[ai0tron]

I like the idea, can I moderate it? I want the oppurtunity to missuse my power.

 

[bootman]

Quote:

for newbies may i suggest a newbie's forum with some locked stickied threads such as "best sub $100 cans", "best pcdp available", etc. iow, all the questions that keep getting asked over & over with answers. members can add threads whenever and mods can stick & lock them if they're good.

This is a great idea!!!

 

[redshifter]

thanks! this way we can just refer them to that forum when they come here with their silly questions.

make it so. </captain picard>

 

[HeadWired]

Well, HA! You beat me to it......while I was writing the following you guys already had the suggestion, but I want to post it anyway....

Well, as a Newbie, let me say that I'm afraid we as newbies don't thank you guys often enough for being so patient with us. One of the things that struck me about Head-Fi is how kind you are to each other. It is this one fact that sets you all apart from the rest of the Internet community.

I have learned more this past month than I could ever hope to by myself or by taking classes. And it's because of you guys. For that, I thank you.

Now, remember that most of us new people don't have the language you have yet. We don't have the same point of reference or base line. Often we don't even quite know what it is we are trying to ask or describe. Therefore, we don't always understand what to search for. Please know that it is perfectly appropriate to answer a question with "well, there are many old threads on this very subject, just search for xxxxxx." That is tremendously helpful and I personally don't take any offense to that. It's simply direction, and very much appreciated. Even this tread is enlightening, and I have lessons to learn here also.

I'm sure this has been suggested before, but maybe we could open up a new forum such as "New to Head-Fi?" or "Beginners start here". We could keep each other informed of old threads, search tips and generally learning the etiquette of Head-Fi until we are ready to branch out to the "adult table". That way we could post only with other newbies but still have access to reading the wealth of information that is already there. And "oldies" would always be welcome to add any pearls of course.

Anyway, thank you all again for your expertise and your willingness to share it.

 

[markl]

Well.....

I like the idea so long as people are able to continue to add their opinions to the threads, and IF there's a vigorous moderator who has the patience to keep adding new threads to the newbie section.

You'd kill the site by simply referring everyone to the "newbie" forum. They'd go there, get our "unanimous" opinion, make their purchas and never come back.

markl

 

[gaineso]

I think this place is just about perfect as is.

You don't have to read every thread or post. I might check a new thread, and if it seems I'm not interested, I won't check it again. However, a lot of these long discussion threads are interesting.

I don't always agree with the various premises brought forth, but the thing that's interesting is, if there're 40 posts, there's probably 20 opinions......

And, as previously mentioned, without rudeness or rancor. I think we could all meet in a big room and just about instantly become friends. That's rare and an indication of what this whole forum means.

Let's be very careful about changes. If we go to something like the "Newbie" section, are all the old timers, founts of knowledge, still going to be checking to offer the wisdom won over long, or even short but intense, periods of time and expenditures of capital? I hope so.

Thanks to all for being here and staying here.

 

[jude]

Yeah, those are some things to consider before starting a newbie forum.

I definitely agree that it would have to be vigilantly moderated to make it worthwhile. I'll ask the moderators what they think too.

 

[redshifter]

Quote:

You'd kill the site by simply referring everyone to the "newbie" forum. They'd go there, get our "unanimous" opinion, make their purchas and never come back.

a valid concern. but i'd wager once they upgrade from their stock $2 heaphones to some etymotics or sony v6 they will be bitten by the audio bug and and will come back for more. every newbie question can't be answered in a f.a.q., either. if anything it may just cut down on the annoying top 5 repeated questions. if they don't want to hang out in the other forums, that's their loss.

Quote:

If we go to something like the "Newbie" section, are all the old timers, founts of knowledge, still going to be checking to offer the wisdom won over long, or even short but intense, periods of time and expenditures of capital?

that's up to the individual. the newbie section shouldn't be written in stone (until a useful thread reaches a valid conclusion, otherwise leave it unlocked but stuck), but ALL the opinions on newbie questions should be explored. for example, the "sub $100 headphone" question could be answered many ways. i may suggest the v6, someone else the sr60, etc. it's open to discussion. besides, this is a way for experienced users to give back to head-fi by addressing these newbie questions and creating a living f.a.q.

alternately how about an audiophile's forum where you can enjoy your "university professor" discussions? topics like "reversing the polarity of the signal's neutron flow" can be explored in full.

 

[MacDEF]

Quote:

Originally posted by dhwilkin ROFL! Mac, does the robot's shirt say what I think it says? I take it he's become a peace ambassador, now.

Hehe... when you turn his little wind-up thing, he says "Can't we all just get along?"

 

[gaineso]

alternately how about an audiophile's forum where you can enjoy your "university professor" discussions? topics like "reversing the polarity of the signal's neutron flow" can be explored in full.

Sounds like an interesting thread. Who wants to start?

 

[Hirsch]

I agree that a FAQ area for newbies is a good idea. They'd have a place to look, and a place for people to refer them to for those questions that occur endlessly.

But a newbie forum? Not so good. Part of the education of newbies, particularly in such a specialized area as headphones, is going to come in their interactions with those with more experience. How many of the regulars would frequent a newbies forum, and act as mentors? At what point would newbies "graduate" and participate with the "big boys"? Forums separated by interest areas are great, as they have people from all levels of experience interacting on topics that they want to know (or teach) about. However, forums based on experience would have the effect of segregating groups of people, and IMO chip away at the sense of community that exists here.

 

[Neruda]

Quote:

Originally posted by Joe Bloggs Umm, guys, what do you think about me? I post here a heckuva lot but it seems my audio experience is not in proportion to my post count

HA! by the time I had 2,000 posts on Headwize the only decent thing I had was a pair of Grado SR80s! So you're already ahead of me!

 

[Duncan]

What kind of questions could be answered in a newbie area?

A question of... what is best for under $100, that is very ambiguous, it all depends on the source, both electronically, and musically, what is right for one person would be very wrong for another.

So, in principle, yes, its a good idea to have a sub-section, but in practice, there would be just as many questions and answers in there, as there are in the main forums anyway??

just my $0.02

 

[M Rael]

Well its true that new people often ask questions without searching high and low in the archives for answers. ANSWER:

Instead of a newbie forum, post permanent articles (which could also contain links to specific threads) on a handful of subjects deemed most likely to suit a beginner. I would be happy to help in some way. I always thought that the forum-only system on Head-Fi could use a more specific data base of gathered information. My suggestion is to 'create from scratch' topic articles with information that includes links to certain existing threads. Some topics might be:

Best cheap (under $100) headphones

Best value in $200-$400 headphones

Best place to buy headphones (new & used)

Headphones and music choices; choosing correctly

+topics about amps, etc.


Do you want more specifics? I'd help!
p.s. the way to deal with redundant questions is to send them to a separate 'forum' which ALSO contains links to the relevant articles and thread links. If a basic amp question gets posted in the headphone forum, it would be sent to the orientation forum. the idea is not to discourage questions, rather its to get people to read a condensed version of the generally accepted opinion base *before* asking further questions.

 

[Mumrik]

Quote:

Originally posted by Hirsch I agree that a FAQ area for newbies is a good idea. They'd have a place to look, and a place for people to refer them to for those questions that occur endlessly. But a newbie forum? Not so good. Part of the education of newbies, particularly in such a specialized area as headphones, is going to come in their interactions with those with more experience. How many of the regulars would frequent a newbies forum, and act as mentors? At what point would newbies "graduate" and participate with the "big boys"? Forums separated by interest areas are great, as they have people from all levels of experience interacting on topics that they want to know (or teach) about. However, forums based on experience would have the effect of segregating groups of people, and IMO chip away at the sense of community that exists here.

I agree with Hirsch... I really don't like the idea of a newbie forum.

A FAQ is an excellent idea, but you should all remember this: 95% of newbies on internet forums never search or read before asking...