Do You Ever Wonder

[gypsysmum]

How can players find the question section, but can't find the OA, or the FAQ?

It's becoming ridiculous, and so many times I see the Mods direct players to the FAQ, then there's another question, from the same player. Is it laziness, stupidity, what? Should the OA and FAQ be bolded in some way?

[Kaydd2]

I thought I was being pedantic for thinking the same thing, for quite some time:confused:

[MstryBabe]

Upon thinking back to when I first came to this forum, I really do think the FAQ especially, should be made to stand out in a more prominent way. I have toyed with the idea of becoming a Mod here but decided against it, for some of the reasons you stated and more. :p

Strangely, I had more patience when I was younger. Now that I am much, much older, my patience has weaned. Is that atypical?

[Kaydd2]

Strangely, I had more patience when I was younger. Now that I am much, much older, my patience has weaned. Is that atypical?
I'm the opposite

[MstryBabe]

I'm the opposite

Yeah, my best guess is that I am not typical lol.

[Kaydd2]

Neither am I

[Janisella]

What I wonder is why would anyone post in a forum (any forum) without browsing through it first to see how it works? Do they think they're that special that they can come in and do what they want without studying the lay of the land first? The forum sections have little descriptions, so for the most part it's obvious where to ask questions, where to play games, etc.

Any why oh WHY would anyone not at least look at the thread titles before starting a thread? Is originality so out of style that people don't mind looking like copy-cats starting another thread asking the same question that's already been answered 5 times on the first question page?

I don't know if my issue is patience or dislike of non-thinking.

[MstryBabe]

I don't know if my issue is patience or dislike of non-thinking.

I've got issues with both of those. :D

[Janisella]

I guess the other thing that blows my mind about posting questions without first looking for the answer, is why would anyone want to be tied to the forum all day? By taking the time to find the FAQ or Announcement (or skimming the question sections and read what other players in a similar question have been advised), and finding the answer my own question, I can go on my merry way, do my farming, and get on with what I need to do today. I don't have to keep coming back to the forum to check and see if my question has been answered yet.

[Grams2011]

Strangely, I had more patience when I was younger. Now that I am much, much older, my patience has weaned. Is that atypical?

I am like you Mst.........got older, got cranky.
Just ask my grandkids. Use to be able to let them bicker for over an hour
without it bothering me. Now it only takes about 10 minutes of it and I am
putting each in their "corner" of the house...lol
I babysit them before and after school each weekday, and sometimes all day
when school is on holiday.

But I do remember when I was new to the game. It does take some time to
navigate the forum and find the right place to post or find something, whether it be a question, a steam, or comment. Therefore, some of us just may not be as quick thinking or computer savvy as someone else.
Lucky for me, I latched onto a computer before there was even an Internet.
So, I learned programming language and computer operation. Also took it in
college when you had to operate your computer from DOS. But a lot of people are new to this technology.

I think tolerance is the key here. The mods certainly earn their perks in the forum, but they are "everyone's" voices. Quite a job for a volunteer.
I do feel the mods will handle it in their instructed way. I have had many a
thread closed on me when my problem was not solved. So, the mods do
have their methods of "defense" in which to utilize.

Maybe since this "raws" up some in the forum, it needs to be taken to the steam room.

This is just one old woman's opinion....

[SuzeeRabbit]

Grams, you pretty much said it all for me.
I remember when I first started playing this game. I just wanted a quick answer to the first few problems and get back to my game. It didn't occur to me that there was a community on the forum. Or to look for FAQs or OAs or anything. And that coming from someone that cut their teeth on IBM mainframes and VAX 11/780s, then spent most of their career in RTFs and UNIX.

I've met people who think they are computer savvy because they know how to read email. And wouldn't have a clue about directory structure. Besides not everyone is a genius like us. I've been told the forum is open to all ages. Which is another way of saying all levels of education and intelligence.

[Janisella]

G It didn't occur to me that there was a community on the forum. Or to look for FAQs or OAs or anything.

I started the same way. I just wanted to play the game, and figured the forum was more like a place to 'chat' about the game, so I didn't check it out for a few weeks. I read and reread the game rules from the help icon. I probably missed some special events in those first weeks since I didn't check out the forum (of course, I thought I was just playing a farm game - it never occurred to me there would be special events either). There should be a way that when new players click on the 'help' icon, they are strongly advised to go to the forum for the latest information.

My point is, once the forum is discovered, it takes a lot of gall to post without reading first. In joining any group as a newbie (on line or off), it's common courtesy to observe how things are done before making your mark. In 10 minutes of browsing the section titles and descriptions, it's pretty easy to see what kind of things are going on where. It's also pretty easy to see that there are rules posted at the top of each section and click on them to read them. It has little to do with computer knowledge, and more to do with chutzpah.

[Grams2011]

I started the same way. I just wanted to play the game, and figured the forum was more like a place to 'chat' about the game, My point is, once the forum is discovered, it takes a lot of gall to post without reading first. In joining any group as a newbie (on line or off), it's common courtesy to observe how things are done before making your mark.

I don't agree with this line of thinking. I did not even want a neighbor until I had been playing a month. I figured it was just another way for them (BP) to track me and try to sell me things. I just wanted to play a simple farm game.
I also did not even open the forum out of curiosity until after the month I acquired some neighbors. I was playing blind. When I did finally open the forum, I had difficulty finding things and didn't want to spend all my time in a forum. I dislike chat rooms, etc. and felt that was all the forum was used for. I do not feel "common courtesy" involves how one uses the forum or navigates it. The common courtesy/rules come into play when it comes to being courteous and not using flamatory language. I feel that judging someone for how they use the forum would be like judging me for how I use my time on my computer. How someone uses the forum or however many questions they ask is for the mods to monitor, and it does not affect my play of the game nor my use of the forum.

Again..........tolerance........different strokes for different folks.
Not everyone was born with a silver Ipad in their crib or an Iphone mobile.

@Suzee: UNIX? omg.......I remember that clumsy program too!!!
Do you remember CompuServe.......$6.00 for every minute used.
That was all there was before the Internet......lol

[novapsyche]

Oh my gosh, someone mentioned VAXen. VMS in the house!

I would love to see mods start telling newbies, "RTM."

[SuzeeRabbit]

Geez... once again Grams is reading my mind and stating things so much more diplomatically than I would.

Grams, UNIX is actually quite eloquent. It has a very steep learning curve. And I had to teach myself. :eek: It's still used quite extensively by CGI and R&D. I never wasted money on Compuserve. I had access to the internet at work and newsgroups. lol Then I went on disability and the WWW came along. It was a while before I was able to afford it tho.

novapsyche, lol. We had a VAXectomy and we migrated to Suns. With the some of the guys I worked with it was usually RTfM. Altho they usually didn't treat me that way. Even tho they had PhDs and I didn't. Actually the more educated they were, the nicer they were.

[Bella-B]

the FAQ and the OA was what made me hang out here in the first place. Never really needed to ask a lot of questions, because the answer is to be found before I even knew I had a question.

But then I like to find out things myself. I have a real life friend who always asks before she even engage her brain. It's just how she was made. Sure it's frustrating at times, but we are all wired differently. And some of us may miss a few wires too. (speaking of myself of course)

You can lead a horse to the water, but you can't make it drink. (or something like that)

[linibot]

It's a cultural thing too. I've lived in my share of countries, and I notice basic differences in how people approach information finding. In Mid European countries like Germany for example, people tend to look for written information in form of rule books, pamphlets, official websites and such. In Southern Europe and the Middle East people tend to seek their information through other people, especially people of some form of higher power in the given setting. Cultural differences like that often become the subject of jokes (or may even promote racist thinking). They are hidden behind racist prejudices, like the image of the "stupid Greek" asking the clerk at the counter in Austria a question that is being answered on a big sign above the clerk's head. For the Greek at that moment the sign holds less authority than the clerk, while for the Austrian it is exactly the other way around. Just fodder for thought.

I too, avoided the forum in the beginning except for FAQs and OAs, and I did without neighbours for a long while. I'm normally a loner at gaming. I too will try to search for info on my own before asking someone else. I'm just saying that not everyone thinks that way. That's not to say that intellectually lazy people don't exist. Just that lenience should be granted, to all while they're new at something, to the young until they learn, to the old until they adjust (or forever, depends), to the challenged always, and to the culturally challenged until they get it explained to them what the proper way of action is within a new setting, with time to adjust.

*The countries are chosen randomly as an example. Take that as an official disclaimer please.

[MstryBabe]

Lucky for me, I latched onto a computer before there was even an Internet.So, I learned programming language and computer operation. Also took it in college when you had to operate your computer from DOS. But a lot of people are new to this technology.

Gosh me too Grams. My Sophmore year in college the only two computer courses that were offered were Intro to APL and Pascal. Years later, my first computer was a 486DX with 4MB of memory. Originally ran on DOS and later converted to a Pentium, with a whopping 32MB of memory. Laughable now but I am sure you can relate. :D

[csznerch]

@Bella - and sometimes you can't even get that stupid beast (the horse) down to the water in the first place (speaking from experience) ;)

The 'old' computer talk is bringing back some memories. Now, I have a graphing calculator with more memory storage than my first two computers, combined.

Back to topic: Being a teacher, I am used to repeating the same message over and over again "Please put your name on your paper". I have to say it every class, every day for the whole year and still I have students submit work without their name on it. I figure the MODs have it the same way "Please check the FAQ". They probably type it without a second thought. It's automatic and they will have to say it again and again. It would be great if people would search the forum before asking a question that has been asked many times before, but they're not going to. I like what linibot said, sometimes it's a cultural nuance and sometimes it's age (old or young, doesn't matter). Bless the MODs for their patience. I know I want to pull may hair out in class, I can only imagine how they feel sometimes.

[venussunfire]

I realise that people generally find thst if its someone's job to do something, they should not have to make it easier for you. So for instance if they need info that's what the mods are there for so why search and find it themselves. Also some people have no shame, me, I would be completely embarassed if I asked a question and was directed to the most obvious of places to get the info and I realise that some others are like that, hence the I might look stupid/ at the risk of sounding dumb/etc. and all the embarassed emoticons that are used.

I did not post for weeks after playing the game so that I could research the forum and get acquainted with stuff. Only recently have my posts picked up because I have found more stuff that interest me, like this post for instance :)