Forum suggestion: telescope profiles inside user profiles

[markg85]

Hey,

Every time i see a photo of something in the universe here on the forums i wonder what equipment is used to get the results.. most of the time that information is placed in the picture itself but sometimes it isn't now i'm wondering if it's a good idea to make a vbulletin plugin that allows the users to create telescope profiles in there user control panel. this plugin probably doesn't exist yet so i'm willing to make it IF it's a idea that is supported from here (otherwise i'm making it for nothing).

The idea i have when posting is that you can select a profile with telescope info. The final posting itself will have to be adjusted as well to grab that telescope information from the database and post it in the post.

Do you guys like it?
and is there support for it from the forum admins (bad astronomer? fraser?)?

I already made another thing that is quite nifty i created a php script which adds a bar below your image with information about your telescope.. don't know if that's something that people are willing to use here.. if it is just tell me and i will post the source here.

I hope to see some reply's on this,
Thanx.

[markg85]

oh.. i just saw that this topic might be better here: http://www.bautforum.com/about-baut/
if a moderator could move it to that section.

[markg85]

any feedback would be nice.

[NEOWatcher]

Originally Posted by markg85

any feedback would be nice.

Why can't they just add it into the "additional info" section of their profile?

I wonder how many people on the board (percentagewise) post thier pictures on the board, or even have a telescope (worth mentioning at least). Or how many use so many different pieces of equipment, they need to do it on a picture by picture basis.

I'm not saying it's a bad suggestion, just that it might not be worth the effort.

[Gillianren]

I don't have a telescope. (I'm actually saving Coke points for one; I'm about 1/3 of the way there!) I have binoculars, but that's different and not as good. But surely that isn't the most important thing people should know about me!

[Sp1ke]

Hey don't knock your binoculars, Gillian. They're as good as a 'scope if you use them right. And a pair of binoculars that are used are infinitely better than a monster telescope that's just gathering dust.

But I agree that a list of optical instruments that you own is not the most important attribute of a BAUT member. I'd second Neo's suggestion - if you think it's relevant, put it in your additional info.

[markg85]

it's not the most important thing but it sure is something that would be handy in the astrophotography section. and only for the members that ar making threads in that section. the rest of the bautforum doesn't need it al all.

[01101001]

Originally Posted by markg85

it's not the most important thing but it sure is something that would be handy in the astrophotography section. and only for the members that ar making threads in that section. the rest of the bautforum doesn't need it al all.

Perhaps a lower-tech approach would be to add a request, in a sticky topic there, to those who use the Astrophotography subforum, to list their equipment in their member profile and why. An admin would probably sticky that message gladly.

To lessen sticky count, you and others might want to think about a more generic sticky topic, like "Advice to astrophotographers" that would guide members in how best to use that place -- if there is anything else that needs to be said.

[mugaliens]

If interested, people could simply put a brief description in their signatures...