Password the forums and hub so that only people with the password can post or create a project entry. Leave the Newbie Central open if you really want.
Now here's the key to the plan: put the password in the second question in the FAQ. We won't have to deal with half the nonsense that clutters these boards. :P
ID:194235
 Jul 2 2001, 2:50 pm
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Well, the whole point was that it wouldn't shut out anyone who bothered to get to the second question of the FAQ. It was meant more as a jest than anything else. If I were serious I'd post it in the General forum.
I don't want to lock anyone out either. BYOND is great because anyone can get into it. | |
On 7/2/01 6:14 pm Shadowdarke wrote:
Well, the whole point was that it wouldn't shut out anyone who bothered to get to the second question of the FAQ. It was meant more as a jest than anything else. If I were serious I'd post it in the General forum. Well, I'm iffy on that comment. BYOND has the potential to allow anyone to get into it. Most people don't even bother to take the initiative. Actually, it would be funny enough if we did that, but then we'd get posts on the Newbie Central forum saying 'wut is the pwd?' | |
On 7/2/01 6:18 pm Spuzzum wrote:
On 7/2/01 6:14 pm Shadowdarke wrote: then you would just say 'look for it in the guide or the referance or the FAQ or something...' | |
Basically, I would rather put up with any amount of pointless questions than seeing anyone shut out. Really? | |
On 7/2/01 6:28 pm jobe wrote:
On 7/2/01 6:18 pm Spuzzum wrote: After the thousanth post of "wut is the pwd?", you will need to put the answer in the FAQ...Which of course is still left unread... | |
Heh, clever idea. Unfortunately I think it will just reroute the problem to emails or the Newbie forum; as some suggested, "what's the password" or "how do I post" will become the dominant question.
A few weeks ago Dan and I brainstormed about ways to make the forum more usable in assisting newbies. His idea was to allow certain posts to be marked, perhaps by the title, eg: "FAQ: How do I make a client-side savefile?" Then those posts could be automatically referenced or organized. That way, when one of you gurus writes a long, detailed description on how to solve a particular problem, it won't immediately get lost in the archives of this evergrowing database. On the other hand, these resources already exist in the forum of the hub tutorials and Deadron's (et. al) FAQ. So perhaps we just need a way to quickly reference and add to these items. I'll keep thinking about it, and I encourage others to do the same! | |
Unless you can make the forum read english: EGs.
"How to make a combat system?" "My NPC wouldn't fight!!!" "BYOND IS SHIT!!! I CAN"T GET IT TO KILL!!!" All the above orientate around the same problem... I bet there are more ways already seen on these boards to ask this very question... | |
On 7/2/01 6:03 pm LexyBitch wrote:
Back on the first hand, though, even though I'm arguably at the forefront of the newbie evisceration movement, I started being "mean" simply because I wanted people to learn. Also, I'm very leery of anything that smacks of elitism. Basically, I would rather put up with any amount of pointless questions than seeing anyone shut out. You know what Lexy? I've read every post you've ever made answering questions (and avoiding same) for the past month. I don't think you are "mean" in the slightest, though I'm sure some who refuse to take the hint may think so. In fact I'm sometimes blown away by your patience, even if it comes served up with a patented Lexygrumble. If anything, I'd more likely call your style "BYOND tough-love." You can't teach someone how to learn, but you can bash them over the head with a bag of frozen peas enough times to scare them into learning. /mob/skysaw | |
On 7/2/01 7:17 pm Skysaw wrote:
On 7/2/01 6:03 pm LexyBitch wrote: Thanks, that's the nicest thing anyone's ever said about me. :) | |
I'm very torn about how to treat this issue.
On the one hand, I'm very much in favor of spreading the power of game creation to the masses. I am a mass myself, and I'm quite incapable of making anything resembling LexyMUD, left to my own devices.
On the other hand, I'm very tired of answering the same questions to the same people over and over again ("Okay, I've got the weapon shop. Now how do I make an armor shop?"), trying to explain to people that the code we give them will do what they want it to ("No, you misunderstood me. I said I want an armor shop."), and people who want us to describe in DM language something they can't even describe in English language ("i want button to pop up with three choices only sometimes two when you push the button in the foresb but not the red button or the blue button. and the choices should be different if you push a different button. n e one no how to do that?")
Back on the first hand, though, even though I'm arguably at the forefront of the newbie evisceration movement, I started being "mean" simply because I wanted people to learn. Also, I'm very leery of anything that smacks of elitism. Basically, I would rather put up with any amount of pointless questions than seeing anyone shut out.