Suggestion: General Everyday Guides/Tips

[Cello]

*shrug* This would be an off-topic forum. We already have a forum for music; Other & Japanese Entertainment, and art; Art Gallery.

This would be the place to go if it doesn't belong in a forum already existing, I feel.

Ha ha, my apologies. I think I misunderstood your original post. xD

So you mean for this sub-forum to be just dedicated to the subjects that don't already have a designated forum?
I feel like that might would be a bit disorganized having user-written guides shuffled all over the community like that. Plus I feel that the majority of the users wouldn't use those sub-forums like that. People who go to Music section hope to talk about musicians rather than how to make music.

I actually don't think most members are aware of the fact that they might could have posted guides in those sections.

And although most sub/forums have a pinned thread redirecting users to other guides spread out over the internet, there may still be something a member would like to share that isn't covered in those guides.

Most guides written will likely involve an art or craft anyhow.

I dunno, it's up to you guys.

 

[Nick]

Playing guitar falls under music, which in turn relates to Other Entertainment.

 

[Percy Thrillington]

I'd really like this idea to see the light of day. Don't know why but it just wouldn't feel right posting 'guides' in their specified forum as opposed to posting them in a forum for guides.

 

[Cello]

I'm not so interested in this idea anymore.

It seems like the idea was pretty much skinned down to the bone into something pretty uninteresting and quite honestly boring and destined to fail.

I mean yeah, we still have cooking and maybe some kind of a... social guide? But past that, it's too general. Too general for the Other Chat area, anyways.

I figured that if this idea were to come to life it's likely it would've wound up under Fan Fiction and Writing under the Creative Discussions section, which is exactly what this idea was; A section dedicated to user written guides that were to promote the learning of various creative activities.

I know there are sections for certain topics, but like I said, most users fail to realize that they actually are allowed to create guides on how to do these activities in those designated areas of the forums. I just skimmed over Other Entertainment and the Arts section and I didn't see anything, and it will stay that way because the members might feel that if they were to post something like that there, they would get infracted.

If you were to advertise that guide posting is allowed in that area, it would create unorganized chaos and render this idea near useless.

Activity in the areas (Other Entertainment, Art) would not suffer because those guides don't exist in those areas already. If anything, these guides would promote MORE activity.
The arts section would have new artist participating in showing off their art, Other Entertainment may have people showing off something they wrote, Game Development would have people posting concepts for games.

That seems to flow together pretty nicely if you ask me.

 

[Melody]

Couldn't these guides fit in their respective sections? I mean, I've made one on how to read music, I believe it was posted in Other Entertainment, and what's stopping a member posting a guide on how to play guitar in the same section? I wouldn't have an issue with it. If people were keen on making guides, then there would have been more attempts to make them. Photoshop lessons could go in G&P, coding lessons in Webmasters Discussion (if they're web based obviously), knitting in Life the Universe and Everything (possibly), cooking in Other Entertainment (cooking shows are pretty popular so I'd accept them).

I'd like to see more guides to be honest, I think it would be totally cool, but if there's a demand for it, I think we could possibly stretch another sub forum in Other Chat/Other Entertainment for every day guides, if we were to add a section that is. Other wise, there's sections all over PC in which these can fit.

Playing guitar falls under music, which in turn relates to Other Entertainment.

You see, you two are right there are indeed places where these guides might fit in, but the problem is twofold:
1. The existing sections they may relate to indirectly do not necessarily share the proper atmosphere for guide making, and they'd be lost among the other inane but topical threads which are inevitably allowed in such places.
2. The need for moderation of these guides is crucial to the success of this idea, merely because we know the limitations of our members. It is necessary to ensure that the guides stay what they need to be...Guides. If they need to modQ both new threads AND replies, then so be it. If only new threads are modQ'd then that's fine too. It's really up to how much the staff feels the members can handle this.

I am aware of previous attempts at guide-forums here on PC, but they lacked just what we're suggesting now, Moderation and careful supervision. If we try to make a guide subforum for each existing off-topic forum, then these subforums will be as dry and lifeless as the desert is.

If we just put our eggs into the same basket, it won't be so dead, and it'd rightly justify the need for a subforum. We don't need to exclude any non-pokemon related topic from this section...it needs all the threads it can get, and individual off-topic sections can merely post a sticky with the related guides posted in the Guide section listing all the guides relating to that section rather than maintaining their own "Guides" section/stickies. (This also cuts down on sticky overload...so only the important stuff is stickied.)

Title and description would be great as follows:
Life & Recreation
A Place where you can learn different skills from different members, from A to Z.
Pokemon related guides can be found in their appropriate sections. Hacking Guides go in Emulation. No Pokemon Game play guides here.

 

[Cello]

In addition to the original idea, i've got quite a few things to add to the possible construction of the area in terms keeping it nice and organized:

• A pinned thread for "Guide Suggestions/Discussion", this way people could suggest a guide for others to write about or allow writers to see if others would be interested in a guide they plan on writing.
• A pinned thread for small, sub-forum related questions. (Much like Simple Questions thread in ROM hacking)
• Required prefixes for threads, such as "Art", "Music", "Film", and so on. Also have "Other" for guides that don't apply to other prefixes.
• As mentioned, have threads approved by moderation team.
• Allow video tutorials, but no YouTube links/advertisement allowed.
• Keep a regularly updated index, organized by the forum prefixes, for easier navigation.

As for technology-related guides, of course not allowing the guides such as "How to set up your iPod", "How to setup a custom ringtone", or "How to install THIS program."
Where should the line be drawn? Like at more specific, field related technological guides such as something along the lines of "How To create a Moon in Photoshop"?

I imagine if the Computing/Technology section was filled up with small Photoshop/Art guides like that it would get pretty tiring for the section Moderator.

 

[Astinus]

I figured that if this idea were to come to life it's likely it would've wound up under Fan Fiction and Writing under the Creative Discussions section

Er, why? Yes, it's writing, but... I wouldn't go to FF&W for a guide on how to play the guitar or how to code a website. FF&W already has guides for writing, because that's where they fit (and there's a lot, so we have a directory that's easy to find). But other guides might fit elsewhere, such as Gav's guide to reading music fitting better in OE, where people go to discuss music.

I mean, while the idea is a good one and could help the member base of PC, I feel it doesn't belong in my section because of how general it is. It's writing guides, but not every written guide falls into my section.

 

[Nick]

The major flaw with this idea is the fact that it will be placed in an off-topic forum. The off-topic forums are last resort forums. That's why they're at the bottom. If a topic doesn't belong in any other forum in the community, the idea is to post it in an off-topic forum and it'll fit in just fine. The problem when you try to implement an idea that brings in ideas that are already focused on in other forums throughout the community is that the line between what belongs in the off-topic forums and what belongs in forums that have specific topics dedicated to them blurs. I like the idea, but unless we can figure out a way to implement it without blurring the edges between forums, I don't think it would be supported much in HQ.

 

[Cello]

Er, why? Yes, it's writing, but... I wouldn't go to FF&W for a guide on how to play the guitar or how to code a website. FF&W already has guides for writing, because that's where they fit (and there's a lot, so we have a directory that's easy to find). But other guides might fit elsewhere, such as Gav's guide to reading music fitting better in OE, where people go to discuss music.

I mean, while the idea is a good one and could help the member base of PC, I feel it doesn't belong in my section because of how general it is. It's writing guides, but not every written guide falls into my section.

It was just an assumption, not a suggestion.
I assumed that if the original idea were implemented, the Administration team would have fit it in there seeing as it is writing.

The major flaw with this idea is the fact that it will be placed in an off-topic forum. The off-topic forums are last resort forums. That's why they're at the bottom. If a topic doesn't belong in any other forum in the community, the idea is to post it in an off-topic forum and it'll fit in just fine. The problem when you try to implement an idea that brings in ideas that are already focused on in other forums throughout the community is that the line between what belongs in the off-topic forums and what belongs in forums that have specific topics dedicated to them blurs. I like the idea, but unless we can figure out a way to implement it without blurring the edges between forums, I don't think it would be supported much in HQ.

Well, judging by what the fellow users have to say:

I'd really like this idea to see the light of day. Don't know why but it just wouldn't feel right posting 'guides' in their specified forum as opposed to posting them in a forum for guides.

1. The existing sections they may relate to indirectly do not necessarily share the proper atmosphere for guide making, and they'd be lost among the other inane but topical threads which are inevitably allowed in such places.

And of course what I've already mentioned twice; Guide making is what these existing sections lack. The users don't post guides there and wont because they feel it is against that section's rules.

If you all of a sudden did allow this, as Pachy mentioned, it would just mixed together with the discussion topics.

That would be like if you merged the Hacking Guides in with Hacking Discussion over in ROM hacking.

 

[Nick]

And of course what I've already mentioned twice; Guide making is what these existing sections lack. The users don't post guides there and wont because they feel it is against that section's rules.

That argument is flawed. If users aren't posting guides within a section that has a set topic, making a new forum all together to fix that won't do anything. It's a problem within the individual forum. The only way to fix it would be within that forum.

 

[Cello]

That argument is flawed. If users aren't posting guides within a section that has a set topic, making a new forum all together to fix that won't do anything. It's a problem within the individual forum. The only way to fix it would be within that forum.

Again;

"Don't know why but it just wouldn't feel right posting 'guides' in their specified forum as opposed to posting them in a forum for guides."
and
"The existing sections they may relate to indirectly do not necessarily share the proper atmosphere for guide making"

It's not that the users lack the will to write a guide. The users feel uncomfortable posting them there because nowhere does it mention anything about guides, it just mentions discussion.
The art section only mentions posting artwork.
So on and so forth.

Heck, if I would have known that posting guides in their related section was allowed, I wouldn't have posted this topic because I felt that I would have gotten the response that you're giving me right now.

There isn't a lack of people willing to write guides. I guarantee that if you make a section we will certainly have people willing to write guides. "If you build it, they will come" comes to mind in this situation.
If what you're implying is true, then if you were to create this "Other Guide" section you're speaking of, no one would write any guides for it either.

Writing guides is a great way to share knowledge with others and really open up to the community. I know that when I made a guide for the ROM hacking section, it allowed me to make a lot more friends here, whereas before I was just some new guy. This is what motivates people to write guides. You're helping others to learn something they're interested in, and the readers are appreciative for that.

 

[LightOfTruth]

Guides are a good idea in there own area of the forum. Maybe above emulation :)

 

[countryemo]

No as a sub forum with otherchat or just as a forum its sellf in the off topics ^

I would like this to happen, cant wait :)

I thought of a request/ect quide thread at school =o.

I think even if its goes with
art / music / ect. It should still go in the guide section.
Except Pokemon, or walk throughs like mentioned.

And about guides in the regular area, bc getting warned/or something. I dont really get that. but I guess thats why I never see any, though there are writting/photoshop/hack/game tuts in their sections. which is good. but all the other should go in here :P

EDIT: And the advice thread can join in too :D
if its usefull >.>. We should be able to post sepreate if it was big enough

 

[Spinor]

The major flaw with this idea is the fact that it will be placed in an off-topic forum. The off-topic forums are last resort forums. That's why they're at the bottom. If a topic doesn't belong in any other forum in the community, the idea is to post it in an off-topic forum and it'll fit in just fine. The problem when you try to implement an idea that brings in ideas that are already focused on in other forums throughout the community is that the line between what belongs in the off-topic forums and what belongs in forums that have specific topics dedicated to them blurs. I like the idea, but unless we can figure out a way to implement it without blurring the edges between forums, I don't think it would be supported much in HQ.

The purpose of a forum would be to make discussion. The subforum we are going for is basically discussion for each independent tutorial posted there, and not necessarily the topic related to the tutorial itself.

 

[ANARCHit3cht]

I honestly have mixed feelings about this.

Guides for Playing Guitar could easily be placed in Other Entertainment, but I don't think they would last long against all the hustle and bustle of that section.

Another thing, there are guides that people would write. (E.G. Cooking, Cleaning) that wouldn't fit in any sections that we have now, and surely couldn't be placed in OC.

 

[Spinor]

I feel that most of the reasons against this are looking like overanalysis. We don't want to overanalyze this because it's clearly a good idea that many feel would be useful and to reject it because of a few people's paranoia of activity and topics would be a pretty big waste. This is an opportunity for members of this community that are very knowledgeable in a sort of field to share their knowledge with others of very common interests. It may have been said that any of this stuff can be Googled, but it's not the same to Google something than to find it conveniently in a community, that we all know is very civilized and very big, that you are a part of.

The tutorials and tip threads can be of many ranges, so then it would be useful to include a sticky thread for requests and with counts of how many people request the same thing to see if someone can take that on. Most of it may be tech related but I will repeat: do the same thing for the TechMed forum besides OC.

 

[Cello]

I feel that we've discussed this enough and covered about everything we can.

We should just wait to see what the PC team decides, and hope its what we want.

 

[Melody]

I feel that most of the reasons against this are looking like overanalysis. We don't want to overanalyze this because it's clearly a good idea that many feel would be useful and to reject it because of a few people's paranoia of activity and topics would be a pretty big waste. This is an opportunity for members of this community that are very knowledgeable in a sort of field to share their knowledge with others of very common interests. It may have been said that any of this stuff can be Googled, but it's not the same to Google something than to find it conveniently in a community, that we all know is very civilized and very big, that you are a part of.

The tutorials and tip threads can be of many ranges, so then it would be useful to include a sticky thread for requests and with counts of how many people request the same thing to see if someone can take that on. Most of it may be tech related but I will repeat: do the same thing for the TechMed forum besides OC.

^THIS!^

Exactly how I feel. As I have stated in previous posts, putting guides in the forums relating to their topic will result in their neglect. They'll fall right off the edge of the page like the rest of the chatter, and we really DON'T want to see good information like that go to waste. A good one-stop-shop for all guides that are non-pokemon, non-gaming, and non-hacking related would be a GODSEND, and it'd really help those honest users who are TRYING to be intelligent.

You simply can't let a typical PC member loose in a library and expect them to find the cure for <insert disease here> even if they ARE intelligent and even IF the library contains all the answers in the world. The internet is similarly vast, confusing and a large portion of the internet is un-indexed, poorly indexed or left at the bottom of the index because of idiots who like to SEO to draw hits. >_>

Sometimes you just CAN'T find the right answers so easily through a few keywords and Google alone, simply because computers are incapable of thinking and processing information the way we do. No matter how complex the algorithm is...there will always be ****** results that have NOTHING to do with what you're searching for...because computers can be fooled. (SEO again...>_>)

Honestly, I've been flopped into a frying pan and fried to a crisp for over thinking...so it's high time that someone does that to some of the staff too. I'm honestly tired of seeing the staff being so damn hesitant to try a GOOD idea! If you think the idea is GOOD, THEN GIVE IT A TRY HUH?!

 

[Melody]

Yes. Indeed we shall wait and see. I do hope that the staff sees how beneficial that this idea could be.

 

[Eliminator Jr.]

I wouldn't have any objection to this. I don't believe making this forum would take any activity away from the ones that we currently have now because put simply guides don't exist on any of these boards.

Before this thread I didn't even have the idea of making a guide - with its own section people like me would see it and be encouraged to make a guide, and those who are interested in guides don't have to search all over the forums to find what they are looking for.