We've got an FAQ

[Zoop 8,384]

After a development cycle that has lasted roughly fifty years, the MLP Forums site FAQ is being unleashed upon the unsuspecting public. You can find the link to it under the 'help' button in the navigation bar.

 

Given the amount of time we've been talking about it, you're all no doubt expecting something massive and encyclopedic but that isn't quite the case, sadly - work on getting the thing filled up with good entries has been extremely slow, to the point that we've more or less now decided to just pull the curtain and continue adding to it as we go from here - having a partial FAQ up is better than having no FAQ, after all.

 

Populating the FAQ database with appropriate information is going to be an ongoing, and very likely long-term project. Our present plans for it moving forward from here is to get FAQ entries for our extranet functions (TF2 & Minecraft servers, Synchtube, etc.) added in, as well as any additional questions that we may have overlooked.

 

On that note, question (and/or answer) suggestions would be very highly welcome - give that the staff is in such a position that we typically know a fair deal about damn near everything that is going on, we've probably overlooked a lot of things that everyday users might consider valuable information. Any suggestions you might have for additional FAQ content would be very welcome!

[Jokuc 8,174]

Looks awesome, it covers many things alot od new members wonder.

 

I have a question by the way, when I tried to post a comment it said I didn't have permission, why?

[Starshine 16,334]

The lack of chicken jokes in that FAQ disappoints me

Good job to anyone who managed to put all of this together

 

Anyway...

 

http://mlpforums.com/page/faq/_/site-problems/i-have-a-question-that-is-not-answered-here-r15

 

Do not send private messages to staff members as a means of getting help - they will be ignored!

Isn't that a little bit too harsh?

[Bronium 512]

Yes! I'm was so pumped for this!

But one thing.There should be an answer to the question "How do I use the search bar". And I recommend (that if you add it) a link to Scootacool's google ninja searcher thingy.

[One 498]

Finnaly! But why is it really needed...like its a forum, usualy self explanatory, sometimes not, but really shouldnt be to hard. If this site needs a FAQ then that means the site is just to hard for the common idiot, so why u no make forum idiot friendly?

[Zoop 8,384]

I have a question by the way, when I tried to post a comment it said I didn't have permission, why?

That is... odd, actually. According to the database permissions, anyone that isn't a guest (or banned) should be able to add comments to the FAQ entries. Which entry were you trying to comment on, exactly?

 

Isn't that a little bit too harsh?

Maybe - right now we're still struggling to get people to direct their issues to the ticket system rather than the feedback board/our PM inboxes. It may be toned down somewhat in the future as that behavior changes.

 

There should be an answer to the question "How do I use the search bar"

You type words into it and press enter. I really don't know if that needs an FAQ entry, to be honest... it's pretty self-evident, I Think.

 

If this site needs a FAQ then that means the site is just to hard for the common idiot, so why u no make forum idiot friendly?

Because.

[Regality 233]

Yay, I love FAQ! No seriously I do...

 

They can give a lot of useful information about a site/forum and are very helpful to new people.

 

Props on finishing it though. I know from experience they can be a pain to write up, but it'd be all worth it, as they can eliminate a good deal of people's unsought questions.

~~

Edited September 3, 2012 by Regality

[Bronium 512]

@@One,

1) Specifics. Not all forums have the same rules. Minor changes can be observed across each forum.

2) Some people are new to the whole forum idea. It's a bit mean to say they're idiots because they don't know how a forum works initially. I mean, they may have fantastic ideas to put forth.

3) It's helpful. New members always ask questions. Instead of having to answer them again and again, you can just link them. A bonus would be that they read the whole thing and don't ask questions that can be answered in the FAQ.

[Jokuc 8,174]

@@Zoop, I was trying to comment on the one about "don't be a backseat mod" or whatever it's called. I didn't try to comment on any else though

[Zoop 8,384]

@@Zoop, I was trying to comment on the one about "don't be a backseat mod" or whatever it's called. I didn't try to comment on any else though

 

Could you try again? I just had another user (non moderator) attempt to comment in one of the entries, and they were able to do so with no problem.

[Bronium 512]

You type words into it and press enter. I really don't know if that needs an FAQ entry, to be honest... it's pretty self-evident, I Think.

The search never works for me. And trust me. I know how to use searches.

 

For example:Searching for a topic about ...can't think of something to search...hmmmm...I can't think of any at the moment. Anyways, this is what normally happens to me.

>Go to most appropriate sub-forum, since there's no use trawling the whole forums (e.g: Searching for something Brony related. Probably in Sugarcube)

>Type key words into search.

>Change the search section to "this forum".

>Enter

>I'm going to assume I should be sorting by title and Descending

>Didn't find what I want in any of the results, or even if I do, it's after a lot of digging.

 

I never find what I'm looking for, or I have to trawl through a lot of stuff to find what I'm looking for. All my experiences with said search bar have been a failure. Google does work a lot of the time though.

[Jokuc 8,174]

@@Zoop, I just tried, it works perfectly now :3

Maybe I was too fast or something. Bad internet maybe.

 

I made the very best comment too.

z

[NavelColt 22,881]

Ooooh, spiffy. And there's even a related questions things on the side of individual answers for extra help. Yet again, a valuable addition to the site, and certainly one that should help out in all sorts of ways, including the moderation friction field that we saw glimpses of in several topics in the past now. And I think releasing it and continuing to add to it seems like a great idea. Spending absolutely forever on it and then never really touching it again asides from occasional edits based on member suggestions would be boring This way the little follow button in there actually means something.

 

If I find anything in there I don't particularly agree with or find lacking in content I'll be sure to mention it. Good job so far, guys~

Edited September 3, 2012 by ~Chaotic Discord~

[Shift 4,272]

Well, that's pretty good. I've been wondering why we didn't in the first place.

 

this is like my welcome back gift :3

 

Anyways, it's a pretty spiffy addition to the site, and i'll be sure to pop in the FAQ to see how thse newbish questions look. Or not-so-newbish.

 

Great job.

[Evilshy 5,090]

Yay! Now we can just say "GTFO and read the FAQ noob" instead of being helpful, just like a real forum

 

But in all seriousness, this is a good addition to the site. Will there be a specific topic where we can submit questions we think should be added, or shall we just do it here?

 

 

If this site needs a FAQ then that means the site is just to hard for the common idiot, so why u no make forum idiot friendly?

 

Well, I for one don't want the site more accessible to idiots :/

[Crispy 5,563]

Yay! Now we can just say "GTFO and read the FAQ noob" instead of being helpful, just like a real forum

 

 

It wasn't what I was expecting! Usually it's a giant mega-post with these sorts of things. I find those to be more fun than multiple links, but I'm probably in the vast minority on that.

 

Glad to see it's up, though.

[Zoop 8,384]

Will there be a specific topic where we can submit questions we think should be added, or shall we just do it here?

Not really decided on that yet. For now, here will work just fine, though we may end up opening a pinned thread in the feedback board for people to make suggestions.

[~The Snowy Wolf~ 1,579]

I'd like to add a suggestion to the roleplay world FAQ. My question is: Can we report constant, blatant grammar and spelling mistakes?

[XUNUSEDXXX 3,459]

@@Zoop

 

This is neat. Like you said in the ticket I sent you, things (this FAQ for this case) shouldn't contain too many questions, or people might not want to read it all.

 

A suggestion for the FAQ I have is that you should include somewhere in there details about the extranet, like our MC and TF2 Servers, Steam Group, Synchtube Fridays, etc.

[Retro*Derpy 3,186]

Wow nice job! I really like it, and it well defiantly help any newcomers to the forums. Though, i suggest this for the FAQ

"I accidently made two of the same post/topic what should I do?"

[Dusty Soul 2,611]

Yay! I think this will definitely be a HUGE help new members, and maybe some older members as well... I think it could use some details about the extranet though...

[Arylett Charnoa 4,919]

I'd like to add a suggestion to the roleplay world FAQ. My question is: Can we report constant, blatant grammar and spelling mistakes?

 

Typically not.

 

If someone is doing something you dislike in the roleplay that isn't against any real rules, you should talk to the owner of the RP and ask them to do something about it. If you ARE the owner of the RP, you are full within your right to kick them out for not conforming to your standards. If the owner is inactive, you may get the remaining active players together and talk about shunting that person out.

 

However, if the spelling/grammar is SO horrendous that it is completely illegible, it would be counted as spam, and would probably be removed.

 

Spelling standards in RP World are the same as the rest of the forums, in other words.

[Somebody 570]

Maybe - right now we're still struggling to get people to direct their issues to the ticket system rather than the feedback board/our PM inboxes. It may be toned down somewhat in the future as that behavior changes.

 

If there's going to be a ticket-only contact system, may I suggest updating the other help pages to reflect this? If you click "Help" at the bottom of the page, then "Contact the Staff," it sends you to the front page "The Moderating Team" link. That last page doesn't mention anything about a ticket system, so a new person might not realize the procedure for getting help.

 

Just a heads-up.

[ZLTavs 87]

The faq is useless because it's not helping me do bullshit, I tried to use a signature from this link and it said ''OH YOU CAN'T USE THAT OHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO"

 

What do I do?!

[None42069 520]

The faq is useless because it's not helping me do bullshit, I tried to use a signature from this link and it said ''OH YOU CAN'T USE THAT OHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO"

 

What do I do?!

 

Judging by the link in your sig, you're trying to post a picture.

You're supposed to click this. Also, there's most likely a size limit. It's a sig.