Forum Quality

I know I'm relatively new to this site but when I first found it I thought it was a great place for professionals to share knowledge and help others. I still feel it has that potential. However, I've noticed that most of the newer posts are people that have just joined that day and post things along the lines of - "hi - I'm new!!! please send me all your tutorials!!". I know that not everybody here is a professional but it seems to me there could be more moderation of the groups going on to at least minimize the volume of these types of posts. I've been on other forums and seen them head down the same path this seems to be going down. Are any of the long-time users seeing this trend or has it always been this way?

it would be nice if they would add a new topic called tutorials and links


I think this would cut down on the same post you see every day


HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I need......................................


please send me now to [email protected]


It does seem like most people are unable tofind or to lazy to look for the search bar here. There is for the new user anyway most likely instant answers in seconds if they would use it.


while I know were here to help each other maybe we should ignore the post fromthe "RUDE" 1rst timer who leaves a message sounding like they will die if we do not help them immediatelyor a link to the search tool here because I think every web site link & tutorial has been posted here at sometime or another


The real question is will ADMIN change anything to keep the clutter out



Edited by: megaladon

It is too easy for a noobie to jump straight into posting a new topic. I think that posting a new topic should involve several steps:
1) Show links to FAQs, tutorials, file downloads, etc.
2) Procede to the search area.
Only after a user has performed a search and confirmed that none on the matches answered his question should he be able to post a new topic.

The FAQs on this site could also be dramatically improved. Areas like how to use the PTC help system, basic stuff like how config.pro and .dtl files work, etc would eliminate many of the noobie questions.

I suppose nothing will stop the person who is just too stupid or lazy to do any looking on their own. If they went through a few speed bumps and still posted a ridiculous question then we could blast them with both barrels and feel good about it.

I fully agree with all of you above and I have already talked about it before.


Proecentral was much better in quality than this converted Mcadcentral.


My proposal would be annual charges for members and a bit of amount for MVPs and their free membership.


Prizes for best models submitted and challenges solved.


With the annua charges only serious users will remain and the quality will be seen, I hope.


Israr

im not sure about charging for it but even charging $ 1 a year would keep alot of people away I guess


maybe making a paypal donation to example only "red cross" or whoever could have the same effect


I rely on this site alot because I work by myself where as I use to work in a room with 30 other users a while back and never needed this site


should start a poll on that topic - how many users are in your office

I agree that some posts are becoming a little " repetative " , but i think to charge some members.. and not others would be unfair and completely disagree with this .


TinaG

I agree w/dr.g. Change the "New Post" function to actually send the user through the search feature. It can take their post and do a search based on the subject line. If the subject line, says 'hi', then send them to the FAQ about being specific. If it says 'sketcher problems' then send them to a FAQ and links to posts about sketcher. Then allow the poster to submit their post if they don't find the answer themselves.


<tg>

TinaG,


Don't worry, I will pay your membership, if they accept my proposal. Hahaha


I say this because Proecentral if you remember was having annual charges and the quality was good.


I remember you have used that before.


Israr
Edited by: administrator

I think that the main problem is that all new users doesn't read Forum rules (maybe some of them do but I assume only 1%).
Another problem with forum rules is that a lot of new users are from non English language region and it is difficult to them to fully understand rules even if they read them.
My idea is to create something when new user register to forum he/she must read forum rules before he/she can even register to forum.
Along with that forum rules should be translated to most of languages (that would be a job for power members to translate to their language forum rules; I would gladly do it for my language) so new member will read them in his language and understand them fully.


I agree with dr_gallup that this 2 links should be visible when creating new posts, or that should be highlight in rules (now when rules will be translated to other languages and new user couldn't become member if he didn't read rules).


Israr
I disagree for charges, remember there are a lot of students who cannot pay (either because their don't have money or don't have ways to pay it). Also I think that is bad idea that power member doesn't pay and other member pay because then everybody will try to posts a lot of threads just to become power member and that they doesn't have to pay.

If someone regularly read posts on this forum, than he or she know my
ideas about this problems. I have idea that Admin will wake up and
start something like this internally btw some members

I agree that there are some "lazy" threads. I don't think that we can push all of the wotk off on the admin's etc. I think that if we see a "repost" and know about it then we should tell the poster as well. I see a lot of people that were not here when we were posting to proecentral. As you know they tried the fee based site back then and it did not work. On the other site I get "much" more emails on the same topic the we see here. If we want things to be better than they are now we should apply some effort to the cause as well. At our company we stopped maintenance due to poor responces from ptc as well as problems understanding tech support people and cost. We use this and another site todo what ptc was trying to do. I have yet to not get some help and be able to resolve a problem here.


cncwhiz

I would pay 10 + USD. I like reading what you guys all say. One day maybe we can all meet up at a user conference.

I wonder if the fee based scheme "didn't work" or it was just deemed that ad space on a high traffic (not "quality" traffic) site would "work better"?

I do think the moderators could do more. A kill switch that removes a post (which almost invariably results in replies, no matter how mundane or repetitious) and PMs the posting party shouldn't be that big a burden?

.....

Some search engine enhancements ~might~ help but there's so much chaff to filter thru ... not sure. Search for "tutorial" produces a lot more hits for requests than links to.
Edited by: jeff4136

Add to the list of problems another one number!

4. Advertising

Oh, pooh. There are some interesting articles and links on Barts business site.

Is newtec.co.yu advertising? (Don't know, haven't ever seen it.)

There are a couple that do deserve a little criticism (one apparently sells Elysium software?).

HEY! HEY! HEY! LIGHTEN UP A LITTLE GUYS. Complainers out there THINK! THINK! THINK! about it. What an awesome site (mcadcentral) this is.


As for Bart, be nice to him. The smart thing to do is to ask Mr. Bart, "would you like to volunteer a surface lesson to the site once a month, or something along those lines"? Now that would make this site super awesome. Instead negativity is going to run him off.


Oh, another thing you are not FORCED to read everything, or help everyone. Help is given from the kindness of your heart.


As for me now, when I have a question theFIRST thing I do is SEARCH.


CHILL OUT!!!


Just my two cents

[url]http://www.mcadcentral.com/proe/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=29 539&PN=1[/url]



I didn

I really want to help.





The only blatant thing I did was to post to everyone the photoreal
competition winners. I personally spent more than four hours looking at
that stuff. Just because I organized that competition maybe I am biased but I
think it is a level of high standards and by the way I made no money putting
that competition together. Although the design-engine.com site is not
registered not for profit we don't choose to make money with that site. I
think we brought in under 10 thousand USD but I spent far more than that in
hourly wages to maintain the site. It is not for profit.



I like all you guys and want to feel welcome. I am just excited to be
apart of everyone and truly want to help everyone. I am not sure If
we have ever gotten a person to come for training from any of my posts. I
wish it were true. I would probably get more involved. I posted the
photoreal competition to the [email protected] and not one person sent me an
email.





I started to think it was not something that people wanted to learn about so I
re posted asking the same. I got over 40 replies asking me to continue
these types of posts. I only want to help keep people enthusiastic about
their work.

Should I consider this a reprimand?


Edited by: design-engine

It seemed to be a lot more fun and informative prior to becoming "MCAD Central".


Just don't have the energyand enthusiasm any more.

Speling
This link you posted I don't see there any adversing, Bart just tried to help, and even provide some free tutorials. And even if he has done adversing (int this case he didn't) you think that this guy from India will travel all the way to US on training? or would you? or would someone that aren't from US?
Adversing is on a bottom of problem list, there are more larger problems first to solve.


Bart
I love your design competition and I even open post for collection more this kind competitions but it seams that people don't know any, or there aren't any.