it sucks and there's nothing we can do about it

[AceInHole]

newbies....

but it really isn't just newbies. it's people who don't think, or more specifically, don't think for themselves. lately, there seems to be a wave of such people coming to zilvia.net. or maybe i'm just on later than usual????


anyways, it's like you can try to be the better person and help them out, and point them on the right path, but then it feels like the people you try to help get stupified and ask even dumber questions and do even dumber things. unfortunately, this cycle isn't uncommon, and in the past it seems has caused the loss (or at least temporary leave) of some of the respected (or notorious) members on this forum.

the thing is.... is there nothing we can do about it??


edit: god.... it just came up... "zilvia really feels like nico now". And no, I'm not saying NICO is bad.... just that zilvia always had a different and distinct feel that was in between the so called "elitist" mentality and the "it's all just for fun and games" philosophy.... that sometimes feels like is slipping away.

[Bbandit]

the trick is to keep acting like an ass (which most of us did :p ) everytime newbies ask stupid questions
and turn his thread burst into flame HAhaHAHaHah
those newbies will go away and move to another forum eventually

[Dousan_PG]

we were all newbs at one point......but a lot of us did RESEARCH first.

anyways, this is JUST THE BEGINNING

what i get for helping a newbie (http://www.zilvia.net/f/showthread.php?s=&threadid=25982)

[logo20]

the trick is to keep acting like an ass (which most of us did ) everytime newbies ask stupid questions
that's not gonna work, more mods and a newbie section would help control the misinformation and stupidity better.
Most of the question newbies ask have been ask before so this 'newbie section' would be mostly to tell newbies that zilvia.net has alot of information in older threads and links and before posting they need to SEARCH.

[Jeff240sx]

Ok. Two people have brought up moderation as a problem and solution to this "newbie onslaught".
You tell me what I, and other moderators, can possibly do! I will reply and let you know if it's acceptable for I/us to do it, but come on.. give me your opinion on how moderators can help.
Don't just blame people blindly for something they have no control over.
-Jeff

[ruf]

It's all your fault. :p

Nothing. Just weather the onslaught. DrYpHtOrZ will go away eventually when something else is trendier. If it is that much of a bother, pick up a new/different project car. That's what I'm doing. VIP BABY! hahaha!

[hookedup240]

We should have a newbie section it would only have to have one thread in it called ANSWERS TO ALL YOUR QUESTIONS. then when they open it there should be a link to the Search Button.
haha

[DefiantGSR]

Originally posted by hookedup240
We should have a newbie section it would only have to have one thread in it called ANSWERS TO ALL YOUR QUESTIONS. then when they open it there should be a link to the Search Button.
haha

OH SHIT HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA!!!! thats a hella funny ass idea! good one too

[Jeff240sx]

They wouldn't open it. Shit, we have 6,000+ members, and only 250 views of the sticky "Forum rules and guidelines" sticky post. Come on now.
-Jeff

[sykikchimp]

hey guys.. just an fyi- I'm now a mod. Just in time to help deal with this rediculous onslaught of ignorance..

I am with Jeff.. tell us what you guys think we should do..

I think maybe we should be a bit tougher.. delete threads that don't belong in the chat or tech forums, or simply move them to off topic if they have SOME relevence?

[madwilly240]

i'm glad sr20debt got banned. dousan was just tryin to help...... and since that thread is closed... i'll just say that bbandit, your custom emblem was one of the funniest things i've ever seen on the board.

as far as what the mods can do....

maybe you guys could set up something so that for the first month of membership.. all they can do is lurk, and they arent allowed to post until they have read 100 threads. or make em take a quiz with all the common newbie questions, and dont let em in till they get all of em right. that way they wont ask us.

[Dousan_PG]

ya thanks. i was trying to give him a straight answer, and i did, but i guess it wasnt good enough. oh well. whew, im hope my car is worth more then 1.50. bad resale on these 240sx! rats...

yeah emblem was funny as hell hehehehe..

not much mods can do. just deal with it i guess.....

[Kaizen]

i know... my post count is low, but i've been a "lurker" for over a year and a half before i even placed my first post, so let me give you my viewpoint as an "educated newbie"

right now i'm looking at it like this. the newbie thing will always be a problem as most of us know, but right now, with the sudden popularity of our cars, it's going to get a lot worse. maybe one day, there will be a hyundai craze, (lol) but for right now, they're here and it sucks.

the problem, like the mods say, is that they never read the pinnups, they will only read what they posted/subscribed to. we all see the newb posts and for the most part the only reason it's ever responded to is to tell them to use the search function, or to tell them that they have been misinformed (see dousan36's example). so maybe the soultion is, if they ask a frequently asked question, someone tell them to search, or give them the right answer, then lock up the thread. maybe after seeing all 3 of they're posts responded to in the same way, they'll get the point. this is just an idea, i realize it's a lot of work, or maybe unfair, but it's what i would do.

now i hope i'm right in assuming that we all would rather help someone than start a flame war with them so the answer here is education. we all come here to learn/teach stuff about our cars. we were all newbies once in our car lives, so even though it's annoying, be polite in giving information/telling them to use search, and instead of quitting the forum and ricing out they're car, the newbs might actually learn something and not be so newb-y. (like me! :) )

well thats my 2 cents. behave everyone.

-nick

[sykikchimp]

Something I've seen other forums do is if a member asks a question (any question) that has been asked before, the more "in the know" members will post asking the member to search, and will also post links to search results that they got searching for info on that topic..

Like:

New guy: I NEED SIL80!!

old member: It has been talked about a lot.. Search function yeilds these results:

-link-

-link-



Then report the post to the mods! we will then handle the thread appropriately.

Sound good?

[Bbandit]

thanks for your compliment about my custom emblem...
i will make more... h ell im gonna start a new custom emblem business :p

i agree with sykikchimp.. simple solution but it think it will work

[logo20]

jeff I didn't mean that Mods aren't doing a good job, but like
sykikchimp said i think mods should be a little tougher. for example, a week ago I started a thread about flush headlights-it was 3 pages long, then another guy started another thread about the same subject and then he did it again. Nobody else think we should have a newbie section? it could have the answers and links for newbies, sr swap, silvia front conversion, etc. put a sileightymania link so we don't have to see all those anoying threads and of course reminds them to search.

[Dousan_PG]

Originally posted by logo20
put a sileightymania link so we don't have to see all those anoying threads and of course reminds them to search.

PLEASE DONT!
i think the last thing sil80mania wants is 100000 people asking him about sil80 conversions

[ca18guy]

Originally posted by James
Solution to newbie threads:
1. Either cuss and insult them until they learn how things work.
(a little extreme- some of us might get banned)
2. Hijack every thread to discuss which fast food joint has the best burgers and fries. :p
(this only works when 2-3 guys know what's going on and can successfuly carry it out)
Anyone want to start hijacking? It's funny to imagine the look on a newbs face when their thread gets 30 replies...NONE concerning his question! :)

How bout you don't hi-jack threads and instead help the person
*gasp* maybe that one kind gesture could put them on the path of being a contributing member of the board :eek:

[sykikchimp]

Originally posted by ca18guy
How bout you don't hi-jack threads and instead help the person
*gasp* maybe that one kind gesture could put them on the path of being a contributing member of the board :eek:

naw..... that'll never work

It's just basic manners guys...

[ca18guy]

Originally posted by James
Not likely. If all their newb questions were answered politely then they would keep asking newb questions- no one has the patience for that- maybe if we were all girls- but we're 99.9% guys
{tim allen} grawww grawwwww{/tim allen}
We're talking about those with common sense and a brain versus those with no common sense and aren't using their brains.

Then I suggest you follow sykikchimps lead and use basic manners.

[ca18guy]

Originally posted by James
Ok, make a sticky saying that whoever doesn't answer a newb's thread directly (without saying to do a search) will get banned:rolleyes:

I'm not threatning anyone, just suggesting that some people should lay off alittle. Do as you please, but if I feel a thread is being hi-jacked i'll either lock it or delete all the unneccesary posts. On the other hand, if a thread is so redundant it makes me want to hurl, I would have no problem deleting it and PM the topic starter an explination.

[Dousan_PG]

Originally posted by James
I just got a craving for an animal style In-N-Out burger!
Those sandwiches are goooooood.
;)

uh-uh! you did NOT just say that!
damn you! damn you you filthy APE!!!!!

now i must have in n out for dinner
so delicious..mmmmmmmm

thanks!

[AceInHole]

It has been mentioned to me that the problem isn't even always the "newbies". There are a few people with very high post counts that some might say have NEVER contributed a useful post, and still rely on other people to do their thinking for them.

It has also been mentioned that people being initially rude to newbies is contributing to the problem (Of course, I won't say I am or am not guilty of this). So, what happens is we have a "dumb" question, followed up by a "dumber" response, and the problem becomes worse, as the "useless" thread is bumped up needlessly, for no other reason than for someone to be a dick and insult someone else while whoring one more post.

Finally, we can't blame the moderators. As has been stated already, we have the ability to report posts that should be locked or deleted. So, the only fix I can think of, is to treat everyone, including newbies, with common decency, and notify the "authorities" as soon as possible.

The only problem with that: is that the mods will end up swamped with e-mail from reported posts.... so.... is that fair for us to ask the moderators to deal with?

[sykikchimp]

Originally posted by AceInHole
The only problem with that: is that the mods will end up swamped with e-mail from reported posts.... so.... is that fair for us to ask the moderators to deal with?

I don't think it's unreasonable at all. I would hope to get feedback from you guys ANY time we have things oing on that shouldn't. You guys are our eyes and ears. Keep us informed.

[HaLo]

Maybe we should answer every stupid/covered question with a link to the search function. Pretty easy, polite and straight forward.

[Rennen]

I know I am just another stupid newbie:rolleyes: but I have also been lurking around for about a year.

I really liked the idea of the quiz. I think we can all agree that the source of the problem(and most problems in this world) is the lack of education. So in order to post on Zilvia there should be a required Quiz covering most typical "newbie" questions. While attempting this quiz, the new member should be allowed and encouraged to use the search function. This will enforce a self reliance on finding thier own answers, and clear up some of the most frequently asked questions.

I dont know if that is possible with our current programing or not, but it might help

-Matt

[russian]

hmm ok ace, werent you a newbie one day? give them a break.
not everyone is an encyclopedia, thats is why there are forums where people share stuff.
just a thought

[Mikes14240sx]

Originally posted by russian
hmm ok ace, werent you a newbie one day? give them a break.
not everyone is an encyclopedia, thats is why there are forums where people share stuff.
just a thought

But this is a new breed of newbie.

They ask stupid questions like where can i buy an exhuast or what should i do with my car next. Things that could easily be found on the internet or should be something they need to decide.

To get rid of them we need to find a new budget swap car. First was the civic now the 240. This is only the beginning, the worsed of the stupidity is still to come.:)

[Infamous]

am i a n00b?:(

i dont ask dumb questions..i just stay in my cage:(

[Mikes14240sx]

noobs are fine.:)
The stupid people suck.

[russian]

na you are aiight :)

[sykikchimp]

stupidity is a pet peeve of mine

[the head]

Lurking is my forte as you can see i rearely post unless i am sure i can actually help I think linking the search function would be the easiest way to remove the issue

as to the new inexpensive project car i think we should turn the peeps on to the tiightness of the Gremlin or Pacer:D

[russian]

s13 is reletively inexpensive project car, still its much more than most civics. i just like the fact that all the **** for civics is so cheap! kinda sucks for us ... :)

[octane103]

i think kaizen made a couple pretty good points..;)

there's my 2 cents....please spend it wisely:p

[HippoSleek]

The NICO-ization has been coming for a long time -- he11, I remember battling w/ James over my harsh treatment of nubes. Now the shoe's on the other foot. Irony - not the Alanis type.

Remember that the board is what you make it. Flaming has worked for other boards -- it didn't work here. Tight policing has worked for other boards -- it might work here.

[AceInHole]

Originally posted by russian
hmm ok ace, werent you a newbie one day? give them a break.
not everyone is an encyclopedia, thats is why there are forums where people share stuff.
just a thought

I had a fairly long reply that got messed up when submitted.

Here's the jist of it:

Here's me as a newbie on Freshalloy. (http://forums.freshalloy.com/ubbthreads/dosearch.php?Cat=&Forum=UBB9&Words=AceInHole&Match=Username&Searchpage=46&Limit=25&Old=allposts)

Here's my first thread on Freshalloy. (http://forums.freshalloy.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=UBB9&Number=50501&Forum=UBB9&Words=AceInHole&Match=Username&Searchpage=44&Limit=25&Old=allposts&Main=50501&Search=true#Post50501) notice how it isn't the first thing I ever posted, rather it's some 50 - 60 posts into my time spent on FA.

Somewhere in there you can also find me arguing my single wiper, getting bashed pretty bad by some older members (all in good fun though).

So, yes I was a newbie. But, isn't what we're asking the newbies here to do, the same thing I stated in my first FA thread??
Since I'm relatively new (i guess, since i haven't started my own thread until now), i haven't really seen much on the "Do-it-yourself" custom turbo. Everyone talks about kits or swaps, but a few people say they've seen ones put together.
For the minimalist: What do you need to put together a KA turbo? Say around 7 lbs. of boost? So far, here's what i've seen. . .
Do some research yourself. Put together what you know. Then ask questions on specific things that you have found in your searches. I mean, I'm not the only person who's ever done this. Lots of other members here on zilvia started their "newbie" careers on the right foot. So, why can't we simply ask everyone else to just try to do the same?

[blatch]

I am a newbie on these forums (relatively). But I do know your pain. Over at indyimport.com, where I have a thousand-something posts, we just had an influx of newbies. It sucks.

[Phlip]

Originally posted by Jeff240sx
Ok. Two people have brought up moderation as a problem and solution to this "newbie onslaught".
You tell me what I, and other moderators, can possibly do! I will reply and let you know if it's acceptable for I/us to do it, but come on.. give me your opinion on how moderators can help.
Don't just blame people blindly for something they have no control over.
-Jeff
I distinctly seem to recall a certain mod, who suggested that we make all newbies read the official post whore thread, as a hazing ritual... That would learn the sumbatches...
Originally posted by hookedup240
We should have a newbie section it would only have to have one thread in it called ANSWERS TO ALL YOUR QUESTIONS. then when they open it there should be a link to the Search Button.
haha
That might work, just make reading it a part of the registration process...


[off topic]CA, your avatar says greensboro now, you sure you got the right color? We live in greensboro, and I thought YOU were going to Goldsboro? I have no issue with that, you can chill with steeles, dirk and myself on our (now) damn near weekly trips to hooter's...[/off topic]

[ca18guy]

Originally posted by PHLIP


[off topic]CA, your avatar says greensboro now, you sure you got the right color? We live in greensboro, and I thought YOU were going to Goldsboro? I have no issue with that, you can chill with steeles, dirk and myself on our (now) damn near weekly trips to hooter's...[/off topic]

Damn I'm stupid! I think I was talking with someone about Greensboro when I entered that in! Oh well its changed now, thatks for pointing that out :eek:

[Phlip]

Originally posted by ca18guy
Damn I'm stupid! I think I was talking with someone about Greensboro when I entered that in! Oh well its changed now, thatks for pointing that out :eek:
There, that's better then... But you should still come up to the OTHER G'boro when you get a chance

[Tyler Durdan]

What about a welcoming page to newly regist. members? A page that is brought up before they completely sign up. Something that says, welcome to zilvia...yada yada yada...here are some faq about turbos with search results, recommended shops, and guidelines. This will cut down a lot on the bullsh*t threads about sr vs. ka-t, will an rb26 fit, etc. It won't get rid of all of them, but a lot. Most people won't bother reading the sticky notes, so make something that pops up before they get their sn registered.

I don't think it fair to the four or so moderators to be responsible for keeping these forums clean either....senior members should step up and respond a little nicer even after dipsh*t responses from newbs...James included;) . Besides, Travis (tnord) and Campain were the only guys who could properly torch a newb anyways.

As for a newb hangout, that takes up bandwith that could be used for better things. Just my thoughts...take em or leave em.