A little suggestion for Site Questions & Tech Support

[Jokuc 8,172]

We have seen that the Site Questions & Tech Support often gets overflowed with threads with people asking the same things. We often tell the OPs to use the search function next time.

 

I have this little suggestion;

Change so when someone press the "Start New Topic" button, a little search thingy will pop up saying

 

"Please search for your question before creating a new thread"

with a searchbox below. There one should be able to search for the question they have.

The threads that matches the search will be listed below.

 

Then there would be another button at the bottom saying "My question isn't listed!" or similar, which will create a new thread if you press it.

Edited April 15, 2013 by Jokuc

[Betez 1,734]

And why not just do this for all boards?

[---------------------- 1,645]

We have seen that the Site Questions & Tech Support often gets overflowed with threads with people asking the same things. We often tell the OPs to use the search function next time.

 

I have this little suggestion;

Change so when someone press the "Start New Topic" button, a little search thingy will pop up saying

 

"Please search for your question before creating a new thread"

with a searchbox below. There one should be able to search for the question they have.

The threads that matches the search will be listed below.

 

Then there would be another button at the bottom saying "My question isn't listed!" or similar, which will create a new thread if you press it.

 

I suggested this before actually, I believe that we did do it, but there was a complication with it. I believe the problem was that there was a problem with the way the software was designed, it just looked a bit too intimidating. 

[NavelColt 22,877]

I suggested this before actually, I believe that we did do it, but there was a complication with it. I believe the problem was that there was a problem with the way the software was designed, it just looked a bit too intimidating. 

 

Basically, the thing Feld0 retrieved was a brand new rule page that forced users to agree to something before making a new topic. What we wanted, and what we -still- need, is just a reminder box on the actual posting page that just acts as a little overhanging board for when you're posting a new topic. Not something that forces you to agree to something. We found a need for that, and we use that as well, now, but we still need the other thing too xD

[---------------------- 1,645]

 

 

We found a need for that, and we use that as well, now, but we still need the other thing too xD

 

....I totally understand *lierjack*  

And why not just do this for all boards?

 

Eh, I don't think there is a real need for this in other boards

[Marcato 2,143]

Well in reality it is one of the things the tech support team is for, taking care of these redundant threads asking the same questions. Of course you're right, it would get annoying after a while constantly having to deal with threads that actually already exist. I'm thinking something like Stack Overflow's search function when creating a question.

 

Stack Overflow practically has a question-asking guide when you go to make a question about something. 

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/ask/advice?

 

Maybe something like this, where as you type things into the question title it will display other threads with similar titles, much like googles suggestions as you type into it.

[Zoop 8,384]

If a question is asked again and again, it really ought to be added to our site FAQ.

 

If people repeatedly make tech support threads about things that are answered in our FAQ, I'm all for adding a topic multimod that allows the tech board staff to lock the thread and post a generic response directing the OP to our FAQ in one click.