Should an Arizona local forum be created?

[plinko]

This is a bit different than say...the Califorum in that there you had a single state with a huge variety of cities and forumers who tended to have lived or spent great deals of time in some or all of them. When they split that forum, it killed all outsider discussion and alienated anybody who didn't live in one of the sub-forum cities. San Diego didn't have enough forumers to sustain any discussion, the SF forumers got bored with only talking about SF, the LA forumers have never been a hugely vocal bunch, but Sacramento actually became something pretty successful (and they have adamantly opposed any reunification since). So in that sense, it was broken and was recently 'fixed' by putting together a Pacific Coast forum (interestingly enough, when the regional forums started appearing a few years ago, WA and OR were part of the Califorum but they got tired of us and eventually wanted their own).

With regard to Phoenix, my personal opinion is that Phoenix forumers tend to be alot like those from Colorado and other one or two city states, they identify with threads for their ENTIRE state. I actually like reading about Tucscon...and Flagstaff...and Bisbee, or even Yarnell for that matter. And my guess is that most Phoenix forumers would feel similar.

That being said, I also tend to read certain threads about Denver or SLC (rarely Boise though as I've never been there) and am continually fascinated that the large contingents from all four states (AZ, CO, UT, ID) seem to generally get along in here (except when talking about basketball). And I really wish we got more news and threads RE: New Mexico, Nevada, Montana and Wyoming because I would actually read them.

So I don't even live in the Mountain West anymore so I doubt my opinion matters here (though I can vote), but as someone who mostly posts in this section of the forum, I'd vote against creating a separate Phoenix only forum. Now, with the way the economy has gone and the way forum traffic tends to be, I'd say merge the East/West/Scottsdale/Tempe threads into a single Suburban Phoenix development thread. I hesitate to include Tempe as it is (was?) one of the most active threads in this entire section, but has fallen off the map in terms of real news in the past few months.

If you're going to secede, do it at the state level and create an Arizona forum. But I don't really think that's the way to go either.

Just my nonsensical 10 pennies...

[combusean]

I agree with everything in the above. I would be hard pressed to create a Phoenix only forum.

Merging threads seems to have fallen out of favor. If secession fails I'll pose that question however.

[Vicelord John]

My mind was made up on making an Arizona Forum when I didn't check this site for 3 days and there were threads on the second page which I never saw. If we had Arizona Forum, we would probably have 1/2 pages total and all the threads would be easy to find.

Another advantage to this is there have been complaints in the past that Phoenix forumers treat the forum like it is their own and post to many threads. We won't be "bothering" you all once we get our own place.

FWIW, I don't think anyone has recommended creating a Phoenix only forum. I say or hear Phoenix and all of Arizona is included in that. Arizona is part of Phoenix.

[Vicelord John]

This is looking like the Bush/Gore race.

When we are done, can we send the ballot boxes to florida?

[HooverDam]

Its interesting that other than Plinko, everyone so far who's voted against secession isn't a regular Phoenix poster than Im familiar with (I assume theyre other MWers).

EDIT: VVV Btw Glynnjamin you need to get yourself one of these here fancy avatars. Being a visual person I really associate people with their avatars (Sean with his old Metro one, now the fox. Jons Triumph logo, Don usually had the V for Vendetta mask, etc) and it helps me keep everyone straight. Plus its just so damned stylish.

[glynnjamin]

Seriously, an AZ Forum is a great idea. I have no idea what exists on the second page of the MW forum and Im not about to start now. If they start digging up some block across the street from me, I'm not going to know to look for the new thread that has been posted two days ago but Boise and Utah have pushed it off with their nonsense. AZ deserves its own forum because Tucson seems to be active and Phoenix is heavily active. Since the PHX Suburbs are all sort of part of the same unit, I think most of us will drive through 3 or 4 suburbs on a weekly basis and, as a result, we all have a bit of insight into what is going on with them as well. Just move anything AZ related to one place and make life easier for John, Hoover, and the rest of us who post daily.

[Eeyore]

I am from Pueblo but I have to say that I enjoy reading your thread to see what is going on......

[PHX31]

Originally Posted by HooverDam

Its interesting that other than Plinko, everyone so far who's voted against secession isn't a regular Phoenix poster than Im familiar with (I assume theyre other MWers).

What about me?

I don't think a separate Phoenix forum (or arizona forum) is necessary. I find myself looking through threads of the other cities in the MW much more often than any other Phoenix suburb thread. Plus, when (or if) there are picture posts or something interesting to create a new thread about, I think it is better when it is available for all members of the MW to see. If we had our own Phoenix forum, we'd be posting pictures to each other of things we see every day. To me, the point of the picture threads are to show out-of-towners pictures (and I look through other city's photo threads as such).

It would be a good way to keep all Arizona stuff separate and maybe easier to find, but it would make our "MW community" broken and we'd be isolated.

Overall, I really don't care. I've been through a million forum redos. But I voted No, FWIW.

[Vicelord John]

Originally Posted by PHX31

To me, the point of the picture threads are to show out-of-towners pictures (and I look through other city's photo threads as such).

Thats what the main forum is for.

I see the local and project threads as a way to update each other and enjoy our own communities. If I take pics I want outsiders to see, I'd be posting them in the main forum.

[PHX31]

/\ Then why didn't you post your recent photo escapade in the main forum (with the napping dude off of his motorized scooter)? If you wanted only phoenix people to see it, why didn't you just post the photos in the phoenix development thread?

Sometimes posting in the main forum is useless, especially if it is just a smaller picture thread. It can die quickly without people who actually may want to see it getting a chance.

[Vicelord John]

Originally Posted by PHX31

/\ Then why didn't you post your recent photo escapade in the main forum (with the napping dude off of his motorized scooter)? If you wanted only phoenix people to see it, why didn't you just post the photos in the phoenix development thread?

I didn't post it in the main forum because it was for people in Phoenix to see, and I gave it it's own thread because I wanted it to be seperate from the development thread. Seems simple to me. Why does HX create a thread for his photos as well? Because sometimes they aren't about one project, or development, or anything in particular. In which case, make a new thread. If I want to talk to people in another city or state, I'll go to their forum.

[CANUC]

I think that creating the Arizona forum is a good idea. I to get tired of visiting the forum only see threads that I want read pushed down a couple of pages for no other reason than prolific forums members posting such constructive stuff as "I agree". By the way Combusean I voted for you for the position of moderater so I trust you'll make the right decision and don't let the voting determine your call.

[PHX31]

Originally Posted by Vicelord John

Seems simple to me.

So does skimming through the MW forum to pick out only the threads you want to read about.

[Vicelord John]

not when I have to wade through pages of stuff to get to it..

Overall, I really don't care.

Really? seems like you're either arguing to argue, or you really do care.

[vertex]

I voted for leaving it alone.

[PHX31]

Originally Posted by Vicelord John

Really? seems like you're either arguing to argue, or you really do care.

I prefer it to stay, and I have been explaining why. However, if they decide to create an Arizona-only forum, I won't care and will browse and post in much the same frequency as before all of this garbage happened.

[M II A II R II K]

Nevada and New Mexico don't have much representation here, maybe you can take those states along with it, so we would end up with a Desert forum.

[M II A II R II K]

Plus there would be more space for more compilation threads from lesser cities.

[Vicelord John]

Originally Posted by M II A II R II K

Nevada and New Mexico don't have much representation here, maybe you can take those states along with it, so we would end up with a Desert forum.

I'd be down with that. that makes more sense to have a Southwest forum than anything else. Then you have your Rocky Mountain forum which is a totally different region.

I think you just came up with a winner!

I know it is totally different and I would never ask for a total realignment nor do I think it is best to do one, but this is the best way I have seen it done yet.

[HooverDam]

Originally Posted by M II A II R II K

Nevada and New Mexico don't have much representation here, maybe you can take those states along with it, so we would end up with a Desert forum.

Id be down with that, but like John said, definitely call it a "Southwest" forum not "Desert" since many areas of those 3 states aren't deserts and calling it such would drive the OCD minded among us crazy