Suggestion for improving forums quality

[Marnomancer]

Hello, respected seniors.
I recently came across a few crude posts (threads, rather) by newcomers which were not very descriptive or informative or their problems, and were therefore not very easy to troubleshoot.
Around the same time, I happened to come across a thread started by SNGX1275, which elaborated very beautifully what an ideal thread/post should look like.
Now, the problem is, I only came across it by chance, when SNGX1275 was moderating a thread I had participated in. I had read it only because it was linked in his signature. And that might as well be the case with many other members.
So, despite being a good and must-read thread, it is often overlooked, ignored or unseen altogether. The reason being it is just lying in the Introduce Yourself Forum, and most don't even bother going to that section of the Forums.
I would suggest that it should be made mandatory for all newcomers to read, through the registration process or an automated message system containing the link to the thread for the first time they sign in, along with a note that it's mandatory. Or maybe even a stern command to read it. OK, ignore the last sentence.
That can ensure that the mentioned thread "Guide to make a good post/thread" is read by one and all, which will in turn ensure maximum possible quality on the Forums.
Sorry if I made any mistakes.

Yours faithfully,
Marnomancer.

 

[SNGX1275]

+1, but I'm a bit biased.

A few other people have that link in their signature.

 

[Marnomancer]

Sure, sir, but it's not necessary that their signatures are viewed by everyone, not to mention that they don't post on all forums. What I'm saying is, we can't be sure that it can be conveyed to everyone (as effectively as it would if it was made mandatory,) through signatures.
Long story short, the signature-method's success can't be guaranteed.
Hmm..Can it be sent as a pop-up to those posting for the first time?

 

[SNGX1275]

I wasn't advocating it being in everyone's signature, was just saying a few other people have it.

Obviously I agree everyone should read it, and I'd support it being the first thing people see before posting. But I don't know that it would make any difference, I think people would just skip over it like they do with the Terms of Service an EULAs on software.

I haven't done it in a while, but I think one of the more effective ways to get the message across is to attempt to respond to a post and then kindly ask them to read that guide to help them make better posts in the future.

It would be up to Julio if he wanted to include a link to it somewhere when a person signs up.

 

[Marnomancer]

You stole my words, sir!
Maybe it can be programmed in a way that the registration won't complete unless it's been read? Got that idea from Nokia.
The average time needed to read it can be calculated, and the 'Proceed' button only available after that time. If clicked, it can give a prompt to read it first.
Or, it can be sent as 'A Note From The Moderators' the first time they click the 'Post new thread' link. Any sensible person wouldn't ignore that.
Maybe Julio or Mario or Matthew or anyone else has a better idea than us both?

 

[Julio Franco]

Thank you for your feedback Marnomancer. It's not in our plans to impose anything to prospective users, that would only scare away good users and bad ones at the same time.

As I've mentioned a few times before on scattered posts, we are working on the transition to a new forum software and community platform and suggesting to read SNGX's guide along with our community guidelines (more prominently than we currently do) is a valid alternative.

Furthermore, we believe a self-regulating community works best, and the new platform will have more tools to make that happen (voting/liking posts, real-time user alerts on replies, etc.) so it's definitely going to be a step up from what we have today on TS.

 

[Marnomancer]

Sounds promising, sir. More like Facebook's mechanism.
Really sounds like a plan. Let's hope I'm on the beta-tester list. Haha. Just dandy.
Let's hope for the bright future of TechSpot, and a more ethically aware community. In the future, when I'm significantly more enlightened than I am now, on both technical and mental terms, I hope to do my best for the improvement and enrichment of this community. That's my aspiration. There are a handful of people here I honestly and humbly look up to, including you (No flattery intended). I still have a lot more to learn though. Let's see how I grow.
Anyway, I look forward to the new engine, and the subsequent enrichment.
Thanking you for your reply.
Yours,
Marnomancer.