Help

[BenStreeper]

This is a generalized statement to those who have joined the 405th in the last so many years. Please don't take offense I do not wish to hurt any feelings I wish only to educate.



This Forum was started as a community to bring proppers together, and give them the support they need. It was also founded to teach others who need help or want to learn.



I want to ask those of you out there who wish to help to do so. If a new member posts a question that has been answered somewhere else in the forum, either answer it again in their thread, or post a link to the original answering forum. Please DO NOT discourage that member with comments such as:



Dude use the search function

or Your not gonna learn if you don't look around

Or other things like that.



This forum is growing at a tremendous rate. We have more topics, and solutions, and ideas, and questions every day. It is overwhelming a bit to expect a new member to look through every topic on this forum when I would bet most of the original members, and veterans (myself included) haven't. The "noob" forum is for "noob" questions. If those upset you, or you feel yourself wanting to answer in a way that would offend you, then don't answer.



I have started several Tutorial videos that I will happily continue. I am also browsing the noob forum and answering as much as I can. But more and more I see people just ripping new guys apart. That is not how a forum operates. Constructive criticism is encouraged however destructive criticism can be left outside this forum.



Lastly:



For those of you who are reading this, you are correct. I am not a moderator, but I have been on this forum a long time, and I plan on being here long after many of you leave. No I have no power over what you do, but I am willing to help those who treat others with respect, or ask questions without fear. But like everyone else on this forum I can also choose not to help those who demean it.



Treat the new guys with respect, remember you didn't always know what you were doing either.

 

[Cobbatron]

I totally agree! I've seen to many topic posts where people answering a questions were complete jerks to the asker, then I look through the mean persons topics and he has the same kind of thing X10. get over it people, others will ask questions that may be stupid. just answer instead of yelling at them through typing LIKE THIS!

 

[LeytonInTheNet]

One of the main things that annoys me is when people say 'Use the stickies' etc.; if you're new to forums and someone told you to look at stickies, you'd be like "...stickies?"



Plus, if they did know what stickies were, there's about 20 billion of them; don't get me wrong, I think they're all helpful, but there's an overwhelming amount of them. If you know which one it is, why don't you kindly find it for them and send them the link? 2 seconds of your searching is gonna be more useful than 'Use the stickies.'

 

[CommanderFluffy]

should i start writing tutorials about how to use forums...? forum Etiquette or something? or maybe setup something that everyone can find.. the history of the site... reorganization of the site suggestions or somethin.





anyways i agree with your ben. ive been here a while and the forum over the last year has had its tough times. all of the q&a team has dissipated and no offence the the source team but it has also seemed out of place. i remember when i was a noob. it kinda sucked at first.. but slowly i posted here and their and got the community respect... or i think i did. the 405th is my online home for the last few years. and i will try to help out when i can.

 

[BenStreeper]

the history of the site... reorganization of the site suggestions or somethin.

I would like to see both of these happen. And I would love to see some of the tutorials linked to the Portal. Maybe linking each tutorial to the corresponding section on the portal. This would make them easier to find for new members. Also I was very much enjoying the W.I.P. Wednesday and was sad it got missed this week. If you need help with the organization sir let me know. This site is the epicenter of many good ideas, and it should continue to help those ideas grow with no negative influences.







Help........ It's what we do

 

[CommanderFluffy]

ben sorry to say this aswell as any of the soruce members... the front page isnt realy utilized anymore. alot of the links and articles were taken down due to bad link management. but thats all i can guess. alot of forum members just skip the front page all together because the real information they seek is on the forums and not on the source. i know the source was originally going to be the new sticky hub but since its release that idea was scrapped. aswell as alot of the articles. i still have my two hard copys of the magazine. and ive read them over.. we actually got more publicity with the ezine mag than the source.



sorry kensai but you know its true in a way.. if your reading this that is...



i would love to get things changeing and moveing as i have stated many times in the "how can we make the forums/site better" topic but i cant really do anything. because adam wont hand over the controll to other members of the community to build and improve things. also mods are here but are almost invisible except a few. staff here has always been great. they have great leadership. but they also have slowly shy'd away from the site or remain in the shadows untill needed.



their is some posts that need sticky'd that are now falling into the abyss of newer topics. and so. i think i will take the time (as soon as i can mostly nights) to try and write up new sticky's that are in general terms. also maybe some videos aswell. i just have no place to put them without stepping on peoples toes or demanding a position on the staff to get them in the proper places. this site needs a second admin for when adam isnt here.



by the way ben i love your video tutorials. and i will have use for you in the future with this site once i start to work on some things... note i havent been able to hear any of your talking in your videos because my sound card died a few weeks ago and havent put a new one in yet. but i will re watch them when i do.

 

[Nintendude]

The Q&A Tem has'nt fully gone away but there are still a few of us out there that are helping the noobs on the forum. Every time I see someone say use the search bar or use the stickies it jus gets on my nerves there have even been some really rude comments that I have seen which to me it's all the same as flaming a new member, which can cause them to leave the site and all we are left with is part of the allowance of space we have gets shorter which means we all hurt in the long run when the forum closes near the end of a month. Face it guys we all need to help the newbies on here because at one time we were all in thier place at one time or another and the only way to learn is to ask.

 

[Archien]

Looking at this and then looking at the forum layout I have to say first thing which caught my sight was the gallery, if there was a way to show important stickies perhaps beneath it ? In a way it couldn't be missed out?.

 

[Nintendude]

What we really need to do in my personal opinion is get rid of the E3 2009 News section and turn it into a stickies section. It's one of the parts of the forums that is hardly ever used by anyone.

 

[Archien]

E3 and such could be talked about in the general discussions? So I have to say you have a point there.Tho shouldn't the stickies be put up up up then? Above the rest?

 

[Nintendude]

Well just besides that it's E3 News but it's in the armor part of the forums, but I think if it could be done the stickies should go right above the noob section.

 

[Archien]

Well just besides that it's E3 News but it's in the armor part of the forums, but I think if it could be done the stickies should go right above the noob section.

Depends on how the forum is set up , there are full forum programs and self programmed once. I am studying to be a programmer so as far as I know if its a preprogrammed forum there should be an easy add/etc/etc buttons for it. But of course that's not for me to decide ^^

 

[AceHigh]

Have you ever actually thought about why people react in this manner?



I have been reading the forum for about 2 months, and been a member since mid january. The first thing I did before joining, was to educate myself in the forum rules. It's common sense, regardless if you have been a member of other forums or not. Not giving a **** about forum rules and posting whatever you want wherever you want (or rather can) means you are disrespecting the forum owners and the entire community, you simply just don't care.



It's quite clear to me that people who care less about reading rules are also often the most ungrateful people around. They want to be spoon fed the information, but they can't give a simple thanks. They are also often packing 10 times as much attitude as any helper on the forum does, bashing anybody who doesn't give them exactly what they want. They are also probably not likely to pass on the knowledge to other noobs, because that's somebody else's job.



If you do read the forum rules, you are very clearly told that you should not post new threads about every little matter. You should read the stickies and use the search function. This is what we are being told by the forum owners/moderators. Of course anybody who read the rules are highly likely to pass that knowledge on to somebody who clearly didn't give a **** when he/she joined.



Still, if I enlighten a noob about the forum rules, I'm a jerk? Something in that math doesn't quite add up.



That being said, of course we should treat noobs with respect, but long time members deserve respect as well, especially from noobs as they are more or less dependant on the veterans to teach them. It's a two way street, unless you give respect, you won't receive it.

 

[Archien]

You have a very strong point, but there are those you mention that lack the respect to search things, but also those that are so excited that they ask something straightforward. To bad tho that the first mentioned mostly ruin it for the second mentioned.

 

[Boba Fett]

I have to agree with AceHigh to an extent. There have been posts under the same title of a sticky and the like. If they actually read the process, they'll figure it out. I lurked for about a month before joining, reading stickies, viewing other's posts, etc to learn how to make armor. IF there's a certain process that I really don't understand, I'll ask. Example, how many layers of fiberglass should I lay down? As far As I know, I don't remember reading something like that. I might as the question. But if someone asks what type of paper to print on, he obviously didn't read a thing. If he asks what lb of cardstock is recommended, or how to use a different process to sub for cardstock, it's a useful post. I ageree, treat people with respect, but I can also relate that it can somewhat anger people who have done the work, read the tutorials, and learned from trial and error. Last mention, the E3 section, axe it. I totally agree that's it's virtually useless, and general discussion or halo-related topics is a good place. 1 forum for the stickies might really help, and if they were all reformatted, titled, and consolidated to 1 post, there would be less confusion. It would also be nice to link new members to the stickies section, so they are instantly immersed into learning new processes. Just my 2cents.

 

[0235]

yeah, i spent a good solid week of looking at how it was done, checking out other peoples stuff to make sure that i could do it, and when i get stuck, i just use the Noob Q&A section.

 

[BenStreeper]

All I'm saying is follow the golden rule guys. If you wouldn't want it said to you like that, then don't say it to someone else. I understand the frustration, and the lack of respect shown by asking such questions, Trust me I get them non stop. But it is just as easy if not easier to answer them, or give them a link to the answer, than it is to belittle them, and give a sarcastic "read the stickies" response.

 

[CommanderFluffy]

nintendodude... forgot you were still active with the q&a team.. i havent seen many others around.



i agree with everyones comments that things can be changed.. but we cant do it. we need staff or admin aproval. but we cannot do that without adam. he has always been the site leader.



ben i do agree with you.. the link thing i try not to do all to often... unless someone has posted 2-3 times the same question. then i do the hole. oh god really link here... then i post the link... the first part was inner head diolouge.

 

[mc halo3]

We are human inside remember that,we all deserve respect,It doesn't matter if you read the stickies when you started like big friggin' deal mmkay,the stickies have been read like a million times,if a noob needs help use the knowledge from the stickies (if you read them on good intention,NOT just because you didn't wanna get banned) and help the noobs-answer them head on,don't give to many links to like 40 page topics,it just confuses them and makes them ask more questions and just because you've made a prop and have the 'veteran' status,you aren't a veteran until you help a fellow noob.Oh and for noobs out there-don't be ashamed because it says 'noob' on your status,heck even Adam was a noob when he created this site(well kinda i think).



Don't get agitated at a noob asking Q's and all,remember this:"if we didn't seek,we wouldn't find" and you always need older folks to help you seeking.



EDIT:Lol check how many times i used "Noob" in the reply,lol.