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Posts, Searching, Reputations and suggestions on use
#1

(This post was last modified: 12-29-2016, 10:58 AM by enlivenapp. Edit Reason: can't speel )

I know it's all too easy to click that `Start New Topic` button and just type away, but it's really annoying for the experienced folks who are here day in and day out trying to help.

I'd like to ask to the community to begin taking proactive steps to help the new folks post better and get better information.

1: For new and old folks alike, before posting, please try to search, there's a wealth of information here that can be found with a simple search.

2: For those folks who can't be bothered to search, let's start linking those garbage posts to the answers (See what @ciadmin did here).

3: For those folks who consistently post garbage OR those who really do help, let's start tapping that "+ Rate" button and let them know what we think.  

I know doing these things will take a little more time and effort, but I think in the long run it will really help the forum and people looking for help and information.
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#2

(This post was last modified: 12-29-2016, 11:58 AM by PaulD.)

Hi,

1. Unfortunately for those who do not search, you would have to search to get this advice. There are always going to be those that just post without thinking. It is inevitable.

2. Yes, but that takes often more time. I try to post to the relevant docs answer. Also search can at times be problematic with either too many results or not enough (no easy answer to that), so duplicates will occur. If it is a quickie I see no harm posting a doc link rather than searching myself for duplicate answers.

3. I use the rate button - and StackOverflow showed what a truly complex rating system can achieve. Some of the most expert people providing fantastic answers have incredibly low rating scores. I think in truth the rating system is just a feature of this forum, that came out of the box, not something anyone actually really cares about. Personally I prefer a 'thank you' to a rating.

Someone is clearly doing a lot of work on this forum (not sure who) because I see very little spam on here. (+1 to whoever that is). I know as a newbie that I must have posted some blindingly obvious things in the past that someone will have answered or pointed to the docs. The docs are extensive so sometimes despite reading them, things can be forgotten or missed for a newcomer.

This is one of my favorite forums so although I agree with you, part of the beauty of an informal forum is that complete strangers can communicate, the ugly side being that not all those strangers actually respect or care about the forum, the standard of their questions or the fact it has already been answered fifty times.

So even if you titled every page with 50px font "Read the docs, do a search, and then post your question" it would still get ignored.

Finally, I think the 'forum' format is a bit old hat. It does not quite work. I know some have tried to re-invent the format, and there are some exciting things in progress I have seen under development. If I had the time I would really like to try my own re-invention of it, but alas, time as always is not on our side.

Merry Christmas,

Paul.

PS This was one I was keeping an eye on: http://flarum.org/ although I suspect once out of Beta it will soon change to a subscription model.
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#3

Good points, both of you. Methinks I will create a forum etiquette post, maybe a little bit tongue-in-cheek, in the news & announcements forum. Hmm - I am liking this idea ... a New Year's resolution list of sorts. The force is strong with this one Undecided

ps - I do almost all of the spam cleansing, as time permits. Spam *really* rubs me the wrong way!
pps - I have banned or reduced privileges for some accounts that have senseless or "garbage" posts. Not a frequent event, but sometimes warranted.
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#4

See https://forum.codeigniter.com/thread-67016.html and https://forum.codeigniter.com/thread-67017.html Smile
James Parry
Project Lead
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#5
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I like'm
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