Suggestion and Policy

Suggestion for info TER should give newbies once they join...
xyz23 45 Reviews 1789 reads
posted

I'd like to suggest once someone joins TER (the free sign up process is complete) the person is automatically taken to a page with two links on it. One link labeled "If you are a provider" the other "If you are a hobbyist."  (Monger, john, or whatever TER decides would work here.)

The provider link would lead to an explanation of how to do things depending on the providers situation:  
1. A newbie provider trying to figure out how all this works. It should include Provider ID#, profile, paid VIP, free limited provider VIP, white listing (what and how), ad boards, photo board, how to post photos, the discussion boards, being moderated on the discussion boards, the "Newbie" board, how to search and so on.
2. A provider not new to being a provider but new to TER. It would include the info for a completely new provider but also how to find her profile in case she has one already.
3. General member info would go here too.

The hobbyists link would lead to an explanation of what TER has to offer, Newbie info, paid VIP, writing reviews, white list, and so on. General member info would of course go here as well.  

Yes, the Self-Help Center has some of this but frankly it's hard to find and navigate. The Self-Help Center could be linked in the above info too.  

Many of the repetitive questions come from these situations. It wouldn't eliminate all of them as there will always be those that jump without looking but it would help.  

One other thing, remove the ability to post (questions or otherwise) to the info in the Self-Help Center. Much of that is in discussions from years ago. Yet when I look sometimes a thread from 2005 has questions or comments at the end of the thread posted in 2013. I can't imagine any of those get answered. Instruction to go to the newbie board to post a question should come up when someone has a question to something in the Self-Help Center.

Lastly, White List FAQ's need to have a separate link in the Self-Help Center. Right now it's at the bottom of "Some info for Providers" where it's sure to be missed by any newbie monger looking for it

hard to find and navigate.  The link is at the top of every forum page, and to navigate it, all you have to do is click on the topic you want to learn about.  What is so hard about that?

I am the newbie board host, and yes, I do get many repeat questions on there.  Myself and my cohorts that help out try to answer all of them one way or another.  I do agree that many of those questions could be eliminated if people would read the self help center first, but as we all know, that ain't gonna happen all the time.

Also agree with you about the FAQ for the whitelist should have it's own link in the SHC.

Swim

...so much that the Self-Help Center itself was hard to find though I have had many ask where is this Self-Help Center we keep recommending. Sorry I didn't make that clear.  Specific info in it is hard to find. There is no way to search the Self-Help Center and the link headings are not as informative as to what's inside as they could/should be.

The most obvious example is the White List FAQ's I mentioned in my OP.  

The link is one of my posts and is an example of what isn't in the Self-Help Center that would be very useful to a new provider and should be in my opinion one of the first things she is given access too upon joining.  

I know you among others (fairly regular others) do a good job of answering newbie questions and that's one of the great things about the newbie board. That's why I said a prompt to go to the newbie board to ask questions should come up when a reader attempts to ask a question at the end of one of the old threads found in the Self-Help Center. I too help out on the newbie board and am used to answering questions from others even the same questions over and over again. But I always strive to make the info as clear and accessible as I can and take each question as an opportunity to evaluate how to better disseminate the information.  

Overall I think the Self-Help Center type information on TER is haphazardly put together and many of the things that come up regularly aren't in it. Then too when things change the Self-Help Center often isn't updated nor are other information links on TER. Though I have noticed lately that there has been improvement on this.

the Whitelist to admin.  Haven't heard back, but they did acknowledge receiving it.  I know you post on the newbie board and I am always grateful for your, and that of others, assistance there, as you guys often answer before I get a chance to post anything.  Thanks for the clarification.  I do agree that admin could have broken things down a little more than they did, and organized it a little better, but unfortunately I don't think that's gonna happen.

Swim

Register Now!