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Why Don't People Search The Forum Archives?

What CD player has a volume Control? Newbee in the world of analog? What are the best cables for the money?

Sound Familiar?

I spent some time searching the forum archives, and was amazed at the wealth of information contained within. Often, many individuals have and post legitimate questions. Although, these questions (in many cases) have been answered time and time again in the forum archives.

Unfortunately, due to the redundancy of these questions, many of the well established Audiogoner's will no longer respond to these redundant/repeat questions. This may leave the individual asking the question feeling somewhat neglected, not realizing that their question has been answered and/or discussed many times previous.

I also find it interesting, that Audiogon management explicitly states in the "What We Will Decline" section of "Moderation Guidlines", that questions of repetitional nature will be filtered and declined.

http://forum.audiogon.com/fr/moderated_guide.html

The forum archives are a tremendous resource of information. Is there a manner in which individuals posting in the forum could be directed to the forum archives BEFORE posting their particular question? I mention this because the individual posting, may find more complete coverage of their particular question already exists, yielding them much more thorough results/information. Could the Audiogon moderators utilize "keywords" of a newly asked question in order to refer to the archives before that particular question is actually posted?

Would this be considered or construed as unreasonable?

Could this be considered "overmoderated"?

Any suggestions/input?
128x128buscis2
buscis2's avatar
buscis2 OP
468 posts
 
Some great input. And Pbb, I completely understand the point you make. I also enjoy the interaction, participation, and even the bantering amongst the members. Generally this only occurs during the introduction of a new subject or the initiation of a new thread.

Although unfortunately, on many occasions I notice threads initiated by the newer members, remain unanswered or lacking a response due to the fact that many of the more "seasoned" members may consider said threads redundant.

Could this possibly be indicative of the need for a "chat room" environment? Or could this be as simple as directing new users/members to a "Search Forum Archives" section upon completion of "initial signup"?

buscis2's avatar
buscis2 OP
468 posts
 
And BTW, Yes, this question has in fact been asked before. Although the deviation to this thread being, a feasible attempt to discover a viable solution or possible suggestions for resolving these issues. Hopefully resulting in implementation of a system or systems reducing redundancy while still offering a "welcoming environment" for the newer Audiogon users/members.

Although I do find it refreshing that those of you who have commented on this thread's possible redundancy, have actually responded.
sc53
719 posts
 
I was just informed by Audiogon (thank you!) that we do, in fact, have a FAQ section available from Help on the Home page. I never knew! If it needs updating, I'm sure some would volunteer. For example, I think I can recite the "CD players with volume controls" and "good introductory cables" answers complete from memory now. A good question to add to any revised FAQ: "Why don't people search the forums?"
Update: I just checked our FAQ page and it's FAQ on how to use Audiogon, not on the kinds of basic equipment-related questions that people are referring to in this thread.
sean
6,231 posts
 
All good points here from both sides of the fence.

Having said that, asking the same question in 2002 might not get you the same valid responses that you'll get in 2004. Not only have situations and people changed in that amount of time, so have the products available the levels of experience garnered. With that in mind, the general consensus of a very specific product, the in's and out's of AC lines and filtration, etc... are all searchable via the archives. As i've seen here, some people actually do search first and then post due to a lack of information found in the archives. Obviously, this is the "right" way to do things but it surely isn't as fast or as personal.

Having said that, i've had MASSIVE problems trying to find specific posts in the Agon archives via the search engines. This is true even if i know specific wording used. How good do you think the results will be for someone that puts in a very generic query when you can't even get the results that you seek when you already know EXACTLY what you're looking for??? Quite honestly, the search engine here is NOWHERE near as efficient as the method being used over at AA. As such, if Agon wants to cut down on repeat questions, they should seek out ways to make the information already collected more accessible to those interested in it. Having valuables hidden in a safe may keep them valuable, but it does nothing to demonstrate the beauty and their worth to those that are unfamiliar with such gems. Sean
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buscis2's avatar
buscis2 OP
468 posts
 
Sean, The best way to go nowhere is not knowing how to get there. :>)

The finest, most expertly tweaked search engines will not instill initiative in the user. Also, a lack of awareness on behalf of the user in conjunction with a lack of discipline will result in "just another redundant post".

I have been enjoying this site for over 2 years now. And I'm being very honest when I say this, I am just finding out about the wealth of information contained within this forum. Could this possibly be why I am becoming more sensitive to redundancy?

It was a point and click learning experience. Although, if the first time I posted a question, I was directed to "an annex" or a "library" or directly to the "Forum Archives". Maybe not only would I have become even more thoroughly informed, but also be more capable of asking a question with a higher level, or degree of relevance. Something we could ALL learn from, while still maintaining forum participation in a welcoming environment.

We have had some great suggestions today. I hope that ultimately , a compilation of the resulting responses could be presented to the Audiogon officianados for a possible "update", or "streamline", depending on one's perspective.

Make Sense?

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