Shoutbox

the amount of times ppl start threads saying they need help, and you look, and its something that can be found on google if you search, getting an answer takes 2mins, and they sit there for hours waiting for a reply from someone... perhaps a sticky should be made for the help part of the forums, saying to google, and if you cant find a solution within 10mins, THEN you should post here.... also, in the sticky, you could give a wee tutorial on how to use google, eg, how to use ""'s, and how to search so you get the right results...
would save everyone alot of time....

Plus say they should search the forums, because most things have been asked before.

Good Idea, or they can have one of those screens that says stuff before they create a new thread or something??? Maybe put it in the rules, I'm not sure.

Good Idea Thouh

Well if somebody is coming on here looking for help & fast they aint gonna read the rules or read a sticky thread. If the purpose of your first post was to get help did you consider searching the forums?

mmmm... it would be a good idea, before you post, to just have a 5sec loading screen, saying youd get a quicker reply for some things if you used google or searched the forums.... cos there are too many questions posted that can be solved so quick and easily using the above 2 methods...

I would find that really annoying if I just wanted to post a quick comment and every time I did, I had a screen to wait through. I think things are fine as they are. Sure, some things may be easy to find on Google but the idea of these forums is that people can come and ask for help if they want. The answers tend to be clearer and can be explained more on here than with Google.

that deletes the purpose of the the Search feature on the forums, it oculd even delete the purpose of these forums. People google for msn help, and they probably find this, so they come here and make another thread asking their question.  When they google "handwriting plugin help" im sure it'll lead to here anyways...but if you'd rather not help them, dont help them and let someone else help if it makes you mad that theres repeatative questions.

theres more that i want to say, but i cant find the words for it

The search feature is like a google for the forums, because it finds what you need afast and easy if you type in the right keywords...if they used the search feature more often, but still, they'll post in a post made a while back and people will reply "dont bring up old posts!!!!1 "

here's a suggestion:

before a user is allowed to post his first post on the fourm, he has to read through a screen that tells him that "if you have a question, make sure you try using the search button first before posting" or something like that. This screen will have a timer of say 30 seconds count down before a proceed button appears for the new user to post his first post. Oh, and mention the consequences of not searching first to scare people (such as ban)

quote:

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Originally posted by gnownoskcid
here's a suggestion:

before a user is allowed to post his first post on the fourm, he has to read through a screen that tells him that "if you have a question, make sure you try using the search button first before posting" or something like that. This screen will have a timer of say 30 seconds count down before a proceed button appears for the new user to post his first post. Oh, and mention the consequences of not searching first to scare people (such as ban)

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Or better: everytime a new user wants to create a thread. A new user would be considered as someone who has been less than 10 days registered.

So, for 10 days, if a user wants to create a thread (of course, us who have been longer than 10 days will never get to see it), they're shown this screen.

i was thinking like, of one that only showed for like, your first 5posts.... but i dunno if that was possible, therefore ppl like me wi over 5posts wouldnt see it... but ppl whove come here, for the first time and regd, to get help  will get it