Does your choice of gauge and manufacture influence which forums you read

Not at all. I go to the "Recent Posts" list and read whatever interests me, irrespective of its forum.

MELGAR

I'm with Melgar on this. I use the "recent posts" column like a cafeteria, I just pick and choose.

John

Same here with recent posts.

Just signed on and saw this.

I'm not sure that I understand the question completely (are you speaking of model RR Forums in general - all scales, all sources - or the OGR forums across the board?), but, anyway:

I only read the OGR Forums. I find that to be more than enough RR-talk per day. I try to stay on it for about an hour; that often goes to two, but I don't like to. Certainly I read threads on subjects that interest me, and not read others. I don't "edit for manufacturer", but I do read more Lionel threads (there are more of them, too), followed by MTH, ROW, Williams (brass), 3rd Rail. Atlas far less (steam guys don't buy many Atlas locos); RMT seldom. Marx will catch my eye at times, well, just because.

I have nothing against any of the manufacturers, and I must own something from all of them.

Responses? I haven't asked many questions, but the "Main" 3RO Forum, being the most active, tends to be the most productive - even if they say "ask on the TMCC (etc.) Forum" - which I then go do.

I no longer read any other model RR Forums, and never read many . This one is plenty.

Of course.  I follow my interests.  I like to view the Recently Posted list on the right to check out all the forums for topics of interest too.

Charlie

I have found that most of the time if I have a problem or a question I usually post it in the appropriate forum rather then the general forum to get a quicker response.................Paul

paul 2 posted:

I have found that most of the time if I have a problem or a question I usually post it in the appropriate forum rather then the general forum to get a quicker response.................Paul

If you don't post topics to the correct forum based on subject, the moderators will move them there if they find them. I don't think there is such a thing as the "general forum". The hi-rail, 027 and traditional 3 rail O, has the heaviest traffic at OGR.

I too just look at the recent posts. My interests are pretty narrow these days, so even that leaves a lot of fluff for me to sift through.

Like others I go to the recent posts.  Very seldom do I go to a specific forum.

Time permitting, I try to keep up with all of our OGR forums, albeit not successfully at times, and I read and/or participate on a number of other Internet forums related to O gauge/O scale, On30, Large Scale, and Z scale.

Considering this forum, Yes, I divide it by forum subcategories. I've browsed all of them, but some have very little activity (narrow gauge, and Kadee come to mind.), while others I'm just not that interested in (tinplate, multi-scale). I read this one, scenery, 2-rail O-scale, and for sale regularly. 

I guess that I'm an outlier on this.  I pretty much stick to the 027/O gauge postings.

I enjoy scenery, command control, real trains too, but mostly 027/O gauge (3 rail).

Alan

"Does your choice of gauge and manufacture influence which forums you read?"

not really

mostly I look at

Hi-Rail, O27 and Traditional 3-Rail O Gauge

Real Trains

MTH DCS and PS2/PS3

Lionel TMCC, LEGACY and ERR

sometimes

Lionel Lion Chief and other R/C Systems

For SALE or TRADE

Wanted to BUY

York TCA Meet Forum

Scenery and Structures

Electrical Forum

and always mark forums read when leaving.

I only follow what interests me which is mostly Electrical and Command Control related including DCC. I am not limited to manufacturer specific as I like them all. Sometimes I do as others have stated above and browse the 'Recent Posts' column on the right and I sometimes read the Layout Design/Scenery forums. I am in O gauge/scale, so I seldom view stuff about other scales/gauges.

FWIW, per your example above, I would post a Command Control or Electrical question in the appropriate forum related to that question. If it was more general I would probably post in the Electrical forum. I think some of the more knowledgeable folks in those areas spend much of their time in those forums. That is what it seems to me anyway, but that is just a guess on my part.  

Also, if the subject is not what the moderators see as appropriate for a specific forum, they will move it to a forum they see as more appropriate for the post. Sometimes it's difficult to select the forum one should post in as it may fit into several forums.

These days I don't follow any particular forum, though I do maintain a bookmark for the Track Plans and Layout Design Forum. I follow several members and pretty much fill my time reading through threads in which they comment. If I have some extra time I'll check in the Plans forum to see if anyone needs something I think I can help with.

I usually check out the most recent posts and if something catches my eye I will click on that. I don't check specific forums unless I'm looking for help in those forums. 

Dave

Recents mainly

I look thru a good deal of the different forums and I look at the topics and then I choose what I want to read or follow.  I hate to admit this but I guess I have egg on my face and squash between the ears, I've looked at the recent posts list numerous time and it just never registered with me that I could pick from those links and go directly to the forum it was posted on.   You can bet I'll start paying close attention to it from now on.  Thanks Melgar for opening my eyes about it. : ))

I look at the new posts list to see what might be interesting.

I do hang out on the first O gauge section the most.

I only read what applies to my hobby interests. Otherwise one could spend 24/7 lurking on the OGR Forum.

Pretty much what MELGAR said.

Though I do find that I at least glance at the following to make sure I didn't miss a post of interest:

HONGZ, S Scale, Narrow Gauge, O 2 Rail, and this O 3R/Traditional forum.

I tend to not check in on forms that deal in areas of non-interest for me, which is probably my loss, but it is what it is.

I don't think I've ever even looked at the forums devoted to brands or operating systems, which would be moot to me, seeing as my models use DCC.

I also think the Purple vs Orange (and vice versa) brand wars are pretty silly, though entertaining at times.  (I have a weird sense of humor, I suppose.)

Andre

From the replies posted above, I can see why a lot of members miss important or interesting information on the Hi-rail, O27 and Traditional 3-rail O Gauge Forum.

I get this particular forum, which fits my interests best among all the OGR forums, as a daily digest in my email every morning. The daily digest allows me to see the comments on every topic that has had a reply in the previous 24-hour period. So I can easily scan through those replies in about a half-hour and get a better sense about what’s going on in the forum beyond a mere subject line.

If I want to see previous or more recent replies on any topic, I merely need to click on that topic’s subject line and it takes me directly to that topic online.

For those oblivious to this handy feature, here’s what it looks like in my email:

I also get the daily digest which includes the Hi-rail, O27 and Traditional 3-rail O Gauge Forum. But I don't get the entire posts, just the subject line, poster, etc. and I don't get replies, only new topics. I'll have to check that to be sure, but I think that is what I have things set for. If I do see a topic I like there, then I will select follow topic for the thread.

I think so.  I've never pursued or read forums on HO, N, Z, S, or G.  Really have no interest.

But then I don't follow Barbie Doll, movie poster, or Beanie Baby collector forums either.

I usually start my “visit” to OGR on the Real Trains forum - see what’s happening there, then scroll up to 0-27 and see what’s happening there.  I’ll also keep an eye on the York forum in the fall and spring just for the heckuva it.

I generally don’t look at recents because most of my visits here are on my iPhone and the view I have doesn’t include them.

Curt