Never-ending threads on Audiophile Style.

[Sloop John B]

Is it  an editorial decision or something unique to the members here  there are  threads in practically every forum that were started several years previously which most of the other Hi-Fi fora I frequent don't have.

 

 

I'm not doing a thesis, what am I meant to do with a 610 page thread?

 

It would be easier if there was a super intelligent way to search threads but if there is it has passed me by.

 

Does anyone else find these looooooong threads daunting and counter productive or should I just get my coat?

 

.sjb

[EdmontonCanuck]

Are you suggesting that threads on popular topics be closed out after a certain time period has elapsed or page size reached and new threads started if there is continuing interest? How would this help with the search?  . 

[sandyk]

4 minutes ago, EdmontonCanuck said:

Are you suggesting that threads on popular topics be closed out after a certain time period has elapsed or page size reached and new threads started if there is continuing interest? How would this help with the search?  . 

 

 Perhaps threads should be locked after a specific period of inactivity ?

[EdmontonCanuck]

34 minutes ago, sandyk said:

 

 Perhaps threads should be locked after a specific period of inactivity ?

 

I don't see how that would help much. The idea isn't to completely shut down discussion, and locking it would only encourage the spawning of multiple threads on the same topic if interest should start up again (e.g., a new version of HQP in the HQP thread). Multiple threads wouldn't help the searching issue.

 

 

[Ralf11]

what are you trying to search for?

 

(it's too early for "audio system in an underground tunnel" right?)

[rando]

2 hours ago, Sloop John B said:

Is it  an editorial decision or something unique to the members here

 

Very much the first.  Very much characterized by dealing with unique members ability to fill a dozen pages in a day.  Very much unregulated by forum software that doesn't regurgitate the whole mess as they were wont to do in years past.

 

2 hours ago, Sloop John B said:

I'm not doing a thesis, what am I meant to do with a 610 page thread?

 

Does it actually matter to you how thick the newspaper lining a section of cage that interests you is?  Nobody else has any problem fouling the topmost one so long as a fresh layer rolls out on top of it.

 

2 hours ago, Sloop John B said:

It would be easier if there was a super intelligent way to search threads but if there is it has passed me by.

 

Forensic examination of above mentioned stains long since mingled with credible evidence of intelligence is the jurisdiction of hate crimes and nostalgia.  Also a single labor of love and the sickeningly sweet compost pile where overcooked posts get hidden away.

 

2 hours ago, Sloop John B said:

Does anyone else find these looooooong threads daunting and counter productive or should I just get my coat?

 

Next time the latch clicks nuzzle the hand that feeds.  Just don't rub up against the nerve everyone jumps on after a site update.  If you really need to know why.  Tunnel down to an article nearer the bottom.  I promise nobody will complain if you leave a few fresh links in there.

[rickca]

 

2 hours ago, Sloop John B said:

Does anyone else find these looooooong threads daunting and counter productive or should I just get my coat?

One long thread approaching 600 pages has tried to address this issue by indexing some of the most useful posts by topic.  Scroll down to the bottom of the initial post to see the index.  This is an initiative by @austinpop in this particular thread.  It's a lot of work, but it's incredibly helpful.

 

Really it's up to the OP or any contributor authorized by the OP to take on the task.  The alternative is a lot of fragmentation of the discussion in multiple threads about the same topic.

 

I certainly agree it's a massive challenge to search for answers in these huge threads. 

 

https://audiophilestyle.com/forums/topic/30376-a-novel-way-to-massively-improve-the-sq-of-computer-audio-streaming/?tab=comments#comment-613370

 

[kurb1980]

These long threads do have some good info in them perhaps having posts linking the pages to the first that have significance so those don’t have to read through hundreds of posts to get to the tip or best practice.  Some do that but not all posters of these huge threads.

[4est]

As the OP of one of the example threads, I'd have to agree that it can be daunting. I've actually been considering starting a new HQPlayer Desktop 4 thread for a fresh start.

[mansr]

Maybe it would help if search results could be sorted by number of upvotes.

[firedog]

The search on the site has never worked well. You can get useful results using the operator site: computeraudiophile.com and your search term at Google. 

[vortecjr]

9 hours ago, rickca said:

but it's incredibly helpful.

It’s also incredibly hurtful since the information is fragmented and nonsensical.

[vortecjr]

12 hours ago, Sloop John B said:

Is it  an editorial decision or something unique to the members here  there are  threads in practically every forum that were started several years previously which most of the other Hi-Fi fora I frequent don't have.

 

 

I'm not doing a thesis, what am I meant to do with a 610 page thread?

 

It would be easier if there was a super intelligent way to search threads but if there is it has passed me by.

 

Does anyone else find these looooooong threads daunting and counter productive or should I just get my coat?

 

.sjb

I appreciate that the first two threads have active participation by the people who started them and they seem to be doing a good job at keeping the threads on topic with relevant information and without a hidden agenda. 

[vortecjr]

2 hours ago, mansr said:

Maybe it would help if search results could be sorted by number of upvotes.

The search engine doesn’t have any issues finding the MQA thread:)

[Superdad]

13 hours ago, rando said:

Does it actually matter to you how thick the newspaper lining a section of cage that interests you is?  Nobody else has any problem fouling the topmost one so long as a fresh layer rolls out on top of it.

 

Now THAT’S funny—and true! 

[rando]

@Sloop John B

 

This topic, or nearabouts, has come up on every technical forum frequented by industry or highly experienced people.  Imperfect questions and the nature of conversation tend to mix informative with personal with everything else in one post.  Extracting grade AAA material to be sorted and presented in a meaningful way quickly becomes outsized effort for minimal gain.  

 

Chris's answer is the ability to individually favorite posts.  On the other end you can ignore large tracts of information by unfollowing members.  Both are easy and easily reversible if you chose to temporarily use them as a tool to condense a thread.  

 

For his own good he decided against a growing wall of (people still complain about an ad that ran for all of a day months ago! 😄) stickied subjects that need to be scrolled past on every page load.  

[lucretius]

On 7/19/2019 at 6:25 AM, mansr said:

Maybe it would help if search results could be sorted by number of upvotes.

 

While an upvote (as opposed to a like, thanks, funny, etc.) should signify the post is relevant to the original topic and helpful, this may not be apparent to members. Therefore, I would suggest either changing the term 'upvote' to 'relevant' or otherwise creating a new category called 'relevant'.  And, of course, it would be useful to be able to sort thread posts by a specific category (relevant, disagree, etc.) just like reddit.

[Ralf11]

some carefully edited threads could be made into a 'reference' with a special section for them

 

some fora use a "sticky" method that keeps some threads always at the top of a page, but I dislike that as cannot easily see what is new with all the sticky clutter

[lucretius]

1 hour ago, Ralf11 said:

some carefully edited threads could be made into a 'reference' with a special section for them

 

some fora use a "sticky" method that keeps some threads always at the top of a page, but I dislike that as cannot easily see what is new with all the sticky clutter

 

You only need to sticky one post. The thread originator should be able to edit and add to it as needed.  Dates should be added to sections as it's added or when last updated. One can also include links in the sticky post to other posts.

[Foggie]

As soon as these are available, it'll be way easier.

 

 

 

Seriously though it is very challenging to search and sift through these mega threads (actually not even the mega threads) and personally, it comes down to time.  Its great to have so much info, but I honestly dunno how people have the time to create so much data in a day. 

 

[Ralf11]

I will hold out for the USB-C version

[jabbr]

On 7/18/2019 at 8:04 PM, Sloop John B said:

Is it  an editorial decision or something unique to the members here  there are  threads in practically every forum that were started several years previously which most of the other Hi-Fi fora I frequent don't have.

 

 

I'm not doing a thesis, what am I meant to do with a 610 page thread?

 

It would be easier if there was a super intelligent way to search threads but if there is it has passed me by.

 

Does anyone else find these looooooong threads daunting and counter productive or should I just get my coat?

 

.sjb

 

Its rather easy to be a critic, but much more difficult to say something constructive. 

 

Indeed you have stated you are against allowing the OP to moderate a thread:

 

Perhaps you should go buy a book in a local bookshop on how to best use the Internet, but google and site search are both effective.  No one is forcing you to read through entire threads, or any threads at all.

 

Remember that both I and (I’m guessing @4est ) aren’t here to make $$, and in fact if I cared to write a book about best network practices, I would, or else I’d set up a focused blog etc on the topic. Instead I started the thread and both try to answer questions in the topic when I know, and also try to gently keep it on topic. I’m not interested in preventing anyone else from posting their own experience — rather encourage it— nor am I interested in transforming the thread into something else. If I was I would. 

 

So the question is: do you have a specific suggestion that you are willing to spend time implementing? If so go for it. 

[Sloop John B]

20 hours ago, jabbr said:

 

Its rather easy to be a critic, but much more difficult to say something constructive. 

 

Indeed you have stated you are against allowing the OP to moderate a thread:

 

Perhaps you should go buy a book in a local bookshop on how to best use the Internet, but google and site search are both effective.  No one is forcing you to read through entire threads, or any threads at all.

 

Remember that both I and (I’m guessing @4est ) aren’t here to make $$, and in fact if I cared to write a book about best network practices, I would, or else I’d set up a focused blog etc on the topic. Instead I started the thread and both try to answer questions in the topic when I know, and also try to gently keep it on topic. I’m not interested in preventing anyone else from posting their own experience — rather encourage it— nor am I interested in transforming the thread into something else. If I was I would. 

 

So the question is: do you have a specific suggestion that you are willing to spend time implementing? If so go for it. 

 

Apologies if you took my post personally, I merely chose a few long threads as examples. 

 

I find them unwieldily, some others do, some don’t, that’s life. It makes AS less useful for me, but hey, who really cares about SJB except his mother and she could be jiving too. 

 

.sjb. 

[jabbr]

48 minutes ago, Sloop John B said:

Apologies if you took my post personally, I merely chose a few long threads as examples. 

 

Its all good. My goal is to prevent a thread from turning into an off topic nuclear flame war. Think of these threads as an ongoing recorded discussion. I wouldn’t expect anyone to read from start to finish. You are free to ask a question because the advice, from my perspective, in 2019 has changed slightly from 2015. 

 

There are always ways new products coming out. In both the threads you cited, I’d say that most of the hardware questions are mostly about off the shelf non-audio specific devices. If you use these then the available threads are the best sources of information. If you use commercially available audio specific equipment, then the manufacturers offer support. 

[fas42]

As an example of how I would look in the 'worst' thread on AS, , to find references to the Nordic recording company, type in Google:

 

"mqa is vaporware page" "2L" site:https://audiophilestyle.com

 

Note whole name of thread followed by the word "page", all in quotes, to eliminate posts by people mentioning this thread elsewhere; and then using quotes around search words - this forces Google to not second guess what I want.

 

Brings up what I want; some pages may be missed, but I'm a lot closer to finding "good" areas of the thread.