Forum Idea: Newbie Thread

[oddity]

Head-Fi is an awesome forum for the budding audiophile. Whether an individual is interested in portable audio or just wants to gain a better understanding of high end audio, this is the place to start.

There is however one small problem; the newbies.

Contradictory as that sounds, it is very true. Repetitive newbie questions tend to swamp categories and can make searching threads for information a little frustrating at times.

How can this be fixed? A very simple answer would be to make a newbie thread.

A newbie thread would allow people who are just entering the audiophile universe to ask the same basic newbie questions without choking the rest of the forum with their queries. It would also give members who like to mentor budding audiophiles a place to focus their efforts and information.

This would also be a good place to put basic set-up, entry-level gear, and FAQ stickes. New members would have access to this basic information in a forum dedicated to answering questions the stickies can't.

Does anyone else think this is a good idea?

 

[boomana]

oddity, I don't agree that newbie's are a problem at all, but I do agree with your general idea, so much so that I started such a thread in the headphone forum a few months ago where it's now stickied:

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/bef...ewbies-419349/

I've also been adding helpful responses to the first post, so if you have any suggestions to add, please do in the thread.

 

[manaox2]

You could also do what I did maybe. (hint: look at signature)

 

[oddity]

I didn't mean to say that new people joining the forum are a problem, just the repeat postings.

To be frank I myself am the quintessential newbie, which is why I brought this up.

If you don't mind reading a short story (and it has a point)...

I am a fan of straight razor shaving. Since it is a complicated process I joined Straight Razor Place to learn how to do it the right way.

The newbie thread they have there made it very easy to learn how to do a proper straight razor shave, as well as get information on what shaving goodies were the best.

In addition to being a helpful resource, it was nice to have a sort of "kiddie pool" atmosphere where other newbies felt comfortable about posting about the failures and triumphs.

The senior members could then post their constructive criticisms, thoughts, and encouragement without making the new guy feel stupid or silly for asking a "n00b" question.

Also because newbies had a specific place to post their questions the threads for novice, advanced, and expert topics were kept clean and organized. This allowed for easy searching in sub-categories and kept the topics easy to read.

I have seen the "newbie thread" work very well in practice, and I really think it would keep Head-Fi more organized as well as make it easier for both newbies and old-hands to get the information they seek.

 

[TheMarchingMule]

This has been suggested at least every other month. The thing is that new people can only read so many old threads before they want to interact with the community, and get their own personalized recommendation.

Sound is very subjective, and so every little detail/preference/situation about the person asking the question matters, so the community can narrow down the choices as best as possible.

In the last thread that suggested something like this, I put forward this analogy:

You walk into a club, where you want to know more about what the people are talking about, and why they find it so enlightening and enrapturing. Would you rather be pointed to a bulletin board with general information, or be welcomed into one of the circles and be able to talk with them?

 

[boomana]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheMarchingMule /img/forum/go_quote.gif In the last thread that suggested something like this, I put forward this analogy: You walk into a club, where you want to know more about what the people are talking about, and why they find it so enlightening and enrapturing. Would you rather be pointed to a bulletin board with general information, or be welcomed into one of the circles and be able to talk with them?

I like that.

 

[applaudio]

It's a bad idea. It's also an idea that has been brought up too many times to count.

Did I mention it's not a good idea?

 

[Uncle Erik]

Head-Fi is a little different from shaving with a straight edge. I actually taught myself back in '92, but have since switched to DE for time savings.

Anyhow, a razor is much simpler to deal with than poking through thousands of pieces of gear on various budgets and meeting certain needs. Further, those going for a razor have never used one before. In hi-fi, you get people comig here with bits and pieces of hardware they've had for some time, inherited, etc. So there really isn't a one-size-fits-all solution to this. The vast majority of members here come in with gear and a little knowledge, they're not starting something completely new.

Mostly, though, it's important for the community to give personal, individual responses to new members. That makes people feel welcome and they are more likely
to stay and contribute. That is how you get a strong community as opposed to a group of friends who don't want more people joining their club.

I see that you're fairly new and a local. IIRC, there's a meet on November 21 in Newport Beach. If you're free, you should absolutely go. New members are always welcome and you don't have to bring gear. You'll start to see why the community is more important than having to scroll past the occasional repetitive post.

 

[vcoheda]

using the search function to gain a knowledge base would help newbies act less like noobs. i have no problem with a new member jumping into/starting a thread, but if the question is "best headphone for $150", then i think that person needs to do some more work.

 

[jonathanjong]

Here we go again.

If there's a newbie pool, it's just yet another pool where old-timers have to visit just to answer noob questions. Some old-timers won't bother dipping in, and their wisdom will be missed. Instead, how it is now, noobs ask questions where all of us are. I might not go into a noob pool, but when a noob in my pool asks for help, I'll offer it.

 

[Currawong]

The problem is, Head-fi is so huge, even more so now with the number of sponsors doubling since I registered here, and VBulletin (and forum software generally) so poor at organising information coherently, that it's hard to find coherent information if you're a complete newbie. Not helped is that the front page is really mostly advertising and isn't helpful for directing people who arrive at Head-fi anywhere useful.

 

[oddity]

Quote:

I see that you're fairly new and a local. IIRC, there's a meet on November 21 in Newport Beach. If you're free, you should absolutely go. New members are always welcome and you don't have to bring gear. You'll start to see why the community is more important than having to scroll past the occasional repetitive post.

Sounds good to me, is there a website where I can get more information?

 

[intoflatlines]

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f24/or...2009-a-449955/

 

[krmathis]

Learning how to use the search function could definitely help

A lot of cases have already been discussed and solved. So instead of posting the 1157549th thread on the subject a quick search would give them a lot to read.

 

[jilgiljongiljing]

As long as Krmathis keeps posting we have no worries