Forum suggestions

[Commdude]

This site is an excellent source of information. I spent many hours browsing/searching before registering as a user. I was able to solve quite a few problems without having to ask any questions. It can be quite time-consuming, and I think there are a few things that could be done to save time/effort for both users and moderators.

1- Establish some conventions for threads. When someone starts a thread with HELP!!!, it doesn't say much. Topics should be specific, starting with the program, package or whatever, and then going into greater detail. Maybe more, well-defined forums would help as well. If it is easier to find answers to questions, the same questions would not be asked over and over.

2- Some really basic HowTos. For example, I mentioned in another post the idea of showing some sample DNS zone files. This would eliminate many repetitious questions as well.

I am not complaining. I am grateful to have this resource made available. At some point I would like to be able to help answer questions. Until then, I'll keep reading...

Thanks!

[till]

Originally Posted by Commdude

1- Establish some conventions for threads. When someone starts a thread with HELP!!!, it doesn't say much. Topics should be specific, starting with the program, package or whatever, and then going into greater detail. Maybe more, well-defined forums would help as well. If it is easier to find answers to questions, the same questions would not be asked over and over.

I would like to add a small request from the view of a forum moderator too The forum administration will be easier for the moderators if the users will start a new thread for every problem instead of posting severla problems in one thread.

2- Some really basic HowTos. For example, I mentioned in another post the idea of showing some sample DNS zone files. This would eliminate many repetitious questions as well.

We started already such effort:

http://www.howtoforge.com/faq/

But the FAQ has to grow of course to be more useful

[falko]

Originally Posted by Commdude

For example, I mentioned in another post the idea of showing some sample DNS zone files.

Tom and I have just written such a tutorial: http://www.howtoforge.com/traditional_dns_howto

[falko]

Originally Posted by Commdude

Maybe more, well-defined forums would help as well.

Do you have any proposals for more fine-grained forums?

[Commdude]

Originally Posted by falko

Do you have any proposals for more fine-grained forums?

I have several ideas. Tell me what you think.

I would like to add a small request from the view of a forum moderator too The forum administration will be easier for the moderators if the users will start a new thread for every problem instead of posting severla problems in one thread. (Uber-moderator)


When I read this, I was thinking that it is a huge part of the problem. For example, how many "new threads" address the problem of "When I log into ISPConfig, I can't access the server configuration page..."? An expansion of the Howto section to include such common problems would save you a lot of time. You could have sections with tables of file locations for various distributions. Say that someone needs to change their IP addresses. You could have a small howto with a table listing the filenames and locations where the IP addresses are loated.
The forums could be broken down with sections for email, DNS, FTP, etc. The most useful information I've found for DNS was in the MyDNS documentation pages. A sticky thread with links to resorces could help point people in the right direction, and you only have to do that once! in the thread title you could write "Please check here before posting a new thread."
When a new user registers, they should have to read something that tells them they need to look around before posting a new thread.
Finally, you could avoid answering questions by improving the documentation for ISPConfig.
Thanks once again for your patience

[falko]

There's one big problem I see: we can write all this documentation and stuff, but my experience tells me that most people won't read it. So they will continue to ask...

[Commdude]

Originally Posted by falko

There's one big problem I see: we can write all this documentation and stuff, but my experience tells me that most people won't read it. So they will continue to ask...

And you can continue to answer. Most moderators reach a point of frustration and start posting replies like "I'm so sick of you people asking questions before trying to find the answer on your own!"
Well, I tried! It appears that you don't have many helpers here. At some point I hope to be knowledgeable enough to assist. Until such time, I'll just do like everyone else and ask questions.
Thanks again

[falko]

Maybe it's a good idea to write an FAQ with the most frequently asked questions from this forum.

[olaus]

mahlzeit,

- make the minimum search-string 3 instead of 4 characters, i had to use google to find threads about MD5 and SVN and google has some other disadvantages.
- maybe i didn't find it, but i'm missing a way to subscribe a certain thread. of course i could reply to it but that would be some useless post like "i'm interessted in the answer as well".

ciao
arnim

[falko]

Originally Posted by olaus

- maybe i didn't find it, but i'm missing a way to subscribe a certain thread. of course i could reply to it but that would be some useless post like "i'm interessted in the answer as well".

Have a look at the top of the thread, there you see the link "Thread Tools". Click on it, and you can subscribe a thread.