Lazy Daze Owners' Group

FAQs, "forum decorum", repetitive posts....

December 09, 2004, 12:25:13 pm

Yahoo Message Number: 47546

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A FAQs section *can* be helpful for new-to-the-board posters -- if a person bothers to read through them before posting a question. Few people seem to do this; IMO, the most common approach on most message boards seems to be to *not* read any available FAQs or to search out pertinent-to-their-question threads before posting.

I don't know whether the "post the same questions over and over" is a result of not knowing about the existence of any available FAQs or search options or just not wanting to take the time to learn how the site works and/or search out answers before posting; I suspect that it's both.  Even when FAQs and/or search tools are conveniently available -- the "searchable archives" link is clearly linked on the message board's home page -- many people skip this "maybe my question has been answered before?" step and just ask again.

It's easier to just refer new posters to "Art's Archives" (and several "old" posters have done this many times) rather than trying to answer a "FAQ-type" question for the umpteenth time.  But, even with FAQs, easy-to-search archives (complete with flashing lights and/or dire warnings against posting before searching), a referral or guidance to whichever search option(s) a message board offers *will still* be necessary in many cases; I think this is just the way it is. ;>)

When the only search option was the clumsy, tedious, time-consuming and frustrating Yahoo! set-up, a FAQs section would have been handy!  But, thanks to Art's efforts, we don't have to go through that anymore; we have a type of built-in FAQ.  Perhaps we might just courteously refer new posters with old questions to the archived posts link; a suggestion of a search phrase might not hurt, either.
(And, as Sonsie and others have said, ignoring posts or threads that don't interest you works really well!)

Joan

Re: FAQs, "forum decorum", repetitive posts...

Reply #2 – December 09, 2004, 05:52:49 pm

Yahoo Message Number: 47564

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"Andy Baird"  wrote:

I *do* claim, however, that if you can refer the posters of those questions to a FAQ, you can obviate needlessly repetitive replies and run-on threads that rehash topics we've already covered umpteen times……

Andy, I doubt that new members would necessarily be aware that some FAQ files already exist in the "Files" category of this message board; there's no clearly-identifying link on the home page that *specifically* directs a new member to a FAQ section.  The existence and location of any FAQs may be obvious to some, but definitely not to all.   Can you provide a link labeled "FAQ"?  A clearly-visible link might cut down on the number of "referrals" necessary.

Joan