if there was to be a Great Library Database....

[SlowThinker]

Originally posted by Edward
This, IMHO, is exactly the reason that taking the "normal" threads (those that arise naturally through forum discussion) and selecting some of them, or linking to them, or databasing them, or indexing them, etc. is a bad idea if you're going for objective B ("make a neat way to get information on various aspects of Civ").

Yes, it is not ideal, but it is an interphase on the way to "Info:" (condensed) threads.

The biggest advantage a database would add is that each thread would have some keywords that the thread is actually about. Then searching on keywords would eliminate a lot of extraneous threads. However, that would still leave the daunting preliminary task of reading all the threads and assigning them keywords - and then adding keywords as new threads arise and recent ones change topic.

Unfortunately, my idea of keywords (described in "The Great Library: a hierarchical structure" thread) stagnates. I thought that people (topic starter or anybody else) would add keywords to almost every new thread and to important old thread. In fact, few threads has keywords attached now.

p.s. As Blaupanzer points out, the social aspect of the forums will be preserved by preserving the forums. The forums function differently than any Great Library (existing or imagined) and one could never replace the other.

I agree perfectly

[TCO]

A branching thread structure would be a useful mechanism (although not perfect) for classifying/organizing info.

[KrazyHorse]

You and your damned branching thread structure.