How about a low end forum ?

[StephD]

I'd like to see one here like there's on gearslutz.com. As the name suggests, it'd be about setups made of parts from the consumer market and free software as opposed to the prosumer builds this site is all about. I think it'd complement the general discussion just fine.

 

[Patrick]

StephD - certainly am up for this. Interestingly enough, this site was never really about "prosumer" setups but many folks here do have higher-end setups. There is a "low end" review queued on the main site in the next two weeks actually.

Low end in terms of dollars, low end in terms of power consumption? What are you thinking?

 

[dba]

It's my observation that many STH readers started with very low-end systems and then migrated, over time, to higher end equipment... often thanks to cheap eBay finds... and almost always while still running their low-end stuff at the same time. So don't hesitate to post your own builds, questions, finds, observations, etc. about any level of server gear!

 

[pgh5278]

Concur with dba, please maintain forum in its current broad format, instead of cutting into segments and possibly loose the synergy and value to its members.

 

[StephD]

StephD - certainly am up for this.

Oh really ? Well that's nice.

Interestingly enough, this site was never really about "prosumer" setups but many folks here do have higher-end setups.

Yes the line between home server and actual server in professional environments is actually quite blurry.

There is a "low end" review queued on the main site in the next two weeks actually.

The main site should indeed talk about these things too.

Low end in terms of dollars, low end in terms of power consumption? What are you thinking?

Well actually, most people here seem to run prosumer gear which costs a lot to buy and to run as well since it consumes so much power. Low end would mean cheap to buy and to run. It would pretty much exclude prosumer grade parts since they're too expensive to get new and too expensive to run when they're old (and cheap on the used market). It would pretty much exclude expensive software most people here only get to run for because companies they work for purchased the recquired licences in the first place.

 

[StephD]

It's my observation that many STH readers started with very low-end systems and then migrated, over time, to higher end equipment... often thanks to cheap eBay finds... and almost always while still running their low-end stuff at the same time. So don't hesitate to post your own builds, questions, finds, observations, etc. about any level of server gear!

I understand and alright, I will do thanks ! But it's not just about me here, this is actually about enlarging the community (if you guys ever want to) since most members are very experienced IT pros sharing good knowledge about rather high end IT gear. I am a network administrator myself and still feel somehow intimidated by some discussions here. I can hardly imagine how beginners must feel.

Beside, you should know that those cheap eBay finds never quite happen outside of the United States. Most readers overseas will most likely never get that kind of opportunities.

 

[StephD]

Concur with dba, please maintain forum in its current broad format, instead of cutting into segments and possibly loose the synergy and value to its members.

This is intersting. Maybe we shouldn't actually create a dedicated space for it. Maybe affirmative action in favor of lower end setups could do the trick. This low end review Patrick has in the works could actually help mellow the high end vibe going on here.

 

[dba]

I understand and alright, I will do thanks ! But it's not just about me here, this is actually about enlarging the community (if you guys ever want to) since most members are very experienced IT pros sharing good knowledge about rather high end IT gear. I am a network administrator myself and still feel somehow intimidated by some discussions here. I can hardly imagine how beginners must feel.

Beside, you should know that those cheap eBay finds never quite happen outside of the United States. Most readers overseas will most likely never get that kind of opportunities.

If you do post about low-end systems, I think you'll find lots of company here on STH already, though I'm sure that having even more posts about simple, frugal, and/or low power systems would enlarge the community even further, which sounds great to me.

By the way, I never understand why IT gear costs so much outside of the US, even used. I feel for you!

 

[MiniKnight]

What about like a Galileo review?

 

[TangoWhiskey9]

Galileo needs a native debian installation like raspbian otherwise it is only sorta compatible with the x86 codebase.

 

[caveat lector]

Concur with dba, please maintain forum in its current broad format, instead of cutting into segments and possibly loose the synergy and value to its members.

Hi. I am a new member, but have spent many hours reading and benefiting from content here. There are significant downsides to slicing discussion categories finely. I have started and managed active discusson boards in other fields for years and have learned important issues relating to this from personal experience. These are some considerations:

1. Terms can have significantly different meanings to different people. That is especially true of relative expressions, such as low-end/high-end, old-technology/new-technology, small/large, low-cost/high-cost, beginner/ professional, etc.
   
   
2. Even where there is no ambiguity, such as with virtual/discrete, Intel/AMD, VMware/Hyper-V, etc., if terms like that define discussion categories, where should questions or comments about comparisons be posted?
   
   
3. Discussion threads lead in unpredictable directions and often become "out-of-category." For example, someone may ask about using VMware in a VMware forum, an experienced user suggests that Hyper-V would be a better alternative in that user's particular circumstances, and a long discussion pertaining to Hyper-V follows. Should that thread be moved to the Hyper-V forum? The thread subject was about VMware and will seem wrong in the Hyper-V forum. Other people with the same circumstances who also are planning to use VMware may not see the discussion if it is moved. However, if it is left in the VMware forum, it will mostly be about Hyper-V and people interested in Hyper-V may not see and benefit from it.
   
   
4. If discussions are finely divided into many categories, there are fewer posts in each category, which makes a board seem less-active (relatively dead) to newcomers. Furthermore, the last-post dates in some categories may be long ago, making board content look stale.
   
   
5. Long-time users rarely react favorably to category changes. They expect to find things where they are accustomed to seeing them and are annoyed by having to look elsewhere.

Years ago I created many forum categories at boards I created, thinking that would help keep information logically organized. In recent years I have done the opposite, because I have learned that boards with fewer categories grow faster and are less trouble to manage.