How To Deal With The Newbs?

[Jourdy288]

[sub]A quiz, no pass, no post.
Just basic stuff, requires a bit of research.[/sub]

Actually a good idea!

 

[Sphinxter]

People suck, end of story.

 

[Pleng]

[sub]A quiz, no pass, no post.
Just basic stuff, requires a bit of research.[/sub]

Actually a good idea!

What is your obsession with quizzes?!

 

[Jourdy288]

[sub]A quiz, no pass, no post.
Just basic stuff, requires a bit of research.[/sub]

Actually a good idea!

What is your obsession with quizzes?!

Very funny. I think it's a good idea, passing a quiz of common knowledge stuff every n00b should know prior to posting.
Good idea.

 

[second exodous]

[sub]A quiz, no pass, no post.
Just basic stuff, requires a bit of research.[/sub]

Actually a good idea!

What is your obsession with quizzes?!

Very funny. I think it's a good idea, passing a quiz of common knowledge stuff every n00b should know prior to posting.
Good idea.

Might be interesting, have them fill a multiple choice quiz with the link to where they could find the answer, so kinda an open book quiz. It would be really strange though, and might make some people think twice about buying a Pandora. We would be the first forum to do it I bet. We could disguise it as a method to keep bots out of the forums in registration though.

 

[Prometheus]

Such a thing would not just affect this sub-forum, would it? GP32X is not just about the Pandora.

I do still have to wonder what a person forced to jump through such hoops would tell others considering a purchase. I would suspect they would think it elitist.

 

[Aninhumer]

Might be interesting, have them fill a multiple choice quiz with the link to where they could find the answer, so kinda an open book quiz. It would be really strange though, and might make some people think twice about buying a Pandora. We would be the first forum to do it I bet. We could disguise it as a method to keep bots out of the forums in registration though.

Such a thing would not just affect this sub-forum, would it? GP32X is not just about the Pandora.

I do still have to wonder what a person forced to jump through such hoops would tell others considering a purchase. I would suspect they would think it elitist.

I think this is why I'm against a Quiz, or any kind of attempt to force people to learn a bunch of stuff up front.
For most people it would be annoying, and just for a very few people it would stop them asking maybe one stupid question.
And people would still ask the slightly less obvious things like "Will moderately obscure app 83 run on the Pandora?".

 

[Jourdy288]

Perhaps as they type the question 'can I emulate Windows Vista on a Pandora' it would ask them if a certain thread already answers their question. If not, they'd go ahead and ask.

 

[astro]

We were all noobs at some poit

 

[Username]

I think new members should have to pass a spelling test rather than a test of their knowledge.

 

[Aninhumer]

I think new members should have to pass a spelling test rather than a test of their knowledge.

Some people on the forums aren't native English speakers, including some talented devs.

 

[Username]

I think new members should have to pass a spelling test rather than a test of their knowledge.

Some people on the forums aren't native English speakers, including some talented devs.

Not one in english, just one in the language of their choice.

 

[Pleng]

Such a thing would not just affect this sub-forum, would it? GP32X is not just about the Pandora.

I do still have to wonder what a person forced to jump through such hoops would tell others considering a purchase. I would suspect they would think it elitist.

Ye if I'd had to fill out a quiz to join, I wouldn't have even bothered. I assume it's the same for at least 90% of people here.

 

[kingoddball]

Just be nice to n00bs like me.
We can't all we smart nerds right away!
It takes time. Besides... They may have money. Make them BUY your knowledge!

 

[Christoph.Krn]

What I'm proposing (in my round about way of proposing anything) is that we stop discussing how to make our responses to newb questions polite, and focus on making followup responses to flaming responses to newb questions.

I agree, and suggest the following template as a response:

Don't be an arse

I'd like to point you all to the "How To Answer Questions in a Helpful Way" section of Eric S. Raymond's "How To Ask Questions The Smart Way", but not without adding the information that some of Eric Raymond's documents are (partly) controversial (and so is he).

---

"Noobs" (I dislike words like "Noobs", "Newbees" and similar as I see it being used by many people to generally imply specific negative attitudes; Being offensive in any way is not my intention, that would destroy all constructiveness) likely won't click the "Pandora Wiki" link on the official "Questions and Answers" page either, as most people won't expect to find an FAQ there that is MUCH different from the one they're looking at on the official website at the same moment. There's one particular posting in this thread that I would like to point out:

I think the generally agreed terms are:
Newb[ie]: a new member who just lacks background knowledge
n00b: a new member who ignores the rules and refuses to accept criticism

Not necessarily. Some people may do it this way, but not everyone.

Additionally, using specific labels to refer to certain people where it isn't necessary may lead to discrimination if not handled carefully.
Also, to me "n00b" sounds too much like "1337", which I despise for having a rude mentality and having hardly anything to do with true computer science. But I guess I'm getting off-topic there.

 

[quartercast]

Shouldn't this topic be called "How to deal with grumpy forum veterans?"

 

[GlassDeviant]

Newbs? On an, as yet, unreleased platform?

Are you kidding? There are already entire fora dedicated to the PlayStation 4, and Sony hasn't even announced officially that there will be one

 

[Adventus]

Classic example of why
I've given up on that thread.

I think it went public too soon.

 

[gruso]

Moderation could have saved that thread. Too late now though.

 

[Chip]

Moderation could have saved that thread. Too late now though.

If you delete the pointless and redundant posts, half the board complains about how they're being "unfairly censored". If you let it go, the other half complains about all the pointless and redundant posts clogging up the place. You can never make everybody happy.