New member training

[JimSpence]

With the multitude of new members signing up, may I suggest that they be sent to a page that describes all of the different forums here and also point out the various FAQs and how to search. I've seen a lot of posts from first time posters in the wrong forum and asking questions that would have been answered in an FAQ,

[RexB]

That's a good idea, though the FAQs and Guides are already stickied. Since peeps usually obviously don't read those before posting, I'm not sure that yet another sticky would help. I'm guilty of it too lol.

How about a board function that does not allow posts until new members have been registered for one or two days. Then they would drill down through the faqs and guides and probably answer their own questions. It's draconian, but the "heavies" certainly get tired of answering the same questions for the twelfth time.

[dswallow]

It's draconian, but the "heavies" certainly get tired of answering the same questions for the twelfth time.
If they did, they wouldn't answer them. There's always someone willing to answer a question around here.

[David Bott]

No matter what you send or post to people, they will ALWAYS ask a question in their own way. Most people do not take the time to read, they come to the site with a question to post and just more or less post it.

Doug is right, their is someone that will answer. Most do it for they just want to help.

Nice thought though on it.

[RexB]

Agreed, and I'm thankful for it, cuz finding the right "search" terms often doesn't get the right information, or returns a hundred posts that aren't pertinent.

Praise Neptune for patient "heavies"!

dswallow, "Save the Moderator" gave me a chuckle. Are you an abused mod?

[eddyj]

If the search was better, maybe we would get less of this (and then, maybe not). But the search here is not very good, even for us that use it a lot.

[JimSpence]

Forget the FAQs for moment. I suggest that new members HAVE to view a page describing each forum before they can continue to those forums. Granted, most would just skip on, but a few might stop to read the descriptions.

Maybe a quick test of their comprehension. :):D

[drew2k]

I like Jim's suggestion of a "Read Me Now" page immediately after signing up, or maybe the first time a specific forum is accessed.

Anyway, if that's not feasible, how about simply consolidating the FAQs to one place, and linking to that new consolidated FAQ from each forum, instead of having different rules in each forum?

The reason I ask this is that each forum seems to have different rules, and if someone reads the Ruels FAQ in only one forum, they may think they've read the rules FAQ for ALL forums ...

(For example, just today I read a post from someone who didn't know explicit stock talk was prohibited, because this person skipped the Coffee House rules FAQ and had read the FAQ in another forum.)

[JimSpence]

To expand on drew2k's thoughts, there needs to be a top level FAQ that describes each of the forums. Then maybe we wouldn't have newbies (and oldies) posting in the wrong forum.

[David Bott]

But each of the forums have a description before each forum name. :) If people do not read that, well, they will more than likely not read an FAQ. :)

[JimSpence]

True, but if they are just joining they will go to the forum they think is the correct one based on its title. They also won't read the FAQ in that forum as you said. Maybe the description under each forum needs to be expanded a bit. Have you done some additions to the descriptions lately? I see more words now. :)

However, is there anyway to have a EULA type page that new users need to read before their membership is accepted?

And David, thanks for the excellent job that you do on this and the AVS forums.:)

[drew2k]

David ... I hope you get a change to review the Rule FAQs in each forum and compare them ... As I posted earlier, a new user may think that by reading the Rules in only forum, they know ALL the rules of TCF, but that's just not the case, because each forum has different sets of rules, but they appear to govern the community as a whole, not just the forum the rules are posted in. That could be confusing to a newcomer... (See the Stock Talk Prohibited rule ... It's in the Coffee House rules, but not explicitly posted in the set of rules for other forums.)

[David Bott]

The rules in different areas are for those areas as issues are made in those areas based on posts made. IE, a political post would more than likely not be made in a support area for the most part. Then gneral governing rules are in the user agreement. The other in the sections are s we see issue made in those sections. Most are reminders of the main rules to begin with. (IE...Political is mentioned in the main user agreement/rules.

We do not have a hack to stop a new member from posting until they read a page. Even if we did, it would just be click OK to move on. :)

Thanks

[JimSpence]

Then how about a big notice on the registration page reminding them to visit each forum's FAQ and also pointing out some general guidelines. These may already be there, but it has been a long time since I registered.:)

[JimSpence]

Here's another thought. A signup FAQ should include guidelines on what info should be include when asking a question. I've seen quite a few questions lately where members have had to ask what model TiVo do you have? Or how it is connected? Or what's the signal source? If this info were included in the original post it would make it easier to answer the question.

[David Bott]

Fell free to wrote up something and I will see if I can use it somehow. Like in the body of the welcome e-mail that goes back to them when they register. Shorter the better.

[JimSpence]

I'll give it try.

[drew2k]

Here's another thought. A signup FAQ should include guidelines on what info should be include when asking a question. I've seen quite a few questions lately where members have had to ask what model TiVo do you have? Or how it is connected? Or what's the signal source? If this info were included in the original post it would make it easier to answer the question.There's an area in the member profile where users can list the TiVo equipment they own, but unfortunately, most people don't fill it in. Other forums will list the equipment information from the profile in the left column below the user's name on EACH post the user makes, and I've seen other forums that list the equipment from the profile below the user's signature. I'm assuming there's a reason that's not done here, such as it would use more server resources?

[Chris Blount]

There is a hack installed over at DBSTalk for new members with less than 5 posts. Before they enter the post, a screen pops up and asks them to verify that they are posting in the correct forum. It works quite well and has cut way down on post in the wrong forums. Of course, it still happens occasionally.

[David Bott]

We do not list gear on the sides and ask them not to be in the signature for it just takes more space. If I was to list my gear for example, it would be some list thus making for a lot of blank post area space.

[JimSpence]

I'm working on something.

BTW, I have replied to an awful lot of new threads started by newbies. They are general type questions. In the past, the newbies usually replied to an existing thread. So I'm wondering if many of these newbies are just re-registering so they can ask questions. I know that re-registering is a forum no-no, but how does the forum know if this is happening?

[David Bott]

IP tracking.

[David Bott]

Someone find the best on yet and sent it to me on AVS...

http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/posting.php


Now we if can only find someone that can so something like this for us. :)