Behaviours and protocols of the various sections?

[Zee28]

Sorry to be a Newbie dope, but can I politely ask for some clarity on the protocols on this forum, purely so I don’t mess up or upset anybody in the future.

I have, so far, submitted 2 builds, they were planes so I put them in the Aviation section. They were full builds from start to finish, so lots of photos. Nobody moaned (in fact everyone was really great and encoraging!), so I assume that’s an OK way to do it, and I have seen others document their builds in that style on aviation.

But I have also noticed how some people document their builds in their Workbench thread and only put completed photos in Aviation. Or their Workbench thread is only place to see their work!

What’s the preferred way? What should I do in the future? Does it even matter?

Initially I (naively) thought the Workbench area was just to show one’s working environment and tools etc. and any builds should go in their specific sections, but obviously the workbench area is much more than that!

I’d like to carry on submitting my builds to the specific areas if that’s OK, but will naturally fall in with what is the expected behaviours and protocols if I am in the wrong.

Thanks in advance all,

Zee

[PaulBradley]

From a personal standpoint, I use my Workbench Window thread to keep up to date with what's on the bench, other than my GB builds which have their own threads of course. I don't do specific build threads otherwise, although many do. If I've something I'm particularly pleased with, I'll do a thread in Aviation Modelling once the build it complete. But that's just personal.

We're pretty laid back here, so as long as you don't put a tank build in the ship section or something equally daft, you'll be right.

[AndrewR]

I use my workbench window as a sort of blog, so most of my stuff goes in there, apart from things done in Group builds. Some people prefer to have threads for individual builds. Whatever works for you...

cheers


Andrew

[Sissel]

The good thing about a workbench thread is it's easier for me to just throw it all in there and keep it under control. With multiple kits on the go, and they show up in the photoframe ;)
Like Andrew says, a sort of blog.
But it depends on what I'm building.
On the previous forum, I had a separate thread for my Titanic build (didn't I?), atleast did a review. And I'm sure I did for other models as well.

Do what you like

[JohnRatzenberger]

Good question.

It is purely up to you. Hope you can bear up under the responsibility

We really have 4 build areas.
-- Group Builds, and Shared Builds, which are self-contained and "regulated".
-- Our supported SIGs, for members to build, others to see, usually SMW projects, self-contained.
-- Workbench
-- Modelling section

For the latter two, it is entirely up to you where you want to do anything. A large number of our members like the informal chattiness of the Workbench. If you look at the active workbenches versus posts in the other threads, you may find that a number of our members spend most of their time in the Workbench forurm. The only negative is that it is then hard to find anything with a search engine (more on that later). The other negative might be that continuity suffers.

The other philosophy is to open a separate topic for each model in the appropriate Modelling section. This resolves the visibilty, both human and search engine, problem and also the continuity.

Some members do both. Some finish a model in their workbench then post a few pix/comments in Modelling.

We established the Galleries as a way to focus searches and search engines. If one builds on a workbench then posts a picture with a link into the workbench topic where the build actually starts then it is easier for others to find it. A search at a top level only returns the topic itself, not the innards, so you might have to scroll through 50 pages to find the real build. There's an FAQ in Galleries that probably explains it better.

I noted your Duck & Bucc - both very well photographed and described. I do not know when you built these versus your joining-date, but while it is perfectly proper to post previous builds in that manner, it is probably "preferred" that current/ongoing builds be posted as they happen (however you want to do that) so that comments/questions can be fielded along the way. We like to think we are both friendly and informative and being able to discuss the "what you did, why you did it (or had to do it), and how you did it" as it occurs is very helpful to all members.

Just FYI, not that it matters, what I don't (try to) do in GBs or SIGs, I (try to) do in the appropriate Modelling section. I'm just not as confortable in the Workbench, maybe I'm more single-threaded than most, but I do follow along with many of them ....

And I can see that while I was creating my epic response, you got 3 great responses already ....

[Zee28]

Thanks for the replies everybody, and thanks John for outlining things in detail, thanks for taking the time mate.

It is purely up to you. Hope you can bear up under the responsibility

I do like the freedom and that’s it not regimented and strict, as in ‘post what you like where you like (within reason) ‘, that makes things friendly.

it is entirely up to you where you want to do anything. A large number of our members like the informal chattiness of the Workbench. If you look at the active workbenches versus posts in the other threads, you may find that a number of our members spend most of their time in the Workbench forum.

This I am now discovering! I’ve been in the wrong place and missing out on so much (as I’ll explain later)!

The only negative is that it is then hard to find anything with a search engine (more on that later). The other negative might be that continuity suffers.

Yeah, that’s one of the reasons I started this thread mate, stuff is hard to find. If I can speak as both a Newbie to the forum and previous lurker, then I can explain my concern…..

I only really build aircraft, so consequently every time I fire up the forum I always got straight to the aviation section hoping to see builds of aircraft from you guys, which is where my interest lies. And (of course) that’s what I get to see. But only now have I discovered that I have missed loads of other great aircraft builds. Purely for example, MightMikeD has made some gems, lovely planes, but they only exist in his Workbench thread, so up until now, I’d missed them completely! (No offence Mike, purely an example of how I am not getting things quite right yet!)

Conversely, again purely as a hypothetic example, Mike may have missed some of my stuff simply because I don’t have a Workbench thread (yet….) and instead put them in Avaiation.

The other philosophy is to open a separate topic for each model in the appropriate Modelling section. This resolves the visibility, both human and search engine, problem and also the continuity.

Well that’s how I initially approached it, and everyone was very positive and friendly, but in the Aviation section the ‘full documented build’ style seems rare, but it does exist in the Workbench threads, so maybe I’ll change my approach?

Some members do both. Some finish a model in their workbench then post a few pix/comments in Modelling.

Yeah, I’ve seen that, and if they put a link in to where the build starts I will check out the build from there (full builds interest me a bit more than just the finished model, as I like to see the techniques and skills, which very prevalent on this forum, that way I can learn and improve)

But, if there’s not a link then finding a specific build in some-one’s Workbench thread (that can have a lot of pages!) can be challenging!

I noted your Duck & Bucc - both very well photographed and described. I do not know when you built these versus your joining-date, but while it is perfectly proper to post previous builds in that manner, it is probably "preferred" that current/ongoing builds be posted as they happen (however you want to do that) so that comments/questions can be fielded along the way. We like to think we are both friendly and informative and being able to discuss the "what you did, why you did it (or had to do it), and how you did it" as it occurs is very helpful to all members.

Maybe this is where I am going wrong John. Maybe I do things differently/wrongly. Those two builds you mention were done a little while ago (but quite recent). What I do (and have done for quite a while) is photograph the progress of every one of my builds. I do this for two reasons:

1) For my own pleasure, so I can look back at them in the future
2) So I can, at some time, post them on this forum!

I started doing it when I was just a lurker, always in my head thinking ‘When I get around to joining the forum I can post this build, people might find it interesting’. But the builds will be, of course, a little bit historic.

So my builds are always a little bit historic, and it seems that the more popular culture on the forum is to be more ‘current’, as in showing builds in real time on the Workbench.

The mutli-tasking required is impressive, do a bit of modelling, then doing a little forum-ing. Very cool! But sadly I’m not that dextrous, and this is why I post previous builds. I tend to be doing one or the other, not both! If I’m modelling for the evening, then I’m modelling, I might carry on for a few days until completion and may not go on the forum for a while. Then, on another day I may spend some time on the forum, not do any modelling but post what I’ve previously built. Do you see what I mean? Plus my computer is nowhere near my modelling area.....

For example, if Workbench threads tend to be fairly current and ‘Live’ then at the moment I am building nothing and won’t be for quite a while, so a Workbench thread would be pretty boring! But I do have some photos of recently completed builds that I could post…… somewhere!

Just FYI, not that it matters, what I don't (try to) do in GBs or SIGs, I (try to) do in the appropriate Modelling section. I'm just not as comfortable in the Workbench, maybe I'm more single-threaded than most, but I do follow along with many of them ....

That sounds like me John, that’s how I initially thought about it. A simple minded person like me likes the singe-thread approach!

And I can see that while I was creating my epic response, you got 3 great responses already ....

Yes, thanks everyone for your help, and thanks John for your ‘epic’, it’s been very helpful. I now offer up my epic reply!

Above all guys, please do not think I am moaning or anything, I just want to be an active member of this great forum and want to fit in and get things right.

John, I hope the above helps explain why I had to ask.

Zee

[Clashcityrocker]

Zee, you could do what I do when I log into the forum. Click the 'view new posts' link at the top right. That way you'll see all that's new since your previous visit.

Nigel

[JamesPerrin]

Zee, you could do what I do when I log into the forum. Click the 'view new posts' link at the top right. That way you'll see all that's new since your previous visit.

Or even, as I do, just bookmark the new posts link

[JohnRatzenberger]

We have our own "Multi-Tasking Training Ground" .... it's called a Blitzbau ... clear your calendar/diary in August ....

That's the only "real-time" modelling/posting area we have .... In the others, be it Workbench, Modelling, Group Build, "real time" is whatever you want it to be, although in truth the GB is supposed to be an active/interactive build - it isn't polite to say here's my kit, now it's done. I try, not for daily posts, but to make one at critical points (the %^& landing gear won't fit), or at major changes (here's the office, now on to the engine) .... again, and let me stress -- whatever works for you ...

[Zee28]

Thanks everyone. So we've established that every type of model has a specific area of the forum that it can go into, aircraft in Aviation, Tanks in AFVs etc. etc. So it could be argued that the Workbench area is kind of superfluous, and yet it's proved to be one of the most popular areas to hangout!

Maybe it's time I opened a Workbench thread!

Zee

[Ian]

Yes. Yes it is!

[JohnRatzenberger]

Thanks everyone. So we've established that every type of model has a specific area of the forum that it can go into, aircraft in Aviation, Tanks in AFVs etc. etc. So it could be argued that the Workbench area is kind of superfluous, and yet it's proved to be one of the most popular areas to hangout!

Maybe it's time I opened a Workbench thread!

Zee

The Workbench can arguably be called the largest, longest running, theme-less GB on UAMF ...