forced to search before allowed to post new thread?

[pjurbina]

Funny, I just got a friendly email telling me that one of my posts was deleted because it didn't help the OP. The thing about it was that her question was the third one back to back. I've been here since 2007 and my count is low because I search.

It's not fun to go on this forum anymore, at least to learn anything when it is cluttered with the same questions or the same gripes.

I was also a noob and "search" was a very simple process.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[AgTitan06]

They should make a rating system where if say 25 people say the thread is inappropriate or duplicate, it would go into moderation queue or something like that..

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Lightessnc]

I think there should be a search option. Sure everyone was a noob but at least some of us had the common sense to search before posting. There should be at least a questionnaire or something. two months ago the forum was fun. It was rare for multiple posts to show up but now since a lot of people migrate to storm 2 and droid it seems a earthquake of noobs have taken over the storm forum.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[JeffH]

Originally Posted by Lightessnc

I think there should be a search option. Sure everyone was a noob but at least some of us had the common sense to search before posting. There should be at least a questionnaire or something. two months ago the forum was fun. It was rare for multiple posts to show up but now since a lot of people migrate to storm 2 and droid it seems a earthquake of noobs have taken over the storm forum.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

What a difference a year makes! The Storm 2 and Android have (so far at least) been nowhere near as disruptive to the forums as the initial wave of Storm 1 users, many many of whom had no previous BlackBerry experience to help them figure it out. Give the newbie an answer, and tell them how to find the next one. They'll learn. You did. We're not about holding hands, but we are about welcoming. CrackBerry will never be a Forum for Masters only. That's not our business model.

[alex1]

Originally Posted by JeffH

What a difference a year makes! The Storm 2 and Android have (so far at least) been nowhere near as disruptive to the forums as the initial wave of Storm 1 users, many many of whom had no previous BlackBerry experience to help them figure it out. Give the newbie an answer, and tell them how to find the next one. They'll learn. You did. We're not about holding hands, but we are about welcoming. CrackBerry will never be a Forum for Masters only. That's not our business model.

We have a business model? coooool.

I like Howarmat's idea of limiting the first few posts to reply's (rather than post #1 being a new thread) I've actually suggested that before.

However, I see Jeff's point.

Say you're brand new to BlackBerrys and Crackberry and for that matter forums in general (We sort of take for granted how to do this stuff) -- If you just bought a brand new BB and googled "Blackberry help" or something similar and get directed here. You may be intimidated by the sheer volume of information. You may feel your issue is unique and aren't neccessarily being lazy. You just start a thread thinking, "that's how you do it." If the forum guidelines don't let you start a thread OR you get slapped down by veterans saying, "search!!!" - you just quietly go away and CB loses you as a customer.

I know this is a community and all (group hug *love ya guys*) BUT, it's also a business. To make money, CB needs to advertise. Advertising is sold based on community members, active members, traffic and so forth. If a potential new user is in any way discouraged and goes away then the site is not growing (slow or no growth makes it harder to retain current advertisers or attract new customers to advertise.)

Another revenue stream is community member buying apps and accessories here. If you're a newbie with no site loyalty or brand awareness and are slapped down when asking what you think is a legit question - you'll shop elsewhere.

Imagine going into a new-to-you grocery store for the first time ever. You ask a clerk "where's the milk?" and he rolls he eyes, groans and says, "that's the 20th time I've been asked that today? would you just go LOOK for it already." What would you do? ... continue shopping? Ask another question? No. You'd either leave or just make that one purchase and vow to never go back to that rude store again.

CB can't survive or thrive if we as a community become that clerk that is impatient. The clerk may attract a new customer If he says, "it's in is the back, aisle 5. By the way, there's a sign here that tells you where most common items can be found. You find it useful to check that sign if you need to find anything else."

Now, I know that's a silly analogy and most of us (non-mods) aren't clerks and have no vested interest in the marketability of this forum as a website to advertise or sell apps and accessories. But the same illustration holds true if a new customer asked a regular customer in the store "where's the milk" and got the same rude, "go look for it yourself" reply.

Yes, it's frustrating having a million new threads for common issues. I think the solution is better forum defaults and filters to force a new member with a low (or zero) post count to be redirected to the search page with instructions, or to be redirected to a standard message such as "STOP, please don't start a new thread until searching first" - with instructions, links to search pages, tutorial links, new member welcome message links and so forth.

[pjurbina]

@ alex1, so how does this market treat serious repeat costumers, that not only spend money in the app store but have been around for a while and have proven to be loyal to the site? what happens when such customer makes either a suggestion or an observation or even a gripe about what is going on in the store, like the madness and it makes it difficult to find quality "milk"?

[alex1]

@pjurbina -- I totally see your point. I agree. I've been active in this forum for a long time. I'm active in the off topic forums. It's my home page. I buy every one of my accessories and apps here. (except my Jawbone - saved $80 bucks off CB store price on Ebay) I recruit friends and family to join. I log on EVERY day and read the forums on WAP daily. so, (like you) I'm a "seious repeat customer".

AND... I can't find answers sometimes with all of the redundant and annoying posts. There's SOOOO much traffic it's hard to read the license plates. I had a legitimate question regarding voice activated dialing and searched and searched forever. I didn't start a new thread and never posted a reply in one on the subject - but, it seriously took me 2 entire evening of reading endless posts to get my answer because of all the junk postings and the fact that some phrases show up in 87 threads.

If I see one more post asking why they can't send more that 160 characters in a SMS. I swear I'm gonna......

There's this restaraunt I love - No one goes there - it's too crowded. (Credit Yogi Berra) That's sometimes how I feel here. The BEST info on BB's on the web in CB - but sometimes it's too crowded. But, it's the size and resources afforded by that size that make it attractive - double-edged sword.

[AZBBFAN]

I voted yes because there was no other option, the problem is that people don't want to search. How many times have we seen a new thread about VVM on tmobile when two threads down there is a thread devoted to it and three more lines down is another......I look both ways before crossing the street...

[Snarfler]

there is humor in the number of threads about this same topic. I'd expect that with our storm 1's being surpassed by newer devices, the activity level and frequency of total noobs showing up will drop off.

Anyway, in one of the similar threads in the CB site suggestions subforum, the CB gods have said that they are working on something similar to help entry level folks find before starting new threads.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[jlawler4]

Originally Posted by erickh

No, they should not. A better idea would be to do a search using keywords from the title, description, or post right after a person posts. Ask them if their topic matches any of those found. If they answer "no", then the topic is posted. Requiring them to search first adds too many steps and detracts from the user experience.

Yes this is exactly what I proposed months ago and Kevin said it was coming.

[pjurbina]

I just got a formal warning against me. My signature as too offensive:
1. Look at your owners manual
2. Search
3. If all else fails get a new phone

The CB gods are really cracking down on playing nice or making assumptions that certain people with different sense of humors are not playing nice. If I get banned from this post, so be it. I can take my money and my loyalty elsewhere. Its obvious this is a business and they are more interested in bringing new customers rather than keeping the old ones or or listening to them.

By the way moderator I know you said you dread my response to your for.al waning, I dread to think what you think of this post under the rants and rave section. Ap another thing, moderator, two wrongs don't make it right. You spoke to me like your perception of what not being nice is.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[patches152]

95% of the new threads are people who don't know enough about blackberry to do a basic google search anyway, let alone search on this website's dinosaur search engine.

too many n00bs who don't know the jargon, and that's what it takes to find anything productive. everyone suggests searching first....my suggestion is that newbies can only post in a "newbie" section until they reach a certain productivity milestone....learn the ropes, figure out what stuff is and what it's called....and maybe offer a "challenge quiz" for those who are new to the community, but not new to blackberry....some terminology, some infrastructure, some process and troubleshooting, etc.

when i doubt, quarantine....let the newbs start new threads in the newbie area...those brave enough to venture there can do so knowing what they're walking into. and allow the mods to work their mighty magic there, and let the rest of the threads play themselves out.

[SilvioBenussi]

Originally Posted by patches152

95% of the new threads are people who don't know enough about blackberry to do a basic google search anyway, let alone search on this website's dinosaur search engine.

too many n00bs who don't know the jargon, and that's what it takes to find anything productive. everyone suggests searching first....my suggestion is that newbies can only post in a "newbie" section until they reach a certain productivity milestone....learn the ropes, figure out what stuff is and what it's called....and maybe offer a "challenge quiz" for those who are new to the community, but not new to blackberry....some terminology, some infrastructure, some process and troubleshooting, etc.

when i doubt, quarantine....let the newbs start new threads in the newbie area...those brave enough to venture there can do so knowing what they're walking into. and allow the mods to work their mighty magic there, and let the rest of the threads play themselves out.

Even a nutless monkey could READ, follow directions and type their query into GOOGLE.COM like my post instructed people to do.

My first post in this thread (page 1) should be a sticky, period.


All in favor of this section being renamed to

SEARCHBERRY
or
SEARCHBEFOREYOUPOSTBERRY?

It's time people hoist their IQ points a few notches above mediocrity.

fwiw I should be a moderator.


There should be a "Commonly asked Questions Regarding BB Storm Functionality" For each phone...

There should be strict guidelines for posting in threads that are useful, but are convoluted/filled with junk posts that do not contribute to this forum in any constructive way.

There should be a way to flag a post (4-5), and have it sent to the "REPOST BIN" OR simply deleted.
If the user wants to know why it was deleted, there needs to be clauses right before signing up for SearchBerry.

There needs to be a main sticky page articulating the WHAT, WHY, WHO and WHEN....

This forum half kicks ****, and half sux.

Most BB users have the intellect to follow directions.
The rest are the reason why the same questions are being posted over and overand overand overand overand overand overand overand overand overand overand overand overand overand overand over again.

[patches152]

the point isn't to punish the stupid, it's to get them to catch up to "our" level. or at least help them learn now to interact with other humans in a digital enviornment.

and i take offense to that nutless monkey comment. my brother is a nutless monkey!

[howarmat]

Originally Posted by SilvioBenussi

Even a nutless monkey could READ, follow directions and type their query into GOOGLE.COM like my post instructed people to do.

My first post in this thread (page 1) should be a sticky, period.


All in favor of this section being renamed to

SEARCHBERRY
or
SEARCHBEFOREYOUPOSTBERRY?

It's time people hoist their IQ points a few notches above mediocrity.

fwiw I should be a moderator.


There should be a "Commonly asked Questions Regarding BB Storm Functionality" For each phone...

There should be strict guidelines for posting in threads that are useful, but are convoluted/filled with junk posts that do not contribute to this forum in any constructive way.

There should be a way to flag a post (4-5), and have it sent to the "REPOST BIN" OR simply deleted.
If the user wants to know why it was deleted, there needs to be clauses right before signing up for SearchBerry.

There needs to be a main sticky page articulating the WHAT, WHY, WHO and WHEN....

This forum half kicks ****, and half sux.

Most BB users have the intellect to follow directions.
The rest are the reason why the same questions are being posted over and overand overand overand overand overand overand overand overand overand overand overand overand overand overand over again.

that is where you theory is completely wrong. You service book example is flawed because 75% of the people dont even know what a service book is or why that is the cause for no browser and such. They are bb stupid like patches states.