A Sub-forum Idea

I was wondering if it is possible to create a "General Queries" or "Simple Queries" sub-forum in every single major forum. This sub-forum could serve a place for members to ask simple questions about the subject matter of that forum.

Now, as you all know, many members, mostly new members, have simple questions that they have doubt about, or may be some trivial questions that they need clarification on. They start a thread stating just the 1-2 liner question, which drives some members crazy and some of them reply by saying - use google- or something.

Some helpful members provide links and explanations in order to answer the question/s of the author. However, after the author's question is answered by a few members, the thread is dead. Hardly, a few of them reach a high number of replies, with some quality discussion.

I am not saying that such threads are stupid, sometimes such queries apply to me also and I learn a lot from them. At times, some members want a simple answer to a complex matter that they cannot find in web search-engines for lack of better research skills or too much info on the web overwhelms them. So they turn to our smart ATS forums. A "questions" sub-forum could really help them, specially to the members with a limited knowledge of the subject matter of that particular forum and to the new members ofcourse.

Not all kinds of questions would go into this sub-forum, just the very trivial ones. Some members raise very intelligent arguments through such queries and they don't need it.

I hope the mods/other users got the idea of what I am trying to suggest here. Please ask if you want me to give a few examples of such threads.

I'm sorry if this sounds like a stupid idea. In that case, disregard it. It is just that sometimes I open a thread expecting some good arguments but I find a simple question-answer thread. By creating a question sub-forum, at least we will have a general idea of what to expect there.

Its not a stupid idea at all, In fact it is a very good one.

Mainly in the Sci/Tech forum, Aircraft, Space Exp. and the like.

I think its a great idea!

Thanks UM_Gazz for the response. You are right, may be not all the forums, but surely for the ones you mentioned.

Btw, What do other members/mods think of this?
Feel free to say if its not worth it. Thanks!

Yes indeed a good idea. Im all for it , it would save time but take a lot of work and maybe put the site out of action totally or slow it down for a while.

but yeah

jp1111 good idea...

talk to SimonGray about it...

shorty, I don't know much about website designing, but does it really take a lot of work to put up the subforums?
Then probably there are less chances for this to happen since this site is always busy!

Originally posted by they see ALL
jp1111 good idea...
talk to SimonGray about it...

Alright, I will send him a message about it.

I don't know if every forum needs a sub-forum but in subjects like Science and Technology, it would be very nice to have a thread that you could simply ask for help in. ( Example of help request ) Still I can also see the point of having a unique thread for each question so it would be easier to search for later.

not that it matters a whole lot, but I dont think this is a stupid idea at all
in fact, I think it's a great idea
I can see what your talking about, it would be especially helpful in the space exp. and sci/tech forums

There is a "other resources of information" forum which alot of people look over. it is a subforum, great information flying through there. check it out, maybe instead of all new subforums there should simply be a memo to ask all general FYI questions there and specify your topic in the thread title

dbates,

You are right that creating one thread instead of a subforum would not be easier to browse and search, but if the subforum idea does not work out for the admin, then your idea should work.

UnknownOrigins,

I know it doesn't matter much, but small improvements (if I may say so) or changes are what makes this site great. Once it works out, I'm sure members would be more willing to use it without caring about any criticisicms, such as "what kind of question is that..." "use a search engine..." "that's a stupid question" "don't start a thread with a question", etc.

Artstarr,

That would be fine, just as dbates similarly suggested to ask all the questions in one thread specifying the topic in the thread title. But then every time a new question is asked a mod has to change the thread title. I don't think that's too much work, but what if two different questions are asked at the same time?

As people have said before, it is certainly a good idea for some forums. I would say Science and Technology and maybe Ancient... forums.

I say that because at this time Science is a huge thing and not many people know it all, so with the subforum we could get to know the basic of certain things and discuss about it on the main forum.

But the problem with this is that some people may hesistate to post in that forum. I know I would, only sometimes . But still a good idea.

Good Job jp1111.

Originally posted by jp1111
UnknownOrigins,

I know it doesn't matter much, but small improvements (if I may say so) or changes are what makes this site great. Once it works out, I'm sure members would be more willing to use it without caring about any criticisicms, such as "what kind of question is that..." "use a search engine..." "that's a stupid question" "don't start a thread with a question", etc.

no, I mean that my opinion doesn't matter
I think the ideas great and I think it will improve ATS, a sub-forum DOES matter

sorry for my misleading wording

surfup,
Thanks for replying. I agree that some members would hesitate to ask trivial questions, but It will work out since we have so many young members on ATS.

UnknownOrigins,
Sorry, I misunderstood. And your opinion DOES matter, at least to me. Thanks for replying.