Suggestions for Additional Forums

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#1
CathysTaxes  
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One thing that TA lacked, IMO, was forums broken down in the following areas:

1040 Personal Income Tax Discussions
1041 Trusts and Estates Discussions
1065 Partnership Discussions
1120 Corporation Discussions
1120S S Corp Discussions
706 Estate Tax
709 Gift Tax

etc.

Chris, what do you think of separate technical forums like the above?
Cathy
CathysTaxes
 

#2
chris  
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Cathy that is a great question - but we need to tread carefully on this; I've seen many forum sites languish because of too much granularity. I would like to look into ways perhaps of tagging threads according to those categories, instead of laying out separate forums. I realize that if too much time goes by, retrofitting that kind of idea is a lot of work so I will think this through over the next couple of days.
Site admin and software developer for TaxProTalk.com and https://TheSiteFactory.com
 

#3
belle  
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Perhaps a 'chat' forum for the non-tax interactions; it was enjoyable to drift over there on TA for a break from taxes.
And - I don't see an appropriated place here (yet) to post a big THANK YOU to Chris ! So I'm putting it here - knowing that TA will survive in some form/fashion is one of the best birthday gifts I could get..
Belle (which may be a duplicate; still getting the hang of this new watering hole)
 

#4
chris  
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You're welcome...and when you are logged in an additional forum will magically appear at the main board index; this is the off-topic discussion area.
Site admin and software developer for TaxProTalk.com and https://TheSiteFactory.com
 

#5
FLAcct  
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I would rather not have forums broken down as CathysTaxes has suggested. First, I think there are many topics that would apply to more than one of those categories. Second, I prefer seeing each topic listed in one forum which makes it easy for me to go down the list and decide which threads I want to read for educational purposes. I would never go into 7 different forums to puruse the various threads that have appeared. Also, I have experience with a non-tax related website that has broken their forums down into small categories and find it very annoying. I wonder what others would prefer?
 

#6
Rupert  
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Illinois
Agree with FLAcct. I prefer 1 page with a listing of all topics sorted by most recent activity. Let me choose to read or not read based on the title/author of the discussion thread. I was going to keep this on the back burner for a future suggestion, but I guess since someone else brought it up...
 

#7
chris  
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Right - me too.

This is why I designed the layout of the forum pages to be as close to the layout of TA as possible. For example when you go to the Taxation link:

viewforum.php?f=8

You should notice that the layout is very similar to TA...simple and straightforward. Over time as more threads get started you will see that "full page of threads" look we used to have over at TA.
Site admin and software developer for TaxProTalk.com and https://TheSiteFactory.com
 

#8
Rupert  
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Chris, is it possible to get a listing of all topics from all sub forums?
 

#9
chris  
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sort of...if you go to the main board index there's a link called "active topics". That will pull together a list of all recently updated or started topics, from every forum.
Site admin and software developer for TaxProTalk.com and https://TheSiteFactory.com
 

#10
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Cobleskill, NY
I always used the show all topics link and never went into individual areas.

I do know some like them. If it's my thoughts, then fewer is better, but a few would be nice. A chat forum where anything goes would be kept separate for those that hate anything non necessary.

One additional thing, if this becomes the new TA, how bout sub-forums for each individual tax software for program type posts. While each software hosts it's own user forum. Having this become the one stop shop for this stuff would be neat.
 

#11
STG  
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Charleston, SC
I would love a Forum section for referrals. Specifically, a place that we can look for an expert to whom we can refer a client that we are not comfortable, or not geographically able to serve.
 

#12
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22-Apr-2014 4:27pm
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Lake Tahoe, CA
I agree with Chris, FL & Rupert - I like all the tax topics in one forum.

If I find a particularly useful discussion I would like to bookmark it like I did in TaxAlmanac. Is that possible?
 

#13
chris  
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Yes! Check out the bottom of this post:

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=7

You can create your own catalog of bookmarked topics.
Site admin and software developer for TaxProTalk.com and https://TheSiteFactory.com
 

#14
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19
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Lake Tahoe, CA
Duh! Thanks Chris
 

#15
Scogden  
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Gainesville, GA
I agree I wouldn't want tons of topic areas but would anyone other than me like a separate payroll forum?
 

#16
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San Diego CA
I really pay no attention to which forum I am in. I look for a particular search item in the (non) Yellow Box, or (more likely) I just check out all unread posts. But that's jes me!
Jim
Pettit Financial Services
 

#17
makbo  
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In The Counting House
PETITFIN wrote:I really pay no attention to which forum I am in. [...] (more likely) I just check out all unread posts. But that's jes me!


I agree with not having a plethora of separate topics, what we have now is quite adequate. I have spent quite a few years on quite a few internet forums, including non-tax related ones (Oracle DBMS, vinyl record collecting and sales), and as Chris mentions, trying to over-categorize does more harm than good. At the very least, you generate extra noise along the lines of "I wasn't sure what topic to put this under, so I put it under both" or from respondents, "Please post under the correct topic".

The bigger problem is that some contributors here can't or won't put meaningful subjects on their posts.
 

#18
Frankly  
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California
PETITFIN wrote:I really pay no attention to which forum I am in.

Therein is the reason why "topic forums" don't work. Folks post willy nilly wherever they happen to be at the moment. Moderators of course try to recategorize, but it quickly becomes a full-time job. And doing so generates complaints from those whose posts were moved.
 

#19
Rlmea  
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1
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20-May-2014 7:10pm
Location:
Phila
Foreign/ International Taxation area would be great.
 


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