We need a new forum category

Moab Man

Senior Member
I'm watching this thread on whether you use a filter or not. It is, by some, a passive aggressive little pissing contest. AND I can certainly understand that for many on here this is a well past beaten dead horse. For others, this is their first rodeo (keeping to that horse theme - crack myself up :) ). In years past I ran a successful off-road magazine that had a forum for discussion. Early on I recognized that this exact scenario would come up again-and-again because there are always newbies and dead horse questions. The passive aggressive pissing contest going on scares away new people looking in. For this reason we had a FLAME FREE FORUM. In that forum it was open for anyone to ask what might seem to be the dumbest newbie question or even the beaten to a dust dead horse question. The moderators I assigned to it had strict strict guidelines that no flaming of any type would be accepted. If your answer wasn't to be 100 percent trying to help then don't bother to post. It was a safe haven area and people liked it.

As to placement, it would need to be up high so that newbies find it early on before stepping into an area that might not be as 100% friendly or helpful.

I hope this suggestion might help. From time to time I have seen people on here leave and that's seldom helpful. Additionally, dead horse questions that come up over time get pushed further and further down the archives and don't seem so current. And questions that do come up over and over tend to be question that are commonly wondered about.

Sticking with this horse theme, I will pretend I'm back in Italy and see if I can find a horse burger.
 

skene

Senior Member
So MM... would this other forum idea just be a way of babying people and trying to hold their hand while their own insecurities still continue on? I don't think it's needed. Constructive criticism and opinions will always be around, and those that are not used to it should not need to be walked to a bridge to get over it.
 

Eyelight

Senior Member
I agree 100%, but I think the no-flame, don't-post-if-you-are-not-trying-to-help should blanket the entire board. And I think this board is nearly that way anyway. There are the occasional flare-ups, but that happens when people are around people. Just can't seem to assimilate them all.

I almost added a note in that thread defending all who ask an already asked question, because the search capability of the massive amount of info already here is a bit weak.

Any legit question deserves a respectful response, even if it were asked 9 out of the last 10 days.

Having said the above, a Newbie Forum for the less traveled would be good just to help the unfamiliar find their footing.
 

Michael J.

Senior Member
I think that could be a great start for newbies to get their" I have a stupid Question" in the right place. Think back of my beginning, I certainly was pleased get the right info to my stupid question. But, it was not a stupid question for me, it was very serious one, and I am happy that at my beginning here, no one was laughing about me or better said my stupid question.

And if their is a separate forum for "Stupid Questions" newbies can find maybe easier their answer before posting those questions.

Most of us were in the position asking a so called "Stupid Question" We have to be patient and try to answer


It reminds me of that:

 

hark

Administrator
Staff member
Super Mod
Contributor
Either that or hopefully a little more moderation could be done to curb those types of comments across the board. If the same people are going to cause problems time and time again, then give them a 24-hour time out from posting (or something similar). For each infraction, make the duration longer. But to not do anything only creates more animosity because the unwanted comments continue to get posted. Then more people jump on board, and it starts to escalate.
 

Moab Man

Senior Member
Rather than debating the merits of whether or not newbies should or should not weather the storm is irrelevant. But enough people have left from time to time when what was a legitimate question to them got flamed. And yes there are times when all of us have needed our hand held.
 

WayneF

Senior Member
I'm watching this thread on whether you use a filter or not. It is, by some, a passive aggressive little pissing contest. AND I can certainly understand that for many on here this is a well past beaten dead horse. For others, this is their first rodeo (keeping to that horse theme - crack myself up :) ). In years past I ran a successful off-road magazine that had a forum for discussion. Early on I recognized that this exact scenario would come up again-and-again because there are always newbies and dead horse questions. The passive aggressive pissing contest going on scares away new people looking in. For this reason we had a FLAME FREE FORUM. In that forum it was open for anyone to ask what might seem to be the dumbest newbie question or even the beaten to a dust dead horse question. The moderators I assigned to it had strict strict guidelines that no flaming of any type would be accepted. If your answer wasn't to be 100 percent trying to help then don't bother to post. It was a safe haven area and people liked it.


If not intended to help, then why post? is a good question.

One problem with FAQ is a few questions have very specific clear universal answers, and others like using a filter are just a notion, at best a preference or a debate. Some questions only have personal answers. Like Raw or JPG, or Windows or Mac? :) The "what's the best lens or flash?" are the worst, affected entirely by the way it will be used. Not good candidates for a useful FAQ section.

Of course, frequent questions cannot start out that way by the OP. So which are candidate questions and answers would require some work, I guess judged by a panel of moderators, to decide if worthy to be moved there later.

A newbie search could already provide the same function. Of course, many don't, same as they might not find a FAQ forum either.
 
I have said this before and it bears repeating here. IF at any time and and any thread someone:

castigate, chide, rebuke, reprimand, reproach, revile, scold, upbraid, blister, censure, chew, jaw, rate, reprove, scorch, vituperate, bawl out, call down, chew out, cuss out, eat out, give one hell, give what for, jump all over, rail at, rake over the coals, tell off, tongue-lash

PM me or Jack and let us know. Please be sure and give us the link and the offending party. We do not like to see this and it does hurt the forum.

Thanks
 
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Michael J.

Senior Member
I have said this before and it bears repeating here. IF at any time and and any thread someone:

castigate, chide, rebuke, reprimand, reproach, revile, scold, upbraid, blister, censure, chew, jaw, rate, reprove, scorch, vituperate, bawl out, call down, chew out, cuss out, eat out, give one hell, give what for, jump all over, rail at, rake over the coals, tell off, tongue-lash

PM me and let me know. Please be sure and give me the link and the offending party. I do not like to see this and it does hurt the forum.

Thanks

WOW, THX to Don I got lots of new words.
 

Vixen

Senior Member
IF.....you have a newbie forum for the stupid questions, I think that those answering should remember that they are newbies and KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid). Dunno how many times I stop reading a "how to" (both here and elsewhere) because it is just beyond my understanding.
There seem to be some forum members that like to spruik how clever they are with the technical details. Their answers are totally useless to a newbie (and some more experienced photographers too).

You need to allow threads to go off topic a bit, and for the well established members to flame each other occasionally if it's in fun, so creating a flame free area for newbies is a great idea in my opinion (for what it's worth :D )
 
IF.....you have a newbie forum for the stupid questions, I think that those answering should remember that they are newbies and KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid). Dunno how many times I stop reading a "how to" (both here and elsewhere) because it is just beyond my understanding.
There seem to be some forum members that like to spruik how clever they are with the technical details. Their answers are totally useless to a newbie (and some more experienced photographers too).

You need to allow threads to go off topic a bit, and for the well established members to flame each other occasionally if it's in fun, so creating a flame free area for newbies is a great idea in my opinion (for what it's worth :D )


The problem is that on occasion we have members who think they are funny but do not come off that way to ANYONE else. But I do agree about the part where some members try to show just how much they "Think" they know. I am a firm believer in the K.I.S.S. method. Start with just the basics and then only go further if they ask.

I occasionally work one on one with people on photography or computers. I always start off by telling them I am going to assume they know nothing about it and that I am going to start at the beginning. I almost always get to a point and they stop me to tell me that they did not realize something that was so simple. You never know what little tidbit that you might have missed along the way. I generally learn something new that is so simple every week here on the forum.
 

mikew_RIP

Senior Member
Novel approach a few members could try is tolerance and understanding of there fellow man,sorry strike that its a stupid idea,quiet a few times ive seen the odd clever quip thrown in a thread like the filter one,that thread then goes slightly off topic and has interesting info in it.
It says something about the lack of tolerance and understanding when we have to consider a newbies section.
 
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mikew_RIP

Senior Member
I have said this before and it bears repeating here. IF at any time and and any thread someone:

castigate, chide, rebuke, reprimand, reproach, revile, scold, upbraid, blister, censure, chew, jaw, rate, reprove, scorch, vituperate, bawl out, call down, chew out, cuss out, eat out, give one hell, give what for, jump all over, rail at, rake over the coals, tell off, tongue-lash

PM me and let me know. Please be sure and give me the link and the offending party. I do not like to see this and it does hurt the forum.

Thanks

I interesting choice of words,what does eat out mean over there,here it means going for a meal or a more interesting and pleasurable meaning that i wont go into :D
 

Moab Man

Senior Member
Novel approach a few members could try is tolerance and understanding of there fellow man,sorry strike that its a stupid idea,quiet a few times ive seen the odd clever quip thrown in a thread like the filter one,that thread then goes slightly off topic and has interesting info in it.
It says something about the lack of tolerance and understanding when we have to consider a newbies.

I agree with you Mike, but this is the beauty of a category like this. There is no ambiguity as to whether someone has gone too far. Cut and dry, this is a forum to simply answer the question with a straight honest answer or just stay out of the forum category if repeated dead horse questions bother a person.
 

carguy

Senior Member
having owned and moderated VB and facebook groups/forums for over 10 years, having a dedicated area for something like this is counterproductive and an administrative headache.

As with most issues admins face, keeping the peace and keeping things civil is key.

yes, many questions are asked repeatedly as new members join in. A site FAQ is key as long as it is kept current AND members link noobs to it as they ask it is very helpful.

Discussions are always welcome (that is the purpose right?) and people will joke about re-hashed topics, but how the responses are posted and how the discussion goes is what matters.


Just my $.02.
 
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