Thread: Member locator

Originally Posted by gugi

You've brought it up before - every choice has consequences and the location being optional is what works best for SRP, so that is how it will remain until we find that something else works better.

So be it,if a member asks for help,you will have other members asking for a location. happens every day.
Will never bring this up again.

Yes, if they want local help but haven't said where they are located, somebody would probably point that out so that they can correct it. But there are roughly 10% of the members who most likely do not want to have their location displayed and I think it's better to allow them not fill that out instead of forcing them to put something which would likely be garbage.

Nobody is forced to join SRP, and nobody can force somebody to put their correct location. It doesn't make sense to make mandatory something that isn't enforceable.

Originally Posted by gugi

The location is a free form field, so everybody can put anything they want.
You could have a selector with predefined fields which would make the search much better. But that also means that setting your location would require browsing through a list of 150 countries and for each country number of states (50 for USA), and even more if you want the specifics of a city.

The current free form is so easy that over 90% of the members fill it out. Even a small increase in the difficulty level leads to big drop in that number (not speculation, that's what really happened when I tested it).

There is no ideal solution but I think the current one is the best among the available ones. SRP is not really a directory to be searched, it's a community. The most effective use of the site is participating in the discussions and if you need the location of any active member it's either right under their avatar or you could ask them.

I stand corrected. Your logic is irrefutable and your explanation is clear and concise.

Originally Posted by Airportcopper

Awhile back we had a member locator function?? Is it around anymore??

This is the one I know of. I think it is the same one you're on:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/site-...r-locator.html

Now that I have found it, there is the Local Help function. It is at

Local Help - Straight Razor Place Library

I also suggest to members looking to type Local Help in the search box at the top of the page and click on the first post listed.