I have a suggestion. There are some threads in Open Discussions that are so useful IMJ that I keep bumping them (or threads I've forgotten that I or somebody should be bumping!), and . . . maybe we could semi-permanently put them in another forum at the root level. Kathleen has a Please Read Here First, about how to get along at Hatrack; this would be sort of like that, but would be opinions rather than expectations.
posted
I'm wondering if the threads you nominate can be somehow whittled down into bite-sized 'advice'? Is this what you advocate? The wisdom behind these threads are very useful, and would benefit those who seek such guidance. However, as they stand, they would probably intimidate those who would benefit from the wise words within them... I do think the idea is worth consideration. Best wishes John Mc...
Posts: 140 | Registered: Jan 2006
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The bite-sized advice IS in the "Please Read Here First" forum. Sadly, new members rarely read that information first.
Posts: 2026 | Registered: Mar 2005
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You might drop by the "Please Read Here First" section; you'll find that it is about how to get along here, rather than about how to write well.
Posts: 2830 | Registered: Dec 2004
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Well, it makes sense to me to put all the extremely useful topics that no newcomers ever read in one forum; that way they can ignore them all at once, instead of having to not read them in two different forums.
posted
The FAQS and links to discussions topic has some of this stuff. But most of the threads have fallen off the visible list, unless you change the default listing from "last 30 days" to something much longer, like "all topics". I just bumped "FAQs" itself. It's possible that these things get read (their purpose, after all) and simply not responded to (their not intended to be discussions). Too bad they can't be set so they continue to show up if anyone has even read them in the last 30 days.
Posts: 932 | Registered: Jul 2001
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posted
KDW does occasionally ask for permission to reprint various nuggets in other publications.
But other than that, I think that the forum archives are valuable as archives, and the forum is valuable as a forum. It can be tiresome when new members start the same topics that we've seen a dozen times before, but that's what makes them novices, eh?
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If I knew how to keep them current without having to "bump" them, I would.
The best thing I can offer is to ask that you put links to the topics you think would be most helpful in the FAQs topic along with the title and description.
Then when you believe that someone needs that topic, go to FAQS, find the link, and put it in your reply to the topic where the person has shown that he or she needs it.
That way people may be more likely to go and read what is in the helpful topic.
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