Just a humble opinion, your critizism of these post is becoming as commonplace as the threads themselves. So now for me it may be a toss-up..... Maybe I don't want to read another newbee question terribly much, but I don't much care to see the current enevitable slap-down of some hapless soul either. Is it that enjoyable to do that?

Aren't we here to make friends and learn for the most part? A while back I was perhaps to hasty as well, as I did agree w/you a couple times, but...

Like the mod said it's shorter and easier to just let it slide, help the guy out, cut some slack and do a good deed...and educate... not everyone is up to standards of car knowledge or of board conduct. Peace to all.

 

One option, I think, is for the moderators to merge all the threads on these oft-visited topics and make them stickies in the "Discussion" section, or to merge them and then make one "New Members Read Here First" thread that is sticky and has links to all of these other merged threads. I think a little bit of organization would fix (or at least diminish) the problem. The FAQ section just isn't quite complete enough. It also leaves no room for discussion.

 

I disagree.
My first post and first thread was properly placed and not repetitive. I posted a thread asking about how people were getting along with their children and their 8s. Room for diaper bags, strollers, wives... Since there was no existing thread that addressed this issue I would have to have made 100 posts in order to ask my question.

When post limits are initiated you end up with even more junk post like "hey" "wow" "lol" "do a search" just so people can get their tally up high enough to start a thread.

I've been a MOD and an ADMIN and as long as you politely explain and point the person in the direction of the info they are after no one ever had a problem with me deleting their redundant threads.

If it upsets you so much you should just avoid reading the threads and by all means don't reply to them with a snide little "do a search" or "search button".

 

I do not like how I have to read the TITLES over and over again for subjects that have been beaten to death. I don't click on half of them - I don't need to waste my time. And nothing "upsets" me - I just am trying to make a suggestion that would be better for the forum.

And sorry you don't like responses like "do a search". When I became a member, that's all I did before I posted something. I have never searched and not found what I was looking for.

And I don't know why people care about post counts. I think it should be merely used as a break in for a new member to warm them up to ongoing discussions. It's not like I have more or less respect for one member who has 100 posts while another has 5000. I personally couldnt care less.

but it seems that the decision has been made by the powers that be, so for now redundant threads is supposedly the way to go around here.

 

I've never had a problem locating information anywhere (the internet knows everything) and since I'm not new to forums I do just fine. I think the idea is to try and make it as reasonably friendly to folks that may be new to forums or the internet in general. There will be 1-2 HP, 1-2 Dyno, 1-2 Turbo, etc. per day. Most of these will be in the wrong sub forum to begin with and when moved to the proper place they will quickly die as long as no one replies.

It's fair to assume that there are people in the world that have never participated in a forum and may not even really understand where everything is at first. It is also true that some people are inconsiderate and would rather you answered their question right now. Much like driving the internet offers anonymity and people can be real **** heads when they know that no one can see them.

I agree with the Admin staffs decision to leave the forums open to all. It's not like a lot goes on here in one day anyway.

 

Umm...that's weird, because I search on here all the time without logging in. Are you SURE you know where the button is? Oh, and I do agree with your general sentiment, just that one phrase really was the ugly duckling.

 

the one I used at the time was up between the calendar button and the FAQ button. I didn't look into the search button located at the bottom of each post.

I just joined.............:D

Lucky bunch that y'all are, huh??????

Anyway - I'm glad I did - this place has got a lot to read and learn from. I start reading the DIY area today and you guys that are posting the instructions along with step by step pictures are GREAT!

Exactly what I was looking for........

Now - if someone can kindly point me in the direction of a place where I can order parts and mods at 90% below dealer cost, please.....

Tall..........................

(Geez - I gotta get back to work..........)

 

I disagree with the restriction for new members as it will also limit wanted members. I have 31 years experiance with the Mazda rotary, but only bought a RX8 a few months ago and joined this site this week. I am very busy with other stuff, like work and general life, so don't have the time to do 100 replies. I have been a member of the rx7club site for a while.

I do feel that when you first sign up there needs to be some direction towards the "Search" button. It was not obvious to me when I started so started a thread that could have been answered somewhere else. I did not have time to search FAQ section.

I am surprised at the number of members and even senior members that don't have general automotive knowledge and - or understand the rotary engine. Like the metering oil pump will not affect oil pressure inside the engine or on the idiot gauge. Or Fuel causing oil dilution on a rotary.

I was the Mazda USA instructor from 73 to 79. Raced a RX2 and was SW Division champ in 82. Have been away from Mazda lately, but the 8 brought me back. So I don't know the new stuff, but sure can help on the old stuff. Your suggestion could cause me to drop this site.

 

Well, if what you suggested were the case, you would see the EXACT SAME titles over and over, because if a new member can't start a new thread, then they would just keep bringing up old threads. Of course no one wants to click on all these old threads, which means that any new info the newbie brings will be ignored by most.

Then you have new people who want to bring something up, can't, and therefore have to hijack some threads.

Also, if you don't click on these threads that you see "over and over", then why should you really care?

I think I joined this forum earlier than you, and I tend to view new posts about a dozen times a day. I just tend to say nothing, unless it riles me up. I haven't hit 100 posts yet. Now I would be "punished" because I don't expressed my opinion all the time? I've DONE all my "research", I've read nearly EVERY post since late 2002, and I can't start a thread?

Of course, if I really want to be heard, I would just go to an existing thread, and just enter 1 word posts until I hit 100.


Personally I think it's a bad plan. I understand that you want to "help" but this doesn't cut it, solve it, or help the situation in any way......

 

Then the first couple of pages would be stickies. The policy is to merge similar threads if there is content, or just close the thread if it simply asks the question again. Maintaining an up to date thread pointing to everything that a new user might be interested in would require a significant amount of work (which the moderators really don't have time for, henceforth the FAQ status). Like using the search button, or at times just paging down a little ways, there really is no way to force people to look through that thread, or all of the links.

It comes back to the point that redundant threads are due to people being 1) unfamiliar, 2) lazy, 3) thinking their question is important enough to warrant a new thread, or 4) thinking that their question is different enough to warrant a new thread. I don't see a "common threads" sticky helping any of those situations.

Meanwhile, I will merge this redundant thread.

----jps

 

I've been following this thread out of curiosity. I'm active on several car-related forums, although given the fact that I'm still learning rotaries, I'm more of a lurker/searcher here.

Most online forums that I've been involved with go through these kinds of evolutions. As a product or topic becomes more popular, more "newbies" come on to the site. Soon, some of the "old timers" start to get frustrated and look for ways to contain the newbs. Some of these frustrated folks move on, some bite the bullet and stay. Either way, you get new blood on the forum as the newbs roll in.

Remember... a topic that got discussed to death two weeks ago may be new to a whole bunch of members who joined since then.

All that to say, don't change a thing. This forum is one of the better moderated and topical that I've used.

My $0.02

 

I think the 50-post minimum is a terrible idea. As others have pointed out, it would just create other problems, such as a huge number of 1-word posts. It's funny, because I think the link you provided actually supports my opinion more than yours. TODreamer makes some good points. Searching can be very useful in some cases, but it's not always easy to find exactly what you're looking for. And it seems to me that there are plenty of considerate people on this forum who are happy to directly answer a redundant question.

I started a new thread called
Library of winter wheel & tire pics (installed). I basically found that searching for winter wheel & tire setups was very exhausting. Rather than sorting through a ton of segmented information, I made an all-inclusive thread with pics of winter wheel & tire options. This way, people can easily compare pics of different wheels and tires without having to spend hours searching. One of the moderators liked the idea so much that he's planning on making it a sticky as the winter season nears. Now I wouldn't have been able to start that thread if a post minimum was being enforced.

 

I agree with that person. ^^^^^

Many of us don't mind helping out new owners. In fact, if it weren't for questions being raised about certain features many people wouldn't know of their existance, because they wouldn't know what to search for, or that it was even a feature which existed.

As I've stated previously, I don't think there's ANYTHING about this car which HASN'T been discussed. Redundancy is acceptable and beneficial in my opinion.

You guys are doing a superb job....keep it up. One suggestion would be for a Clubs Only forum, where folks could post club-specific threads. I've created a section on the MazdaNow.com website for clubs, which even features a chatroom. But there are no message boards there for the members to post communique.

 

Thanks for the compliments.

As far as club sections, that's an interesting idea that might work for some clubs. But alot of the organized clubs already have their own websites with forums (whether they are formal, or informal clubs). It would probably benefit them to have a single location for conversations (to avoid confusion), and they would have much better control over who has access, depending on how they want to do that on their own site (each club would most likely have their own, unique criteria).

Still, something like adding a list of links to recognized RX8 clubs (and other rotary clubs who invite RX8 members) at the top of the appropriate regional forum (like having a URL to the Rocky Mountain RX8 club website at the top of the Rocky Mountain forum) might be helpful. I'll have to see what the admins/owners think about that one.

---jps

 

Just a test to see my new avatar - hope it looks decent. Can't imagine that it wouldn't. ;-)

 

OK- here are my thoughts on this matter.


I have been a member of various message boards, non linear video editing being one of the biggies. What happens is the same basic setup issues come up over and over again, and yes, senior members do tend to get frustrated and even go elsewhere. I was one of the first people on 2-pop.com a forum that became quite popular as Apple's FInal Cut software took over the market. ( at it's height, I think it was sold for something like $250,000!!!) Today that forum has become third rate and non vital as the best members left for more professional boards.

I believe the same thing could easliy happen here, so now is a great time to address these issues, especially as the RX8 becomes more popular, and people learn of the wonderful forum.

1- I do think a short sign up disclaimer is good - like 1 sentence encouraging people to search rather than just post. Maybe something like......

"I agree to read and use "search" for answers before posting"


2- that perhaps (if mods can put the time in) that when new members creates a new thread- it does not post immediately. A mod looks at it and either approves it as a new thread, or adds it to an existing thread. ( I guess the member would have to get an IM or email if the thread gets tacked onto to another)

This still allows for anyone to start a new thread, as long as it is relevant.

On the AVS forum (audio/video) there are threads hundreds of posts long. I believe these members just simply know how to keep threads intact. It keeps all the information in one place- and while long, it does encourage people to read that thread to become up to date- who cares if it takes 2 or 3 nights to get through 500 posts- by the time that person does- their question will most likely have been answered.

2- As mentioned - There should be no post limits since it encourages bad replies to get post counts up.
Obviously with my suggestion, there may be an incentive to post
bad replies to get out moderated new thread mode, but, if that rule is not posted, then newbies will not realize that they are the only ones with a new post limit. By the time they figure out their limitation, they will have hang of this place, and what it takes to become a productive member.


Maybe the lounge could be the only true free for all....

Thoughts?

 

Totally agree!
There's a point that shouldn't be forgotten: new users are future senior users! Of course we have to make things less complicated for those browsing through threads. It's really obnoxious to get the same subject over and over again. But it doesn't happen only with newbies and questions. Some people just can't get over their own small subset of interests and keep posting things around those same (some times interesting, some times not) subjects.
New to the forum also doesn't mean naive or technically challenged. I know tons of very smart guys that are just not internet savy yet and I'd love to see in a forum like this one here. What would those guys feel if the first time they try to help out someone or raise some interesting issues to be somehow blocked and frustrated on that?
We should embrace new because that means growth, and growth ultimately means survival.

 

BTW, I show as new myself, but actually I used another alias before in this same forum.
I'd be very glad if I could change my alias and still carry my previous status...
So far, I traded my history here for "tiding up" my online persona... Oh well...

 

I'm new, and I would definitely agree.

 

I totally disagree for the following reasons:

1) EVERYTHING about the RX-8 HAS BEEN discussed. BUT in many cases, the topic is worthy of revisiting.

2) The interaction between a new person and a reg is what promotes unity and allows folks to get to know one another. Some regs HATE NEWBIES and have even state so on their signature. This does not exactly promote comraderie....

3) Which would you rather read, a new person's question about the RX8 or one of millions of threads posted by the "ancients", pertaining to farting in public, the ugliest part of your body, where you've had sex, what you can poop on, or what your spouse refers to your genitals as? Come on...get real!

New people are every bit as productive and have as much to offer to these boards as 80% of the seasoned posters, and in most cases, MORE.

 

mak a faq section and only alow them to post in a newbie area.

that way they can get there post cont up and ask stupid questions at the same time.. althoug a Mod will need to se up an aswer like "search for it" as an auto reply to the post on the newbe fourm ...

 

i also agrea with rAzpewton I dont like the idea of restrecting them to much.. but i love the idea of a faq sheet thatis maybe linked to the DIY fourm. They need to be forced to read all the post in the faq fourm first... thats all i ask..

I did.. I treid to read all the thereads here first.. then start posting my stupid questions ....

 

This is not the friendliest group of people on the internet. Sure in all groups people hate some of the same old questions over and over again... the point is... without new people joining things will get dull very fast.... by making new people feel unwelcome there will be less of them, they will leave as fast as they came here.

What happens when all of the questions have been answered, when we can search for everything, then what is the point of having this be an interactive board... why not just a website of information... the point is, this is a place for people to interact much as we might in person... the only way to get to know people and make them feel welcome is to allow them to ask their questions, refer them to search... but be nice about it.

I just find it interesting that people complain so much about the same old questions, but if you take those issues away, what are you left with? I ran into a tree last night, my car got egged (yeah mine too), what color should I buy? There really aren't many original questions I'm sure.

If this is going to be a "club" type atmosphere then it should not be an exclusive club for only those who have been here long enough to be the original posters of the "stupid" questions.

My only suggestion is lighten up a little bit, if you don't want to answer a question don't bother, but a lot of times it's just as easy to answer than to type, "use the search button". If someone wants to answer their question they will.

From the Welcome Wagon.... :D

 

Well put.

But keep in mind it's only a very few, vocal members bitching about the newbie questions. And even that is better than it once was, as we moderators have gotten less tolerant of the newbie bashing. But most members here are friendly and helpful. Best thing a newbie can do is ignore any snide remarks and wait a bit for someone to reply in a helpful manner. Counterattacking the bashers just adds fuel to the fire.