Newbies

[X90PNI]

I posted this as a reply to an existing post but I thought I'd stick it on the board to see what people think .....

Why isn't there a seperate section for newbies. I can understand regular users getting a bit peeved with the same old posts coming through every week/day but we were all newbies once (still am in my case).

If we had a new section then any users who have been using the site for a limited time should have picked up enough knowledge to be able to help those who haven't got a clue and the established users have the choice of being helpful or just ignoring the posts.

 

[TelcoLou]

I believe the "I need help" section is where these questions are less-bothersome. I don't know about a "newbie" section though:

newb1: Say, how do you add characters to KOF91?

newb2: U dunno.

newb3: Me niether, but let's wait for a regular to come in here and help us.

newb4: Screw that, I'm posting in the general section.



I personally don't care about repeat questions too much, as long as the poster is cordial and polite.

 

[carlgeorge]

I think a seperate board would be good. (I would go and help if I'm bored).

People here should NOT post a response if they don't want to answer a particular newbie's question rather than repeatedly putting "use the search". Someone will answer their question.

How many people have come here and are being scared-off by these boards? The first few replies I ever had here were very rude and I was wondering why people in other topics are stating what a lovely, friendly community we have.

Besides, what will be the point of using the search function if every topic will simply contains 'use the search'???

 

[TelcoLou]

I agree a seperate board would be good.

People here should NOT post a response if they don't want to answer a particular newbie's question rather than repeatedly putting "use the search". Someone will answer their question.

How many people have come here and are being scared-off by these boards? The first few replies I ever had here were very rude and I was wondering why people in other topics are stating what a lovely, friendly community we have.

Besides, what will be the point of using the search function if every topic will simply contains 'use the search'???

That's odd. I've never had a bad response to ANY of my posts.

Then again, I did read the F.A.Q. and also researched (read a bunch of topics) before posting a question about something I didn't find.

 

[carlgeorge]

I also did a great deal of research (should be used to it doing a PhD) -- the questions I asked I did not consider silly.

Besides, using the search function you need to type-in the correct terminology to get sensible result.

 

[Vimacs]

yay we all ware newbs, but i have never to askt such stupid things, couse i used the DAMN SEARCH FUNKTION,
If you read the faqs/tuts most of the standart questions are answerd, than use the search funktion, now you should know 99,99% of the things askd evry day.


ps: "use the search funktion pls" "I was looking for an answer from a person." I NEAD ATTENTION!!!! i wont find things out by searching i want that evryone answer me!!!!!!

 

[carlgeorge]

ps: "use the search funktion pls" "I was looking for an answer from a person." I NEAD ATTENTION!!!! i wont find things out by searching i want that evryone answer me!!!!!!

I get where you are coming from Vimacs, but don't you think that we should be a little more patient with the future of our community? I believe that old saying: if you have nothing good to say, don't say nothing at all -- not being funny but you did reply 'fuck off' to a newbie last week asking about .smc files.

How about if we had a newbie section with the FAQs stickied to the top of the section?

 

[diablo2]

there is a newbie board at www.xbox-scene.com
it seems to work good over there all though there is a higher demand because damage would occure more often when modding a xbox than just owning a gp32

 

[Tobriand]

A newbie board would be a good idea, though it'd also possibly be an idea to separate it - and possibly the other help forums - out in the same way general/development ones are on the front page. That way it'd be obvious that anything there was from a newbie, was in the right place, and might not necessarily have been searched. Then just have a policy of "answer the question if you want to" on that entire section.

I reckon that'd work, personally...

 

[c0ncept]

no question is to stupid to ask in here

I thought the Help forum WAS the newbie forum...

 

[thingley]

I think it is just as valid to argue the reverse :

There is unfortunately a minority of incredibly unkind and miserable old gits who cannot be civil to the newer members of our community.

We should have a forum for just these people so they can live together without flaming those who genuinely need help.

I'm sure they'll have a great time persistently telling each other to 'read the manuals', 'use the search function' and 'HOW DARE YOU POST THIS - WE ALREADY DISCUSSED THIS BACK IN 2002!!'

The 'Miserable old gits forum' anyone else think thats a good idea?

Or maybe we could all just grow up and be a little more tolerant.

Just a thought.

 

[Wolfsclaw]

[to Vimacs] not being funny but you did reply 'fuck off' to a newbie last week asking about .smc files.

well, because there are no .smc files on the www that arent gp32 warez, except snes roms mebbe.
wouldnt you be pissed off if someone asks how to transfer gp32 warez to the gp

 

[Crocomire]

i don't have a problem with noobs, they're entitled to ask stoopid Qs, even the likes of hando must of been a noob at some point (obviously not on this site but elsewhere)

 

[PinkSpider]

I dont care about noobs. I will help them as long as they are civil.

 

[Rico]

I think it is just as valid to argue the reverse :

There is unfortunately a minority of incredibly unkind and miserable old gits who cannot be civil to the newer members of our community.

We should have a forum for just these people so they can live together without flaming those who genuinely need help.

I'm sure they'll have a great time persistently telling each other to 'read the manuals', 'use the search function' and 'HOW DARE YOU POST THIS - WE ALREADY DISCUSSED THIS BACK IN 2002!!'

The 'Miserable old gits forum' anyone else think thats a good idea?

Or maybe we could all just grow up and be a little more tolerant.

Just a thought.

*yawns*

Got flamed by a regular, did we? I doubt anyone would bring up something last discussed on '02, more like last week. Do you have any idea how many 'ports require source code' topics we had to pin before the requests stopped? Or how many virtually identical threads pop up whenever something cool happens (like, say, the DS and PSP are unveiled)? People, newbies or not, don't usually look at the topic listing, let alone the search function.

If they ignore the Help forums that are made for newbies... why would they not ignore the Newbie forum? Once they get bored of no response they will post in general.

Personally I don't know about a 'miserable old gits' forum but maybe a 'veterans' forum for the original dudes... I hope it doesn't come to that, though. Not a nice thought: the forum is so clouded with spam and annoyance that regulars must seek refuge in a subforum? I've seen it a lot, and I hope it doesn't happen. To be honest though, there would be no telling each other 'use the search function' since most regulars know that already or visit the board more than the one time they posted the question and the day after when they checked for answers, so they know what has and hasn't been posted.

Tolerance has its bounds...

 

[thingley]

LOL!

Okay okay!

I don't know how many requests you got from people for ports of games that don't have source code (Maybe I could use the search function to find out! )

I don't seriously want the more experienced GP32 users to find themselves pushed into their own forum away from the spam either... I agree its not a nice thought.

Maybe I should also point out that I have not been flamed at all personally and that my comments were not aimed at any one person in particular - I'm not trying to offend anyone.

But as someone who has read these forums for a while without posting to them (I got my GP32 back in september) it does feel like a few people have been extremely cranky just lately.

And I don't think I am the only one who has picked up on this vibe.

By all means point people to the FAQ or give them a web link to the info they need (I've done this myself and I've only been posting a few days). But there is no real need to swear at them or be plainly abusive.

I know that most of the forum users are not like this - but it does seem to be getting more common.

 

[OgrEater]

Before I got my GP32 I spent a good amount of time reading the forums and just researching and figuring out what was going on. I saw more than enough posts of "Use Search dumbass" to make me hesitant to ask for anything without looking around first. The problem came when I needed info and the only search terms I could think of were 3 letters long I think I was looking for info on BOR PAKs or something...

 

[carlgeorge]

it does feel like a few people have been extremely cranky just lately.

And I don't think I am the only one who has picked up on this vibe.

By all means point people to the FAQ or give them a web link to the info they need (I've done this myself and I've only been posting a few days). But there is no real need to swear at them or be plainly abusive.

Well said. And with the Euro launch we should hope that the community gets bigger.

 

[mole2412]

how about creating a veterans forum then?? You could limit it so that only people with a certain number of posts could access it, that would keep the newbies out and give you veterans somewhere nice to play together. Kind of like a retirement home .

 

[mattmagoo]

Nah, coz then they wouldnt post in the General Forums, and u'd get SPAMMERS trying to boost their post count