Comments & Wishes ⇒ Tools and off topic subforums

[T3.]

I think it would be great to have an additional subforum devoted to LaTeX's friends and friends of friends. Currently topics specific to tools like LaTeX-friendly graphic programs or PDF/DVI/PostScript viewers or converters to/from (La)TeX does not really have their place here and go into the general section.

And while I am at it, could we also have an off topic section. You know, some place where we can hang out and say something silly from time to time. Also, posts not fitting anywhere else could be dumped there.

What are your thoughts about it?

Cheers,

Tomek

[gmedina]

I like the idea and second it.

[localghost]

I think it would be great to have an additional subforum devoted to LaTeX's friends and friends of friends. Currently topics specific to tools like LaTeX-friendly graphic programs or PDF/DVI/PostScript viewers or converters to/from (La)TeX does not really have their place here and go into the general section. [...]

I would support this. One of my early ideas was to create a sticky topic that introduces some external tools, mainly related to graphics. But a whole subforum could be better. I suggest to call it "External Tools" and make it a subforum of "LaTeX".

[...] And while I am at it, could we also have an off topic section. You know, some place where we can hang out and say something silly from time to time. Also, posts not fitting anywhere else could be dumped there. [...]

I must admit that I'm not a friend of such off topic corners. My experience is that there are started really stupid things, but perhaps that's only a lack of sensibility from my side. On the other side that always depends on the community members. Here we have a special community.


Best regards
Thorsten¹

[T3.]

I must admit that I'm not a friend of such off topic corners. My experience is that there are started really stupid things, but perhaps that's only a lack of sensibility from my side. On the other side that always depends on the community members. Here we have a special community.

Well, I'm not so sure about this myself. I'm not so much concerned about things going wild - this forum keeps to very high standards so far and we have excellent moderators that can always step in if necessary - but perhaps it's better not wake up the devil.

My motivation for this suggestion, perhaps not very well worded in the original post, was to have a place where we can discuss things that are somewhat tangential to TeX, like a recent thread asking for help in finding TeX related job. But perhaps this kind of topics are not frequent enough to warrant a separate section.

Cheers,

Tomek

[Sven]

Hi Guys,

thanks for your input. I will have vacations in a few week and will take the time to do the restructuring. localghost also had some other ideas for useful subforums related to BibTeX and others to get the "LaTeX > General" forum a little bit leaner.

Have a nice day

Sven

[gmedina]

Just two marginal notes:

1) Maybe some very often used links (MWE,l2tabu, etc.) could be placed in an introductory Sticky document in some of the subforums.

2)

...to have a place where we can discuss things that are somewhat tangential to TeX, like a recent thread asking for help in finding TeX related job. But perhaps this kind of topics are not frequent enough to warrant a separate section.

Yes, that's what I had in mid when I supported this idea. As I see it, a simple warning should be enough; something along these lines (if I may suggest, in case such an Off-topic subforum was created):
Please take note that this board's primary goal is for users to exchange information about (...something...). Topics in this subforum should at least touch on subjects related to LaTeX.

.

[Stefan Kottwitz]

Maybe some very often used links (MWE,l2tabu, etc.) could be placed in an introductory Sticky document in some of the subforums.

Yes, we've thought about this too. I think after a little while when the forum structure has been changed it would be a good time to create some sticky topics to the appropriate subforum.

Stefan