A Newbie Sticky Poll - Please respond.

[MUCHO REEF]

Maybe it's just me, but I've noticed some of the newbies have posted their concerns and questions that go unanswered. They are often pushed off the first page and eventually missed by those who would have answered it if they saw the question. Sometimes there's only one or two replies before it gets lost in the thread shuffle. I would be somewhat bothered if I posted a question which never got the attention that was warranted by the reefer asking the question.

So, what if, what if we created a thread and made it a sticky for newbies to always have a place to get the immediate attention they deserve?

I know we will stay civil so no one is offended, so lets get some feedback on this topic. Yea or nay? Post you reasons why and also reply to the poll just in case you won't have a written reply.


Thanks, Mucho Reef


PS, don't be shy to post your feelings and /or reasons why. This forums continues to be very restful even if we don't always agree with each other.

[geoxman]

Yes it is a very good idea but before long I am going to have to go to page two before I can read a new thread??! There are a bunch of stickies and without fail-some newbie/experienced reefer never reads them and posts the ? any way.

Maybe a sub folder/sticky for all new questions?
1. dip
2. zoos not opening
3. My Uncle has gout and it is effecting my palys
4. etc.....

I just hate having so many stickies at the top of the page and like I stated earlier-before long we will be on page 2 for new threads.

Is a sub-folder/sticky/whatever possible??
PL

[MUCHO REEF]

I've been chatting with those who can make changes and getting the ID sub forum was a hard sell, but we got it. It has been made clear the this forum isn't going to be broken up with lots of sub forums which is why I suggested a sticky. I am more than happy to dump the 3 stickies I have to make way for new ones.

Another options is to utilize the very knowledge filled Zoanthid Information Draft that is not being used. I think we could really pump that full of new stickies and just direct people there with a link. I just remember all the questions I had when I first started out so I know and remember the feeling.

It's true, many questions can be answered with a search, I just want us to keep the forum balanced and refreshing. I have noticed a major difference in just the last week alone.

Trust me, the stickies won't get out of hand. Currently we have 11 stickies and 25 available thread spots for new/on going/active post.

There are indeed some new changes on the way in 08. Feedback is a must.

Mucho

[Echidna09]

Originally posted by geoxman

3. My Uncle has gout and it is effecting my palys

Heh, that made me laugh.

I don't think a subforum will help. My guess is that those questions would get less attention then they do in the regular forum, even if there are less posts to get through. Have you ever been to the ID forums? Whatever your answer you are doomed because:

1. If you have been there you know the kind of activity it gets, which is close to none compared to all the regular forums.
2. If you have been there you know that 80% of the activity that those forums are from people looking for answers, not those for answering questions. I have seen many times in the LPS forum, "I posted this in the ID forum about 3 days ago, and no response so I am posting it here." Then that gets the response the thread starter wanted, and is effective.
3. If you have not been there, it is likely either because you have not yet seeked an ID, you don't particularly want to ID things, you don't know how to find it, or you didn't even know it was there. For a subforum to be effective I think it needs to be more than a sticky at the top of a regular forum, it should be listed on the main page with the other forums (maybe underneath, for example, LPS forum, in bold and maybe larger font size than 12 it can say "Subforums: ID, newbie questions, etc.")

I would mark indifferent if it were a choice, so I am just not gonna vote. I think it is a good idea but subforums need some more attention in order to be effective.

Also, though questions can be answered with the search feature, for those of us that are not premium members we have to wait until late at night (when traffic is down) or the servers are too congested and it won't let us search. Seeing as how the majority of people that this proverbial subforum is supposed to help are going to be new reefers, I doubt they have sworn allegiance enough to pay for a premium membership. Therefore, to reiterate, I find the subforum a good idea, I just don't think it will get the attention it needs from experienced reefers.

[mixed_reefer]

I think its a good idea but i think we need to clean up the sticky mess we already have in here. I scroll down for 30 mins just to get past the stickies and find the recent posts. Maybe put them all into one thread or something?

[geoxman]

I agree as long as the same redundant questions do not keep coming up. I do not spend a tremendous amount of time on the other forums, only LPS, SPS and my local club-but it is tough??! How do we help someone find the needed info and not ask a question that has ben asked 20,000 times--or ID this polyp?

After I posted last night I thought quite a bit about it-and it would be more of a problem to not have everything stickied at the top of the page.

You would get the typical "My zoanthids are not opening?? and they just arrived from Guam with 4 day shipping?? I thought these were easy too take of-and now they are all white slime??"

Maybe we should re-look at some of the stickies and see which ones provide the most info.

"nudis no more could be lumped in with another" ?? Just an idea??
good luck
PL

[MUCHO REEF]

Lots of great feedback.

" There are a bunch of stickies and without fail-some newbie/experienced reefer never reads them and posts the ? any way " from Geoxman

I agree, but those stickies also help a lot of people who would otherwise go ahead and ask the questions if not for the stickies. I do see your point and well taken.


Echidna09, we use to have half a page of ID request, so I approached the staff about creating a sub forum to unclog the forum. I think a lot of the hype of wanting to know a name might be wearing off, I don't know, I'm just guessing. This could account for the lack of replies in the ID forum, but I do remember just a short time ago how hot that sub forum was.

" For a subforum to be effective I think it needs to be more than a sticky at the top of a regular forum, it should be listed on the main page with the other forums (maybe underneath, for example, LPS forum, in bold and maybe larger font size than 12 it can say "Subforums: ID, newbie questions, etc.")"

This is a great idea that is already being discussed, and thank you for saying it.

"I find the subforum a good idea, I just don't think it will get the attention it needs from experienced reefers." I hear you. Do you think it would worth a try to see ? I was told by several people that out stickies were appropriate.

mixed-reefer, " I think its a good idea but i think we need to clean up the sticky mess we already have in here. I scroll down for 30 mins just to get past the stickies and find the recent posts. Maybe put them all into one thread or something?"

It's just me, but I don't see that it is a mess. There are ten stickies and 25 available spots for post. It only takes me a second to scroll by them. LOL

Geoxman " After I posted last night I thought quite a bit about it-and it would be more of a problem to not have everything stickied at the top of the page. "

I know the "Sales & Trade Request" , "Forum Rules", "ID Forum Announcement", aren't going to be removed. I think the "The Toxicity Thread" and " The Zoanthid Information Draft " are a must and shouldn't be removed. They are so valuable to everyone, experienced and newbies alike. That means we could remove 5 stickies, is that really going to make a big difference? And I am by no means saying it because I have a few. I don't care where we put them. I have no problem asking the mods to remove all of mine if that what's needed. Just say the word and I am by no means offended in any way at all.

Lets continue the dialogue.


Mucho

[MUCHO REEF]

At the bottom of the very first post, it should have said, RESPECTFUL, instead of restful.

I need to proof read before I post, sorry again.

Mooch

[Echidna09]

I guess it would be worth a try, could get cluttery though.

[geoxman]

WHY would you do that. give me 48 hours and I shall rid the world of evil and think of a way to make this work.

On a side note and that is why this came up-zoos are not an easy coral to take care of or understand. They have a ton of predators, disease and requirements and are not a basic/easy coral to keep.
This is why we should all help in a solution in helping the forum get better.
I would venture to say that SPS do not have as many problems--light/placement/disease/flow..etc... it is a fairly complicated coral to keep happy and flourish--but I let my dog eat sticks. JMHO

[RevHtree]

Yes!

[Anemone]

Okay, the way this works in the new-to-the hobby forum is to create a separate thread for each type of problem or question, then create a single sticky with links to each of the threads.

In other words, one sticky with links to:

- just got my zoas, what should I do? - click here

- I have zoanthid-eating nudis, what should I do? - click here

- I was told to "dip my zoas," what's that? - click here

- I want to know the ultra-expensive name for my zoas, where do I go? - click here

- what's the best lighting for my zoas? - click here

- my zoas won't open. What's the problem? - click here

Etc. You create the threads with the info, then create a single "index" thread that we can use as a sticky.

Just my $0.02.

Kevin

[MUCHO REEF]

This/that is identical to the Zoanthid Information Draft so to speak. In the draft, which is a sticky, you scan down to your particular issue, click on the link, and it takes you to that thread to answer your question.

Mucho

[Marko9]

I like the idea of that. I think there need to be more stress on education and prevention rather than on naming and marketing. I don't care what they are called and where I got them from, if I can not keep them healthy.

I also think it is our jobs as hobbyist to teach the correct way because there are a lot of pests out there and who knows how much longer we will be allowed to ocean harvest. That means that one day soon, each one of us will be the only resource available. my $.02

[MUCHO REEF]

"who knows how much longer we will be allowed to ocean harvest. That means that one day soon, each one of us will be the only resource available. my $.02"

Great point Marko9, I fear this all the time and I pray it will never come true.


Mucho Reef

[stoneroller]

No. From a newbie perspective, I find the current setup very helpful. In fact, so helpful that I don't ask a lot of questions concerning my zoa-dominated reef tank.

I also often scan the stickies for new entries to keep up with recent input/thoughts. I don't want to lose that ability or search deeper for it.

[MUCHO REEF]

Good to hear from a newbie on this, thank you.

I just want to say this, even though your needs are being met, your questions, ideas and concerns are equally valuable. I urge you to ask questions even if it's for clarification purposes, we'd all love to hear from you and all the others.

Thanks again.

Mooch

[MUCHO REEF]

Only 20 people have voted. Anyone else wants to share a vote?

Thanks

[Lotus99]

I do like the stickies. I think every newbie should read through them.

I did have a problem when trying to treat zoa pox, because I had to read through a whole bunch of pages to get to the "treatment" part of that thread. It's a great thread to read, but it was a long way down to the instructions (or link to the instructions). I had read about the Furan treatment, but this was the only thread I knew where that information was.

Perhaps we could have the treatment written out in a thread, with a link to the process of finding it for those seeking more information. Or perhaps I was just looking in the wrong sticky.

I had a similar problem in trying to find the freshwater dip instructions. It was there, but I think there may have been refinements farther down in the thread.

As a newbie, I tend to panic when I see a problem. I may know vaguely of the solution, but I want to be able to find that information fairly fast.

One thing you could consider is a "zoa show off" subforum, which might keep the discussions more focused.

Just some suggestions. I do think this forum is getting more focused on health/wellbeing of zoas, rather than showing them and talking about prices (a good thing, IMHO).

[Agu]

As a newbie, I tend to panic when I see a problem. I may know vaguely of the solution, but I want to be able to find that information fairly fast.

That's pretty common to all the forums, that's why newbies post obvious questions. That's not a negative comment about newbies or a minimization of their concerns. It's human nature. Members being able to link them to the relevant FAQ would accomplish the same thing as just telling them to read the FAQ, but it would happen faster.

Just for fun I only responded to questions throughout RC with links to Reefkeeping Magazine articles for a few days. Pretty much every issue/question was answered in the articles. It's not that people are unwilling to read the information, they don't know where to find it.

[Pufferpunk]

I voted yes before I saw there was a draft method available. I vote for that. Although, as a fish-info forum owner, I guarantee you, most folks don't bother to read stickies, they just post & look later. I have a wonderfuly stocked Library of wonderful articles about feeding, water & filtration, care, specific species, a hospital section & more. No one ever reads the articles & I am constantly linking folks to them. We also have a "Pufferpedia" with profiles & pics of every puffer we can find for ID. Still, all day, "Please ID My Puffer" threads.

[MUCHO REEF]

Poll ending soon, does anyone else have any feedback to share? Last call.

[geoxman]

I broke down and voted yes?? I did not see any draft method?

I use to have a puffer in 85 in a brackish tank with some evil bumblebee gobies and a Mono. It was a cool puffer---up and down up and down up and down

[Pufferpunk]

How heavily decorated was the tank? Puffers are highly intelligent & need a lot of decor to explore--they get bored easily.

[geoxman]

55 high it was a weird tank that my LFS could not sell. It was a cool set up??? I had fake neon plants and everything anyone could want want back in 1985. It was some sort of a dwarf puffer that only got about two inches after 3 years. I traded him in when I went to college for some convicts. I made good money off of that breeding pair-at least enough to afford fish food and carbon/floss. I ran some ancient magnum on both tanks and some HOB filter.

I miss that goof ball-great fish and goofy. The only fish that I ever had with more personality was as Oscar I had when very young until about 14 yrs of age. Those are fun fish! Kind of like the Saint Bernard of fish. JMHO