum, North American forum and so on, who rarely seem to appear on the General Forum.

Maybe they are discussing local issues...

Some danes in the scandinavian forum don't read or write english.
Why should they visit and how would they write something, in the General forum ?
I suppose it's the same in the other local fora.

I never see you in the scandinavian forum ?

Martin

Dillen:

I never see you in the scandinavian forum ?

You mean those users can read the various websites, across the world, in English (including the content we provide to our Swedish magazine, which they print in English), but can't discuss with other users?

I know people would like their own section - that's fair enough - I just think we should be encourage more people from across these sub-forums to be posting in the main forum.

Personally, I think Beoworld General Forum has gone a little stale recently and could do with more user input. Indeed, there are more discussions within the prizes topic, than any other topic.

Maybe I'm also wanting more input in regards to the BV7-40 MKIV. Go to the sub-forums and there are users who seem to have received their MKIV and are offering feedback. On the General Forum....there's me. The General Forum should be the primary area for key discussions.

moxxey:

Dillen:

I never see you in the scandinavian forum ?

 

I know people would like their own section - that's fair enough - I just think we should be encourage more people from across these sub-forums to be posting in the main forum.

 

agree!

On one hand, I think that the american forum somehow is not needed. In fact, those contributors speek english too and their threads are also interesting for the people on the general forum. If not, people don't need to reed them.

On the other hand, I understand people who don't feel comfortable when having to write english because they think their english is not good enough. They don't seem to know how friendly people are on the general forum, helping others to learn english and correcting them. (Puncher, Andy ). May be, we (regular posters on the general forum) should encourage them to write their threads on the general forum, may be by translating the original threads in english??

Tom:

On one hand, I think that the american forum somehow is not needed. In fact, those contributors speek english too and their threads are also interesting for the people on the general forum. If not, people don't need to reed them.

 

The Australian forum is the same. I do wonder if people think that, as they are from a particular territory, they should only post in that sub-forum?

I'm not necessarily against all the sub-forums (although I do question the Beosound 5 sub-forum), but I wish we could encourage more discussion in the General Forum. We seem to have a handful of similar people who post over and over (and I'm guilty as anyone). Dillen, who is immensely knowledgedable and has earned a lot of respect from the entire board, tends to post outside of the main forum. Nothing particularly wrong with that, but you do wonder why people do it.

To tell the truth, I very seldom note where my posts go. I read almost exclusively through the "Posts you have not read" link - I only select a subforum when I start a new thread.

I think I have also posted in German, Scandinavian and even in Dutch forums when I've felt I have something worthwhile to say - I try to maintain the original language when I do so, but unfortunately my Dutch is really bad

moxxey:

Australian forum

The North American forum is there to discuss devices that have US specs, often very different from the EU specs. Also there is much less products available on the US market, so it was confusing. 

American would ask a question and EU people would post answer that would not be valid for them as the product is either not available or the connection would be different.

SCART???

So, based on what you are saying Phil, you seem very FOR having all the sub-forums? Have you noted my point about bringing more discussion to the General Forum though?

And please don't tell me those sub-forums discuss specs that are particular to their territory. If you look through, there are many discussions local to each sub-forum, that relate to what they think of their new B&O product. They aren't spec-specific.

tournedos:

To tell the truth, I very seldom note where my posts go. I read almost exclusively through the "Posts you have not read" link - I only select a subforum when I start a new thread.

Me too. I think is a non-issue. Ok, maybe the oz/us forums are unneccessary (I don't have an opinion in that matter), but I definitely think the non-english forums are worth keeping.

We used to just have a basic General Forum but demand for the foreign language forums was very strong. The US forum was designed for exactly the purpose above - SCARTs! And of course the AV7000. The General Forum is the most used and I think offers a good selection of ideas. A with all such sites, we are only as good as the members and people do drift in and out.

For me, it's because I lack interest in most of the newer things covered in what seems
to be the majority of posts in the general forum.
I do read some of it but wouldn't be able to comment on much, let alone help anyone.

I check the scandinavian forum, Workbench, Vintage and a couple of other fora several
times daily, (partly because I am a moderator but) mainly to see if things
within my interest range are being discussed.
If I stumble across interesting posts in other languages, I simply put them through
the Google online translator, if for nothing else than the good laugh it always provides.
Asking everyone to post in the general forum would clutter it all up, we've tried something like
that a long time ago - a complete mess.

I see what you mean regarding the north american forum section, though.
But as the sites name suggests, Beoworld should be for the world and there are cases,
maybe few at present, where geography does matter (locating repairshops etc.).
So far we haven't got any asian, african or arabian forum sections - just to name some
and I'm not sure there's a need for them right now.
Actually, the moderating team discuss and evaluate the forum sections occasionally and
we listen to the members wishes.
Beoworld is (for) the members.

Martin

Not exactly, I am split on this question.

I also think that having less forum would make them more lively, there is no denying. 

I personnaly have solved that problem and use this link: Active Topics , it is like having all the forum grouped in one.

However I noted that you said "particularly in other languages" and I think you do not realise that it is a bit offending that native English speakers always assume that everybody else is comfortable communicating in English. (An example that always annoys me is that I cannot find any international press in Heathrow. In any other airport on that planet you can find a good selection.).

There is no OZ forum by the way.

PhilLondon:

I think you do not realise that it is a bit offending..

Don't assume anything. I moderate (not always successfully!) our forums for one of the biggest (if not the biggest) B2B publishing company, which produces magazines across Europe (and also provides magazine content for our international partners). I completely understand that people may not be comfortable communicating in English, but as we're providing a forum that people tend to use in their leisure time, it's also far easier to communicate in a local language, if the sub-forum provides that option. ie. if we give the platform, people will use it. At one stage I was reasonably fluent at German, but was always too lazy to force my German developers, hosts and business partners to speak to me in German, so I lost the ability over time.

Anyway, forums are a very difficult place to get your opinion across. You're already starting to judge me that I'm forcing the entire Beoworld userbase to speak English. Not the case at all. As I said, perhaps it's just frustration as the General Forum - to me at least - has stagnated a bit and 'prizes' discussions seem to generate the most traffic. At one stage, a few weeks go, every news headline on the Beoworld main page, was prize-related

English is the international language of transportation, commerce and business, therefore I do not feel particularly guilty that my French is passable at best, my German laughable, and my Welsh....well let's not go there shall we.

What I do feel though is that as long as paying members supporting this site continue to be drawn from non-English speaking countries, a space should continue to be provided for so that these individuals can converse in their own languages. I would also go so far as pointing out that the majority of B&O's production run ened up in Scandanavia, it would be churlish to remove the Scanadavian forum from this site.

I do agree with Moxxey though about the US forum. Are there really that many US Avant/BS1 and AV7000 questions that could not be asked elsewhere, or am I way off beam??

For the most part the North America/US Forum does stick to North American Spec questions and issues.  I don't, however, see a real problem with merging as many of the knowledgeable answers originate from Europe/UK Members anyhow and it could potentially be helpfull overall.  

The language barrier on the other hand would be difficult.   We in North America aren't afraid to wear our pants outside and B&O custom makes their products for the 
UK out of something called aluminium...  Whatever that is?

I think that the issue here is not about the existence of the "other sub-forums" but rather about the "stale" nature of the general forum at the moment. My experience is that the general forum "comes and goes" in the density of interesting posts for the genral participant. Right now there is precious little to discuss as new products/new capabilities/new designs are not extant. Hopefully this will change later in the year.

Although it would be nice if everyone were contributing on the same forum in the same language, I greatly appreciate (as I am sure Moxey does) the multi-cultural aspects of this site. I do as others and translate the postings in the "other sub-forums" that appear to have interest. More often than not I have learned something either technically or culturally.... the cultrual learnings are quite interesting and very much worth the effort.

As far as the NA Forum, there is some utility but I do think that given the ever increasing similarities in product offerings a subsumption into the general forum may be in order at some point.

moxxey:

the Australian forum

I think there was only an Australian thread reserved for information on the meeting...