The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

New Advanced Topics Forum

Floydm's picture
Floydm

New Advanced Topics Forum

Based on feedback I've been getting, I've set up an Advanced Topics forum. Feel free to get as wonky and food geeky as you'd like in there. I will only intervene in the discussion if people are getting truly nasty or personal.

I've also created a couple of new front page blocks about half way down that monitors this section and the Professional Concerns forum, which should make it as easy to keep an eye on those sections as it is the rest of the site.

In return, I'd ask that posts and comments not of interest to your average amateur baker move there or into people's blogs rather than in the main forum. As folks who've been members here a long time know, boosting people's confidence as bakers is what motivates me much more than achieving baking greatness and that is the raison d'être of this site. You can call it "lowering the bar" or even "dumbing it down," either one is fine with me. I want to make bread baking accessible to as many people as possible.

My apologies if this hasn't always been clear. I've assumed that the masthead calling out "Amateur" and "Enthusiast" made this clear, but that may not be fair of me. It is an honor to now have budding professional and former professional bakers as members of the community now, as well as many amazing amateur bakers. I hope these changes can better accommodate the widening range of skills and interests here without making the site hostile or intimidating to brand new bakers.

holds99's picture
holds99

The Advanced Topics forum is a great idea.  It will, as you said, keep the site focus on "boosting confidence".

Paddyscake's picture
Paddyscake

but I think it needs some advertising  :  )   Suddenly there are lots of Birthday cake posts. Wishing I was a kid again..but..

Floydm's picture
Floydm

Aw c'mon... A day or two of sharing cake pictures isn't a big deal, and at least they are being considerate enough to do it in the blogs rather than in the main forum. They aren't squeezing out the other discussions, they are just having a little fun on the side. I like em.

Paddyscake's picture
Paddyscake

I just noticed this post last night and it was way back on page 2 or 3. I thought other people would like to know about the advanced forum and might have missed it like I almost did..that was the only reason for my commment..so sorry