Advanced or Pro cake forum - Page 2

Originally Posted by JohnnyCakes1966

I understand the desire to have a section for advanced bakers/decorators, but how could you possibly keep a new decorator (and I don't mean new to the site, but new to decorating) from accessing it and asking questions there? In fact, if that's where all the experienced people hang out, what better place to go for answers? Why would they go to a section for newbies, where they would just be asking other newbies how to do things? You'd get lots of posts like, "I can't answer your question, but I'd love to know, too!!!!"

Also, a problem with having one thread about buttercream, one thread about stacking, one thread about topsy-turvy...is that those threads become 50 pages long and it's just much quicker to ask your question in a new thread than read through 50 pages. I mean...look at the "serious thread on cake balls" or "serious thread on cupcakes." It would take a week to read through it, in hopes that somewhere in all those pages is the answer to your question.

If this site is about helping people, then we have to intermingle and deal with the occasional redundant, newbie questions. If you open a thread that doesn't interest you, just back out of it. I'm not new to baking, but have certainly learned a thing or two from answers given to newbie questions.

Originally Posted by JohnnyCakes1966


Also, a problem with having one thread about buttercream, one thread about stacking, one thread about topsy-turvy...is that those threads become 50 pages long and it's just much quicker to ask your question in a new thread than read through 50 pages.

Originally Posted by mpetty


Regarding the OP's complaint about misleading subject lines, Scrapbook.com has a feature where you can cursor over the post's title in the forum and a pop-up box shows you the first few lines of the post, so that people can get a snapshot idea of what the post is about. That might be a nice feature to have here.

Originally Posted by mamawrobin

I really can't imagine anyone on here being more "advanced" than Edna (tonedna), Sharon Z., (sugarshack) and Indydebi to name a few and they never seem to mind answering any of the "beginner" questions. Not only do they not seem to mind, they're always more than willing to do so.

Originally Posted by mpetty



If it's technologically possible, I think CC would benefit from several areas of organization that would help us all to surf the site a bit more efficiently:

1. Create sub-sections within each forum which would collect threads on basic topics, allowing beginners and newbies to find those answers quickly and address the frustration of clogging up the main forums with repeated questions on things like smoothing/crusting buttercream, how to price, how many servings, starting a home business (which, IMHO, should be posted in both the Cake Decorating and Cake Business forums).

2. I think we would benefit from at least two new forums: Beginning (or Basic) Cake Decorating, and How to Use This Site (or "Getting Started"). The Beginners forum could host the questions on buttercream, stacking, figure making, etc. and the "How to" forum could address questions/topics like searching for topics on the site, how to post photos and how your status changes, the etiquette for giving credit to those whose cakes we've duplicated, etc. I would also recommend that there be a blurb on the homepage about the "How to" forum, stressing that new members need to begin there. (In a perfect world, it would be technologically impossible to access any of the other forums until you've completed a"How to" forum primer, but we don't want Heath sitting in a corner rocking and crying, do we? )

And maybe an "Advanced" is called for, although i don't know how we'd monitor the ability to post in that forum without the same issue of redundancy coming up.

I think the issue of "question overload" is part of CC's continued evolvment; it's such a great site that more and more folks are getting their decorating degree here and we just need a bit more organization to keep it enjoyable for beginner and pro alike.

Originally Posted by Adevag




I really like this idea. I was also thinking of a FAQ for basics, maybe as a sticky.

I would not worry about any threads being started in the wrong forum, since moderators are so quick at moving them. (not towards mpetty, just the general discussion)

Originally Posted by indydebi



I actually don't mind the multiple questions because I understand we are getting new people on here every single day. I undertstand that what is basic and common sense to many, is something brand new to others.

If anyone is taking a poll, I vote "no". I'm not really interested in setting up some varying degrees of "societal class structuring" of my CC family members.

Originally Posted by dawncr



I doubt the posters we're talking about will even read such helpful threads or FAQs.

I know the search functions on this site aren't always the easiest to use. But, I still get slightly peeved when it's a new poster who says, "I don't have time to read through those posts." So other people should waste their time answering something that's been answered 50 times?

I suppose I'd like to see a little less unnecessary 'clutter' on the boards, but if it gets to me, I just skip a couple of days viewing posts.

Originally Posted by indydebi

If anyone is taking a poll, I vote "no". I'm not really interested in setting up some varying degrees of "societal class structuring" of my CC family members.