Wow!
...Personally, I would prefer to not have people here chase away new members with a slap to the face about using the search function. This is a DISCUSSION forum, after all. There is no requirement that someone cannot discuss something in a new thread that may have been covered in an older thread. If someone makes a post you aren't interested in, you are not obligated to read it, much less reply to it.
Rich, please don't mistake my rant in the Sound Off forum as any kind of intent to chase away new members. I did ask for a polite way to point them in the right direction. I am eager to help anyone when I can, hence, this post. The reason it is in the sound off forum is because it was aggravating.
Maybe the search link could flash in red or something to get peoples attention?
I think a well done FAQ or sticky is a good idea. But also, sometimes when a new person asks an ordinary question, he might just be looking to get a conversation started and get involved in the group.
If you welcome him/her and point to the FAQ (which will also have info about the search function) and then he researches and comes back with more advanced questions, then he is learning and participating.
If he doesn't do any reading or research and just wants to be spoon fed, just ignore him. I bet though that if you do the welcome thing, more people than not will read your FAQ and thank you, and you will have won over a new aficionado.
Not everyone can find or knows about the search, there are still some of us who are not very facile with the computer. When I first came to this site, I didn't even register correctly and had to ask for help just getting on here.
Lucille, as was pointed out a couple of posts after yours, a sticky would be a good idea, but there is no guarantee it would be read. All valid points, as usual. I hadn't thought about the whole wanting to start a conversation aspect of it.
Remember.. it's the 10th time you've read that question, but it's the FIRST time they've asked it.
If the questions bugs you, ignore it and move on to enjoy other threads. There's a huge possibility that someone else will come along to answer the questions, and save you the frustration. Later, you'll end up answering when you're in a better mood when the NEXT person asks the same questions. It's sort of like tag-team forum work.
Theresa, You're right, and that's a big part of the frustration--we tend not to remember that the person asking the question is doing so for the first time. Please don't think I was in a bad mood when I wrote this--it was simply a moment of frustration--I don't do bad moods! Ok, lack of caffeine & not being awake, yeah. Maybe I should stop making posts when I'm not fully awake...
A FAQ page or sticky is all fine and well only if it is seen and read. It could be in 4 inch letters and still not used.
How about those 4 year old Classifieds that are resurrected inquiring about the availability of the hatchlings being offered?
Those are from the newbies that used the search function.
It's a no win situation. Just practice your deep breathing exercises and wait it out. Three months and schools back in, it'll die down then. I've lurked in many forums on & off for years and it's a definite cycle, like cicadas or locust swarms.
Maybe the Bite Club should be mandatory reading, find the worst picture on there and when they irk you send them the link.
Annabella, you win for making me laugh!
I particularly like your idea of linking them to the Bite Club
, (but don't worry, Rich, I promise I won't do it!
).
All in all, lessons learned...
No posting when I'm not fully caffeinated
No slapping newbies in the face
No more ranting about newbies
No more sounding off in the sound off forum
