Site Forum

I’m sure we all wish we had a nickel for every forum question that arose that could’ve been answered by reading the FAQ page. Given how many of us have been programmed to just skip through legal papers and permissions online, the day has probably come for the site to create more “in your face” checks and balances to prevent people from submitting items and data incorrectly.  

People just do not read any more, and I am a retired English teacher saying that.

maybe with the use of AI, things like poor photo, quality and data that doesn’t meet the standards of the site can be caught at the time of submission.

I've thought about this before. Keywords that would trigger pop-up windows. For instance, anytime someone tries to create a set listing for "postcards". Not just a banner or box (like when replace an image) that we know get ignored. But, a set of questions that have to be answered to verify they're actually postcards and not just 4"x6" photocards.  Especially for items that aren't listable except in certain cases, e.g., coins, schedules, etc.

And maybe remove permissions for those who have a track record of ignoring the site's rules and guidelines.

Even with AIs imperfections, it would be helpful to have something in place to help guide the new members. The biggest problem I see is that so many of them don't ask and don't seek the guidance needed to do things correctly around here. (Yes, there are members here who did seek guidance and such, it's not all members when they are new.) Do we force new members who want to upload an image to submit it through a qualified member first, before it even hits the crop queue? Same with a member who is about to upload their first checklist? What if that member actually does understand and know what they're doing? Then we're only wasting their time.

Unfortunately, at this time, I don't have a solution to this problem. I have kicked around various ideas for quite a while, but when people won't seek help, how do we "force" help?

Perhaps it all starts at the top.

It is a possibility that “Admin” can make himself more of a presence in the forums, not just informing us when the site will be down due to maintenance.

Maybe he can chime in with a quarterly report featuring all the changes going on behind the scenes, updates to what new additions have worked, reasons why certain features will not be implemented, etc.

It wouldn’t hurt (as has been suggested many times) to add stickies to the top with links to the FAQs, since many newer accounts - not necessarily new members - have joined.

If he posts regularly, it won’t seem as if the inmates run the asylum, and someone in charge is watching and helping to create a positive, helpful environment.

I have a couple of thoughts about this.

1. Pin a Post that will remain at the at the top of the Site Forum and also at the of the Forum Listings on the Home.
2. Write up different Work Instructions (Yeah, I know the former Q.A. in me is coming out) giving a walk through how to do such things as “Find a Set”, “ID a Card”, any other item that might need more of a detail on how to do it. These could even be done as a PDF so the member could download for future reference.

As I said, just a couple of thoughts I had while I was stumbling around the site.

You give even title it “For Newbies Only” for a little reverse psych.

vrooomed hit it on the head.  You cannot force anyone to read it or do it right.  We have seen it over the years.   We have given suggests to Admin.   vrooomed has posted at different times about new members things to read.  We keep bumping them from time to time.  Per Admin that is the best we can do for now.

As far as 1.   It has been turned down by Admin.  His reply was   The FAQ was good enough for now. You cannot make them read it.

Then there is 2.   The Technal writer/documentation manger in me is saying.   how much detail?  too little and they do not understand, too much and the do not read it all.  What we have is a very good start.  As the OP stated nobody reads any more.

As some of us know the member Dyehardfan did a video on how to use the site also a video  "Do a trade in 3 minutes".     This was asked if it could be pinned but Admin has not done it.   The one is an hour long and it does not hit everything.  Yes it has been talked about breaking it down.  

I'm weird or something but I spent a week clicking on about everything I could click on to see what happens or where it toke me to.    The issue now is I do not remember where and how I go to some of the things.

We are a friendly site and so many people will go out of the way to help people when possible.

Perhaps they don't know they are doing something wrong or embarrassed to ask for help??

There could be a number of factors at play here as well