Mike: Thanks for the suggestions!

Stavy: Thanks for the info. I find using the 'recent topics' button very suited for purpose as of now, but when the forum gets busier, that method might have to be revisited!

Thanks for the clarification on Forum V labs, that helps a lot. I guess one of the issues where technology might help is with the idea selection from Forum to lab. It would be wonderful if we had a "Vote for it" Button and those with the most votes go through. Maybe this could be applied only to a sub selection of ideas that have already gone through a first appraisal by the admin/Moderators etc?

Doug

It would be wonderful if we had a "Vote for it" Button

Yes, I think a voting system would be great - although the technology would need to make sure a single member could only vote once per post. Otherwise we might have some people voting for their own post to get published as a top pick each time!

That kind of functionality would be great. A simple poll would work to be honest. Unfortunately this forum as is, does not support even that basic function.

I don't know how i will spread myself over two sets of forums ....

Hi folks, I have learnt my lesson (well maybe ) to read more before I post! and sorry if I caused any confusion.

Please see below extract from lunarmissionone.com/index.php/Community/...te-and-innovate.html


How the Labs Work

The Lunar Missions Labs, when fully developed, will provide new methods of engaging people in technically sophisticated and ambitious science projects.
Each Lunar Mission One working team and sub-group might set general or specific Challenges which could be openly posted on the site: we might invite for example best ideas for a Digital Elevation Model for landing site selection, adaptation of subsea wire-line drilling for digging our core samples on the Moon, or best durable materials and inscription techniques to aid future discovery. Recognising that we may not have spotted all the gaps in our mission planning, we will welcome too unsolicited ideas for Challenges, ideas that themselves can be developed within the Lunar Missions Labs.
Expert moderators from the Lunar Mission One working groups and from supporting professional institutions will monitor and engage an open dialogue with Challenge respondents, and we are looking into ways they will be able to facilitate on-line voting processes to advance specific challenge ideas into a unique Lab space for further refinement. At the appropriate stage of development, in some areas, a fully secure specific Challenge site will be opened to invited respondents, complete with mutually agreed non-disclosure and intellectual property protections. Where specific tools and hardware are required (e.g. for Computer Aided Design, hardware modelling) we would look to provide these wherever possible to invited respondents.
Challenge respondents advancing to unique Labs spaces (Labs Members) as well as Labs Finalists and Labs Challenge Winners will be acknowledged on the site, with their status noted on all site comments boards.
The Lunar Missions Labs will therefore work in two main stages. Stage one will take place on the Labs forum, which is already up and running. Stage two will occur on a specific Challenge site, which will be delivered in the next few months. We therefore expect the Labs to be fully functional by August.

Don't apologise, makes more people aware of the Labs side of the project.