Is anybody upset that TH pimps out the forum knowledge base?

Here's the issue...

Tom's openly markets the forum for IT questions in hopes of obtaining more hits on their web site. They do this at the expense of forum members.

I use to scan these forums daily for years and watched the TH site become nothing but a corporate commercial. The forums didn't deteriorate nearly as rapidly but they have surely driven away some of the best enthusiasts.

So now TH readily advertises that the forums are a great place to receive QA for IT issues. To perpetuate the fleecing of it's forum members there is now a neat little "Ask your question here" box on the front page.

joy.

Well I haven't posted in quite a while for good reason. Nobody seems to entertain decent threads anymore. It's turned into a never-ending response to people who want to be spoon fed on how to maintain or build their systems.

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Perhaps we need a section specifically for higher-level tech talk. It would have to be monitored carefully though because it will be a fanboy magnet and/or a hangout for the "elite." I think implementing this would require some moderate-high restructuring of the forum though, because currently "CPUs and Components" doesn't specifically mean help with or discussion about that topic.

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to randomizer

wusy wrote :

Since returning my analysis of this forum is now a mixture of uninformed enthusiasts (80%, they dwell in Homebuilt Systems), well-informed enthusiasts (15%, we visit all tech forums) and IT professionals (5%, mainly in storage and networking forums).
Is this a good balance? Ask the admins of this site, is that what they intended to achieve or not.

I try my best to hunt for posters asking help with a problem or something special related to professional IT work. I do that to gain experience for myself when finding a solution for them. The problem is it's getting very hard to do that when the rest of forum is filled with not-so-interesting "help me pick a part!!" threads. To filter them out from the rest is time consuming.
Threads with discussion of technology is also getting very rare nowadays compared to what it was years ago.

So true...

I honestly hate those build questions... I know I will never truly leave THG, my first tech forum... too many good memories.

Perhaps an exclusive club for members with say, 800+ posts?

Reply to amdfangirl

Hi,

As for the best mix of the userbase, I don't have a perfect answer for that. What I do know is that, by adding the "Ask your question" thing to the front page, we are trying to grow the community more. We certainly aren't trying to harm it. I think there are a fair amount of users on this site who enjoy assisting novices with problems.

I agree with randomizer that a possible solution to this issue might be a forum dedicated to experts. I don't know the technical issues of only allowing forum members who have posted above a certain number of threads to access it. A better solution might just be to remove (not even move) posts from people who don't follow the instructions by posting novice questions in there.

Justin

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to justinblue

These days, its almost like, a million build post or can I upgrade x cpus with y motherboard.

Some of us want to discuss more than buying parts, that's when we make threads about something like core cache design, use of metals in switching gates, tradeoffs of new design or simply something like electrolysis degradtion of silicon. However, every discussion normally turns into something like "Then after what you've said, is x processor best for me?"

Reply to amdfangirl

The electrolysis degradtion of silicon. Now there is a subject I know a little about. Thanks to stringenly controlled scientific research and development, the electrolysis degradtion of silicon as well as the act of sticking out your hand to tell temperature are being replaced by... LED's. Lot of late night commercials about this ED and the degradition it causes . :lol:

Message edited by badge on 05-06-2009 at 07:45:22 AM

Reply to badge

How about you guys put together a bit of research and development savvy and come up with a one click button called 'New Threads'. One click displays every new thread made on the entire forum. Add a standard equiptment reset feature.

Message edited by badge on 05-06-2009 at 08:12:15 AM

Reply to badge

justinblue wrote :

I agree with randomizer that a possible solution to this issue might be a forum dedicated to experts. I don't know the technical issues of only allowing forum members who have posted above a certain number of threads to access it. A better solution might just be to remove (not even move) posts from people who don't follow the instructions by posting novice questions in there.

I think it is worthy of further discussion, even if we go down a different route. Personally, I don't think that post count should in any way determine who can and who can't post in such a section. There are likely many people who rarely if ever post but know there stuff. What you post should determine if you belong there or not.

Reply to randomizer

Let's take the army's approach... anyone got carpet bombers?

Reply to amdfangirl

All wusy posts dissappear. What new feature is that.

Reply to badge

Censorship from people with an almost unique title?

Reply to amdfangirl

How about using a unique title and removing the censorship of the now defunct 'New Threads' option. It was the good ole days when I could see all the the new threads in one uncensored place.

Reply to badge

They're cutting down on your forum addiction badge. It's for your own good.

Reply to randomizer

Yeah, I really miss that 'New Threads' button. I fell like a dufus around here anymore. But I'm still the best looking guy on the forum.

Reply to badge

The cake is a lie, as is the mirror.

Reply to randomizer

You mean you know about the cake? Isn't the dufus factor classified information?

Reply to badge

Freedom of information laws are a pain sometimes.

Reply to randomizer

Yeah, I know all about 60's, freedom and related laws. *Sticky" (I don't know, I'm no longer a part of the forum without that "NEW THREADS" option that took away my freedoma nd a lot of information.)

Reply to badge

I800C0LLECT wrote :

Here's the issue...

Tom's openly markets the forum for IT questions in hopes of obtaining more hits on their web site. They do this at the expense of forum members.

I use to scan these forums daily for years and watched the TH site become nothing but a corporate commercial. The forums didn't deteriorate nearly as rapidly but they have surely driven away some of the best enthusiasts.

So now TH readily advertises that the forums are a great place to receive QA for IT issues. To perpetuate the fleecing of it's forum members there is now a neat little "Ask your question here" box on the front page.

joy.

Well I haven't posted in quite a while for good reason. Nobody seems to entertain decent threads anymore. It's turned into a never-ending response to people who want to be spoon fed on how to maintain or build their systems.

Where do I add my response? This is a kind of clunky way to send an answer or some appreciation. I am still very new to this forum, but have the technical skills to have helped some people get their systems back up. Please go on with what you'd started about posting threads for apparently no reason. I would like to get on your side to see about fixing this so that more people can use the forum as a tool and not be left feeling like an idiot.

------------------------------ Unknown
Reply to DaveF1953

Im with wuzy on this one. Im not well rounded and certainly no expert in any 1 thing, but have the capacity and desire to learn and to help. Kinda hard when its always a driver conflict, or a 300 watt psu in a 9 TBs , 3 dvd player, 4 cored, oceed to 4Ghz, tri sli rig"why doesnt my puter turn on?" question.

------------------------------ I went drifting, thru the capitols of tin, where men cant walk and cant freely talk, and sons turn their fathers in
Reply to jaydeejohn

I800C0LLECT wrote :

Here's the issue...

Tom's openly markets the forum for IT questions in hopes of obtaining more hits on their web site. They do this at the expense of forum members.

I use to scan these forums daily for years and watched the TH site become nothing but a corporate commercial. The forums didn't deteriorate nearly as rapidly but they have surely driven away some of the best enthusiasts.

So now TH readily advertises that the forums are a great place to receive QA for IT issues. To perpetuate the fleecing of it's forum members there is now a neat little "Ask your question here" box on the front page.

joy.

Well I haven't posted in quite a while for good reason. Nobody seems to entertain decent threads anymore. It's turned into a never-ending response to people who want to be spoon fed on how to maintain or build their systems.

I hope you keep up the crusade of what you are trying to do. My take on it is set out with one basic problem and look into one basic answer. Not someone trying to hear how technically savvy they sound or how good they are to talk to us little people. I'm nowhere near an expert, but I've been in this since the inception of the Microprocessor. I learn every day and I really hate when I'm trying to ask a question which is difficult to ask, I'm pushed aside. I hope I understand where you are coming from 1800.

------------------------------ Unknown
Reply to DaveF1953

randomizer wrote :

Perhaps we need a section specifically for higher-level tech talk. It would have to be monitored carefully though because it will be a fanboy magnet and/or a hangout for the "elite." I think implementing this would require some moderate-high restructuring of the forum though, because currently "CPUs and Components" doesn't specifically mean help with or discussion about that topic.

You are correct. This must talk about Microcode C+ and Machine Language

------------------------------ Unknown
Reply to DaveF1953

Focus On

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