Proposed limitation on "Newbie" posts...

Hunter and friends,

I wasn't suggesting a fully automatic Auto response "bot", if you will, that could somehow police all the forums.(shudder) I don't even know if a program such as this forum supports such command lines. What I know of code consists of my zip code and area code . And even if it were possible, as you point out it would surely be fraught with bugginess. Just look at the 'Net Nanny' type filtering programs. They just don't work that well, or they sometimes work too well. Plus I'm sure DrD has enough on his 'To Do'list already.

I was just thinking that an easy and tactfull way the mods might use to redirect a misplaced thread would be to manually paste some generic response that would appear to be an Auto-response.

However I'm sensing that none of them are liking my idea too much, lol. Nobody is saying anything. Or they've already said all they're going to say on the matter.

Whichever the case, I'm new here, and I like it here, so I'll not rock the boat any further unless I'm asked. Fun discussion tho.........Doohickey

 

Hi everyone, Sorry this post is almost a week late. I have been working a lot of OT lately due to being short 1 assistant manager. Took a while to read all of this.

To the original post: Like Dr Chips, I at times get aggrivated over some of the posts on here. Excessive repeats, dumb answers, posts in the wrong place. Everyone wishes there would be a better way of doing it, but you can't correct it all. As far as the member titles go, it never had any effect on how I felt about this forum or how I answer. I feel I am above average on the technical scale and really like reading Dr Chips involved answers. I learn as much as I can from reading this forum. But when answering the average question, I try to make it as simple as possible. You never know how much the member on the other end will understand.
As to more restrictions, my opinion is that it will hurt the forum more than help it. If someone posts a question in the wrong place or repeats, its very easy to just make a quick reply as to the problem or just ignore it completely. How hard is that. Thats my opinion. I don't think anyone on this thread is wrong either way. Yes it would be nice to have a better system but I hate restrictions. Its late and I'm going to bed. Later

Jerry

 

I think we should ban ALL newbie posts, not just those in the advanced topics. Newbies NEVER have anything important to say (take this post for example).

In some sailing forums, where I'm an expert, those "lesser" individual are really annoying, always wanting help roll-tacking or looking or parts that they have foolishly broken or how to prep their hulls for racing. Of course, having been born on the deck of a sailboat with my umbilical cord tied off with the halyard line, I was always "DrSailing", never "MsSailing". The people born are land are really beginning to annoy me!

Has anyone seen the movie "Minority Report"? You just KNOW those stupid newbs will commit the crime, so don't wait... punish them now!

Now that the nonsense is over with... in sailing forums, I find it quite easy to just simply ignore posts that I deem to be devoid of value and "beneath" me... or I would find it easy to ignore if I were to ever encounter such a post.

I figure most posts are important to at least one person, if only the poster. I appreciate the fact that new sailors took the initiate to 1. look for a forum, 2. take the time to register for the forum, and 3. bother to type up a post.

Another interesting fact... when a new sailing forum starts and I join, they have the audacity to list ME as a Newb! Can you imagine that? DrSailing a NEWBIE? The horrors! How could an expert like ME be a NEWB? Also some established lists on which I've lurked for YEARS, I'm not even a Newb because I've never officially joined, even though I've probably read more posts than many Sr. Members.

(Screaming To Be Heard) PRACTICE IGNORING ALL NEWBIE POSTS!!!! BEGIN WITH THIS ONE!!!!

 

What sheri1983, I can see you. Oh well nothing important I think anyways.

But seriously, everyone starts out as a Newbie. Also a lot of people are newbies for life (always learning something new is a good thing!!)

The Reverse to all this is the possiblity of removing all titles. All we really need are Admins, Mods, Da Boss, and Users. I vote to remove all Newbie, Junior/Senior Members and Adicts. Replace all that nonsense with one word User. Then you don't have crazy arguments like this. If you want to be special, under the Nickname it could list number of posts or replies or date joined. Then you could get a feeling for the usefulness of the person responding. As I am a Senior member am not vary useful in Xbox section and have never posted there. Under my nickname it could update the response or post number for every section that I visit and respond to.

New Idea to add to the argument!!
_X_X_X_X_X_[small]I am not a number
I am a Free Man[/small]

 

Sheri, From reading your post, I get the feeling you may have mis-understood my last post. It was late and I was half asleep. I did not mean to imply that all Newbie posts be ignored. I wouldn't have anyone to post too. I was talking about posts in the wrong place, multiple post for the same question, and of course the questions that should never have been asked in the first place. I answer newbie questions all the time and even answer the beginners questions that are asked over and over again. Members like Scuba Pete and FastFrank also take extra time to do the same thing. So we are not against Newbies and do not try to ignore them.
Hope this cleared up my post.

Jerry

 

Jerry,

My comments weren't directed to you. I understand it can be a bit of a thorn in the side to see "newbies" post the same questions over and over again, but it happens in all varieties of forums, not just these forums.
------------------------------------------------------

This is directed to everyone:

I try to tolerate "newbie" posts in forums where I'm an expert, and it's nice when my posts, however ridiculous, are at least ignored, if not tolerated, in areas where I'm a "newb".

I know most of the experts on this forum build their own modchips, make their own DVD recorders, et cetera, but for the rest of us, it takes critical mass for products to become commercially viable. Most forums rely on "fresh blood" to keep them going. Trust me, any forum that is not attracting new posters is DYING!

Here's an interesting, but somewhat politically correct, idea. Call all new members "Honored Guests". Have a special posting area for these "Honored Guests". Maybe they'll be so enamored by this that they'll post exclusively to this area and leave the more advanced (read "elitist") areas alone. That will help segregate the superior individuals from the dregs and the swine. Besides, it will provide entertainment for the omniscient members as they smugly snicker at this ploy.

Or maybe a filter could be developed so that you could choose to ignore all "newbody/nobody" posts.

Hopefully, many members regularly "expand their horizons". They will likely be more tolerant than the unifaceted "experts". I try to pick up new hobbies every year. This is the "Year of the Electronic Gadget" for me. I've replaced a broken DVD drive on a Game Cube, successfully modded a two-day-old Xbox thereby destroying a perfectly good MS warranty (totally out-of-character for me), installed a Wi-Fi network in my flat, upgraded the firmware on my DVD player, and disassembled my old Palm Pilot and reattached a loose connector (now it works!), and it's only April!

If I quit seeing posts in Sailing forums asking "Who has the right-of-way...starboard tack or port tack?" or "what does the term 'In Irons' mean?", I'll know we're not attracting "fresh blood".

Try this... everytime someone asks "How do I burn DVDs in my CD writer", "what's this EvoX thing and how do I get it?" or "I put my Xbox game in my PC DVD-ROM, but I can't seem to play it", just sigh and say "Boy! We sure are expanding!". As Martha says "It's A Good Thing!".

 

Good enlightenment. Of course up until you quoted Martha Stuart (sp?)
Are you to tell me that Xbox games don't work on the PC, Oh well. I am amazed using that as an example hit a cord with you Sherri. And what is in Irons?

But now that I am more slightly awake. I think I have come to the conclusion that new users are good. I am not a comunist (quite oposite actually). And stop reading posts is easy. Thus I reaching to the point that this is becoming a moot topic.

 

This site has probably got the best forum around and we all ask stupid questions in are life at some point.The thing is you do not get an answer to a stupid question normally unless the person who replies is either stupid as well or very tollerant and enjoys answering the same questions as there glad to be of a help.I do see your point but i feel we want people to join the forum and not be scared away.It would be great if you tried to post a thread and it directed you to the already answered question instead of posting the thread.As it is nothing is perfect.But i do believe for basic stuff the newby forum is the best port off call as there is so many senior members who are willing to put you on track and spend time helping you.I just do not like this attitude where if your newby,Junior,Senior you feel you have the right to look down on others.
John179

 

Afterdawn: One of the most intelligent sites I have seen. It's really nice to see people debating and not trying to put their whole argument into one line like " fusk off you twat, read the sticky! "

Newbies: I am a lifelong Newbie as aforementioned and I must admit I did find the site confusing at first and on my first arrival looked for the Newbie room. I don't mind being referred to as a Newbie and I wouldn't mind a sticky label attatched to any posts to reveal that.
I have never understood this argument about number of posts and status etc; normally when I start to read posts about climbing up the ladder in a site I run like hell!
To me a forum is compsed of three elements: The learners, The Mods and The experienced that we all draw off to achieve our aims.
The quality of the social interaction is very important to a Newbie but he/she is there to learn and if that means being put into a room saying that is where they should post first until they know a bit more I don't think they will mind; after all you don't want to go to the pub with your college professor on your first day.
Being of limited intelligence myself ( my IQ is only about 2 points higher the G.Bush's thats why I wear my pants backwards )I need things explained in the most simplistic of terms and on my worst days I not only need someone to say put the round peg in the round hole I need someone to explain what a round peg is!
The issue of the the Newbie is important and I am sure it will be resolved soon, complex as it.
The site that would get my whole hearted support would be the site that sets a series of tasks to be completed each week/month with a easy to follow guide on how to complete them and you build up a sort of portfolio of achievements that allows a person to to study different techniques in an almost school/college enviroment. It would be volountary.
A typical example could be some thing like: Task 1:
Research the site and find the meanings of:
A Codec
Aspi
Region Codes
etc
The person has to research the topic and write the meaning in their own words to prove they understood it and either put it into a folder on their comp or put it into a specific thread designed for it that a senior member can correct/pass/fail when they are bored/lonely/drunk.
From there each task gets progressively harder and complicated. I have an image in my mind of where one of the tasks is to edit and post a clip of a film and all these people take a clip from their films - no porn obviously -post it and we find out everyone likes Scooby doo!
I know it seems a massive undertaking and maybe more trouble than it's worth but it could be fun and would help people learn in a structured enviroment until they eventually pass the Newbie stage and hopefully at some point are prepared to take a turn for a couple of months sorting out the Newbies whilst at the same time they are being instructed by a higher grade person who is being taught by another higher grade and so on right up until they can join a special room which has no function other than to take the piss out of everybody!lol
This to me seems a good way to utilise the resources of the site and also frees up senior members so they can watch their scooby doo films!
Sorry to be so long winded.

 

yo drchips,
you are such a jackass...why would you want a separate post stop for newbies. Maybe they need help from someone who know advanced stuff...anyway they only thing that makes someone and expert at this is posting a lot of messages.....wow....you must be a complete loser if you sit at your computer any type messages into this website about your opinions that no one cares about. So maybe you should stop thinking that you are better than the newbies and give them some help

 

SLCjunk: You're the type of faggot who makes drchips post threads like this. You have no arguement and it is all personal opinion. drchips has been very helpful to AD and knows a lot. The only reason he posted this to begin with is he's been around long enough to watch the stupid, already answered posts be answered over and over. If anyone here is a jackass it is you, for not understanding things and still posting your opinion. I will not say it does not matter, because I will not sink to your level, but don't be an idiot. Also if you wish to insult a particular member, PM him/her. Do NOT publicly insult the member.

 

SLCjunk

DRChips appears to have left this forum. It is a great shame to all concerned, the bloke was top notch & gave excellent advice to many members & newbies alike, hence his membership status.

It really is a pity that he can't reply to your post, it would have been great fun reading it. M8 you wouldnt have lasted 5 minutes in his company.
_X_X_X_X_X_[small]On Initial Viewing My Backup Looked Terrible,
But With One Eye Closed It Aint Half Bad!![/small]

 

wow....you people need to chill out and stop being so defensive....but the brian guy is cool

 

Are people still replying to this thread.

Sad to hear that Drchips is not kicking around as much. Hopefully he is just on holiday.

I think this topic has been more or less answered and even further investigated with Dela`s thread.

 

Whole post Preator, lots said, I hope you took a deep breathe. Was surprised you didn`t just close this one, but some of the comments on this topic are interesting.

On the topic of this this thread, I think the whole point of this forum is for Newbies to get answers. If people really want to avoid bad posts, just dont read them.

 

It is true that I shouldn't have overreacted the way I did. The only reason I was so defensive was because of the post SLCjunk made. Those kinds of posts are what make members post threads such as drchips. He is gone, unfortunatly and the thread is dead.

 

Hi Everyone, I wasn't aware that DrChips had left the building. I have been in the service business for over 35 years now. 25 years with General Electric, then after they down sized I became a service manager for a smaller company and at the same time I am a technical advisor for another company. After that many years I tend to think I know many things about everything. Then I met DrChips on here. After posting with him and getting to know him better just from on here, I realize how much I don't know. I am just a grain of sand on the beach compared to what that man knows. This forum lost a excellent member when he left. Anyone that discredits him didn't know him at all. My 2 cents worth.

Jerry