~~~~A WORD OF ADVICE: This thread may contain some ranting~~~~

First things first, I really appreciate this site. Although I have a nearly stock sedan, I've acquired a good sized pile o' parts in my workshop that will be installed within the next few months. I know that I can do a quick search on this site and have the information I need at a moment's notice when I run into a problem.

That last sentence is a good segue into my suggestion... the operative phrase in that sentence is, "I can do a quick search." Every day it seems like useful information and/or pics of a build for a coupe or sedan are buried under topics with the title "WADUP I GOTZ COOP RIMZ WILL DEY FIT ON MY SEDAN" or the new favorite "WILL A 2005 BUMPER FIT ON A 04?" Yes, these topics are sedan-forum specific, but I'm sure the coupe guys get similar ones.

I propose an idea for would-be members. Set up a test as part of the signup procedure. The new user will have access to all search functions and will be able to reply to topics all he/she wants, but they cannot start a new topic until they pass the test.

What kind of questions will be on the test? Take a wild guess.

I know that this won't be a popular idea and I don't really even know how it would be implemented into the registration. But at the same time, I'm not really complaining. I think it'd be a nice way to weed out all of moronic topics that really have no factual answer... "WHAT COILOVERS ARE THE BEST YO".

Opinions? Ideas? Would this even be possible?

 

This is a possibility, but it won't really be obeyed. Every forum on the net has this "lack-of-searching-abilities" problem. Implementing this test, which I assume will be rather easy to "pass" would help by a very miniscule amount.

Plus, the amount of programming and debugging and writeup for said test simply wouldn't be worth the results.

I fully support it, but it's impractical imo.

 

The way a lot of forums deal with this is by having a "trial period," which generally limits new members to posting in only certain forums. I like it when I'm an established member on a forum, but dislike it when I'm new to a forum (such as this one). The reason being, I can limit myself to posting topics that are pertinent and intelligent and can limit my responses to intelligent questions and simple opinions. The problem is that the majority of new members are incapable of this, and when you punish everyone for their lack of understanding, you punish the few who can actually understand the utilization of the concept of navigating a forum.

 

I think having a minimum post count of 100 before being able to start a new thread would solve the lack of searching, forcing them to search to find their answer rather than cluttering up the forum with useless threads, and making more productive, knowledgeable members in the process.

 

I'm too new to this forum to comment on whether or not the following is a problem on G35driver, but it's a huge problem on some DSM boards that I've been on for many years:

When you search for the answers to even the simplest questions, you either find ten threads with twenty different answers, or a giant argument over whether answer a is better than answer b. So newbies often create threads in hopes of finding a correct, clear answer, and instead either get the same contradictory answers, the same argument, or a bashing for asking a question that really hasn't been clearly answered.

That's why it's important to have a sticky full of clear, definitive answers to common newbie questions in each forum.

 

He's right.

 

Now if we could just get people to read the stickies...

 

^ or just read through the threads that they searched.

Some of the arguments may be entertaining but usually get to the point. The "searcher" should use their own judgement and choose from there.

I.E. -which intake is better...that is all about preference
-will these wheels fit...depends on if you want aggressive or not...

Common sense will answer your own questions sometimes.

 

Theres actually a very easy and clever fix for this issue...

If any of you guys are on the AVS forum you would know what I'm talking about...

On that forum, when you are first starting a topic and enter the topic title, it automatically searches through all the old threads and brings up the titles similar to the name you input, basically showing you the threads similar to the one you may be posting....you can then click on that thread and look at it to see if you can find your answer in there...

I think its a much more clever way of getting rid of duplicate threads than for new members to receive the old "USE SEARCH F***" insults and unwelcoming vibe from current members.

 

I honestly don't think this will help but limit and annoy new incoming members. I know that **** would annoy the crap out of me when going onto a forum.

I always search, but sometimes we have an off day where we just cant get the keywords right. I say, rather then telling someone to search and waste your time posting that crap. Just help the god damn person so when another member actually does search, there is more reference for the new person searching on the same topic.

The more reference = better.
Wasting time to telling someone to search = stupid and a waste of time. I'm sure every member has been told to search before.

And another thing is that sometimes when I do search, I will get something back from 2004 where it was "frowned" upon such as stretching tires, spacers, bags were lame now there cool, etc. If we limit on people posting and asking questions, then we won't get any new opinions/changed minds or something discovered.

Some members are hypocrites and get upset because a member bumped up a old thread from 04 because he searched. If he were to just post up a new thread and ask that same question he searched, then another member will get upset and tell that person to search.

Sorry if it's hard to comprehend, just ranting lol.

p.s I hate when I search for threads and I finally find the topic and then a douchebag member goes "SEARCH". So not helpful, just answer the question.

 

That could've been prevented if the OP didn't use his first post to create a redundant thread.

See? It's a cycle.

I like that idea.

That's fine and I'm willing to help out when I can if it looks like someone has put forth the effort into searching for themselves, but came up empty handed. Not some ******* that found this board by mistake and assumes that the forums are like a magic genie.

Click on any topic that looks like it might've been asked a million times before. Look at the OP's thread count. More often than not, I can count their total posts on one hand.

 

Maybe we can have a little short FAQ that needs to be read before you can finish registering.

 

^ +1 and then it has to be printed, signed, dated and faxed back in to IB

 

VSC locks you into VIP 101 section and you have to prove yourself to be able to post outside of it.

 

^ vsc?