One more forum?

Message

JHEM · #1 Post by **JHEM** » Wed Apr 28, 2004 11:30 am

I know we're beginning to get a bit "top heavy" with forums, but I think we should consider the addition of one more.

I propose calling it "Hacks and How-tos" and including writeups for all of the recurrent stuff we spent so much answering on the old forum, e.g.:

How to get a 75x to see a "new style" HD.

How to install a HD larger than 6GB in a 76x.

How to upgrade a 600, 600E or 600X.

How to use the recovery CDs or partition.

How to put 2GB of RAM in an A31x.

Etc., etc.

We could point newcomers to it from the FAQ that Jim is busily compiling.

What say you all?

Regards,

James

Bala Pitchandi · #2 Post by **Bala Pitchandi** » Wed Apr 28, 2004 12:29 pm

I think we should make them all as FAQs and stick them in each of the respective forums....

like 600 Series FAQs and How-tos should go to the 600 series forum.

Deb Suran · #3 Post by **Deb Suran** » Thu Apr 29, 2004 9:15 am

On our forum we wait until there is a demonstrated need before adding a new sub-forum. When we see there are enough existing discussions on a topic, we open a new forum and move the existing discussions there. Voila, populated forum.

#4 Post by **BillMorrow** » Fri Apr 30, 2004 12:41 am

ok, who will volunteer as assistant admin..??

Jim Hope · #5 Post by **Jim Hope** » Fri Apr 30, 2004 3:58 am

Deb,
I'm half 'n half with you on this.

We already have a demonstrated need for perhaps no more than a dozen questions.

The need and the information is in the "old" forum.

While part of the value in what happens in a forum is the interaction and individual responses, another part is the actual information.

I think we can identify the questions that can go into a FAQ section and create a section that would be applicable to a majority of models. Then we could have FAQ pages or threads within each model line.

If this really was a new forum, then the "self-organizing" approach that you have suggested makes lots of sense. But we this is not really a new forum and we have some experience and a base of knowledge to bring to bear.

Suggestions:

A web page targeted to "New ThinkPad User"s with FAQs and links into the forum. This provides a read-only delivery of relatively time-stable information. The links into the forum would be for capturing responses.
This web page should also have some information about ThinkPads.com

Another web page "Getting the Most from the Forum" with the information I put into the that thread I started.
e.g.
- Posting in the correct forum (and how to know which *is* the correct one)
- Topic should be indicative of what you need
- Include Model number, configuration, o/s
- Include steps already taken

Then on an ongoing basis we can do as you have suggested.

Deb Suran wrote:On our forum we wait until there is a demonstrated need before adding a new sub-forum. When we see there are enough existing discussions on a topic, we open a new forum and move the existing discussions there. Voila, populated forum.

But here, I would have one more suggestion. When we move the old posts, we put a condensed version - just a synopsis - as the first post in the thread. Often the solution will be in the last post in what could be a lengthy thread. We can make that available at the beginning of the thread. Anyone who wants to read through all the older posts can still do this to get all the nuances.

Jim Hope · #6 Post by **Jim Hope** » Fri Apr 30, 2004 4:10 am

morrow wrote:ok, who will volunteer as assistant admin..??

Don't know if you need an assistant admin for this Bill.

As new topics become necessary, anyone (or a moderator) can create a summary thread.

Picture this.

3 threads address the same issue over time. Let's say that this takes 50 posts in total.

One new post in a new thread could contain a synopsis with links to the original 3 threads. When the new synopsis is created, the three old ones can be converted to read only (a moderator can do this ? no? )

The person who creates the synopsis thread can just add a final message in each of the old threads - referring to the new one.

Was that clear?

JHEM · #7 Post by **JHEM** » Fri Apr 30, 2004 7:13 am

Jim, Deb, Bill, et. al.,

Looks like some of us need to put on our editor caps and come up with up to date FAQ for each of the specific forums??

Let's put our heads together over this and not attempt to do it all alone (Jim!). We all know each other's addies, let's use them.

Let's not be afraid to seek enthusiastic "volunteers" for some of the more esoteric forums.

Regards,

James

Jim Hope · #8 Post by **Jim Hope** » Fri Apr 30, 2004 1:21 pm

James,

Something I've done in the past:

Post a thread in a forum that is basically a list of FAQ (questions only) that seem to come up frequently.

It is an appeal to regulars and literati ("the enthusiastic volunteers") to provide concise answers to the questions and links to references.

As the responses come in , I put on my editor hat and add them to the main FAQ post (the first one) and keep a quick change log at the end of that same post that acknowledges the contributor of the information.

This doesn't take a lot of time, and at the end you've got 10 or 15 really good answers to the low-hanging fruit type questions.

Those questions and answers are right at the top of the forum (a sticky).

The whole process can be done in a week or two.

This can help people to get to the answers quickly instead of having to scan through an entire thread (or jump to end where typically one of two things has happened: The answer showed up and the thread stopped, or the thread has descended into mayhem).

JHEM wrote:Jim, Deb, Bill, et. al.,

Looks like some of us need to put on our editor caps and come up with up to date FAQ for each of the specific forums??

Let's put our heads together over this and not attempt to do it all alone (Jim!). We all know each other's addies, let's use them.

Let's not be afraid to seek enthusiastic "volunteers" for some of the more esoteric forums.

Regards,

James

#9 Post by **BillMorrow** » Sat May 01, 2004 1:58 am

uhmm, guys..
i DID create a special group or something..
and i created a new designation "special" of which james is the only one just now..

jim, i will add you to this list and deb if she won't object..

there are others too (like that fiat owner in france..

and nonny and many more) who are literate and knowledgeable with inclination and have more time than i have to do the research, such as cpu plans from intel and so forth..

this new forum has a lot more than the old webboard and i sure appreciate the help and direction you, james and deb have given..
to be honest all this is a bit more than i can handle along with trying to stay in business..

JHEM · #10 Post by **JHEM** » Sat May 01, 2004 8:58 am

Bill,

As we come up to speed on how the forum works I hope to get ALL of the work of maintaining it taken off your shoulders.

Regards,

James

ian · #11 Post by **ian** » Sun May 02, 2004 2:17 am

The Fiat/T-21 Owners Club, SW France seconds that proposal...

G-Man · #12 Post by **G-Man** » Sun May 02, 2004 3:51 am

ian wrote:The Fiat/T-21 Owners Club, SW France seconds that proposal...

Nice to see you here Ian. We missed you... and your red Uno.

ian · #13 Post by **ian** » Sun May 02, 2004 4:11 am

I've been here, lurking as only I can, watching how things were going during the startup period.

My father has just been admitted to hospital in the UK so I'm off, this evening, in a 14 year old UNO 60s (Thinkpad Black) - NO fan noise, never even thought of trying to fit an Ultrabay, but she runs, sort of, so we'll see how things go all the way up to Calais...I'm taking the T21 with me (who travels without a TP?) so perhaps I'll post from over the other side of the channel. I'd love to test the performance of my wireless card (a D-Link G650+) so I'll go down by the lake in Green Park (Buckingham Palce) and see if I get the same response as JHEM. (I mean, if you're going to talk lakes, then THIS is a lake...)

Until then, best regards to one and all - hope to be back before the T43

JHEM · #14 Post by **JHEM** » Sun May 02, 2004 8:02 am

Ian,

Sorry to hear about your Dad.

And your choice of transportation!

I think you'll quickly find that a little sniffing in London and it's environs will reward you with unfettered internet access. If worse comes to worst and you're desperate for WWW access, park yourself in the lobby or coffee shop of any Marriott Hotel, they're fully WiFi compliant.

Best wishes to your Dad and have a safe trip, I know what those French drivers are like!

Regards,

James

ian · #15 Post by **ian** » Sun May 02, 2004 8:31 am

Thank you James

The obvious downside of this trip is perhaps overshadowed, for me, by the chance to play with my fathers collection of antique Leicas. I'm very new to Thinkpads, and I don't have my own private lake

but I do know a thing or two about cameras - modesty prevents me from 'developing' on this...info for another forum I fear.

Just a last thought before I go - I was thinking of posting a pic or two to 'prove' my devotion to TP (and UNO's !) and I came up with this - web space and personal web pages are so freely available now, why don't the people who want to post pictures, or detailed (long in loading) information simply put them on their own sites, or personal pages created for the occasion - this would allow the overview (on Thinkpads.com) to be read by Nonny (among others) using cellphone modems etc. and the link to the picture used by people who have the ability to download easily.

I realise the idea is not original, but it may provide a simple solution to the problem of posting pictures here.

Keep my place warm guys - I'll be back...

Ian

#16 Post by **BillMorrow** » Sun May 02, 2004 10:15 am

have a safe trip, ian..
why not take the chunnel..?? i guess a ferry is better from calais..?
or does the chunnel come out in calis..??

have not been there since before the chunnel..!

uhmm, i like jims idea of the web pages..
VERY GOOD IDEA and since i will start modifiny thinkpads.com i may as well add that to it..
so, for now, we will create a FAQ (read only? to most) to hold what will go on the new FAQ web page..?!

since i may be selling my beloved cadillac allante' today i need to go acharge the battery and start it so jim or James can do that or i will do it later this evening..

i think i might be able to arrange some sort of place to keep large images for a while.. an upload facility, maybe..?? we'll see..

ian · #17 Post by **ian** » Sun May 02, 2004 10:48 am

I won't go into long and boring detail (That's new Ian...) but in fact the Channel Tunnel is surprisingly expensive - I find $150 for the round trip Calais Dover Calais expensive enough, but unless the ticket is purchased weeks in advance (Obviously in this situation I didn't have this option) there is little or no discount.

Naturally anything involving the UK is academic if the UNO doesn't get me there...as for the photos, well we'll see what can be done. Upon my return I'll chuck a few out onto my site and post a link - I still think this is the easiest way to avoid big files for people like Nonny etc. Of course, writing this I'm also assuming she'd want to see photos of a Thinkpad at Trafalgar Square etc !!

I'm also charging batteries this afternoon - digital camera, thinkpad, Palm, mobile phone - I never realised I used so much electricity before...

I wound up the motor on the UNO this morning - the annoying thing is that the key is so large, and it sticks such a long way out of the hood - still, I'm hoping to have enough reserve to get to Bordeaux where I pick up daughter 1, then she can help me wind it up for the next bit. Daughter 2 not happy - has to stay home to tend to cat. Oh, and school...

See y'all soon

#18 Post by **BillMorrow** » Sun May 02, 2004 11:14 am

look..
its a fiat..
and there aaHAVE to be a whole lot of tony in you to even own it..
i recently got an astom martin lagonda.. hand made, custom car, total of 600 ever made over 10 years..
i also got a copy of the workshop manual the other day..

while on the outside it appears complex, it is realsly an extremely elegant and simple car to work on..
the manual and some chewing gum, aabaling wire and for a really expansive road repair kit, some epoxy and glass cloth and barring major problems this thing will go most anyplace..

i imagine a decent fiat uno will do the same..

its like i was told about the cat diesels in my boat..
barring major broken parts and given fuel and compression, the thing will run..
in the case of the caterpillar 3208N, nearly forever..

\did not know the chunnel was so expensive but i guess it follows.. huge cost, big cost to use..

we'll be here when you are sitting at the lakeside, onine..

ian · #19 Post by **ian** » Sun May 02, 2004 11:49 am

For as long back as I can remember, Astons have been the ONLY real supercars imho. Oh yes, I know Ferraris are very pretty etc. (No, let's not starts another thread yet...) but I can't seem to get Astons out of my skin.

The new ones are just a tiny bit fantastic in terms of shape, but I hanker after a nice AMV8, late eighties, Volante Vantage de preference...

As for the Lagondas - well there were two really - the 3 litre 1953 model or the 1976 V8 - which one are you talking about?

#20 Post by **BillMorrow** » Sun May 02, 2004 8:05 pm

this is the alagonda that looks like a giant stepped on one of those squared volvo's..
townes design..
AML V8..
4 doors..
look it up on the web..
http://www.astonmartinlagonda.net

i am listed as the owner of 13280..

ian · #21 Post by **ian** » Mon May 03, 2004 12:23 am

It does make one wonder just exactly what Towns was smoking when he penned the Lagonda - after, to my eyes, the beautiful "flowing" lines of the DBSV8 (AND the sheer muscle !) the Lagonda seems such a contrast.
And why not indeed - if we don't innovate we don't advance.

Sorry Bill, nice car but I'll stick to my David Browns - who knows, one day I may even own one!

#22 Post by **BillMorrow** » Mon May 03, 2004 3:11 am

whatever he was smoking at the time, these cars were hand built and cost $150+ whel aall was done..
they are VERY fluky, given the lucal electrics, but i find that this impulse purchase has grown on me..

i went to drive a 1995 bentley continental R this afternoon..
given that i would have to mortgage most all my cash for the next 5 years and given that it was larger than i thought and given that the pait work was just too new in places and given that a carfax report showed some anomolies in its history and given that the idiot standin for the sales guy would net let me drive more than 3 blocks i decided to retain the lagonda as nearly as much fun and a whole lot cheaper..

yes, the DB cars are wonderful and very dear, but i just don't want to worry aabout taking an unscheduled excursion into the forest at the side of the roadway..

an AML and a UNO are just two of a host of fun cars one can do that with, though if i were top come up against andthing other than a large bush in a UNO i might rethink my position..

FWIW, i DID come up against a large bush in golden gate park in san francisco in 1957 when driving my 1955 austin healy 100 which had, up to that very moment, a very nice ferrari lookalike front in aluminum..
so i can say with certainty that bushes and cars do not mix well and the car usually wins a phyrric victory..

considering that i turn 67 this month and that the gas will run out in the next 10/15 years i feel that this is my "last hurrah" with toys that go zoooom.. and i will take advantage of it so when i am 95 i can loko back on exploding UNO's in the alps and aan 82 Rolls Spur and most everything between..

so far it has been great fun and with people i meet here and elsewhere it only gets better..

let me know if you are thinkpad enthuiast enough to want an ian@thinkpads.com email address.. ?

ian · #23 Post by **ian** » Mon May 03, 2004 3:25 am

I'm just loading the UNO and thought I'd do a last check before leaving - what a kind thought - yes Bill, I'd be flattered to have a Thinkpads mail address - though I can't promise the jokes will get any better

As others express far more eloquently than I, this forum is for far more than 'just' Thinkpads - and I never thought I'd get all these added benefits when I bought my first IBM laptop - jeez when I think what all those Dell owners are missing!!

Ian

PS. 67! Wow, middle age...no sweat

JHEM · #24 Post by **JHEM** » Mon May 03, 2004 8:55 am

ian wrote:Sorry Bill, nice car but I'll stick to my David Browns - who knows, one day I may even own one!

DB's most built vehicles are seen widely and are surprisingly affordable!

http://www.canit.se/~ingemar/

Be a nice step up from the UNO and probably be of some assistance in negotiating those French rotaries!

Have a safe trip Ian@thinkpads.com and welcome to our newest member of the Friends of Bill.

Regards,

James

#25 Post by **BillMorrow** » Tue May 04, 2004 4:11 am

it'll take a few days to get the ian@thinkpads.com up and running..

#26 Post by **BillMorrow** » Wed May 05, 2004 12:20 am

good one james..
it is awell known that citroen 2CV's are well suited to pulling a french plow..
and perhaps a david brown tractor will do nearly as well...

but i think the other "DB" is not so suiitable..

ian · #27 Post by **ian** » Mon May 10, 2004 10:43 am

Hi all

Back in France after 2000 klms of UNO

and not a thing wrong with the car, the Thinkpad or the 1933 Leica I managed to squeeze from my fathers grasp.

For some strange reason I decided to come to work today - but then again I own two Fiat Unos so perhaps this can be explained...

England seems incredibly expensive, and I have no particular desire to return, however I think major changes in transportation are called for as I envisage further trips this year...yes, the Uno may have to give way to something a little more comfortable. I thought about asking my cousin - she has a Jaguar X-Type 2.5 Litre Sport. Seems quite nice, but she's SO possesive and sadly won't let me 'borrow' it.

Alternatively I could buy a boat...

I'm off home - it really does take longer to recover as I get older!
I'll post the pictures (Not here Nonny...) when I find them.

I

One more forum?

One more forum?

One more forum?

FAQs

Re: FAQs

I agree (now that's new...)

Re: I agree (now that's new...)

Silence is golden....

Just a thought...

Chunnel?

Astons - now ya talkin'

Hmmmm

What have I done?

Re: Hmmmm

I did it!

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