Suggested Categories and Sub Categories

Just to kick the ball off…

Notices

Introduce yourself

SOTA Monthly News

Activator’s Area
+Activation Reports
+Summit information
+On the bands (contests, propagation etc)

Chaser’s Corner

SOTA Rules and Guidelines

Digital Resources
+SOTAWATCH
+Website
+Database
+Reflector
+Third Party Resources
+Archived posts
+Other

Equipment
+Radios and power
+Antennas
+Other

Safety

The Bothy

++++++++++++++++++++++
FAQs could be handled by sticky posts in the relevant categories

Post updated to incorporate ON6ZQ’s suggestions

  • SOTA related software
  • Frequently Asked Questions

Thanks Richard, this is an extremely helpful intial list.

I have started adding these and will continue to do so.

I have also added ‘Conditions’ in response to a recent topic. Also, as Old Reflector topics become current, this will drive new categories as well.

Adding categories is slightly cumbersome so I haven’t spent much time on the descriptions for now and have been pretty random in colour selection.

Jon

1 Like

I presume that “the Bothy” is a ragchew section, activators - particularly those with a mountaineering/hillwalking background - are more likely to deduce the significance of the name than those who chase but never set foot in the hills. I would suggest that we follow the KISS principle and call it “Ragchew”!

Brian G8ADDE

I had “conditions” as part of the more generic “on the bands”.

I see that the old reflector is still being used - a sort of parallel universe.

73 Richard G3CWI

I feel that those still using the reflector may have failed to pick up that we have a new reflector.

Andy
MM0FMF

It was always my plan to have this parallel universe for a few days.

I am still having to deal with quite a few support requests emailed to me directly helping people get on board. Once I cut the SOTAwatch site across to Discourse, that will likely increase as people then have no choice!

I might do it this evening or possibly tomorrow.

I will change ‘Conditions’ to ‘On the Bands’ which seems a better choice of title. However, I’m not convinced it should be under Activators. I’m also not convinced we need separate Activator and Chaser parent categories.

Jon

1 Like

Hi Jon

The categories were just a stab in the dark. I was hoping some more folk might voice opinions.

73 Richard

How about some language-specific categories? Not every category repeated for every language, but just a couple of areas where non-English speakers can chat in their own language. This might encourage people to come here and join the main (English) discussions.

For example, a Korean category. First, let’s test if the new software supports Korean text:
안녕하세요
(it says “Annyeonghasaeyo”, which is “Hello” in Korean.)

There actually used to be a language facility on the old reflector but I seem to recall that it was not much used.

English
Korean
German
American
Spanish
French

… there would be a whole bunch of them.

I was hoping some more folk might voice opinions.

I think a measured approach to setting up categories is a good idea eg not to rush in with too many. I also agree that Richard’s suggestions covered the ground pretty well.

I agree too with Jon in feeling that separate Activator and Chaser categories may not be necessary as many of us do both, and most topics are probably of some interest to both.

Richard’s link to the cycling Reflector was also interesting, it has clearly been well thought out. From browsing that, it seemed to me that SOTA might include a more diverse range of activities (including cycling, of course) but to set up categories and sub categories for all of them could lead to an unhelpful fragmentation.

I’d be inclined to go with the headline categories more or less as suggested, and then add categories or sub categories over time, as necessary.

I think this new Reflector is a very positive step, btw, and thank you to all involved :o)

73
Adrian

I like the use of categories. The initial list is good.

Subcategories are also good - to save on the number of top level categories. Helps my simple brain work out what to look at more easily.

I have been categorising my old topics since I don’t own a lot :wink: and have managed all except one, which is about conditions on the hills as opposed to the bands. Could that also be added under “Activator’s area”)?

73
John GM8OTI

I believe that The Pub would be an excellent name for the off-topic category, especially considering that SOTA had its beginnings as a British programme.

IMO, Ragchew sounds too generic, like something from a general amateur radio forum.

—73 Karl KA3RCS

Navigation Techniques

Compton
VK2HRX

Sorry for the delayed response. I wonder if we should create a master category ‘Hill Craft’ and have Navigation techniques as a sub category. And then perhaps some others alongside it, i.e. Outdoor Equipment, Clothing, etc. Or perhaps a single category, ‘Hill Craft’ might be sufficient for all this. Or ‘Mountaineering Skills’ as an alternative name for this.

Jon

It is a British peculiarity that we tend to call everything from the smallest bump in the landscape to Everest a “hill”! To others “Hill Craft” might sound trivial, so I would suggest “Mountain craft” as the best title.

Brian

Yup. Makes sense. I have created this.

Jon

The “Milestones” one’s a good idea.

While perusing the list of other categories, I wondered whether “Introduce Yourself” might belong inside “People” (though I can also see why it might be better as a top-level one by itself just to make it noticable to newcomers).

“Contests” might fit inside “On the Bands” quite well.

While there’s “Database” inside “Online resources” for talk about the database, and “Meta” for talk about the reflector itself, there’s no obvious place for talk about SOTAWatch.

73, Rick M0LEP

Yes that does make sense and it doesn’t detract from the visibility of “Introduce Yourself”. The advantage is that if from the burger or sandwich menu (that’s the three parallel bars just left of your avatar - I have seen it called both) if you select people you get people plus the subcategories.

Might well do as of course contests do affect our use of the bands and apart from making some bands un-usable, they don’t fit into anywhere else in SOTA. As well we would get a similar benefit if you selected On the Bands from the burger/sandwich menu

For now I think SOTAwatch just fits into Online Resources and unless it started to appear in its own right much more frequently we should leave it there for now.
Jim

Of course. :wink:

Being a bit short of brain today, and forgot that just because a category has sub-categories it doesn’t mean it can’t have posts in its root level too…

73, Rick M0LEP