Answer Quick Finder

Anyhow, the monkeys have struck again - I do know how to spell persistent, just the slip of a key!

Yesterday I learnt how to edit a post, today my skills have come to naught! Why can't you edit a first post?

YOU CAN'T CUT AND PASTE URLS!!

Here is my example: >>Site Plan<<

Camera, you can only edit or delete up to 30 minutes of posting. Up to the firt aprox. 10 min., an edit doesn't show that you did it, after that, it is announced as you have seen.

I don't understand much about what you want to do..that is, how it would work, but, I'll tell you, that is one fasinating chart!!

quote:

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Originally posted by Camera Collector:
YOU CAN'T CUT AND PASTE URLS!!

Here is my example: _>>_http://www.forestcountryfood.co.uk/siteplan.htm_<<_

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Huh?

What about this? www.ebay.com

I tend to think that the FAQ--though far from perfect and could be more conspicuous--cover many of these concerns. I also think that no matter where and how the goodies are placed, folks who don't read and check things out first will not avail themselves.

Chatter, that is exactly what I said too. An example is the post about the proxy bidding of your's that I pasted on another thread this afternoon. All they had to do, if they didn't go to Help was to scan down one thread and read!

And, don't you copy and paste, not cut?

I just copied and pasted the original post and once it was up, discovered I'd got a dead link!

Back to the topic under discussion.

My thesis is simple, you are "spoon feeding" when newbies should be discovering for themselves.

When my three year old grandson comes out with "why?" I tell him, but when he does it for the fifth time for the same topic, I do say - "you know already!"

I agree we have to cater for all abilities, but I think that the serious side effect of needless repetition is that it has a damaging effect upon the number of visitors and interest in this board.
The limited number of regular contributors is symptomatic of this malaise.

There are tricky problems and interesting events related here that could encourage people to return, but how many times are you going to re-visit a discussion board that tells you how to turn a microwave on?

Far, far more interesting are the real life problems - eg did the insurance pay up for that Guitar or did it turn into a police investigation?

If you received a letter from the New York Police (as I did last year) saying that a seller had stolen the camera he sold me (with a feedback of 640 - all positive I might add - his crimes were not exactly on a small scale!) my ponderings on an apt reply to them would have interested you all! (I agreed to retun it, but in the end they said, give us a statement & keep it!)

No, I think the answer is to ease these "newbies" into helping themselves. Come on, now that's why we have an education sytem. Shut up the one at the back who just said "containment system"

So in conclusion, members of the Jury, we must provide an easy to use help system

My case rests m'lud.

<site map>

Camera, there it is!

If you want to do what you were trying to do, you right click on the site map...go to properties and right click, highlight the url and right click and click copy...go to the bottom of the new post box and left click on url. go up in the space and right click and paste and click ok, then, if you want, go in the space and name it and click ok again.

Camera, I understand what you are saying..just submit it in suggestions. They are the final say. You asked for an opinion and I gave it, but once a year...no two years..I am completely wrong! And btw, anytime you have something to add like the stolen camera, please do it!!

1) I do not feel that it should be our mission to teach newbies to discover for themselves. As much as I do sometimes tire of the same questions, and as often as I wonder "Why don't they look that up in the FAQ, like I did when I was new in the forum?", I recognize the different types of personality styles, especially the fact that some people just won't look, no matter what you do to make it easier.

2) I am not sure what the problem is with copying and pasting URL's. It is done all the time on this forum.

3) Adults' learning styles are quite different than those of three year-olds.

4) I am not sure what you consider "a limited number of regular contributors," but IMHO, we have a good number of regulars and semi-regulars--many of them knowledgeable, and greater in number than many other forums that I frequent.

5) I do not see how this forum could be accused of malaise. Every time I come on, I am amazed at how many new posts there are, even if it is just an hour or two ince my last visit.

6) I have no idea what the episode with the New York (City? State?) Police was supposed to mean, in terms of this forum.

7) Neither do I follow what you are saying about an educational system (and I am a professional educator, so go figure), a containment system, or several other points.

I do notice that we seem lately to have more people who are not only to new to sniping, but new to eBay, as well, and they still do not understand how eBay's bidding system works. With all the help features there (chat rooms, messages boards, FAQ's, etc.) that they do not use, I doubt anything different will occur here, until a direct question is asked and answered.

Sorry, but I am as confused as ever.

Gee Camera - if you go and get something like your system implemented, where will Mrs M and I display all our cool graphics?

I, personally, think the hands-on-help approach encourages new snipers to stay on the forum.

They come to the forum to ASK questions, if they can read the answers, why post on the forum??

Look at most the regulars that are here now, they asked a question (no matter how simple or how many times it had been answered), got a friendly (well some of the time) answer and joined in.

You scenario... new sniper comes in to ask a question, see *whatever it is you want to call it*, get directed to a bunch of overlapping headings, finds the answer and leaves. Gee - not too many regulars gonna come of that.

As Mrs M pointed out, if you want to know what happened with Jabber's guitar - ask the question. If you want to heighten the forum experience with your wisdom - do so.

Just because the *Questions, Answers and Advice* section is filled with the same old questions, doesnt mean the rest of the forum cant be mentally stimulating and discuss these other "tricky problems and interesting events related here that could encourage people to return" that you speak of.

If you dont want to answer the same old new sniper questions - leave it for someone else. Obviously there are people here who dont mind, otherwise they would leave it for someone else. Thats the beauty of having so many regulars (who most likely got here by asking the same new sniper questions).

Wow - I think Jabber is rubbing off on me, what an essay.

Lexie

Gee, Lexie, think I better join your. !!

What an essay!

Camera,

Involved in sales, well if you think about it, how many times have you laid a piece of paper in front of the prospect, read the information to them, and then they ask the question you just answeared.

Obviously you know that the best salesmen listen, think and then respond, on this forum it would be read, think and respond, even if it is the same tired old question.

The most successful salesmen realize that people buy the person before they buy the product. So they may be persistent, never annoying, they know when to leave.

Every salesman I ever knew who did not understand no was a failure.

People buy from people they like, people come and revisit this forum because they like who and what they find.

There are several people who appear to enjoy answering newbie questions even if they are the same o' question one....more ...time. I feel they should continue to do so, they enjoy it and it provides a quaint personal consideration that is disappearing (see ebay help). It is this personal atmosphere that convinced me to try AS.

happy sniping

I must admit, I am facinated by the expanding squares presentation of data topics! I haven't seen that before!

It is interesting that there is a division on this topic. I really don't see why the "FAQ" camp & "Fresh Answer" camp must be mutually exclusive. I think a brief, concise FAQ data source would be useful as a starting point, and answers could then be expanded and tailored to the questioner's specific situation. Several times, to answer a question, past forum postings are referenced, which is basically a primitive FAQ presentation.

For whatever it's worth, I vote we have a FAQ with the nifty flying squares presentation!

Lexie posted:

quote:

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Wow - I think Jabber is rubbing off on me, what an essay.

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What?!?

Oh yeah, re: guitar. I last heard from buyer about 2 weeks ago -- asked for me to FAX a copy of my airbill slip, said was in progress of filing claim, and would keep me posted. That's all I know, 'cept I've got the money!

Jabbergah                                                  

If you examine this forum closely (and maybe a bit cynically!) it's a selling aid for AS. With a product that works well and a band of supporters standing around cheering on the forum AS cannot go wrong. It's a continually updating mass of testimonials praising their product.

A new subscriber comes along, speed-reads the FAQs and has a question. No need to bother AS Support (they're far to busy! ) when they can post the query here and instantly get 10 answers plus some animated Gifs. Thus, the new user gets a lovely warm feeling inside (until they end up paying $5000 for a $700 item of course!) and AS saves on their wage bill.

My point - why would AS want to invest anymore time in help or FAQs when the forum does the work for them.

Q. Is this thread an thinly-veiled advert for Cameras site?

My r2, you are a suspicious minded B******!

In fact that was a web site I did for a friend!

I don't live or work in the Forest of Dean, but in wild West Wales.

He had this great idea and I went along with it!
Sums of money generated for me since = £0
His other site is a Toy one, also designed by me and similarly unsuccessful!
So much for making a fortune on the web!

Motto - dont have anything to do with me if you wish to make money! Hows that for self - advertisement?

My ventures are entirely different and involve cameras as a bit of delving into my "about me" would involve and unless you actually own a retail camera shop, I can't generate any trade from this forum! So there!

Jabber said:

quote:

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Oh yeah, re: guitar. I last heard from buyer about 2 weeks ago -- asked for me to FAX a copy of my airbill slip, said was in progress of filing claim, and would keep me posted. That's all I know, 'cept I've got the money!

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And I say, Jabber, what could be more important than YOU have the money?

quote:

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For whatever it's worth, I vote we have a FAQ with the nifty flying squares presentation!

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Your cheque is in the post!

So far in favour - 1
Against - 5
Indifferent - 1
Don't know - 1

It also appears that if some on this forum have their cage rattled, it immediately becomes a hunt to expose the foibles of the writer. As an ex-School Teacher (Yes Chatter163, I do have the odd higher degree in education) and as an ex salesman (yes edearl, I had to sell for my electronics business for fourteen years) and Web Developer (yes Region, that web site has nothing to do with me personally!) the best form of defence of the old order is to attack the person rather than the proposal!

Where did I say - "Don't bother with a welcome or further help, just click here!"

I absolutely agree with Jabber:

quote:

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I think a brief, concise FAQ data source would be useful as a starting point, and answers could then be expanded and tailored to the questioner's specific situation. Several times, to answer a question, past forum postings are referenced, which is basically a primitive FAQ presentation.

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Perhaps I hould latch on to his last words and say you are all defending a primitive form of life that should be allowed to die quietly?

OK, I will.

[This message was edited by Camera Collector on March 23, 2004 at 03:58 AM.]

camera, I agree with Jabber and have said before, those little squares that open are to say the least, pretty corking! Very seldom will you get everyone here to agree on anything! Myself, I just don't know if your idea would help or not. I still say, you can always submit it to the "Suggestions". Do I mind answering the same questions over and over? If I did, I would move on! Would I feel challenged if your idea was added to the forum? Not at all. I really, really believe I would still be here answering the same questions! Is the resposnses a matter of supporting you? I would rather think they are personal opinions of how this forum exists, nothing personal at all. Suggestions are and should ALWAYS be welcome. IF we don't examine possible changes , we will soon stagnate!

Camera, I admit I have been a little cranky lately (and I will improve on this), but there was nothing in my post (or any other than I can see) that was attacking the person, rather than proposal. In some cases, there was difficulty understanding what was being stated, and in other cases, there was disagreement with the content. No attacks there.

It pains me to say this but I with Chatter on this one - I guess you have images turned off on your Opera 1 browser 'cos there was definitely a wink at the end of my posting. eg.

R2

Twice in 2 days I have been scared

Lexie

Lexie, I'll think you'll find that you are 'frightened' whereas 'scared' is the past tense of what you do to crows, ie. scare them away...

But it's true, it is quite scary...

R2

if I say I was scared, I was scared bucko

Frightened is what I am when I have nitemares, I wasnt THAT scared, just a little worried about your state of mind. I think they are working you too hard.

Lexie

Don't worry, Lexie, you can be either. They are actually synonyms! Both mean to be made afraid.

I will be both the way R2 is going Mrs M

Lexie

...more thoughts for me to add on this issue.

Mrs.M posted:

quote:

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Myself, I just don't know if your idea would help or not. I still say, you can always submit it to the "Suggestions".

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I'm not convinced that AS can/will do as good a job at a basic FAQ presentation that forum participants can. Just for example, consider Puppy's Bid Analysis spreadsheet, which I personally think is the greatest thing since sliced bread! That idea was conceived, developed, and executed totally independent of any AS participation (mainly by Puppy!).

Is this something that may better be done by us? If we were to do something with the flying squares presentation -- is that something that someone would need to store on their website/server?

Jabbergah                                                  

But Jabber, you would have to be here each time someone came in and present it!!

...we'll give the job to you! You ARE in here all the time!

Jabbergah                                                  

Lol, you just think I am! Not really! I drive probably close to 70 miles a day...so not always here.

Mrs. M uses 'ForumSniper' - a service that will post messages for you whenever you want

Mother Mary Says, 'HONESTLY! you're just ruint!'

Well, lets see.. I get up at 5:30.. check Bob.. go across town..pick up my grandaughter (30 miles round trip)... at least three days a week I make trips with Bob to doctors or therapy...make a trip to the post office daily...take granddaughter back (30 miles round) and then run meds or grocery errands between! Now, you tell me that I am always here! Few of you young things could probably keep up with me. I also bike daily while Bob and the baby nap!
What makes it seem like I am there is my computer sits in a traffic area of my home and as I pass by, I read it and answer questions!

I think you have a wireless enabled pda you carry with you!

Yes, your routine would definately make me fall down and go boom!

Mother Mary Says, 'HONESTLY! you're just ruint!'

Lol, I forgot to mention I cook, clean, and do those sort of things too! Takes organization, you know! Yep, this is me, I'm sure!

Hi again!

As nice as the flying boxes are, when dealing with newbies and first time visitors you have to keep simplicity in mind. Flying objects, drop down menu's, and other "non-conventional" layouts can easily confuse and frustrate first time visitors and newbies.

Just my 2 cents

quote:

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Originally posted by Mrs.M:
Lol, you just _think_ I am! Not really! I drive probably close to 70 miles a day...so not always here.

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- explain those 4 way stops you guys have. Roundabouts are much better but you can go too far: [_ Click here _]

R2

We also have roundabouts and they are much better! At a four way stop, you kind of say a prayer that the other people know how it works, take a deep breath and go! LOL! ( I AM joking, of course...I think! )!
BTW, couldn't get your "click here " to open.
It finally opened!