[Chris K]

I have been writing to forums forever & I dont want you to think I'm taking a pop at BB forums - much of what I posted here I have also posted at other forums - based upon my personal experiences

Many forums (& websites) seem to categorise for the sake of it - it must be easy to do

Say you're looking for TV, the web site makes you answer 15 questions 1st
Widescreen?, Plasma or LCD, 15" or 17", freeview, hi-def, Black, White, Red or flippin Green

by the time you've answered all those questions they haven't even got a green TV in stock - at all

This 'over'-categorising comes from designer 'running away' with nothing more than an assumption that the reader has 'very specific requirements' in mind - when *in fact*, *most* (over 70%) people are just 'window shopping' on the internet (e.g. they haven't got a clue what TV they want *until* they see it)

As a result over -catagorising makes it nigh on impossible for people to 'browse' (window-shop)

In the case of the BB Forums Sponsorship/Promotions, OS 6, Contests, Rim Stock are evidently unsupported, yet if those same threads where in a more general forum they would prolly been read by 10 times more people (the people that just browse = see it, read it)

E.G. 'Rumours' and 'Beta products' are very much of a kin (people interested in one subject would also have an interest in other) and should they be in the same forum would probably double the amount of readers (promote the community)