Redirect FAQ...

Queatrix · 05-19-2007, 04:40 PM

Some people complain about others posting questions that are already answerd in the faq, I know how that can be fixed. When someone does that, others can push a button (like the report bad post button) which would raise a "faq solved" flag. And after 3 people have pushed it, then going to the post will just redirect you to the faq and a "faq redirected" flag will be raised (so people won't go there, only the curios and thread starter).

psychopath · 05-19-2007, 05:14 PM

Can we also have a button that after a couple of presses bans users from starting polls?

ulillillia · 05-19-2007, 05:14 PM

Not quite entirely. Someone could have problems in other ways, such as using "gets" instead of "fgets" or whatever. If it was solely a question covered in the FAQ, then it would make sense for a full redirect (but have the redirect optionally open in a new window). Not just a FAQ redirect though, but also to the tutorial if the question is answered in the tutorials.

zacs7 · 05-19-2007, 10:33 PM

I think its a stupid idea, If you show an ounce of intelligence you'd check the FAQ before making a post.

QuestionC · 05-20-2007, 01:00 AM

Eh... dunno if this is the place to say it, but the FAQ sucks.
It's hard to find, people have to go halfway through the list before they get to any questions that are asked, and it only answers a minute subset of problems people actually ask.

Typing up an example of code that reads an integer from the stdin is about as easy as telling someone to read the faq (and much easier for the person who needs the example).

ulillillia · 05-20-2007, 01:06 AM

Perhaps, a quicker alternative would be to have each user have "text clips", of which a user typing a message would choose one of 5 text clips and it would automatically be pasted in the message at the current position. It could be a little faster, but this is just another approach to the "problem".

whiteflags · 05-20-2007, 01:27 AM

We could rewrite some faq?

ulillillia · 05-20-2007, 01:39 AM

Or, yet another idea, why not have a FAQ link next to the "new thread" button or on the "post new message" page itself in red text or something prompting users to use the search button or read the FAQ before posting. Winamp does this. Still, it's no guarentee that anyone is going to bother reading the FAQ or searching the forums for an answer as they would feel more comfortable just asking anyway (yeah, I know, I admit it, I'm the same way myself).

The tutorials here could also be enhanced some. Case in point - pointers. The tutorial covered what they were, but didn't cover or explain what two or more astrisks meant. For arrays, they don't mention on how to change the size of an array. The structures lesson doesn't menition what the stuff is after the end brace and before the semicolon and what they're for. These are just some examples.

maxorator · 05-20-2007, 02:02 AM

Or before posting a thread the board searches the FAQ for the thread title, and if there are any results, then confirms the user if these are what he's looking for.

zacs7 · 05-20-2007, 02:15 AM

This doesn't stop the user from posting pointless questions which are already in the FAQ. That is the real problem.

vart · 05-20-2007, 02:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maxorator

Or before posting a thread the board searches the FAQ for the thread title, and if there are any results, then confirms the user if these are what he's looking for.

Like "Help me, IT"S URGENT, PLZZZZZZZZZZ"?

zacs7 · 05-20-2007, 04:05 AM

Reminding the user to use the FAQ is pointless, if they showed any initiative they would have already checked in the FAQ + Searched the Web

Govtcheez · 05-20-2007, 07:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by QuestionC

Eh... dunno if this is the place to say it, but the FAQ sucks.
It's hard to find, people have to go halfway through the list before they get to any questions that are asked, and it only answers a minute subset of problems people actually ask.

I know I complain about the administration here a lot but in the past when people have written their own addendums to the FAQ alex has been good about getting them in there. If a few people got together and wrote a new FAQ or added on to the existing one I bet you'd see results.

That said, Queatrix this idea is horrible and you should feel bad for even thinking it, much less excreting onto a message board where people could read it.

Queatrix · 05-20-2007, 08:37 AM

Why? It would encourage people to use the faq. Therefore causing them to look before posting another thread like that.

Govtcheez · 05-20-2007, 08:43 AM

How would it encourage people to read the FAQ in any way whatsoever? There are already a lot of things around encouraging them to read it, and they've ignored those. What makes you think your idiotic flagging idea would change things in any way?

View Poll Results: Should we have a "FAQ Redirect" feature?
Yes, it could make things smoother/easier.	1	4.00%
Yes, but the idea needs a little help.	2	8.00%
Maybe, I'm not sure.	1	4.00%
No, it would make any affect.	3	12.00%
No, it would bog down the board.	3	12.00%
No, and Queatrix should be banned from making any more polls.	15	60.00%
Voters: 25. You may not vote on this poll

05-19-2007, 04:40 PM	#1
Queatrix Registered User Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 1,342	Redirect FAQ... Some people complain about others posting questions that are already answerd in the faq, I know how that can be fixed. When someone does that, others can push a button (like the report bad post button) which would raise a "faq solved" flag. And after 3 people have pushed it, then going to the post will just redirect you to the faq and a "faq redirected" flag will be raised (so people won't go there, only the curios and thread starter).
Queatrix is offline

05-19-2007, 05:14 PM	#2
psychopath The Right Honourable Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Where circles begin. Posts: 1,068	Can we also have a button that after a couple of presses bans users from starting polls? __________________ Memorial University of Newfoundland Computer Science www.daniel-cook.net Mac and OpenGL evangelist.
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05-19-2007, 05:14 PM	#3
ulillillia Math wizard Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Minot, ND, USA Posts: 521	Not quite entirely. Someone could have problems in other ways, such as using "gets" instead of "fgets" or whatever. If it was solely a question covered in the FAQ, then it would make sense for a full redirect (but have the redirect optionally open in a new window). Not just a FAQ redirect though, but also to the tutorial if the question is answered in the tutorials. __________________ High elevation is the best elevation. The higher, the better the view! My computer: XP Pro SP3, 3.17 GHz C2D CPU, 4 GB DDRII800 RAM (3 GB effective), X-Fi Platinum sound, GeForce 7600 GT, 1920x1440 resolution, 250 GB HDD, Visual C++ 2008 Express
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05-19-2007, 10:33 PM	#4
zacs7 Woof, woof! Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Australia Posts: 3,295	I think its a stupid idea, If you show an ounce of intelligence you'd check the FAQ before making a post. __________________ "I.T. gets the chicky-babes" - M. Kelly bakefile \| vim
zacs7 is offline

05-20-2007, 01:00 AM	#5
QuestionC Registered User Join Date: Sep 2001 Posts: 752	Eh... dunno if this is the place to say it, but the FAQ sucks. It's hard to find, people have to go halfway through the list before they get to any questions that are asked, and it only answers a minute subset of problems people actually ask. Typing up an example of code that reads an integer from the stdin is about as easy as telling someone to read the faq (and much easier for the person who needs the example). __________________ Callou collei we'll code the way Of prime numbers and pings!
QuestionC is offline

05-20-2007, 01:06 AM	#6
ulillillia Math wizard Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Minot, ND, USA Posts: 521	Perhaps, a quicker alternative would be to have each user have "text clips", of which a user typing a message would choose one of 5 text clips and it would automatically be pasted in the message at the current position. It could be a little faster, but this is just another approach to the "problem". __________________ High elevation is the best elevation. The higher, the better the view! My computer: XP Pro SP3, 3.17 GHz C2D CPU, 4 GB DDRII800 RAM (3 GB effective), X-Fi Platinum sound, GeForce 7600 GT, 1920x1440 resolution, 250 GB HDD, Visual C++ 2008 Express
ulillillia is offline

05-20-2007, 01:27 AM	#7
whiteflags MENTAL DETECTOR Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: United States Posts: 3,295	We could rewrite some faq?
whiteflags is offline

05-20-2007, 01:39 AM	#8
ulillillia Math wizard Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Minot, ND, USA Posts: 521	Or, yet another idea, why not have a FAQ link next to the "new thread" button or on the "post new message" page itself in red text or something prompting users to use the search button or read the FAQ before posting. Winamp does this. Still, it's no guarentee that anyone is going to bother reading the FAQ or searching the forums for an answer as they would feel more comfortable just asking anyway (yeah, I know, I admit it, I'm the same way myself). The tutorials here could also be enhanced some. Case in point - pointers. The tutorial covered what they were, but didn't cover or explain what two or more astrisks meant. For arrays, they don't mention on how to change the size of an array. The structures lesson doesn't menition what the stuff is after the end brace and before the semicolon and what they're for. These are just some examples. __________________ High elevation is the best elevation. The higher, the better the view! My computer: XP Pro SP3, 3.17 GHz C2D CPU, 4 GB DDRII800 RAM (3 GB effective), X-Fi Platinum sound, GeForce 7600 GT, 1920x1440 resolution, 250 GB HDD, Visual C++ 2008 Express
ulillillia is offline

05-20-2007, 02:02 AM	#9
maxorator Reverse Engineer Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Estonia Posts: 2,260	Or before posting a thread the board searches the FAQ for the thread title, and if there are any results, then confirms the user if these are what he's looking for. __________________ The duck is irrelevant to my point.
maxorator is offline

05-20-2007, 02:15 AM	#10
zacs7 Woof, woof! Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Australia Posts: 3,295	This doesn't stop the user from posting pointless questions which are already in the FAQ. That is the real problem. __________________ "I.T. gets the chicky-babes" - M. Kelly bakefile \| vim
zacs7 is offline

05-20-2007, 04:05 AM	#12
zacs7 Woof, woof! Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Australia Posts: 3,295	Reminding the user to use the FAQ is pointless, if they showed any initiative they would have already checked in the FAQ + Searched the Web __________________ "I.T. gets the chicky-babes" - M. Kelly bakefile \| vim
zacs7 is offline

05-20-2007, 08:37 AM	#14
Queatrix Registered User Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 1,342	Why? It would encourage people to use the faq. Therefore causing them to look before posting another thread like that.
Queatrix is offline

05-20-2007, 08:43 AM	#15
Govtcheez Mayor of Awesometown Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: MI Posts: 8,826	How would it encourage people to read the FAQ in any way whatsoever? There are already a lot of things around encouraging them to read it, and they've ignored those. What makes you think your idiotic flagging idea would change things in any way? __________________ -Govtcheez govtcheez03@hotmail.com
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