Discussion:Segmenting the Tax Questions Forum
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Discussion Forum Index --> Tax Questions --> Segmenting the Tax Questions Forum
| 7 September 2007 | |
| I fully acknowledge not understanding the scope of sub-categorizing the forum into the various tax entities. If it were possible, and not too much work for Tim, I could invision that being a time saving tool for us preparers and researchers. For example: let's say I want to pose a question regarding a Sch C issue, I would ask that under the Form 1040 category. If I wanted to see other posters questions regarding a 1040, I would look under that particular category topic. There would be a category for Form 1065, Form 1120, etc.
Just my nickel's thought. Any other takers? | |
| 7 September 2007 | |
| NICEEEE idea I think. Me for one knows NOTHING about estates, trusts, etc. but I love to read the quality replies here.... | |
| September 7, 2007 | |
| Nope. Been asked and answered...the problem is how all this stuff intersects so often, so there's not one clear category for many questions. And, since too many of us spend too much time here already, flipping between pages would make it worse and not better. I do understand your pain...perhaps some sort of category of the question could be entered, but it's only as good as the guess of the person. Usually the topic provides the clues...I skip anything foreign unless I want to learn something, ditto usually for trust and estates and decedents questions... | |
| 7 September 2007 | |
| Sorry I didn't realize this had already been asked. Tim said it could be done. I understand the issue of flow-through entities where questions could be labeled as part of two different categories, but if the question at hand is "where" or "how" to report a particular situation, that could definitely be defined as to a particular form. | |
| 7 September 2007 | |
| so for those who don't get the
fast elephant Beatlefred kitten girl scout cookie earnest's money etc. comments, you need to learn to use the little yellow search field on the left | |
| 7 September 2007 | |
| I know all about the "yellow search field", but thanks for the reminder, just in case I suddenly got stupid.
My suggestion is not for the purpose of making research easier. The point is to categorize the subject matter so that people who have knowledge in only certain areas of the tax law can better serve those needing help in those areas. I have little to no knowledge of estates or trusts, therefore, if there was a category labeled Form 1041, I would not click that heading to see if I could be of help to others. If my "expertise" is only within a 1040,1120S, etc., then I would only go to that category to see if I could provide assistance to other posters. I would surf the other categories for the sole purpose of expanding my own knowledge in those areas. Some of us don't know, or profess to know, everything about everything. | |
Death&Taxes (talk|edits) said: | 7 September 2007 |
| Good lord, Tim, I was joking. I luvvvvvvvvvv LLCs | |
| September 11, 2007 | |
| Actually, I think you can look up some discussions by topic. There's a link called "categorization" on the left side of the window. Categories have already been set up for type of entity. I think it is difficult, however, to put the discussions in neat categories as Jeff mentioned. For a while, someone was actually going back to old discussions and putting the categories in, but I think it was too much work. | |
| 11 September 2007 | |
| I'm for leaving it as is. Too much crossovers and flipping back and forth between categories. JR1 said it best for me. | |
| September 11, 2007 | |
| Tim, idea from this morning...a section for buying/selling goods or services might be useful. Our 1031 guys, our brokers for folks with real estate stuck in a corp, the providors of med reimbursement plans, etc.... | |
| 12 September 2007 | |
| It would make my life easier if there were a category for state and local tax questions .... | |
| September 12, 2007 | |
| Katie, do you mean one category for all state and local tax questions? You can go to the categorization discussion and add that as a category. Of course, then discussions that fall into that category need to have that label put on them. | |
| 12 September 2007 | |
| AHH, if you had done the Fast Elephant Search you would have found this discussion
Discussion:The Fast Elephant which was precisely the point you made in your original post. | |
| 12 September 2007 | |
| Tim then came up with this list Fast Elephant Topics | |
| 12 September 2007 | |
| after getting our input in Discussion:Fast Elephant, Part II | |
| 12 September 2007 | |
| so I wasn't being facetious when I asked you to do a search, you certainly are not stupid. I was trying to get you to see that this discussion has already been started. You are certainly welcome to add to it, as I agree that faster searching capabilities would save us from | |
| 12 September 2007 | |
| Tim: What we need is a permanant sticky topic "How to do a search" with instructions and examples. | |
Death&Taxes (talk|edits) said: | 12 September 2007 |
| And Kevin's sticky should be linked on the Ask A Question page....in fact the question page should be a four step process where the prospective seeker of knowledge would not have access to the final screen until each step is done. The profile should have mandatory fields, even if the new person does not take them seriously.
Or maybe we should have to sign in to post a question? Here | |
Bushmaster (talk|edits) said: | 12 September 2007 |
| But what do with the elephant once you rope him? | |
| 12 September 2007 | |
| Copied from my previous post: "The point is to categorize the subject matter so that people who have knowledge in only certain areas of the tax law can better serve those needing help in those areas."
Please notice the word "serve." My point was NOT for researching an already discussed subject. It was for HELPING others who POSE questions in particular areas of the tax law. But hey, I'm misunderstood often, no biggy. The concensus is to have no more pages to have to flip around to, so this original suggestion can be dropped. BTW, Kevin, sure I should have known to type in ELEPHANTS in the search box before posting my suggestion. Any fool should equate that word with an income tax subject or forum. | |
| 12 September 2007 | |
| the point is that by having to rope a fast elephant, you would look for an easier way, which is to SEARCH the database for the similar questions that have already been answered. We would make the SEARCH easier than the ASKING A NEW QUESTION. Right now it is the other way around. | |
| 12 September 2007 | |
| AHH, that's why I was kind enough to point the elephants out to you. Seriously, I wanted you to add to that discussion with your ideas. JR said "asked and answered" and I was helping you to find where. | |
Bushmaster (talk|edits) said: | 12 September 2007 |
| Is the elephant a CPA or an EA? :) | |
TheTinCook (talk|edits) said: | 12 September 2007 |
| He's a CFP. | |
| 12 September 2007 | |
| Better than segregating, there should be a field to indicate the category for the topic. When the listing of threads' come up, the topic would be shown. The list could be sorted by topic, just as it can by the other column headings. Additionally, individuals who have proven to our great master Tim's satisfaction that they are tax pros could also somehow be so indicated. If someone gives dumb advice too many times, there should be a way for the other tax pros to vote him off the island, too! (All my dumb answers prior to today don't count). | |
| 12 September 2007 | |
| Hellloooo. That's exactly what was originally suggested. For example, if I look at the current topics of discussion, they could have been posted in the following categories:
General Scorp Scorp Ccorp Gift Tax 1040 General 1040 and so on and so forth. | |
| 12 September 2007 | |
| I just don't want to see the forum broken up into separate forums like the way we now have one forum for tax questions, another for accounting questions, another for business development. I don't care to be jumping between different forums. | |
| 12 September 2007 | |
| Just make sure that you can jump faster than the elephant and you will be fine. | |
Death&Taxes (talk|edits) said: | 12 September 2007 |
Elephant is not a CFP, but a CPE: Chief Peanut Eater. 
| |
| September 12, 2007 | |
| I thought CPE was Continuing Professional Education? All of these acronyms are so confusing.
AHH and others with similar comments, have you looked at the categorization forum? I think you would get part of a solution if the categories we already have were used. A while ago, Deback was adding them to some discussions. That's a lot of work, and I don't think anyone else has kept it up. | |
Death&Taxes (talk|edits) said: | 12 September 2007 |
| Ain't that the truth, Natalie, and I am as guilty as the rest. | |
| 12 September 2007 | |
| I wish they would segment it also. I would LOVE one click access to all S-corp questions asked within the last 30 days. They have a single click 'All Topics' function, they could add a single click 'All Tax Questions' for those who like to view a huge mass of random questions. It doesn't really matter in the off season, but during tax season I just stop reading the forum because it moves too fast and I cannot filter noise easily.
Will | |
| 12 September 2007 | |
| I'm worried that if we split up the forums, we might have less involvement. Some of us will spend all their time in one segment, never visiting the other segments where they might be able to offer something of great value. For e.g., JR might only cruise the LLC/Corp forum when he could also post good info in the state/local tax forum. But since he doesn't visit there often, he might miss seeing a thread. | |
| September 12, 2007 | |
| Will, did you look at the categorization forum? Granted, it's not exactly "one-click access," but you can see all of the S-corp discussions that have been categorized as such. Perhaps the format of the categories could be changed so one can tell the dates of the discussions. That's a q for Tim. | |
