Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ, New users read BEFORE posting)

**macbooklemon** · 03-11-11 at 02:54 PM

Xami: Nice thread.
I would suggest contacting Sting2324 and seeing if he can integrate this with his currently existing announcement. Otherwise we have 2 FAQ's :)

Just remember: Just because we have a thread with information dosent mean people will read it! We have a search engine that will andwer 90% of the questions we get in the helpdesk and no one bothers with that before posting either.
Take the IP banned question. how often do we get that? And thats stickied at the top of the helpdesk.

**rockyrocks** · 03-11-11 at 10:36 PM

Cant something be put before someone tries to post at the helpdesk.. as in some pop-up telling them to read the rules of posting at the helpdesk.. telling them to search.. or risk getting a warning.. If not a pop-up then maybe something written in bold..
I think that would deter quite a number of people.. and also help them help themselves..

**Mbbest** · 03-12-11 at 03:08 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by rockyrocks

Cant something be put before someone tries to post at the helpdesk.. as in some pop-up telling them to read the rules of posting at the helpdesk.. telling them to search.. or risk getting a warning.. If not a pop-up then maybe something written in bold..
I think that would deter quite a number of people.. and also help them help themselves..

For first solution.. I will just guess that admin avoid that type of solution becuase it require some new coding/scripts (just guessing) and that wouldn't be good for server time/bandwidth or something, ..maybe I am wrong.

**Xami** · 03-12-11 at 03:40 AM

I know there will always be users just going to post before doing a search or reading anything, but hopefully this can help some of the users just to confused to do it properly.

I am working on re-arranging the outlay to make it better and adding more stuff, stay tuned.
Ill check the content of stings post and see if we can do some sort of merge or interlinking.

**macbooklemon** · 03-12-11 at 05:09 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by rockyrocks

Cant something be put before someone tries to post at the helpdesk.. as in some pop-up telling them to read the rules of posting at the helpdesk.. telling them to search.. or risk getting a warning.. If not a pop-up then maybe something written in bold..
I think that would deter quite a number of people.. and also help them help themselves..

Easy. Javascript. Client side so no server load increase.
But, that dosent mean people will read it. They will just hit 'ok' and completely ignore it, thus making it pointless.

**rockyrocks** · 03-12-11 at 07:29 AM

True.. But I think the problem is since they don't read any of the stickies ever.. they dont know about the warnings..

Once they see (or are forced to see and that to just before they are about to post) that they might get banned.. it might be different.. Just like the browser gives us warnings when we use our credit cards.. dont we think a bit more..

**Noledox** · 03-12-11 at 10:52 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by macbooklemon

Easy. Javascript. Client side so no server load increase.
But, that dosent mean people will read it. They will just hit 'ok' and completely ignore it, thus making it pointless.

If you use javascript, why not add a simple timer? If they can't click 'ok' for 30 seconds, a small portion of those people might actually read, not that I'm holding out any hope.

**macbooklemon** · 03-13-11 at 10:14 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by Noledox

If you use javascript, why not add a simple timer? If they can't click 'ok' for 30 seconds, a small portion of those people might actually read, not that I'm holding out any hope.

Because that's going to drive everyone insane and people would just not bother posting.

**Xami** · 03-13-11 at 10:34 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by macbooklemon

Because that's going to drive everyone insane and people would just not bother posting.

Indeed.
However it should be made for the first post in Helpdesk only, when people (hopefully) have read the golden "check faq and do a search"

**Noledox** · 03-13-11 at 10:53 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Xami

Indeed.
However it should be made for the first post in Helpdesk only, when people (hopefully) have read the golden "check faq and do a search"

Seems like a fair middle ground. I admit that a timer would be a pain if you always had to wait before posting.

**macbooklemon** · 03-14-11 at 04:18 AM

Guys, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I don't think we are going to be seeing any javascript "read the stickies" based helpdesk popups any time soon.

**Noledox** · 03-14-11 at 06:11 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by macbooklemon

Guys, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I don't think we are going to be seeing any javascript "read the stickies" based helpdesk popups any time soon.

Ah well, we can dream.

**FirtY** · 03-14-11 at 09:10 PM

It's still a very good idea. Perhaps a popup that must be read once and can be turned off in the user cpl afterwards. Something that emphasizes the vast amount of users on TP and the strong possibility that their question has been asked and answered before.

Kudos on the great thread Xami

03-11-11 at 02:54 PM	#15
macbooklemon I have returned! Join Date: May 2008 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 1,039	Xami: Nice thread. I would suggest contacting Sting2324 and seeing if he can integrate this with his currently existing announcement. Otherwise we have 2 FAQ's :) Just remember: Just because we have a thread with information dosent mean people will read it! We have a search engine that will andwer 90% of the questions we get in the helpdesk and no one bothers with that before posting either. Take the IP banned question. how often do we get that? And thats stickied at the top of the helpdesk.

03-11-11 at 10:36 PM	#16
rockyrocks Elite Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 2,344	Cant something be put before someone tries to post at the helpdesk.. as in some pop-up telling them to read the rules of posting at the helpdesk.. telling them to search.. or risk getting a warning.. If not a pop-up then maybe something written in bold.. I think that would deter quite a number of people.. and also help them help themselves..

03-12-11 at 03:08 AM	#17
Mbbest No kitty! bad kitty!!! Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Southpark Posts: 1,660	Quote: Originally Posted by rockyrocks Cant something be put before someone tries to post at the helpdesk.. as in some pop-up telling them to read the rules of posting at the helpdesk.. telling them to search.. or risk getting a warning.. If not a pop-up then maybe something written in bold.. I think that would deter quite a number of people.. and also help them help themselves.. For first solution.. I will just guess that admin avoid that type of solution becuase it require some new coding/scripts (just guessing) and that wouldn't be good for server time/bandwidth or something, ..maybe I am wrong.

03-12-11 at 03:40 AM	#18
Xami Elite Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 2,173	I know there will always be users just going to post before doing a search or reading anything, but hopefully this can help some of the users just to confused to do it properly. I am working on re-arranging the outlay to make it better and adding more stuff, stay tuned. Ill check the content of stings post and see if we can do some sort of merge or interlinking.

03-12-11 at 05:09 AM	#19
macbooklemon I have returned! Join Date: May 2008 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 1,039	Quote: Originally Posted by rockyrocks Cant something be put before someone tries to post at the helpdesk.. as in some pop-up telling them to read the rules of posting at the helpdesk.. telling them to search.. or risk getting a warning.. If not a pop-up then maybe something written in bold.. I think that would deter quite a number of people.. and also help them help themselves.. Easy. Javascript. Client side so no server load increase. But, that dosent mean people will read it. They will just hit 'ok' and completely ignore it, thus making it pointless.

03-12-11 at 07:29 AM	#20
rockyrocks Elite Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 2,344	True.. But I think the problem is since they don't read any of the stickies ever.. they dont know about the warnings.. Once they see (or are forced to see and that to just before they are about to post) that they might get banned.. it might be different.. Just like the browser gives us warnings when we use our credit cards.. dont we think a bit more..

03-12-11 at 10:52 PM	#21
Noledox Bad command or file name Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Terra Incognita Posts: 2,709	Quote: Originally Posted by macbooklemon Easy. Javascript. Client side so no server load increase. But, that dosent mean people will read it. They will just hit 'ok' and completely ignore it, thus making it pointless. If you use javascript, why not add a simple timer? If they can't click 'ok' for 30 seconds, a small portion of those people might actually read, not that I'm holding out any hope.

03-13-11 at 10:14 AM	#22
macbooklemon I have returned! Join Date: May 2008 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 1,039	Quote: Originally Posted by Noledox If you use javascript, why not add a simple timer? If they can't click 'ok' for 30 seconds, a small portion of those people might actually read, not that I'm holding out any hope. Because that's going to drive everyone insane and people would just not bother posting.

03-13-11 at 10:34 AM	#23
Xami Elite Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 2,173	Quote: Originally Posted by macbooklemon Because that's going to drive everyone insane and people would just not bother posting. Indeed. However it should be made for the first post in Helpdesk only, when people (hopefully) have read the golden "check faq and do a search"

03-13-11 at 10:53 PM	#24
Noledox Bad command or file name Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Terra Incognita Posts: 2,709	Quote: Originally Posted by Xami Indeed. However it should be made for the first post in Helpdesk only, when people (hopefully) have read the golden "check faq and do a search" Seems like a fair middle ground. I admit that a timer would be a pain if you always had to wait before posting.

03-14-11 at 04:18 AM	#25
macbooklemon I have returned! Join Date: May 2008 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 1,039	Guys, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I don't think we are going to be seeing any javascript "read the stickies" based helpdesk popups any time soon.

03-14-11 at 06:11 PM	#26
Noledox Bad command or file name Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Terra Incognita Posts: 2,709	Quote: Originally Posted by macbooklemon Guys, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I don't think we are going to be seeing any javascript "read the stickies" based helpdesk popups any time soon. Ah well, we can dream.

03-14-11 at 09:10 PM	#27
FirtY Elder Join Date: May 2009 Location: Eire Posts: 2,948	It's still a very good idea. Perhaps a popup that must be read once and can be turned off in the user cpl afterwards. Something that emphasizes the vast amount of users on TP and the strong possibility that their question has been asked and answered before. Kudos on the great thread Xami