Why so many boards?

[Article99]

Couldn't help noticing this evening how overwhelming the front of the forum looks...

Are they really all necessary? Would have thought half of them could be child boards or stickies...

[Santalum]

Hmmm, they don't overwhelm me, I simply look at what I have an interest in and leave the rest alone.

[Harry72]

Why so many boards... thats easy to answer, woodwork has many avenues in which to follow... a broad spectrum as they say

[outback]

The problem is, we keep whinging and asking for more fora. Neil, being the softy he is gives them to us.

[Daddles]

New boards arise because there is a definite need for one. This usually shows up as an excess of threads about a particular topic or a thread or two that becomes unweildy (as happened with the videos forum). You'll notice that all the boards are active.

But yeah, Outback's 'whinge and Dad gives in' concept sort of describes it too.

And yes, it is frightening, but as commented above, it does reflect the diversitiy of wood working

Richard

[Article99]

I remember getting clipped across the ears for whining, myself...

Quite a fair variety of answers, too. Cheers, lads.

[Cliff Rogers]

New boards arise because there is a definite need for one. ...

Yeap, as a 'for instance' I can think of several more classifications in Woodturning alone but at present there would not enough traffic on those subjects to warrant splitting them out of general.
I am a woodturner but I am not interested in all aspects of it.
I have done very little in segmented work & although I own a mandrel & several kits, I have never got around to turning a pen & have only ever done a few goblets & egg cups, none of it has me hooked.
I am interested in anything at all to do with turning equipment, tools, set ups, lay outs, lighting, dust collection, jigs, preparing & storing of blanks, etc
I turn bowls, platters, hollow forms, boxes, bottle stoppers, tops but not pomanders, models, or clocks.
All of these could be divided into separate classifications if there was enough traffic about any one of them.
Mine you, although I personally don't do segmented work, if it was put in a separate classification, I would still go for a look 'cos some of that work is simply stunning.

[mic-d]

there's a lot of boards.... in woodwork

[joe greiner]

As said, new boards accommodate new interests, and I think we all learn from some areas outside our normal repertoire. The front page is already subdivided into major classifications. Sub-sub forums would complicate browsing, because it'd take an extra browse to reach them. And then we'd not only have a lot of boards in woodwork, but also a lot of trees. (Sorry; I couldn't resist.)

I usually use the "New Posts" feature, and just look at the neater stuff that catches my attention and/or curiosity.

Joe