Keeping on top of an active forum
 

Ok, to be frank I've never been part of such active fora before. Here, I can make a relatively quick post, and when I do so, the new posts button lists 3-7 new posts made while I was doing so. It can be tiring to try to keep on top of even a single subforum. What do you do to maximize your productivity while surfing TFP? Do you only read select subforums? Do you look for specific users who you identify with or you feel have constructive viewpoints? Or do you just spam the 'new posts' button and check the top couple?

the easiest ways are the new posts button and your subscribed threads list. makes it easier to find a discussion you are already involved in.

I use the view new posts only, its the easiest quickest way to keep up with everything, though why you'd use that and only check out the top couple I dont understand?

When I get up in the morning, there are *usually* 1 1/2 pages of new posts for me to go thru, and then I just skip the forums I have no interest in... like philosophy and motors lol

I always use the User CP, subscribed threads, so I can first view the threads I've been active in.

When time permits, I go to New Threads, so I can see what else is going on. :)l

I hit 'view new posts' and read all of the threads I've been following (usually half to 3/4 of them). I use opera, so I'll usually pop the 'new posts' list, then launch all the threads I care about into background tabs so TFP doesn't sting me for search flooding.

It doesn't take that much effort to stay current here, there's usually less than five or six 'hot' threads that are getting active discussion, and the rest are 'hey this is neat' followed by half a dozen 'yes that is neat!' comments.

I must be jaded...this forum is the slowest one I'm on (of 5 or 6).

I don't have nearly the time to keep up with this forum by itself, much less SIX. @_@.

You must be flippin awesome at time management.

This is the only forum I participate in, largely because I've found most other forums to be (forgive my frank language) immature and stupid. Occasionally I will look briefly at other forums, but in the end, I always end up running back to TFP, feeling unclean because of what I've witnessed elsewhere on the 'Net.

I just use the new posts button. Works wonders. I also make sure to check the blogs frequently.

I participate in many other forums and i use subscribed threads and email to recieve updates to threads I'm interested in responding.

Mostly tho, I'm in this forum, but I've got to read up elsewhere for Tivo, MINI, and other SIGs.

I read fast and have internet on my phone. Important threads i'm tracking get subscribed to my phone, where I can check them live.

The other forums I'm on are hobby specific or regional. I am clearly a nerd:

CandlePowerForums for flashlights,
EDCForums for every day carry stuff,
cocoontech for home automation,
mr2oc for my mr2,
the local car enthusiast forum I am admin of
ihate_____ (with the blank being a friend's ex girlfriend's name) which spun off from car forum and has turned into a local b.s. gossip forum of epic magnitude

lately i've been staying up to date on tmoguys.com and androidguys.com to keep abreast the latest G1 news.

I just visit the forums I frequent, read the bold thread titles (unread) and see if I wanna click on them. Never used subscriptions or view new posts button.

TFP can't usually keep up with me. It's a matter of deciding how much time you'd like to spend here, and distributing your attention based on that. I'm online at work and at home all day, and I usually am free to multitask, working and posting/read posts at the same time. Others, though, can only spend a few minutes a day on TFP. It would be much more difficult for them to keep up to my pace.

Even though I am new to the site (this will be my third post) I have been on various forums, many of them as busy as this one. I use the New Posts button to search for new posts. I am lucky to be a rather quick typist, so I find it easy enough to stay on top of all the new contributions.:thumbsup:

My problem lately is how best to allocate my limited time when I'm actually here. I've been doing more reading and less writing lately. It's not that I have nothing to say (I always have something to say), but that I'd rather read other people's opinions first.

In terms of finding posts, I just use the new post button. Typically I'll have a couple pages to slog through, then it's on my way. When I get back online there will be another couple of pages. Such is my life now.

I keep track of certain subforums.