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Man, I knew Fell was looking for ways to raise cash, but since when did he start allowing ads on the forum? Anyway, kidding aside, here's how we handled this on the QBasic Forum...
1) Created a F.A.Q. sub-forum: This sub-forum could include a question followed by copies of various coding solutions posted from various threads. I would not recommend using links because posts could be modified by authors and it's just about as fast to cut and paste the code, and it's easier for the user to have it all presented on the same page, anyway. [I would say our LEARNING sub-forum is similar.]
2) Created a Programs I am Proud of sub-forum. This forum gave privileges to forum regulars to showcase their finest work by both author and subject. Now Fell and the Librarians (sounds like a rock group I'd listen too) have already created the SAMPLES sub-forum, and it's really good. I especially like how it links to the discussions that were involved in the development of the project, thereby preserving the history, but the addition of a "Proud of" sub-forum would give active members a place to showcase their finest works, and a sub-forum visitors could pointed to for working solutions and code snippets and samples. [I would say our SAMPLES sub-forum is similar.]
The one thing I would not recommend would be what I call "Mac's Dream." Mac hated clutter, but he was wise enough to realize the organic nature of members and if he had run the forum that way, he would have also ran off the talent providing most of the content. In other words when admins or owners make it to uptight of a place to post, members leave. So it's really always a balancing act. I mean you go too far in the other direction, you get so much irrelevance in a post that newcomers don't see a point in staying.
Anyway, since a Librarian mentioned this topic in an unrelated thread, which would have him banned for life on that nightmare of a "Dream Forum" I mentioned, I'd thought I open it up for a discussion here. Sorry Google! Oh, and in regard to search engines, using <strong> tags and h1, h2 headings is probably enough to help bump up the search results on a more organized sub-forum board, which would take the pressure off to move or delete repeated posts through out the other sub-forums.
Pete
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