Maybe I'm being mean to newbies but Holy Crap I'm getting so fed up with people asking the same questions over and over again here when
they've clearly been asked and answered about a 1000 times before! 
Any nominations for FAQ info anybody?
I'll start:
Question:
Are there any plans available for IRS?
Answer:
No!
I'm going to scream the next time someone asks that particular question when they haven't bothered to do a search and gone through the
archives.
Cheers,
James
[Edited on 13/10/05 by James]
So, are there any plans for IRS?
Alternatively, does anyone here know how to set up a wiki? (on-line encyclopaedia software, that can be updated by the reader).
See wikipedia for the most famous one - but a Locost one wouldn't be anywhere near the
complexity!
Otherwise - a FAQ is a very good idea!
rgds,
David
[Edited on 13/10/05 by David Jenkins]
quote:
Originally posted by marktigere1
So, are there any plans for IRS?
Trouble is the search engine is clunky I find it very hard to find the information I need, which is a shame.. I think a FAQ would be a great idea, or
at least a FAQ with links to the threads. The problem is getting somone with the time todo it I guess.
Dan
James you're such a miserable bugger!!
C'mon James! we were all new here once!
if people didnt ask daft questions, then the people with 40,000 posts would have nothing to respond to !!
another way of dealing with it is-
Top Tip Stylee-
If someone asks a question which has been asked before, then simply don't answer. Use the mouse to navigate to another topic, which you may find
more agreeable.
but you're right - FAQ would be great!
James, I think you are developing a Grumpy Old Bastard syndrome. If you remove the need for people to ask a simple question...and get a simple reply, then I think this forum is heading in a direction I don't won't to go. This forum is great because people are not too intimidated to ask.
Feel free to start a 'FAQ' post in each forum section if you are prepared to maintain it. u2u me if you do and I'll 'top'
the thread.
Chris
Seriously though I can't find an Escort, what else can I use?
I think I still have some of the links from the last time a sticky/ f.a.q.
section was suggested.
(General)
http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=24572&page=2
(BEC vs CEC)
http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=30884
(Sump mods)
http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=22754
All I can find i'm afraid.
No he's not being a grumpy old bugger, the same stuff being gone over again and again, and its all researchable with a simple search.
The more threads that go over the same material dilute the orginals if they are not answered or answered incorrectly or contain only partial info.
Go on, tell me you would'nt want a fiver for every new thread on identifying diff ratios or de dion plans etc.
We were all new to this once and are all still new on the various forums we join now but for example if I join overclockers.co.uk and want to know how
much speed I can squeeze out of my AMD 2500+ Barton i'd do a comprehensive search first.
Right behind you James...
(Chain drive diff)
http://www.westhouse.plus.com/chaindrive1.htm
(Guide to MIG welding)
http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/
(Bit on diff ratio's)
http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=27829
(If it all gets too much)
http://members.aol.com/matt999h/fag.htm
[Edited on 13/10/05 by Russ-Turner]
[Edited on 13/10/05 by Russ-Turner]
quote:
Originally posted by Jumpy Guy
C'mon James! we were all new here once!
if people didnt ask daft questions, then the people with 40,000 posts would have nothing to respond to !!
another way of dealing with it is-
Top Tip Stylee-
If someone asks a question which has been asked before, then simply don't answer. Use the mouse to navigate to another topic, which you may find more agreeable.
but you're right - FAQ would be great!
FAQs are a lot of work to set up and require a lot of maintainance to remain useful.
Then you realise no-one reads the buggers and you end up pointing people to the FAQ just as much as telling people how to search.
Advantage is the 'correct' or at least consistent information is always available.
Maybe one for each section with a volunteer for each...?
BTW What size wheels should I use, and why?
quote:
Originally posted by iank
BTW What size wheels should I use, and why?
i think this would need to have someone who is in charge of it(probably not chris, someone who has more time) who would be able to gather,
edit/present the info as an article or fact lookup. more like a links page really
They should be the only one who is able to add or remove stuf(apart from chris). If it were just a thread it could get messy quickly. for example if
someone dissagreed with what was said they might post and all of a sudden its a "miserable caterham owning bast~@ds"or wishbone bending
thread
If there was contention as to what was included, could start a thread about it or have a vote.
I think that the best way to do it
What do you think?
[Edited on 13/10/05 by liam.mccaffrey]
As a noobie I think it's great for the forum that there are some who are prepared to be patient. Having to answer the same stupid question is an
essential part of any group that wants to survive.
Once you get the "I'm fed up with noobies attitude" the noobies soon get fed up with you and go somewhere more welcoming.
I've been on guitar effects forums where they have a downloadable faq .pdf. There could be one for each section edited and maintained by a
specialist in that section to spread the workload. Your still going to get people too lazy or new that are going to ask the same old questions what
ever you do. Is it such a big deal to just press the back button and carry on.
The treads can be confusing and that part of the site is pretty clumsy. I have read so much on castor and I still can't decide if the mushroom
affects king pin inclination and helps self centering
and sometimes there is more than one answer.
Good news is there are many people not just willing to answer stupid questions but also offer practical help which is what all beginners need.
I'm really grateful to those folk.
No one ever knows everything and one of James' your more difficult questions may be the same old crap to an expert in the know.
Rant over. pajsh
I partly agree with an FAQ and partly agree with more tolerance to repeated questions. So I'm not on the fence at all.... much.
What I have just tried though is two searches. One was "windscreen mounting" and one "mounting windscreen". The first pulls up
one thread, the second nothing at all. It may be better to make the search facilities clearer to new folk (and some old ones too!) that it will
search for an exact match to the words you type.
Better yet... Chris, can it be made to do some sort of wildcard search too? I know I've tried to search for things that I know have been covered
before but not been able to give it the exact words in order to find what I'm looking for. I'd like the ability to put in two words but
have posts that either have one or both those words in any order. If I want an exact phrase the entering "quotes" around it would be my
vote, just like google for example.
For example I've looked for info regarding cortina uprights before and posts don't always have "cortina uprights" written just so.
It may be "cortina upright" which is different. Or maybe even "cortina blah blah upright" which it'll not find unless you
put in the blah blah bit of course!
[Edited on 13/10/2005 by andyd]
If I see a daft question posted, I'll usually wait a while and see if someone else answers it. Unless it's one of mine.
Anymore for anymore?
quote:
Originally posted by andyd
Better yet... Chris, can it be made to do some sort of wildcard search too?
Like Andyd said, I have found the search next to useless, even when using words that I know are in previous threads (trying to look them out for
reference)...
Was gonna start an MNR FAQ when I saw this...
Will start it and prey that it doesnt end up full of comments from other car owners criticising claimed weights etc...
Given enough time, someone could without too much difficulty turn the FAQ into a very comprehensive builders guide book. It would be much more useful
than the 'BOOK' because it would have the details needed/ choices.
Just a thought !
If no FAQ or Wiki, then could we at least have a data section that newbies (or anyone else) could look through to find the info they're after?
I agree though, there's so much misinformation on this site it's getting down right dangerous.
For example, someone reads here about substitute bushes for those horrid metalistic jobbies and subsequently posts in a most authorative manner, a
wide sweeping statement, that Nylon bushes and rod ends aren't compliant enough for use with de Dion links!
His ignorance of the items and material properties could result in a newbie going off and wasting money on an alternative, or selling his already
purchased rod ends believing they were unsuitable. Granted Nylon isn't suitable in that situation, but I doubt if he knew that or even why
not.
Another similar topic that keeps recurring is the question of what lubricant to use with PU, Nylon, acetal or PEP bushes. That usually produces a
torrent of ill informed advice.
All it would take is a few industry links or documents relating to the materials, their properties, suitability and lubrication requirements (if any).
You get the idea. The same applies for steel specs, wheel offsets etc. etc. etc. It's a no brainer.
I for one find I'm becoming less and less inclined to answer newbie or repetative questions because it often results in a pointless debate and a
lot of ignorant and misleading trivia. A simple direction to a related file would resolve the query and provide truthful and accurate information.
I invite James and anyone else of the same mind set to join my band of grumpy old renegades (BOGORs). 
Its been talked about before....and I even started putting some links together, but it kind of fizzled out:
http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=24572
Well i took a look at this a while ago and started to build a wiki, it is now available
@ www.kitcarfaq.com
Their isnt much on there atm other than kit providers, but the point is we now have a place to collate information in an easily searchable
database.
Remember though it will only be as usefull as you wish to make it.
James,
What has the Inland Revenue Service got to do with cars?
On my now revamped/updated website I have started to build up a FAQ based on info on this site and others
It can be found here:
http://gtslocost.locostsites.co.uk/locostfaq.htm
If people think its a good idea, then I will continue to build it up, however if people dont seem interested, then I wont build it up as its a lot of
work if no one will use it.
Cheers,
David
Hmmm, choices, choices! Both Gav and Flak Monkey are offering FAQ hosting. This could become even more frustrating and confusing as people rack their
brains trying to remember which site they saw that all important snippet of information on.
While I laud both your efforts to fill a gaping hole in the on-line Locost comunity, I still believe the augmentation should be primarily located at
this source.
Before I make my mind up where to post some pertinent files, I really think, even though one of you could ultimately host the FAQ/data base, it would
be so much better if a link to the resource appeared on the front page of this site and on every page throught the forum too.
If you could twist ChrisW's arm to accomplish that, then I wouldn't hesitate to upload files and facts.
I am more than happy to build up the FAQ a bit more, along with adding links to files relating to any specific point if they are needed.
The wiki is also a good idea, and may be easier to use and more searchable (though you can always use the find option in the browser on mine).
I would however like the FAQ to remain concise, with the most commonly asked questions only. There is no point in creating another web page that
replicates 100's of posts from this forum.
There are perhaps only 50 or so commonly asked questions that would need to be held in the FAQ.
David
agree that an faq wouldnt and shouldnt be huge and if some one is willing to maintain it then all the better