Getting Ready for the Holiday Onslaught

[kayser]

Everyone-

I remember last year around the holidays that it was crazy on the forum, with so many new users who received PSE for Christmas, full of questions about how to get started, both with PSE and with the forum. With the release of PSE5, I think it's already starting again!! I was thinking that it might be helpful to either start a thread or ask for the FAQ to be updated. The information wouldn't necessarily be PSE5-specific; it could include general forum help (how to do your signature, how to start your gallery, how to post to pixentral, etc.) , what the weekly challenges are and how they work, and then specific PSE stuff, like how to open multiple photos and bring them into one image...

I definitely want new people to feel welcome, but I think we could spend a lot of time on these types of questions, when it would be easier for everyone to have all the information in one place.

What do you all think?

[Llist]

Kay

That's a great idea. I know I could benefit from some of the information that would be posted there. I can get around pretty well now but sometimes I do forget things.

Laura

[tomlaronge]

Overall, I think we would all benefit from indexing questions in the Beginner's Forum in a segregated subordinant order in accordance with which version of Adobe software or Elements the issue applies. I think this will encourage much more constructive participation in the Forum and offer the participants a true benefit.

It is confusing enough for a new user of Elements to worry about one version and version-specific techniques. Why burden the newbie with more confusion and information they do not need, do not want and probably do not understand?

Just my two cents!!!!!

Tom

P.S. Of course, there also needs to continue a general section for general issues. Now that makes if four cents!!!!!

[NMarti]

Kay
This is an excellent suggestion. I think it would actually breath some life into the forum because right now the same questions keep getting asked over and over and speaking for myself, I don't even bother to open those threads. I think a central place where we could refer people would be an excellent idea. I know we already have the tuts and stuff but at least we could say "there is an excellent thread on this located in .... that would answer all your questions. If you have any further questions just give us a shout and we will help out". That would sure keep the threads dealing with other how-to questions from being buried so quickly they never get answered. Guess mine must have been a nickel's worth Tom - I'm wordy. :D

[Shari]

Kay - I think it is a great idea. I remember how confused I was - knowing nothing at all except that I had a digital camera and wanted to do things with the photos. I was just thinking how PSE5 has so much to offer in the way of layouts and such and how much easier it will be for newcomers to start out. People will often say to me - oh you will have to show me how to do that - and I say it is not something I can just show you. It takes a lot of learning and look at my huge binder of notes. I think with PSE5 it will definitely be easier for people to have fun without as much confusion. But anything that makes things simpler is a great idea.
Shari

[Wags374]

I think it is a great idea!

I should have been copying instructions on putting extras into PSE5, now all the good tips are scattered about on a dozen different threads and I can't remember what was where to even go looking for them.

I'm sure some organization and an up-to-date FAQ would be a good place to start. Although someone people don't want to be bothered with looking up info in the FAQ - they want the answers spoon fed to them.

[Wendy]

The only thing that concerns me is that when someone new arrives on a forum they actually may need to be spoonfed ... I know that I did. Didn't anyone else :confused:

I had read the books, read this and that but none of it made sense, I was desperate when I found a forum :eek: and all I wanted was a real human being who would hold my hand and walk me through it. First time I asked a question I was just told to read to manual and the FAQ ... I gave up, moved on and found another forum.

.. I also told myself that I would never do that to others ... and thats why I have a copy and paste file with answers to FAQ in it. Directing people to FAQ questions takes a lot of care ... and has to be done gently.

Wendy

[karen donnybrook]

I agree with you Wendy and that is what makes this forum so special. We do spoon-feed new members and make them very welcome.

Karen :)

[kevq]

Hi,
I agree with Wendy, I didn't just need spoon feeding, I needed drip feeding!!!
One thing that does annoy me are the few and I mean very few members who ask for advice and don't reply as to whether the advice helped. Case in point, a member asked how I did a certain effect, I sent a video that showed how it was done, a large file to send. It took me 45 minutes to send. I also asked via email to be informed if it was received, answer zilch.
Now I will just try to explain where they can get help.
Kev:) :) :)

[Cmcburnett]

Kev and Wendy, you guys are always so helpful, it is greatly appreciated. I know Butch has even taken a picture of mine and repaired for me and then emailed back to me and let me know how he repaired, how helpful, but yet how time consuming for him. If us newbies get too out of hand, just send us to a tutorial as suggested above. However, the hands on explanations are very much appreciated.:)

[Bayla]

I'm with Wendy here. I actually get quite a kick out of being able to answer a question that has been asked again....and again....and again! After all, when I first started I must have asked the same questions and I don't find the search engine particularly user friendly, so even when the answer has already been given it can be quite difficult to find.

That said, I think that maybe it would be useful to have forum related issues (how to set up a gallery with a clickable link for example) all in one place.

Bayla

[Soileauj]

I also agree with Wendy. Being new to all of thisis one thing but having a place like this forum makes all the difference in the world.

Kay I could have benefited from a FAQ section because as time goes on individuals may go there first before posting a question. But the personal communication that hapeens everyday here is what this forum different fromm the others and the people are not found on the othere either.

Your thought is another example of making it better..You guys are always thinking of how to do better and are so creative...

[Wendy]

Bayla ...

Clickable link in the signature is No 1 in my cut and paste file ... :) followed closely by Delete the prefs :)

However so few people get it right first time that I guess a FAQ section on it would mean hundreds of messages in the thread asking for more info. :D :D Originally the Links section was set up just to host thread with links in them but soon the links became totally buried in message and nowadays its virtually unusable ...

Wendy

[Bayla]

Clickable link in the signature is No 1 in my cut and paste file ... :)


I think #1 for me is the Cascade/Tile issue...seems to really flummox a lot of people:)

Bayla

[Wendy]

Bayla ...

Now I wonder if the word flummox will flummox a lot more people :eek: :D :D

Wendy

[Wags374]

Wendy - I guess I was thinking of our "golden text" friend who wanted the an answer and didn't like having his time wasted.

I personally like FAQ's and would prefer to figure something out that way first, and then ask if I can't figure it out. I have no problem with someone saying "I looked at the FAQ/Tutorial etc, and I just can't figure out how to do it." or "I can't seem to find the answer to this elsewhere, can you help?" That tells me that they at least put some effort into it.

Right now there are a couple dozen threads on how to update to PSE5 and bring along all of your "extras". But because that info is spread out it, a lot of helpful info is getting lost in the shuffle.

[Diana]

There's no reason we can't have it both ways. Have a FAQ and put a qualifier in it that anyone needing more detailed information is very welcome to post their questions and someone will walk them through it. And when we refer someone to the FAQ, we can reiterate that invitation to post further questions if they don't fully understand.

Instead of calling it FAQ, we could call it "How do I.....?"

Diana

[nkeevers]

There's no reason we can't have it both ways. Have a FAQ and put a qualifier in it that anyone needing more detailed information is very welcome to post their questions and someone will walk them through it. And when we refer someone to the FAQ, we can reiterate that invitation to post further questions if they don't fully understand.

Instead of calling it FAQ, we could call it "How do I.....?"

Diana

Diana, I think that is a great idea! I would like to see FAQs because then I wouldn't have to feel like an idiot asking a question that was already answered in some previous thread. Sometimes I just don't get the "how to" completely the first time and if I could go back to the FAQ without having to start a new thread again re-iterating the same questions, I wouldn't feel so bad bothering anyone (not that you guys think it's a bother but...). There are so many threads out there on the same subjects that it takes me a while to find what I'm looking for if I need to know something.

[nkeevers]

Hi,
I agree with Wendy, I didn't just need spoon feeding, I needed drip feeding!!!
One thing that does annoy me are the few and I mean very few members who ask for advice and don't reply as to whether the advice helped. Case in point, a member asked how I did a certain effect, I sent a video that showed how it was done, a large file to send. It took me 45 minutes to send. I also asked via email to be informed if it was received, answer zilch.
Now I will just try to explain where they can get help.
Kev:) :) :)

Gosh, Kevin, I hope that wasn't me!:eek: I try to go back and thank everyone that helps me (cause I so need it). Sometimes my "senior" brain can't remember the thread again or I forget with all the reading I'm doing here.

I truly appreciate all the help I've been given. There was so much I just couldn't understand but with all you guys "spoon feeding", I'm starting to see the light! My thanks to everyone on the forum. It's the greatest!

[kevq]

Norma,
rest easy, it wasn't you.
Kev:) :) :D

[nkeevers]

I can enjoy my day now!!!:D :D

[jhtowhsley]

Wendy, I could not agree more with you .If it was not for you and all the others holding my hand ,I would not be able to do what I can today. Hamish

[jhtowhsley]

Wendy I could not agree more,if it was not for you ,and all the others that held my hand,Iwould not be able to do what I can today,not that it is great. Hamish

[NMarti]

Hey - I think the point is not that we won't be helping - it's that all the information will be collected under ONE section. That way they don't have to try to remember which section and which thread within the section they saw the hint. I think a section devoted to PSE5 is a great idea because right now there are threads in every section and answers scattered everywhere. I fully expect those with PSE5 will continue to answer questions and be very helpful even in a version specific area. If someone new comes here they will not have the first clue where to start looking, but with a section titled PSE5 it will be very simple to go there and begin reading and probably find their answer without having to start yet a 15th thread on the same "how do I......." question that has been posted and answered 14 times before. I just think it will help the new members not hurt them.

[GaryK]

Kay

I made a similar suggestion a year or so ago (probably longer:rolleyes: ) and the freindliness of the forum kind of beat out the redundancy of the questions.

I still like the idea for at least a "how to post to Pixentral", "how do I make my gallery link fancy" more of the general sort of questions we get.

The fear back then and probably rightfully so, was that you would start to get .. "go check out the faq .. you silly sod" sort of replys. That is the trap a lot of websites/forums fall into.

I for one, would answer the same question a hundred times (not 101 though :D ) to keep the forum as it is.

My two pennies worth.

[kayser]

Thanks, everyone, for your answers. It must be that efficient part of me that is against having to copy and paste things over and over again when they could just be permanent parts of the forum. I also think having that information available would encourage some who are hesitant to ask questions to at least have the information necessary to try out the basics. And, I'm sure there are many like me who spent considerable time searching for answers on the forum before ever venturing to ask a question.

I definitely was not advocating changing the spirit of the forum; I am not even sure that's possible. The first person who said, "Go read the FAQ" in a rude way would be drowned out by a chorus of friendly hellos. I think the spirit and camaraderie is too strong to change just because there is more information available to beginners. And, I think it might actually allow for more fun exchanges like Kimi started yesterday on blend modes and more time to look at and comment on images in the galleries.

I know with the holidays coming and my own hectic schedule, I won't be able to keep up on all the threads that get started in the coming months. Gary- it'll be a relief to know you'll be there to help Wendy answer all the questions!!:D