Can someone organize this DieselDIscussion area??

[biopete]

Having all threads on Diesels in one "Folder"/Area is getting pretty messy and it is hard to follow discussion on a particular system. It would be nice if there were organized more like a repair manual with sub areas for each system and maybe even subsytem. I believe this would help in many ways including repeats of the same problem.

thanks.

[Bill Wood]

We have tried to keep the number of forums to a bare minimum for simplicity. We want to make it as easy as possible for the experts answering the questions. The fewer forums they have to visit, the more likely the questions will be answered.
It may cause more work to find the answers but that's the tradeoff.

[rg2098]

Shouldn't this be in the "General Feedback" fourm.

[whunter]

Originally Posted by biopete

Having all threads on Diesels in one "Folder"/Area is getting pretty messy and it is hard to follow discussion on a particular system. It would be nice if there were organized more like a repair manual with sub areas for each system and maybe even subsystem. I believe this would help in many ways including repeats of the same problem.

thanks.

I have been working upon this these threads
Organized MB DIY links
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=135055

Name these parts, to help new members.
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?p=699016#post699016

and I can assure you they take a lot of time to keep up.


Here are some others sweating over DIY help:

Other link pages:

Automotive repair training book on line, you can download it.
http://www.tpub.com/content/construction/14273/

Vacuum Diagrams W123 and W126 models
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=105297

Mercedes Benz Service Manuals
http://mb.braingears.com/

the ol' Diesel-Benz car hole
http://www.dieselbenz.info/

W123 chassis Mercedes-Benz (77-85 300-series & 240D) however some may also work for the W126 chassis Mercedes-Benz (81-91 300SD & 300SDL).
http://diymbrepair.com/

DIY Pages. Overview of current pages with links. W123 basis.
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=105297

Repair Tips, Short-Cuts
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?p=360663#post360663

Shop manual questions
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?p=966533#post966533

On line service Manuals:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=133087
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=86871
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?p=966533#post966533

MercedesShop Do It Yourself
http://www.peachparts.com/Wikka/DoItYourSelf

MBZ.ORG Article Index
http://mbz.org/

Miscellaneous Reference Articles = DIY
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?p=781439#post781439

Have a great day.

[dannym]

Hit the search button. Put in your search criteria and Walla you have a complete Sub Area for your system.

Danny

[biopete]

Originally Posted by Webmaster

We have tried to keep the number of forums to a bare minimum for simplicity. We want to make it as easy as possible for the experts answering the questions. The fewer forums they have to visit, the more likely the questions will be answered.
It may cause more work to find the answers but that's the tradeoff.

Well that idea went over like a bull in a china shop . I understand. I would definitely rather leave the experts to answering questions and me to searching. However, as a software developer, I know we can have both. Forum software can support different views. of the data. The current trend in content management systems is that you can apply "tags" or "labels" to things rather than put them in folders. So that a user reading a thread on Glow plugs would could apply "Ignition Sytem", "Cold Start" , "Glow Plugs" tags to it . And a thread on "Fuel Pump start of delivery" may get tagged "Cold Start", "Fuel System" , "Fuel Pump" . And then users can browse by tag if they want or search on tags or search on anything. That is a really cool system and would be awesome here.

Anyway, I digress to the search function (which I am 90% happy with) until I have time to seek out and deploy better forum software for you . And believe me I would start tommorrow if I could (not that you need it but that it would be fun) . Thanks for all the hard work.

[Elktonjohn]

Thank you WHunter...and the rest of you senior members as well. I followed the original post for this thread thinking it was from some whiner too impatient to spend the time hunting old posts...yep, wrong again. It would be very nice indeed if this place was organized into a repair manual. Right now I see it as more of a treasure hunt and the further you look for what you seek the more you learn about the things you've not yet sought. Poorly worded compliment, sorry 'bout that. Thanks again and Thanks Biopete for asking the original question, I know what you meant and I agree... I'll go back to lurking and reading now.............

What else would everyone new do besides post a new thread asking the question that has been asked 400 times before.

After all, it keeps those of us with time to kill feeling smart and being helpful

[Elktonjohn]

...and superior...don't forget superior......IhopeyouknowwhatImean.

[dannym]

Originally Posted by biopete

Well that idea went over like a bull in a china shop . I understand. I would definitely rather leave the experts to answering questions and me to searching. However, as a software developer, I know we can have both. Forum software can support different views. of the data. The current trend in content management systems is that you can apply "tags" or "labels" to things rather than put them in folders. So that a user reading a thread on Glow plugs would could apply "Ignition Sytem", "Cold Start" , "Glow Plugs" tags to it . And a thread on "Fuel Pump start of delivery" may get tagged "Cold Start", "Fuel System" , "Fuel Pump" . And then users can browse by tag if they want or search on tags or search on anything. That is a really cool system and would be awesome here.

Anyway, I digress to the search function (which I am 90% happy with) until I have time to seek out and deploy better forum software for you . And believe me I would start tommorrow if I could (not that you need it but that it would be fun) . Thanks for all the hard work.

I like your ideas. They would definitely make this forum a lot better.
If you look at the bottom of almost every webpage you'll see the name of the company that produced/designed the website. In this case it's :
"Powered by vBulletin Version 3.5.1
Copyright ©2000 - 2005, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd."
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0

I believe all modifications would have to go through them. Unless it's all "Open Source" then you can do whatever you want as long as you publish your modifications.
Anyway doing a simple change like supporting keywords like "and" and "or" would go a long way to make the search function better. Because the way it is now if you put in "Rear Shock Absorber" you will get results with only the word "Rear" in it and only "Shock Absorber" in it. Then you have to wade through all the multiple page results to find the threads that actually contain All your search words.
Keywords are the way to go.

Danny

[whunter]

Originally Posted by dannym

Anyway doing a simple change like supporting keywords like "and" and "or" would go a long way to make the search function better. Because the way it is now if you put in "Rear Shock Absorber" you will get results with only the word "Rear" in it and only "Shock Absorber" in it. Then you have to wade through all the multiple page results to find the threads that actually contain All your search words.
Keywords are the way to go.

Danny

The search would be
Search: Key Word(s): Rear, Shock, Absorber

The search I hate is K1 piston or B2 piston.
Search: Key Word(s): piston

After enough searches, you learn to work around the issue with advanced search.
Search: Key Word(s): transmission, piston ; Forum: Diesel Discussion Showing results 1 to 30 of 106

Have any of you looked at some of the jokes, oops, I mean other forums that split into too many sub categories, or become pimp your ride sites, or flame sites, or etc, etc, etc.

http://www.mercedesforum.com/
9108 Registered users have made 30405 posts in 34 forums. There are currently 8248 topics.

http://www.mbnz.org/forums/
1027107 posts in 147365 threads across 53 forums.
There are 46296 registered users.

http://www.mbworld.org/forums/index.php
Threads: 121,038, Posts: 1,339,047, Members: 30,621


This is a case of "if it ain't broke; don't fix it".
IMO Phil and Bill have the magic formula, Fantastic support, great Moderators, solid technical information and a reluctance to make radical changes, or tolerate radical behavior out of context.
They even invite Mercedes Benz people like me to join:
Are you obsessed with MB diesels?
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=88926
Naked Beauty
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=130670

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/index.php
Currently Active Users: 302 (75 members and 227 guests)
Most users ever online was 604, 06-21-2005 at 12:50 PM.

Threads: 129,743, Posts: 932,634, Members: 18,205

[dannym]

The search I hate is K1 piston or B2 piston.
Search: Key Word(s): piston

That's exactly my point. that search will more than likely pull up engine piston posts. Then you have to sift through 17 pages of posts to find threads on transmission pistons. Whereas a keyword like "and" to make "K1 and piston" would bring up only transmission threads.

This is a case of "if it ain't broke; don't fix it".
IMO Phil and Bill have the magic formula, Fantastic support, great Moderators, solid technical information and a reluctance to make radical changes, or tolerate radical behavior out of context.
They even invite Mercedes Benz people like me to join:

Not knocking anything just an idea to make it better. There's an old saying, "Sometimes the good is the enemy of the best".

Danny

[whunter]

Fast navigation Do It Yourself Links
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=146034