Frequently Created Posts - Discussion

[firetender]

Don't know how this would work, and/or how labor intensive it would be for the CL's, but how about a form letter automatically sent to each Newbie who signs up?

Welcome to EMTLife!

We're looking forward to your participation in our community. Please take a few minutes to review our Community Rules (link) so you can become familiar with how we operate.

Please check in with our most Frequently Asked Questions and their links so you will spare us the agony of answering the same questions over and over and over again! Then, if you find the answer is not clear from what you see, or is outdated, ask us, but be specific so we don't have to provide the same answers ad nauseum.

(Maybe someone who wasn't born in Brooklyn could do a better job with that request.

Next step would be to compile a list of the most annoying and/or redundant questions)

Something nice to close with.

Like that, maybe. But I do think this would help everyone focus a bit better. It would also encourage a little more thinking before you post, and actually bring up new and interesting aspects for us to look at!

 

[medicdan]

Do you think new members read those emails? My sense is no, they go straight to the forum, and look do/do whatever they were doing before they were harassed with a request to join...

Maybe the easiest solution is... remind members not to read threads they are not going to contribute to (for fear they will feel the need to respond snidely, guilty as charged). Old timers, simply avoid threads about scopes, etc.

That also means that new eager members won't get the timely (and often helpful) replies they want, which will lead to "PLEASE! GUIS! RESPOND TO ME! I posted this 12 minutes ago, and nobody responded! THE world is going to end"

 

[NomadicMedic]

How about regional forums? Perhaps one called "California, Oregon, Washington" one for the "Midwest" one for "new England" ... Or, specific states as sub boards under a "regional" heading, the way radio reference.com does it ...

 

[Veneficus]

asking people to do things I wouldn't do

Generally I try to avoid it.

Here is the thing.

(in my not always humble opinion)

I am not looking through an archive if I want to ask a question to actual people.

I am not going to read volumes of rules about posting on a forum. (And never have) I have made some mistakes along the way, but nothing life altering.

Not only do opinions change over time, but allowing repeat threads gives newer members a chance to comment.

If my opinion wasn't valuable until I lurked around for a few thousand posts, i would simply stop visiting the forum, this forum wouldn't be the first.

I was once a member of a forum where it got to the point where only a handful of senior providers were permitting posts or replies.

It gets real boring real fast. It is like reading a lecture in type. I have a plethora of studies and textbooks for that.

 

[medic417]

Require a quick search that only includes previous 3 months of topics before posting. It is pure laziness not even to glance at the first couple of pages of current discussions before creating a post. It almost never fails one new person asks a question then a day later someone else asks the identical question. It is obvious they did not even try to look. It shows no initiative or desire to do any work for themselves and they should not be rewarded by us doing the work for them.