Stickies and Help

RAK

Extraordinary Member
Drew has just raised an interesting point, regarding a sticky on an old, and constantly repeated, query.
It is a topic which has troubled me for some time now. But, you can take the horse to water etc... How to get newbies (and a few others) to read stickies before asking a question.

Like many, I was using Betas from the start of the Windows 7 era. We could even include Vista in the argument, as many problems are common to both systems.
Since the public release of Windows 7, forums such as this have become inundated with requests for help, which have been repeated in the sites many times, over several years. I feel inadequate, merely linking them to a previous thread discussing the issue - but what else to do?
It is just as frustrating to reread long advice and help on the subject, from willing and enthusiastic members. Without such offers, those asking would , I imagine, quickly become disillusioned with the site they are on.
There is another odd spinoff to this. Over the years, I have built up a Dbase on my computer, with solutions to many of the problems. Some are reworded from the original, some are purely drop and drag from the original. Worst case is a couple of .reg files I constructed myself about 5 years ago.. I was recently embarresed, on a forum, with a subsequent post to my contribution and attachment of my own .reg, quote "thats old stuff - everyone knows that" lol.

But, I digress. How would you "nip it in the bud" before the posting event. No way that I know.
There is also a "chicken and egg" situation on the web. One could easily google, and find the answer to most problems, however imponderable. But from where would those answers come? From forums such as these.
But, imo, there do exists the ultimate forums where, if a solution exists, it will be posted up. As our member JessicaD too frequently points out, the Microsoft Technet forums is one such. On a side note there, however, any of you readers ever tried to navigate there? I am a frequent user, and ofet drop out of the site in pure frustration. Its immensity is its downfall.
Perhaps, as is on another well known site, a Windows 7 specific Tutorial section would fill the bill. Then, if enthusiastic helpers would keep up to date with it, they could merely quote?? This may not get them too many experience points, but the mission would be accomplished in a one liner.
To emphasise the point, and my reference, at the start, to Drew's comment. Today for example, when I first opened the site, there were five unread pages of new posts. Eliminating about 4½ of these pages (News and Watercooler links) as not relevant to this blog, there were ten genuine requests for advice and help. eight of these had previously been discussed in the forums.
Is there a solution? Maybe, as Windows 7 matures, the enquiries will naturally drop off. I doubt that, however, as, on another site I visit, I still see requests for common help with XP!!
 
'RAK' knows I agree about bringing visitors attention to giving THEIR attention to "Related Threads", Stickies or having a bank of FAQs or Solutions/Tips. Not necessarily by complex links or navigational tasks but, maybe just by a 'banner' @ the top of the main page suggesting looking @ such things before a query is posted.

2nd I have to say, many months ago I started writing & helping ppl both here and in the mentioned Microsoft Windows 7 Category forums site.... I tended to spend more & more time here, rather than there because it's overwhelming & hell to navigate or see everything, all areas @ once.. big in a sense... Windows 7 is actually only 1 of many, many things & products, all, really, when you right down to it, under the unbrella of 1 huge & diverse forum... it got tiring digging all over the place... Windows 7 Forums (here) is more enjoyable & 'relaxing', less effort to use.

Drew
 
I think that what's often overlooked in the equation is that maybe half of the people trying to resolve problems have very limited knowledge and experience with the operating system of a computer. That doesn't mean they are stupid. When I was growing up my parents had a part time business of raising pigs. My mother became an expert in the field of swine medicine. People from all over Alabama and other parts of the south would call her for help. She knew more than a lot of vetenerians. She is far from stupid... but I recently was trying to help her download photos from a digital camers my father had given her. She had such difficulty just figuring out how to move the mouse and making a few clicks to transfer, save and view the images that I felt like I was trying to teach a baby.

I'm sure a lot of people come here who can do incredible things that most of us would find nearly impossible. We don't want to make them feel stupid but we still have to ask basic questions like: "is it plugged in?" These people may be able to Google and find and research complex subject like law and medicine but they don't know exactly how to ask the question the will help them find a solution about how to download and install new drivers, or even know if they need new drivers or what drivers are. The members who help on these kinds of boards will help them fix stuff, without paying Microsoft to tell them they need to buy a new computer.

Unfortunately with the new format here I haven't seen a new problem posted in about a month. I suppose the questions are still posted somewhere but it takes too much effort to weed out the nonsense to find them. But this is obviously the way they want the board to work. Maybe people don't need anymore help and just want to find an index of youtube.
 
Printer needs to be ON , connected to the computer & in Devices & Printers set as the Default printer. If all else fails Re-install the printer... USB printer is Plug-n-Play... W7 will find the drivers & software & set the printer up automatically.

Cheers,
Drew
 
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