The forum is cluttered and info is scattered. Both of these issues contribute to people not reading the stickies (often because they can't find them because they're in the wrong section). The biggest offender is the 3DS hacking forum. The majority of threads there are ones that belong in the DS flash cart forum because they're about flash carts and such.
Here's the current layout, for those that want a quick overview.
So here's my proposals.
Here's the current layout, for those that want a quick overview.
- Nintendo DS Discussions
- NDS - Console And Game Discussions
- NDS - Flash Carts And Accessories
- Acekard
- CycloDS
- EDGE
- EZ-Flash
- M3 Adapter
- R4 DS
- Supercard
- DSTT
- Other Flashing Hardware & Software
- NDS - ROM Hacking and Translations
- NDS - Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection
- NDS - Emulation and Homebrew
- NDS - Tutorials & FAQs
- Nintendo 3DS Discussions
- 3DS - Games & Content
- 3DS - Console, Accessories and Hardware
- 3DS - Hacking & Homebrew
- 3DS - Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection
- 3DS - Tutorials & FAQs
So here's my proposals.
- Get rid of the individual flash cart subforums. Most flash carts are dead and will remain dead, it's down to the point that the number of flash carts still getting proper updates can be counted on one hand since most older ones hit hardware limits and don't seem to be putting out newer models. The majority of these sections are relatively inactive (the EDGE forum hasn't gotten a post in over a month), and compiling them together will mean there's only one location people jump to for issues.
At least get merge/remove the ones that are relatively inactive, and only leave the carts that still have official updates (some R4 clones, Supercard, maybe Acekard) so those can have their own guides stickied if needed.
Yes, compiling forums together will make the sticky clutter even worse, which brings me to...
- Unsticky non-critical guides, move them to the tutorial forums (or wherever). Sticky clutter is an issue all forums hit, and in this case it's causing a lot of unnecessary threads to be posted.
Many guides/tutorials were stickied before the "tutorials/FAQs" sections were created, and many of the stickies are things that don't need immediate attention. Stickies should be reserved for "critical" info that readers should know when they go to a section, otherwise they get too numerous and lose their impact (and get skimmed).
For example...
- Ultimate Flashcart Download Index
This stays because it's something users are always looking for. "Help I have R4i Yes HyperKing, what do I download?" and such.
- Which Flash Cart Should I Get?
One of the most common questions and something users should always look at when they first come in wanting a flash cart.
- How to dump your own 3DS/DS games/saves
A guide that's non-critical, it should be unstickied and moved to the tutorials section. Yeah it's usable info, but it's nowhere near critical reading for the section.
- Icons for your MicroSD cards
Nice, but definitely not critical reading.
- Flash Carts And DSi/3DS Updates
People getting their flash carts locked out by a DSi/3DS update is a common issue, and most people don't know how to properly avoid or update around it, so this is critical reading.
- Flashcart Demonstrations
A good thread, but not critical. Could simply be linked from the "Which flash cart" sticky (in addition to the reviews and such). With it being stickied on it's own but showing outdated carts, it might give users the wrong idea about which carts to buy, so I think it needs to be a secondary thing, not critical reading.
- FlashcartHelper -An open source Windows utility for flashcarts
A nice tool, but not critical, and looks like it hasn't been updated in a while anyways (as it's well past the release time).
- DS/DSi/3DS "hacking" F.A.Q.
Answers all the basic questions about how to play ROMs and homebrew on a DS, this is an example of critical reading for people who want to deal in DS flash carts.
So after the trim the section would be down to just four stickies, all of them important to people wanting to use flash carts. The most important info would be in the targeted section, closer to the top of the page, where it's more likely it'd be read. This was just an example for one section, but I don't mind running through the others if requested.
2.5. Trim the 3DS - Hacking & Homebrew section to two stickies.
"lolrydian you just said that..." - Yes, but this section is one of the biggest problem areas because the majority of threads being posted there are for flash carts, when all the flash cart info is in the DS subforum. This section needs to have two main stickies, one being "Nothing plays 3DS ROMs", and the other simply being a redirect to the flash cart section.
"those already exist" - And they're being buried by the others. With all the other threads unstickied the big two would be at the top and get more attention. - Ultimate Flashcart Download Index