Friends, Romans, Countrymen, ... lend me your ear:
First of all, please understand that I think this is a great forum and these comments are only intended to improve it!
Perception is often everything. When new members arrive at this forum pumped up and enthusiastic about their new Warrior or the prospects of getting a new Warrior, they have loads of questions. Unfortunately, their very first question is most often met with Do A Search, or Your Post Has Been Moved To The "Appropriate" Section. Most likely, those telling these new members to do a search first before posting mean absolutely no harm, but it does not go a long ways to make new arrivals feel at home or even welcome. (Again, that perception thing).
Anyone that has ever frequented any forum probably knows what a search engine does. The problem with a search engine is it requires at least a limited knowledge of facts and terminology to use it effectively. A first time poster using a search engine for their Transmission Problem will be overwhelmed with almost two thousand posts, most of which do not apply and are so technical that they may mean nothing to them.
MY REQUEST:
I would like to see an area in which people can go and post dumb questions without having to be directed to the FAQs or search engine. Maybe call it "Newbie Questions and Answers" Then the "old shoe" forum members can just avoid that area if they find repetitive questions annoying and those which take pleasure in answering the same 'ol same 'ol questions of the newbies can contribute when they see fit. This would minimize "terminology" problems and go a long way to make new members feel welcome and less intimidated. Everyone wants to have the ability to communicate at their current level with others. Gradually over time newbies gain insight and become more focused in their discussions. They would then move on to more specialized areas of the forum.
Again, this is a great forum and I think if a "Newbie Questions and Answers" category were imposed it would solve several problems at once. Some of the problems are real, some simply perceived!
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