New to Commuting Stickie

Kieran_Burns

There seem to be a flurry of new commuters appearing at the moment (Hi Folks!) and it seems that the same questions are being asked each time.

I'm certainly NOT complaining about this, but it does seem and ideal stickie to have:

Tips for New Commuters

In this we could list the equipment required (basic level, mid level, I have-more-money-then-sense level)
Cycling tips
Caveats
Basic commute plan (times / feeding / watering etc)

et al.

This way, the "I'm a new commuter" threads (which I really enjoy!) could be limited to stories about how people are getting on.

Any questions could be linked to the Stickie thread which could be updated as required.



Thoughts? Who do we speak to, to get this done?

spen666

such a thread will put people off using this forum and asking questions. It is too time consuming to search through threads to find if someone has asked a questiion you want an answer to .

It is easier to see from threatd title if question has been asked and then to look at thread for a reply.

Not seartch through a lengthy thread, find a similar question on page 7, but the answer is one post on page 73.

Just ignore the thread if you don't want to read it instead of preventing new comers getting the information they need

biondino

Oh grumpy drawers, shush. The whole point of a sticky thread is to make it easier! If it's along the lines of the couple of threads Nicklouse has linked to, which are purely and comprehensively informative, then that would make everyone's lives - INCLUDING the poster seeking info - much easier.

Kieran_Burns

The point of a stickie is that it is just that: STUCK to the top of the forum.

Therefore anyone looking for a relevent thread would see it right at the top, negating the need to search.

The only real downside to multiple stickies is that they can clutter up the first page if not managed correctly.

spen666

biondino wrote:

Oh grumpy drawers, shush. The whole point of a sticky thread is to make it easier! If it's along the lines of the couple of threads Nicklouse has linked to, which are purely and comprehensively informative, then that would make everyone's lives - INCLUDING the poster seeking info - much easier.

BUT it doesn't make it easier for new comers- it makes it easier for grumpy people like you and OP to bully newcomers and make the place less accessible.

Exactly how long do you want newcomers to spend reading all 70 pages of a sticky to ssee if question has been asked and then an answer provided.

It is far quicker to post a question and read the replies in a thread say sicx posts long than read through pages and pages of irrelevant questions in the hope that one post in this thread may be relevant to the newcomer.

Let people ask questions and get answers.

Perhaps we should have a sticky so all your posts are in one place- make it easier for you? Not a good idea is it?

greg66_tri_v2.0

spen666 wrote:

BUT it doesn't make it easier for new comers- it makes it easier for grumpy people like you and OP to bully newcomers and make the place less accessible.

Exactly how long do you want newcomers to spend reading all 70 pages of a sticky to ssee if question has been asked and then an answer provided.

There's an easy solution to that - a locked sticky. It need not be static; simply editable by certain people only.

That still leaves the matter of whether newcomers would read the sticky (some will, some won't; no getting around that really), and who should author it, I grant you.

spen666

Kieran_Burns wrote:

The point of a stickie is that it is just that: STUCK to the top of the forum.

Therefore anyone looking for a relevent thread would see it right at the top, negating the need to search.

The only real downside to multiple stickies is that they can clutter up the first page if not managed correctly.

D'uh I never realised that

However you are failing to see the elephant in the room. Why should a newcomer who wants some easy information have to read through multiple pages of question and answers on almost anything to do with commuting to see if the information they want is there or not. It takes far longer than them posting a question and reading a reply. How many different questions are people going to post in this theread? How many experienced posters are going to wade through lengthy threads to see if a questions has been asked that they can reply to.

What is X posts a question on say Sunday night and Y posts one 5 minutes later. On Monday morning, 25 people answer X's question. Y's question is overlooked and gets no reply because people did not see it in their haste to andswer Y's question.

Thus Y gets no reply and goes off thinking cyclists are unhelpful.
Whereas now under the current system [ which incidentally works]. He posts a question, it is seen later by others even though X's thread has 25 replies, Y's thread remains visible and people see what Y is asking.

The system ain't beroke, so why try to fix it?

spen666

Greg66 wrote:

spen666 wrote:

BUT it doesn't make it easier for new comers- it makes it easier for grumpy people like you and OP to bully newcomers and make the place less accessible.

Exactly how long do you want newcomers to spend reading all 70 pages of a sticky to ssee if question has been asked and then an answer provided.

There's an easy solution to that - a locked sticky. It need not be static; simply editable by certain people only.

That still leaves the matter of whether newcomers would read the sticky (some will, some won't; no getting around that really), and who should author it, I grant you.

If it is locked, then people cannot answer the request, even if they see the question hidden away on page 70


It seems what you are talking about is more of a database of information than a forum thread

Kieran_Burns

spen666 wrote:

BUT it doesn't make it easier for new comers- it makes it easier for grumpy people like you and OP to bully newcomers and make the place less accessible.

I thought I WAS still a newcomer

I'm not grumpy am I?

I mean I can be - I have a reputation for being the resident Victor Meldrew on another forum - but that's just I like to rant once in a while but I haven't let rip here (yet :P )

I'm mooting an idea to makes thing easier for people. All it would take is for a mod to cut and paste questions and answers into a locked thread as they are asked / answered.

Jen J

spen666 wrote:

BUT it doesn't make it easier for new comers- it makes it easier for grumpy people like you and OP to bully newcomers and make the place less accessible.

Exactly how long do you want newcomers to spend reading all 70 pages of a sticky to ssee if question has been asked and then an answer provided.

It is far quicker to post a question and read the replies in a thread say sicx posts long than read through pages and pages of irrelevant questions in the hope that one post in this thread may be relevant to the newcomer.

Let people ask questions and get answers.

Perhaps we should have a sticky so all your posts are in one place- make it easier for you? Not a good idea is it?

As a newcomer, I think it's a great idea. And I have not felt bullied at all - far from it, I've been made to feel very welcome.

I've noticed myslef in my short time here that there have been lots of threads asking the same things from new commuters (including myself) and if there was a general 'welcome' thread as a sticky, I think more people will feel able to join in, and less like they were intruding.

As for reading 70 odd pages, I fin it helpful when new to a forum to read a lot of threads to get an idea of the tone of the place, rather than just wading in and perhaps causing offence.

biondino

spen666 wrote:

Perhaps we should have a sticky so all your posts are in one place- make it easier for you? Not a good idea is it?

So we could customise the boards so all of a particular poster's posts were in the same thread, and nowhere else? And avoid it like the plague? It sounds like an excellent idea :twisted:

spen666

Kieran_Burns wrote:

spen666 wrote:

BUT it doesn't make it easier for new comers- it makes it easier for grumpy people like you and OP to bully newcomers and make the place less accessible.

I thought I WAS still a newcomer

I'm not grumpy am I?

I mean I can be - I have a reputation for being the resident Victor Meldrew on another forum - but that's just I like to rant once in a while but I haven't let rip here (yet :P )

I'm mooting an idea to makes thing easier for people. All it would take is for a mod to cut and paste questions and answers into a locked thread as they are asked / answered.

It doesn't make it easier though- that is the whole point. it makes things more complicated and less user friendly.

It requires time on the part of the moderator. In case you were not aware the moderators of this forum try to spend as little timer on here as they can as they have full time jobs to do.

BTW how many pages of stick threads are we going to have on here before you get to "proper" threads. We already have far too many sticky threads

Jen J

spen666 wrote:

Kieran_Burns wrote:

The point of a stickie is that it is just that: STUCK to the top of the forum.

Therefore anyone looking for a relevent thread would see it right at the top, negating the need to search.

The only real downside to multiple stickies is that they can clutter up the first page if not managed correctly.

D'uh I never realised that

However you are failing to see the elephant in the room. Why should a newcomer who wants some easy information have to read through multiple pages of question and answers on almost anything to do with commuting to see if the information they want is there or not. It takes far longer than them posting a question and reading a reply. How many different questions are people going to post in this theread? How many experienced posters are going to wade through lengthy threads to see if a questions has been asked that they can reply to.

What is X posts a question on say Sunday night and Y posts one 5 minutes later. On Monday morning, 25 people answer X's question. Y's question is overlooked and gets no reply because people did not see it in their haste to andswer Y's question.

Thus Y gets no reply and goes off thinking cyclists are unhelpful.
Whereas now under the current system [ which incidentally works]. He posts a question, it is seen later by others even though X's thread has 25 replies, Y's thread remains visible and people see what Y is asking.

The system ain't beroke, so why try to fix it?

It's not like people woudl be banned from starting new threads., If they want to start a new thread then they can. But for new people who want to know the answer to a question, it may be easier, and less daunting, to use an established newcomers thread.

Kieran_Burns

Spen - while I appreciate the points you are making, I do not appreciate being talked down to the way that you are doing so.

Just because someone disagrees with you, does not mean that they are stupid. Please do me the courtesy of remembering that and stop being so patronising / rude to others.

I have simply mooted the idea that a stickie thread would perhaps make it easier for other new commuting cyclists to be able to find the information that they require.

Such an idea is in my opinion a good one, and it does not deserve the vituperation that you are demonstrating.

Could you please therefore keep your responses on a polite basis and not treat me and others like a fool?

biondino

Also Spen you're forgetting the lurkers who won't ask questions no matter what, but may well appreciate a handy, catch-all thread about the subject they're interested in.

This is the commuting board and although we spend 90% of our posts spouting rubbish, there are several obvious areas where the provision of information is both essential and easy. There could be, say, sticky threads on:

Safety and security (locks, lights, helmets etc.)
Roadcraft in the rush hour
Winter and all-weather riding
What commuting bike

However your point about giving the mods extra work is a good one - perhaps a savvy, trusted forum regular could do the job?

tailwindhome

May I suggest a separate section under Commuting (like the workshop section) which would act as an advice/top tips section with sticky threads on topics as per those suggested by Biondino above, perhaps additional threads could be Commuting Milestones, Lights, Helmet yes or no (he ducks), Clothing recommendations.

These threads could be updated by both experienced commuters who have been there and done it and newbies like myself who are learning as we go

The forum isnt really broke and doesnt need fixing, though the same questions do tend to crop up again and again

I have been struck by the number of new commuters, myself included, and the warm welcome we have been given. Though it does put me off slightly asking a question if I think the same question has been asked before


Just my thoughts!

greg66_tri_v2.0

spen666 wrote:

If it is locked, then people cannot answer the request, even if they see the question hidden away on page 70


It seems what you are talking about is more of a database of information than a forum thread

There are plenty of other forums that have locked sticky FAQ threads for newcomers. I a newcomer has a question, and it's answered in the FAQ, fine. if not, they start a thread.

I really don't see what the problem is about the concept. The practicalities are a different matter.

secretsam

no, don't think this would be a good idea, too intimidating, plus if an answer's been given you can always refer the poseter to a previous message thread

I mean, who'd wade through the 1,700,000 pages of stuff on silly commuting racing?

Better to give customised service

mind you, a dedicated tips board might work...that's what they do on road, where they have 57 different flavours of stuff to pick from, not just the plain vanilla "General"

linsen

I think somewhere on the website with some advice for newcomers would be good, but I also think that when someone posts a "new to commuting" thread, it is also perhaps a way of saying "hello, pleased to meet you all", and a request for a little encouragement. Which on the whole some people around here are very good at

Being the commuting forum, they all descend into chaos fairly quickly then sink so I don't see what the problem is. On the whole, if people couldn't be bothered to answer them, they wouldn't, but they do, which means they can, so I reckon that's okay.

If that makes any sense.

Cantdosleepy

HOW ABOUT creating a wiki for new cyclists? That is kept linked in a sticky here? Comments and threads on the best locks, best lights, good bikes, safe cycling etc can easily be c&p'ed into articles. If a new thread produces some useful outputs (to go all miserable-office-wordy) they can easily be added to the wiki. That way there's an easy-to-search resource that could build into something really quite valuable that is easy to keep updated and that will grow naturally over time.

What do you guys think?