Need Advice On Setting Up Tags For Forum Topics

Ok, as you've noticed there are now tags listed for most topics on the main category pages. This tagging system simply allows you to click on a tag and view all forum topics with that tag. So if you're interested in reading everything you can about "choosing a truck driving school" or "Swift Transportation", you simply click on the appropriate tag and it will take you to a page which lists all forum topics with that tag. Pretty much the same as hashtags on Twitter. Simple enough.

My main question involves whether or not to allow people to hide the tags altogether. I know some people would prefer the list of topics to be as compact as possible so they don't have to scroll as far to find what they're looking for. I've included a drop-down menu at the top of the main page to allow you to jump right to a topic so I'm hoping that alleviates the scrolling concern. But my main question would be "Would you like the option to show or hide the tags altogether?"

Now this tagging feature isn't quite complete. I have to setup the system to break the topics into multiple pages when there becomes a long list of topics. That's coming soon.

One neat feature of this system is that I'm personally adding the tags and ratings to each topic myself. The rating is basically a rating from 1 to 10 of how helpful or important each topic is, but you won't see the ratings listed anywhere. Why? Because the only reason they exist is so that when people click on one of the tags they can see the most helpful and important topics listed first. Some of our conversations are critically important and loaded with great information. Others aren't nearly as important or helpful. So I'm trying to help people find what I feel is the most important and helpful information we have available on any given topic right away.

I'm also going to be tagging all of the content across TruckingTruth. So pretty soon you'll see a new menu at the top which will list some of the more popular tags and a link that will take you to a listing of all of the tags we have. That way you can click on "Swift Transportation" and see everything we have on them - forum topics, company information, company-sponsored training information, etc. That's coming soon.

But let me know what you think so far about the tagging system and don't be shy about it. If you think it stinks, let me know why and what you think I should do to make it better. Any and all suggestions are welcome!

Nice feature. I know a lot of questions get asked over and over on forums because people don't like to spend the time to search old topics, so that should help.

I do think the tag "buttons" make the topic list page harder to read, although it's not too bad. I was going to suggest that you put them at the bottom of each topic page, but I guess it's nice to be able to see the tags for a topic without having to go to in and read it. Could they be links with smaller text? Then they would tend to stay on one line instead of having topics with more tags take up more room. But I guess a lot of people use smart phones or other small screen devices these days, so the larger size probably works better with those.

BTW, what software do you use for this forum, is it all custom code?

Thanks for the feedback Keith!

I was going to suggest that you put them at the bottom of each topic page, but I guess it's nice to be able to see the tags for a topic without having to go to in and read it.

Actually, I hadn't thought of that. The main reason I want them visible is so that people know they exist in the first place. Putting them inside of each topic instead of on the main page might just do the trick! Great idea! I'll have to ponder that a bit.

Could they be links with smaller text? Then they would tend to stay on one line instead of having topics with more tags take up more room. But I guess a lot of people use smart phones or other small screen devices these days, so the larger size probably works better with those.

Yeah, a ton of people use this forum from phones. I'd like to make a mobile-only version of it like I have with a lot of the website but haven't had time to do it yet.

what software do you use for this forum, is it all custom code?

Yeah, I wrote the code myself. I've gotten to where I can't stand trying to customize pre-packaged software anymore. A lot of times it's so much nicer to start from scratch and build something exactly the way you want it from the ground up. There are a number of features I haven't built into it yet but it's getting the job done the way it is.

Actually, I hadn't thought of that. The main reason I want them visible is so that people know they exist in the first place. Putting them inside of each topic instead of on the main page might just do the trick! Great idea! I'll have to ponder that a bit.

Well, like I mentioned, I don't think it's that bad the way it is so if you decide to leave it that way I think it will work.

Yeah, I wrote the code myself. I've gotten to where I can't stand trying to customize pre-packaged software anymore. A lot of times it's so much nicer to start from scratch and build something exactly the way you want it from the ground up. There are a number of features I haven't built into it yet but it's getting the job done the way it is.

Yeah, nice job. I don't have a lot of experience with forums, but I imagine it's a lot easier to have it the way you want if you write it yourself, assuming you have the time and skills. What is the back end stuff written in?

A whil;e back I volunteered to help out a forum where I'm member, and they use vbulletin software, so I have some experience with that and with php. But I'm mostly a programmer and I never liked having to do the front end design stuff.

What is the back end stuff written in?

The back end is your basic PHP & MYSQL, I use Apache Mod Rewrites for the URL structure, and javascript for some of the front end stuff.

I imagine it's a lot easier to have it the way you want if you write it yourself, assuming you have the time and skills

Yeah, I always use the analogy of being a chef. Once you get to that point with food preparation, the last thing in the world you want to do is work with pre-packed foods. You just want a handful of raw ingredients and the right tools in the kitchen to put it all together. Anything pre-packaged would just get in the way of what you'd really like to do.

A little off-topic here, but your request for advice with the tags reminded me of something I wanted to suggest that had skittered out of my mind.

When setting up profiles, the options of "rookie" and "experienced driver" seem, to me at least, a little lacking. For example, I've been out here just a hair over 18 months now, so I'm past the rookie stage. But only having the experienced driver option doesn't quite explain that. It doesn't seem fair to lump guys like me into the same category as guys like Crazy Rebel or Guyjax who've been driving since Moses was a baby. I don't know how much of a pain it would be to do it, but I was thinking it might be good to add a few extra markers, like experienced driver 1-5 yrs, 5-10 yrs, 10+ yrs.

Just my 15¢ (2¢ plus inflation).

Hey Fatsquatch, that's a fair point. Actually it would be super easy to do. I want to do a lot more with profiles but I haven't gotten to that yet. But that would be easy enough to do. Let me take a look at it and I'll add more choices to the selection.

Brett I think having the tags,and the same exact tags,in every post topic a bit much. Makes the forums seem a bit "chunky". I agree and think having the tags at the bottom would be good.

As you know I use my phone almost exclusively when on the road. I think, I prefer the actual website not mobile version, as I feel I am missing something using a "watered down" mobile version of the website. Or better yet since if there are not alot of post that day people will not scroll to the bottom of that page to see the links. What if you put the tags at the bottom of a few post within each topic instead of on the post header? Would make the topic page look cleaner and they still would see the tags once they went INTO the topics and read the post within that topic. Much like when you are making a new post and you see the "Preview" "Submit" "Notify Me Of New Comments" buttons at the bottom of that post you are making. Sort of like that.

I think you make some excellent points Guyjax.

As far as the mobile version of TruckingTruth, I didn't go with the watered-down version like a lot of sites do. I hate that too. I want the full site. Any parts of TruckingTruth that have specific mobile sections are the exact same content but just styled so that it's easier to read on a phone - bigger font, more spacing, bigger buttons, etc. But the content is exactly the same.

As far as putting the tags inside each topic instead of on the main page, that sounds like an excellent idea to me. Keith had mentioned that originally and I've been pondering that ever since. The more I've thought about it, the more I like it.

Yeah, I think I'll do that. It might take me a few days because I'll have to make some significant changes to do that, but it's totally doable. I'll put the tags inside each topic.

I think you make some excellent points Guyjax.

As far as the mobile version of TruckingTruth, I didn't go with the watered-down version like a lot of sites do. I hate that too. I want the full site. Any parts of TruckingTruth that have specific mobile sections are the exact same content but just styled so that it's easier to read on a phone - bigger font, more spacing, bigger buttons, etc. But the content is exactly the same.

I doubt more spacing and bigger buttons are needed. Cell phones have the "pinch and stretch" feature to make stuff bigger,like the IPad so that is never a problem I don't think. Almost all smart phones do this.