One thing that stink about this site!!!!!!

[Lennycorn]

I would like to blame Rich on this but I don't think he designed the format.

There is a very useful feature on this forum that gets over looked. And I don't blame anyone but the designer. I think that if this feature were use more often that it would a big help to everyone here. But it is hard to find and hardly used. But I swear, it has all the answers to your question. To find out what useful feature I'm talking about just scroll all the way down to the right on any page on this forum and you'll find it.

It's called the Archives

And that's what stinks about this site.
A wasted feature like the Archives thats hard to find.

Enjoy.

 

[susang]

Where is the Archives feature?

 

[MysticExotics]

scroll to the bottom of the page...see the little black line at the bottom? To the right, is "Archive", it will bring you to this
http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/archive/index.php

 

[SquamishSerpents]

what exactly is the point of Archives?

 

[Susan]

Alright, it's a list of all the threads posted in each subforum. And...?

 

[SquamishSerpents]

and much harder to navigate than the forums, and doesn't have a search feature like the forums. i'm missing the point of it, here.

 

[Rich Z]

Well, I guess you will just have to hold your nose while using this site....

 

[Lennycorn]

Alright, it's a list of all the threads posted in each subforum. And...?

It a resource.

and much harder to navigate than the forums, and doesn't have a search feature like the forums. i'm missing the point of it, here.

Sort of set up like the social groups. OK.

Hey like I said the design stinks but...
The Archive is a good resource if you're not too lazy. You should fine the information you seek there useful. I think that many members have a hard time using the search function which the Archive would be better for them. That and it might help in reducing repeated questions. It should just be highlighted here somehow.

I'm a little shock you can't see that!

 

[Gungirl]

I have actually used the Archives a few times and I love them! I have tried searching for things I want to read again and was unable to locate them due to me being special..lol but when I went to the archives I found them easily.

 

[Jessicat]

Honestly, the only "bad" thing about this site is that I own so many more snakes than I would without it because I can see all these new amazing morphs that immediately get added to my "want" list, and the amount of snakes I've bought online here far exceeds the ones I've bought at expos (hrmm, 18 vs 2? yea.. no contest.)

Negative or positive... you decide. :crazy02:

Anyway, to actually get on topic.. Lenny are you arguing that perhaps if people checked the archives more we wouldn't get so many repeat threads? I agree that there's such a vast amount of information on this site already, and going through the archives could definitely be taken advantage of more.. but let's face it.. sometimes people just like to read their own posts/threads.

 

[Rich Z]

I think most longtime members here becoming irritated at newcomers asking questions that have been answered before MANY times over need to get into the shoes of those newcomers to see how they fit. Let's face it, any long established site is going to have a percentage of folks there that have been there almost from day one, and have seen and heard it all before. That's all well and good, but there are always going to be new people getting into that line of interest (or at least we hope so), that have NOT heard it all before and are just bubbling over with questions that are new TO THEM. Search engines can only do so much. Trying to search on one or more very common terms can be frustrating trying to zero in on exactly what you are looking for. Sometimes a question involves multiple combinations of keywords that may not easily be found. Not everyone has unlimited time nor patience to do that, and there isn't really any guarantee of success no matter how much time and effort you spend. Right now there are 102,410 threads composed of 1,260,442 posts on this site. It just is not reasonable to expect someone to spend the time and effort necessary to skim through every post in this site looking for answers to their questions.

I've been in that position quite a few times when my interests may swing first one way, then another with various topics. I HAVE been a newbie on several long established sites and been exactly in the position I am speaking of here. After spending a reasonable amount of time trying to find what I am looking for, you soon find out that the ONLY way you are going to get anywhere is to just ASK about what it is you are specifically looking for and hope one or more people who KNOW the answer will help you. Trust me, it's damned irritating to get someone post nothing more than "Use the search!" Quite frankly, it's rude, feels very unfriendly, and can sometimes make you decide to hell with the entire bunch of them and leave.

I do not want that to happen here. I strongly suggest everyone become a newbie on a site somewhere and see what I am talking about. See how you react when someone who apparently does know the answer just slaps you across the face with something like "Use the search function...".

Point of the matter is that this is a DISCUSSION forum. That means people DISCUSSING topics is encouraged, not discouraged. That includes topics that have been discussed before. If it irritates some to read new threads asking about old topics, well, there is nothing on this earth forcing you to read those threads. Go read something else. Please don't piss off the new members with rude statements and comments made simply because YOU have been here longer than they have and it's old hat to you. Think about how it was when YOU were new into this, and how YOU would have felt being slapped like that simply for asking about your new interest. That is not the atmosphere that I want to encourage in this site.

I would hope longtime members here would see beyond their own needs and wants and view things from someone else's eyes. If you choose to not help some newbie, that is fine, but please don't be a wet blanket to their own enthusiasm in the process. This is their site, too.

 

[jessicalb]

I have found on various forums that the old timers get sick of answering questions but there is usually a steady intake of newbies who gradually become more seasoned and are able to answer those questions as they become old timers. And so and so on.

I really appreciate all the help I have gotten here and I like participating and helping out brand new people so I post answers when I think I have a handle on the topic. Over time I will probably get sick of those questions and hopefully other new people will rotate in.

 

[chris68]

I've been on cs in one form or the other for....8 years now I think...I still like answering the ocasional "newbie" question and answering pm's for new members...Sure it's regurgitating the same things over and over...and over but I'm on a corn snake forum because I like corn snakes (go figure)...I spend a decent amount of time in chat too, for the same reason...theres nothing more disheartening on any forum than being "new", posting a question and getting no replies...same goes for picture threads...

As much as "newbs" are guilty for under utilizing the archives and the "search" function more experienced keepers are just as guilty for a general lack of participation; only posting "look at this SuperQuadroMega Corn" pic threads or classified ads...It takes just as long to post a few words of wisdom about a new corn owner's concerns as it does to get (overly) involved in a "birther" debate

 

[Lennycorn]

Lenny are you arguing that perhaps if people checked the archives more we wouldn't get so many repeat threads? I agree that there's such a vast amount of information on this site already, and going through the archives could definitely be taken advantage of more.

Yes this is my argument.

And Rich, I understand your views but I think some newbies would skim over some threads or at least know about the Archives so they could if they wished.

I also understand that this is a DISCUSSION forum. And I'm all for that but some just want answers and/or it's not really a discussion type of thread.
The Search or Archives could help in this area.

I hope you understand that I do help the "newbies". I actually scroll down looking at the post reply count. If I see a thread that only has 0 -3 replys, I open it to see if I can help. So I hope you don't think of me as a damp towel.

My main point is what Jessica has stated above.

The archives could definitely be taken advantage of more!!
And I'm tooting my horn to try to make it so.

 

[Rich Z]

Honestly, after YEARS of posting announcements that people can't seem to find even when posted at the top of EVERY forum, and having people ask me how they become a Contributing member even with a blatant link at the top of every page, people proving links in their signature area, and the Contributor medallion itself being a link to the subscription page, it is extremely doubtful that making a custom change to the site to put the "Archive" link anywhere else would make even the slightest bit of difference difference.

 

[Susan]

I thought that fluorescent lime green line at the top of every page was just for decoration. You mean it actually has a PURPOSE?!! :sidestep:

 

[ghosthousecorns]

I've been on cs in one form or the other for....8 years now I think...I still like answering the ocasional "newbie" question and answering pm's for new members...Sure it's regurgitating the same things over and over...and over but I'm on a corn snake forum because I like corn snakes (go figure)...I spend a decent amount of time in chat too, for the same reason...theres nothing more disheartening on any forum than being "new", posting a question and getting no replies...same goes for picture threads...

As much as "newbs" are guilty for under utilizing the archives and the "search" function more experienced keepers are just as guilty for a general lack of participation; only posting "look at this SuperQuadroMega Corn" pic threads or classified ads...It takes just as long to post a few words of wisdom about a new corn owner's concerns as it does to get (overly) involved in a "birther" debate

I know a lot of people are busy and I always appreciate the SuperQuadroMega Corn pics if they take the time to post them, it is really fun to look at new morph pics. I can't find fault with those who only make those posts.. The newbies do get a lot of help. I see very few posts asking for advice where Nanci doesn't answer and if not her many others. So maybe if I don't give advice as much it's because there are already so many people who have it "covered" that I only reply to them if I have something new to add to the existing advice.
I know well the frustration of taking the time to take a bunch of photos, picking out the best one, resizing and posting and not getting a single reply, so I will try to be better about replying to those as well.
I think what drives a lot of newbies away is the way they get responded to when it's an issue like cohabbing or unexpected eggs, people tend to dogpile onto those threads. I think in those cases one tactful reply that discourages cohabbing and explains the danger is enough, instead it often turns into pages and pages of people telling the newbie what an idiot they are. In order to learn from us they have to want to stick around. (And we should WANT them to, they are our possibly future friends/colleagues/customers even if they ask annoying questions)
I enjoy the chat as well, I pop in now and again but it is kind of deserted nowadays..

 

[Nanci]

And _I_ appreciate Bitsey answering as many questions as she does! If I don't have time, I know nine times out of ten she will have gotten it.

Jen, I think you have a good point about commenting on photos. Even, especially, newbies photos of their normals and amels. Those snakes are every bit as exciting and special and loved to them as the SQMs are to us. Remember how Dean would have something nice to say about nearly every person's photos, every time they posted? I think it is a good thing to complement pretty snakes, stunning photography, interesting photographic set-ups, or even a person's first blurry cell phone pic of their first corn.

 

[josie]

I think that is one of the biggest problems. Ok some people are new and arent sure how the site works so don't really know who to do a search for something they are trying to find out and just post but there are others, not newbies to the forum, who LOVE to see the threads they start get attention and there for post like there is some award to be won...

I have used the archives.

Honestly, the only "bad" thing about this site is that I own so many more snakes than I would without it because I can see all these new amazing morphs that immediately get added to my "want" list, and the amount of snakes I've bought online here far exceeds the ones I've bought at expos (hrmm, 18 vs 2? yea.. no contest.)

Negative or positive... you decide. :crazy02:

Anyway, to actually get on topic.. Lenny are you arguing that perhaps if people checked the archives more we wouldn't get so many repeat threads? I agree that there's such a vast amount of information on this site already, and going through the archives could definitely be taken advantage of more.. but let's face it.. sometimes people just like to read their own posts/threads.

 

[wowoklol]

I thought that fluorescent lime green line at the top of every page was just for decoration. You mean it actually has a PURPOSE?!! :sidestep:

I've heard fluorescent lime green things are for healing. That must be why its there...

As far as the archive idea goes, I tend to side with Rich. First the newbies looking for info would have to associate the "archives" with listings of past informative threads. Judging by even veterans responses here, their purpose is not readily apparent. Also keep in mind that a lot of these people might not just be new to corn snakes, but forums in general. You also have the type of person who doesn't delve into every feature and facet of an application and use it as more of an appliance than a tool. What I'm trying to say is, even if you put it bold, underline, italicized and HOT PINK, its will still be missed or misused by a large percentage of the users. This site can't be everything for everyone.. I think it does a great job for what it is!