possible solution for newbie's

i noticed a bit of an attitude (rightfully so) when a newb posts a question covered in the FAQ or something that could easily been found in a search. It can be quite aggrivating to the regulars to see common questions asked over and over again. well, If I may I think I have a solution.

I am a regular over at nissanforums.com and they instituted a new policy for newbies that I think is a good idea. once they join the forum they can only post in the new member forum. It's a 2 day waiting period of sorts. after 2 days they can post wherever they want. this allows the newbie's time to read the FAQ and do some searching before making hasty posts. of course you could tailor this method to your liking on this forum, but I just thought I'd offer the suggestion. Maybe you have already considered this, who knows. Well, let me know what you all think:)

It's not really the questions that annoy, since it's good for a lot of us to refresh our memory once in a while on a certain topic.

We occasionally get the newbie that doesn't seem to understand the "Flow of the forum". We're like the guys on the show Cheers. We're used to the way things have been, and expect them to stay that way. If a new guy comes in at his own drumbeat, then he should expect a lesson or two.

Your idea isn't bad, but it's kind of like making a "newbie crowd" that could cause some problems.

Sounds like a decent idea...maybe it should be 2 months not days!

N00bs need love too, but some of these guys have been registered less than 2 months and haave 200-300 posts already. I hated it at first, now I just ignore the goofey ones.

Live and let live I suppose.

-Rick

Look at you blueboost your still basicly a noob here at the site. That doesn't mean you have the smarts of a noob, if they lable you as a noob just because of how many post you have you would miss out on alot of things on the normal forums!!

you wouldn't miss out on anything really. maybe on posting some but its only for 2 days and they can always post on those threads after the wait period expires. you guys have some good points and I am not saying INSTITUTE THIS POLICY NOW!! I am just making a suggestion for all of us to consider. It is working well on the other forums and I believe some other forums have a longer wait period than nissanforums.

I dont like the idea, I Highly doubt itll work. But Hey! what do I know..

I like this idea very much, but maybe make it for only one day, I know i need my daily fix of Af, If I dont I get it I get moody.:bloated: I think this idea should be considered. My .02 cents

I don't like this idea at all.

1st of all, newbies are newbies. They don't know the flow, so they have to learn it. Well, 90% of people out there learn something new the hard way... ie. they make mistakes. What's the point of segregating them for a day so that they can make the same mistakes a day later?

You're attempting to make the newbies change to your policies, because you like your little forum the way it is, and are annoyed by newbie questions that are covered in the FAQ. The fact is, the people who have to change in this situation are you guys, and not the newbies. If a newbie asks a newbie question (which they invariably will), politely direct them to the FAQ and back away. 15 screaming replies of "READ THE #$@%ING FAQ, n00b!!!" do nothing but bump the thread back to the top of the page. 1 reply is all it takes. "Please check the FAQ ... here... for the answer to your question. If what you are looking for is not specified in the FAQ, please elaborate here. Welcome to AF!"

Done and done.

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/attachment.php?postid=839280

(Did I ever mention how much I like this cheers smilie?)

well, mixed responses . mostly negative. thats fine. its never going to end though.....

example you ask? well just look for the thread just opened called making larger mufflers. I searched and found a how-to by FOTW in 5 seconds.

I am not b!tching. just solidifying my point.

heres the thread
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/t108079.html

Originally posted by blueboost
well, mixed responses . mostly negative. thats fine. its never going to end though.....

example you ask? well just look for the thread just opened called making larger mufflers. I searched and found a how-to by FOTW in 5 seconds.

I am not b!tching. just solidifying my point.

heres the thread
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/t108079.html

No, I know. It can be frustrating at times. The point is, all you have to do is find the thread or direct them politely to the search function.

Also, how do you specify your search? Did you search for say... "flyonthewall muffler how-to"? A newbie will never search like that.

I say go through boot camp on Af and learn the flow.

What I meant was who cares if people get mad at them, sooner a later they will be ok and start shouting at other newbies. :D ;)

Originally posted by DSM-Mark


No, I know. It can be frustrating at times. The point is, all you have to do is find the thread or direct them politely to the search function.

Also, how do you specify your search? Did you search for say... "flyonthewall muffler how-to"? A newbie will never search like that.
yeah it can be frustrating with assholes like you guys. You were all n00bs at one time, yelling at n00bs won't prevent the same thing happening over and over

Originally posted by hobbes874
yeah it can be frustrating with assholes like you guys. You were all n00bs at one time, yelling at n00bs won't prevent the same thing happening over and over There are two threads on the front page:

"Important: IF YOU ARE NEW TO THE A.F MODELLING FORUM......PLEASE READ THIS FIRST"
and
"Important: AF Car Modeling FAQ - * Look here first! * ver2.0"

Did you see them?
If so, did you read them?
If not, how can we make them more obvious?

Originally posted by hobbes874

assholes like you guys.

Why don't you get out of here!
It's not all of us!

I don't remember anyone shouting at you!
It hasn't happened in a a while, sort of a few weeks. Maybe 2 or 3.

SOme things people do are so stupid, that is why they get yelled at.
Like some people make a thread so that they can test if they know how to post pictures when you could just pm yourself, yeah it's happened.

Some newbies don't bother to look in the FAQ and make up a thread that has been submitted 50 times like what is rubbing compound.

It's OK if you do it once, we'll hopefully just nicely send you to the FAQ.

Some people try to make clubs on Af when in reality they will never meet each other. And you don't need one because Af is like one huge club! :rolleyes:

But if you get sent to the FAQ about 3 times and make another thread about something that's in the FAQ, sure some regular will get mad.
By then you should have learned that B4 you ask a question, check in the Faq 1st.

Both regulars and newbies IMo must work a little harder on they're parts. Also remember that's why a big number of us put a link to the FAQ in our sigs! I'll shut up now!

Hey hobbes874 great thing to say about Af man. ;) j/k :mad:

Originally posted by jay@af
There are two threads on the front page:

"Important: IF YOU ARE NEW TO THE A.F MODELLING FORUM......PLEASE READ THIS FIRST"
and
"Important: AF Car Modeling FAQ - * Look here first! * ver2.0"

Did you see them?
If so, did you read them?
If not, how can we make them more obvious?
I've already read them, I'm not blind

Originally posted by bah humbug


But if you get sent to the FAQ about 3 times and make another thread about something that's in the FAQ, sure some regular will get mad.
By then you should have learned that B4 you ask a question, check in the Faq 1st.

Both regulars and newbies IMo must work a little harder on they're parts. Also remember that's why a big number of us put a link to the FAQ in our sigs


i feel the same as the above;)

all I typed was like "make muffler" or something like that. I didn't cheat I swear.


I just want to say that it doesn't really bother me about the newbie's honestly. but I see borderline hostility from a couple ppl all the time I would prefer not to mention names. if it bothers ppl so much do something about it. otherwise be more patient with them, most newbs mean well.

one question. i am not really new to AF i just never really posted much here, but i have over 5000 posts total on other forums. does that make me a noob?

i think most everything has been covered, but i can understand where most of you are coming from. the funny thing is this is the first forum i have been on the complains about noobees. i guess i don';t get out much.

also i agree with your flow thing. my other forum is for accord wagons and believe me if you don't own one then you have now clue as to what is going on, but we do not thrash any noobees when they ask questions. i think the atmoshpere that is set is what brings people back obivously and if you post like what waas posted in the larger muffler question then people will not return and ask other down to earth sinceble questions.

also anyone with some computer knowledge should know that there is a search engine almost everywhere, but there are people who jsut like to ask questions first before checking.

i enjoy coming here because of the unlimited knowledge. after going all the way back to the very first thread started i have found some valuable information and have learned how you all operate.

just my 2 cents

this issue has been disccussed numerous times....
like someone here have said before .." It's not how much you say, its what you say that matters".

a n00b is not stupid..we must get rid of this stereotype.. i seen some senior memebers that are acting like a "n00b" and new memebers acting like they been here for a long time

Originally posted by hobbes874
I've already read them, I'm not blind I didn't ask if you were blind. I wanted to know if we've done our due diligence to make information easy to find.

That said, if you've already read those two threads, you're welcome to ask any other question you please. Anybody who says otherwise can take it up with me. You're welcome to refer them to me in that case as well...

LOL!!!

Jay I like that saying in your sig.

Go FAQ yourself! :lol2:

with 20-somthing responses, I can at least feel as though I brought a topic worth bringing. the one thing I don't want to do is be known as the dude who's posts are uninteresting and not worth opening. I'm glad I brought it up now, although it seems as though things will stay the same we all had some pretty intelligent things to say. You guys are a good bunch. I am glad I found this place everytime I come here. thanks go's out to the ppl who make it happen

Daniel
:smoka:

May I suggest making the FAQ thread more visible....maybe by using a bright colored banner in place of the text? When I first discovered the site (which was not too long ago) I didn't even realize there was a FAQ thread until someone pointed it out to me. Call me blind :cool:. I am a "noob" to the hobby and not too long ago I was asking the same "annoying" questions :D !

Stop bleating and just build. Jeez.:bandit:

I agree with the idea to be honest. If all a person can do for a couple of days is read the two sections Jay mentioned they are more likely to read the threads.

Jay not sure if you ever got my return PM, a while ago a similiar discussion took place and I had an idea very similiar to this. It was a while before I relaised I had a PM from Jay and I forwarded my idea on. The basic principle is the same but I would say instead of having it as a X amount of days they cant post why not an X amount of log-ins. They could be directed towards a screen that only has the FAQ and "IF YOUR NEW HERE..." threads. They can of course still search the rest of the threads but wouldnt be able to post in them.

I know there is a lot of people against this type of idea for various reasons. But it will accomplish a couple of things.

1) Make the threads mentioned above more visible and hopefully people would be more likely to read them.

2) Stop a lot of people getting so narked at new people on the forum. If someone asks a question at least then you can take for granted they at least read the FAQ or searched first.

3) I think it would actually cut down the amount of questions been repeated in the forum and stop it been cluttered up.

I know a lot of people are complaing about how the forum has changed over the last while but I would just like to add I still find this the best Model Forum on the Net and I think huge credit is due to the likes of Jay and Pman and the rest of the mods. At this stage they are Saints as well as modelling gods for putting up with some of the winey assed bitchs that are on here. And blueboost before you jump in thats not directed at you like I said I agree with the idea and also the way in which you put your idea across should be commended. Like I said to many people rant and rave on here about something so small without offering any solution and then wonder why they are being flamed. Alot like a person did yesterday in the Progress forum. Although they did have the humility to apologise to the forum afterward. Anyway thats my two cents.


Ciaran

All interesting points you have all got....but i'll have to add my 2 cents now !!!

I'm really at a loss as to how to stop the newbies posting pointless points that are already in the FAQ.
Most of you probably have seen that i always post the same reply to a newbie when they do there first post so that they will then hopefully read the top of the page in the forum.

IMO a lot has to do with a newbie's excitement at finding a forum like this that they like. They jump in with a post before reading the top of the page to help them out.....how we fix this i dont know. Most of us have something in our sigs which has helped out alot.
It can be like banging ya head against a brick wall at times !!

We have to remember that "we were all newbie's here once".
I remember when i first came to AF it was though the G20 site and i was soooooo happy to finally find a site on Primera's/G20's i jumped in with my first post about asking where i find eyelids to fit my car. I can tell you all i got a good rap over the knuckles from a few here !!

I have thought about everybody thats new and logs on with a new thread saying hi to close it and just redirect them to either the FAQ or the other sticky at the top of the page.
But by doing this it then stops alot of other people saying hi etc as most of the newbie's first post shows there projects etc.

So it is hard to police and IMO i dont think it will ever stop and flameing people isn't good....maybe we just need to remember what its like to be a newbie at times and have a bit of patience at times which can be hard to do

PMan

;) ;) :cool:


:bonghitte

I think its a good idea if you plan to come around a forum to give ppl an idea of what your really like in a way so I post a couple of semi off topic posts and than kinda get back on point, get back to business with it. so....

while the newbs are FAQing themselves I will be bleating and building.

I can see where it would bother some, but why do you let it bother you? If you see the subject line, and it is indeed the same question, just don't open it! :bloated:
As far as the waiting period suggestion...what happens if someone signs up, can't post for 2 days, comes back in 2 days without reading FAQ's, and posts a "repeated question"? How did that solve the original problem? :rolleyes:

I'm not trying to be a smart-ass being new here myself, just don't open and let it bother you so much!

BTW...Incredible work on these boards/forums!!!

Jerry

Originally posted by jlfphoto
I can see where it would bother some, but why do you let it bother you? If you see the subject line, and it is indeed the same question, just don't open it! :bloated:
As far as the waiting period suggestion...what happens if someone signs up, can't post for 2 days, comes back in 2 days without reading FAQ's, and posts a "repeated question"? How did that solve the original problem? :rolleyes:

I'm not trying to be a smart-ass being new here myself, just don't open and let it bother you so much!

BTW...Incredible work on these boards/forums!!!

Jerry Very well-spoken!! Welcome to AF!:D :cool: