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Some reorganization of Discussion Forums/Topics?

Joseph W. Doherty
Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame

Some ideas:

Move Virtual Private Networks Forum to Network Infrastructure Forum as a topic.

Virtual Private Networks Forum's Security Topic: IPSec goes with VPN (above), Firewalling goes to Security Forum's Firewalling Topic.

New Discussion Forum "Network Services".

Network Infrastructure Forum's Network Management Topic and Virtual Private Networks Forum's Network Management Topic move to new Network Services Forum.

Virtual Private Networks Forums' Services renamed to QoS and moved to new Network Services Forum.

Other new topics for the new Forum?

Other possible reorganization suggestions?

PS:

The topic that got me thinking most on this was Virtual Private Networks Forum's Services' Topic sort of hiding "QoS", and the fact QoS is not just related to VPNs. Quite a few QoS questions arise in Network Infrastructure Forum Topics, more so, perhaps, then in the dedicated topic.

6 Replies 6

guruprasadr
Level 7
Level 7

HI Joseph,

Great Thought !

Most of the QOS related Questions are asked in network Infrastructure >> WAN,Routing and Switching Topic.

Its quiet cumbersome some-time to search QOS related old threads.

Cisco has to come forward, to re-arrange the legacy services as seperate topic also.

Best Regards,

Guru Prasad R

Jon Marshall
Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame

Joseph

I have always regarded you as a real expert when it comes to QOS so i thought long and hard about this proposal.

I think there is a need for a VPN forum of it's own as it is a large subject and the forums do get a lot of posts.

I think the problem is more to do with the actual short descriptions Cisco give to each forum and if you were a new poster you would think the VPN Services forum was the place to post ALL QOS queries as LAN R&S/WAN R&S/ALL IPT forums make no mention of QOS.

I would support collapsing the VPN forums into maybe one (altho they have recently removed VPN -> General) but i still think it merits it's own forum.

Perhaps what we really need is either

1) more detailed descriptions of what is expected in each forum

or

2) a separate guide to posters as to where topics should go

Trouble is we are already talking about a separate guide for posters so we they can post relevant details in their original post - see Guidance thread.

Perhaps we could add it to that but am really wary of ending up with a manual that absolutely no one will ever read.

Jon

I agree VPN is a subject that gets many posts (and is a worthwhile subject in its own right) although from a very rough eyeball count, its total posts seems to be akin or less than Network Infrastructure Forum's LAN (or WAN), Switching and Routing Topics. This even with those posts in the existing VPN topics that might be better placed in topics for the same subject under other forums. Of course, if there are major topics within VPN, then I agree it might best stand as its own forum, although the existing topics I don't believe well serve this purpose.

I would like to avoid additional guides for forum/topic selection. As a new user, if you start here, http://forum.cisco.com/eforum/servlet/NetProf?page=main, what impression do you get? Since the VPN's Services topic lists "Traffic Prioritization, QoS, and Bandwidth Congestion Management" here, http://forum.cisco.com/eforum/servlet/NetProf?page=Virtual_Private_Networks_discussion, yet so many of these questions are posted within the Network Infrastructure Forum, something is out of whack.

I 100% agee we don't want to make for something no one will read (or for it to become further confusing), but is the current subject classification the clearest it can be?

Daniel Bruhn
Level 8
Level 8

Topic names has always been a close second to ratings when it comes to NetPro suggestions. What makes naming topics very difficult is everyone has a different view on how it should be done.

As Jon mentioned we did in fact merge VPN General with Security General. That was the first of two phases that will occur to the VPN forum. In the second phase we will be moving the remaining VPN topics under Security. This is being done in an effort to consolidate the Security/VPN forums. As you can tell we are moving slowly with this process to ensure there is minimal disruption to the site.

Please continue sharing all your thoughts on naming and descriptions for our forums. Obviously, I can't promise all suggestions will be implemented, but I can tell you we are listening and they are being taken into account.

Cheers,

Dan Bruhn

NetPro Community Manager

Cheers, Dan

"What makes naming topics very difficult is everyone has a different view on how it should be done."

Have you considered the Dewey Decimal System? - Just kidding, but seriously, when you note you're going to move the remaining VPN topics to be under Security, if you mean the Security Forum, I don't really see VPN's current Services topic a good fit there, as long as it contains the description "Traffic Prioritization, QoS, and Bandwidth Congestion Management". You also didn't describe what the VPN Forum would look like if you remove all(?) its topics, except by your mention of consolidation of Security/VPN. Would that be the name of the consolidated forum?

Concerning the idea of consolidation of Security/VPN forums, I presume the security/VPN forum relationship is using ASAs for VPN devices, or the usage of something like IPSec or SSL encryption. Yet since VPNs, in their many kinds, extend networks, one might argue the larger view is they are another facet of network infrastructure. Of course, there's lots of overlap in many network topics, which does lead to the difficulty of naming topics you note.

I appreciate you are listening, and also appreciate you are moving slowing, although moving carefully might be a better descriptive.

The plan is to eliminate the VPN forum after phase two is complete. The Security forum name won't be changing. As for the descriptions of the VPN topics I'd like to hear suggestions if people feel they should be edited once moved to the Security forum.

I know our forums and topic structure isn't perfect. There is and always will be overlap no matter how we break down the discussion areas. That said, be assured our goal is to try and make NetPro as easy to navigate as possible.

Cheers,

Dan Bruhn

NetPro Community Manager

Cheers, Dan
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