Repeat Questions

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2014: Repeat Questions
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By brass car guy on Saturday, July 05, 2014 - 04:50 pm:

I've noticed a number of repeat questions asked by new members when they seek information. I also belong to some other car chat lines with the same repetitive questions.

One Ferrari chat line I subscribe to, has a page with questions that have been asked before. This page also includes part numbers and interchange numbers and suppliers. Its a quick reference page with excellent information and constantly being up dated by members.

Is there a possibility a FAQ page can be started for our members?

just sayin'
brasscarguy


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf, Parkerfield KS on Saturday, July 05, 2014 - 05:11 pm:

That's a good idea. To avoid typing the same answers over and over, I'm slowly adding a few pages to my website so that when a common question comes up I can just post a link to my answer.

A couple of them are "What year is this car?" and "What changes should I make?"

http://dauntlessgeezer.com/DG90.html

http://dauntlessgeezer.com/DG84.html

To directly answer the question, I think the answer is yes, it would be possible to add an FAQ page. It would just take a volunteer or a group of volunteers to do it.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kenneth W DeLong on Saturday, July 05, 2014 - 05:58 pm:

I think it's a poor idea as it cuts out the person to person's contact.Soon you might get/all model T's were black/all the same,and on and on.If you want the same answer every time,read a book!!Bud.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Fred Miller, Sequim WA on Saturday, July 05, 2014 - 06:06 pm:

The search feature is an indispensable must for me with this Forum. It works very well and answers most of my questions if I remember to look and see if the answer has already been covered.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ed in California on Saturday, July 05, 2014 - 06:18 pm:

What? :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Peter Claverie on Saturday, July 05, 2014 - 06:25 pm:

Yes, many "newbie" questions are repetitive, and yes, most of them get the same answers as the last time someone asked that question.

But!!

I remember when I was a "newbie", and asked those questions. It was very gratifying to have several folks I didn't know, take the time to write thoughtful, informative answers.

And, it was fun to see the word-play back and forth between the "oldies."

I would vote against the idea of a FAQ page, for those reasons.

Each and every time someone asks about oil, or bands, or water pumps, we need to remember that they are sticking their neck out to ask the question of people they don't know, and we owe them a personal answer, with as much help given as possible, and as much further help offered, as possible. "Do unto others...."


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Danial - Veneta OR US Earth Solar System on Saturday, July 05, 2014 - 06:28 pm:

FAQs are handy sometimes, I guess. I find that many of them rarely answer the question I went to that page with though. Steve's links are excellent and the search feature, as Fred mentioned is great for finding answers to questions already asked.

But even for the repetitive questions, I find that when I read those threads, there is almost always some new tidbit of information presented by someone that hasn't been presented before (at least for as long as I have been reading the forum).

And even the most basic of questions help new guys to the forum get to know the members a little bit better and/or quicker than by just going straight to an FAQ page.

Just my 3-1/2 cents.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By A. Gustaf Bryngelson on Saturday, July 05, 2014 - 06:31 pm:

I agree with Peter and Kenneth, it is the duty of the older newbys to answer the questions of the new newbys, so the old boys do not need to do it if they don't want to, but it is important for the old members to remain alert and correct any answers that the old newbys get wrong. Some times a wrong answer is a better learning experience than the right one, provided it is corrected before the engine is back together and in the car:-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Danial - Veneta OR US Earth Solar System on Saturday, July 05, 2014 - 06:44 pm:

I'm an old newby I guess but unfortunately I don't possess the powers of retention like a lot of the old oldies do so all I can do is tell people to fly over LA at 35,000 feet.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dennis Henrichs on Saturday, July 05, 2014 - 07:23 pm:

How do we determine whether we are a old newbie, new oldie, or old oldie? Guess one has to ask the wife? :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Danial - Veneta OR US Earth Solar System on Saturday, July 05, 2014 - 07:25 pm:

Dennis, as I understand it, the MTFCA issues cards as you reach each level. Don't tell me you haven't received your first card yet? Bad sign!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By justin cox on Saturday, July 05, 2014 - 08:58 pm:

Even though I am new to T's I have seen the same questions a few times, but I like to read every response and usually learn something new every time. There is a real wealth of knowledge here and its great that it is being shared so rapidly! The only thing I think that is beat to death is the fact that water pumps and obama are both useless.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dave Dufault on Saturday, July 05, 2014 - 09:05 pm:

Actually, we already have a very extensive collection of FAQs - courtesy of our friends at Google.

What do you want to know....type a question in the search box AND PUT THE LETTERS MTFCA at the end of the question, and you will be rewarded with numerous answers...

for example:

What oil to use MTFCA
Do I need a water pump MTFCA
Do I need a 12 volt battery MTFCA
How do I shift MTFCA

Problem I have is how to politely share that tidbit with someone else without sounding "snotty"?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim Thode Chehalis Washington on Saturday, July 05, 2014 - 09:19 pm:

On the surface a FAQ may seem like a good idea however in actual practice I see a problem. Very seldom does everyone agree what the answer should be. Can you see an FAQ entry for "what kind of oil should I use in my T"? Everyone has there own opinion and my suggestion would be to let folks search for past threads or direct them to past threads, then they can make up there own minds based on many points of view.

In the end, there is literally thousands of years of Model T experience in past discussions on this forum and to try to condense that into neat and simple form may not be possible.

Jim


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Danial - Veneta OR US Earth Solar System on Saturday, July 05, 2014 - 10:19 pm:

What I have done over the past few years, every time I asked a question regarding my coupe, (or if someone else started a thread I thought I would need) after several days of people responding to it here, I would print out the entire thread and then put it in a 3-hole binder under the tabbed category it was in regard to.

That way whenever I had to work on something, I had all of the experts here at the forum at my finger tips. The loose-leaf binder made it handy for opening it flat on the fender or seat or where ever.

I have two of those binders now.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Wayne Sheldon, Grass Valley, CA on Saturday, July 05, 2014 - 10:24 pm:

A side note I would add to Jim Thode's comment. A long-time good friend recently pointed me to a web site with subject matter OT but related to model Ts. Their forum has been running continuous for a bit short of ten years. As I have been trying to catch up on a few interesting and (to me) informative topics, I have run into things that could be considered FAQs. Some of them are more than 2000 postings long! Most FAQs here are a bit of an ongoing debate, with prevailing opinion shifting a bit over time. Can you imagine how some of them could get?
I do also like to watch the newer people participating as they progress.
And I am still learning after 45 years. Must be a slow learner.
Drive carefully, and enjoy, W2


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Clayton Swanson on Saturday, July 05, 2014 - 11:04 pm:

repeat questions are only repeat to those who frequent the forum every day. new guys with a question probably have not read it before, or they would'nt ask!, just part of life, live with it


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Hal Davis-SE Georgia on Sunday, July 06, 2014 - 07:18 am:

I agree with most of the repsonders here. I am a member of some other forums that have FAQ's or "Stickies". When some newbie makes the mistake of asking a repeat question, he is quickly and not so politely referred to the stickies section. There is even a sticky on why newbies should read the stickies before annoying the old timers. It is very impersonal and actually rude in my opinion. I like how this forum welcomes newbies with open arms and someone is always willing to answer a question no matter how many times it has been asked.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dennis Seth - Ohio on Sunday, July 06, 2014 - 07:34 am:

I like all the interaction with everyone. As we discuss the differences in the Model T community we discover that what was always thought to be correct or the "facts" have been proven to be incorrect. Some body styles, accessories, and equipment thought to be optional are now found as standard equipment and vice-virsa. If we do not interact and ask questions as newbies or old timers we will never discover the differences. Remember the world was once thought to be the center of the universe and the world was flat.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By michael grady on Sunday, July 06, 2014 - 11:46 am:

So.... I see this forum kind of like we were all just sitting around having coffee and chatting - old friends. It's much easier asking a simple question of your friends than going to chase down the answer. Usually, I do both.

So what if questions are repeated? Don't answer them if you happen to be grumpy that day.

I do agree everyone should be encouraged to obtain the books available - esp the service manual. But, that's just a kind nudge for their own good, and should not be a nudge to avoid questions.

As a newbie who has completed one restoration and is startling a second, I kinda enjoy being able to answer some questions for other newbies.

My .02


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mark Gregush Portland Oregon on Sunday, July 06, 2014 - 02:45 pm:

I have a "T" friend that is in his 80's, every weekend I go see him. Tells the same stories and we talk about the same things. Every weekend I go see him! :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jeff Rhoads on Monday, July 07, 2014 - 12:58 pm:

Mark,

How often do you go see him? :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Chuck Hoffman - Gold Country of Calif. on Monday, July 07, 2014 - 03:46 pm:

I frequent a lot of forums and I try to use FAQ's and searches before asking questions, but sometimes I go through 3 or 4 pages of search results before concluding that my question hasn't been asked yet. This is time consuming and a pain in the butt. There are enough guys on the forums who are willing to answer the same question year after year without becoming aggravated.
What really gets my dander up is when some expert answers the question with "use the search function" or "google is your friend". If you don't want to answer the question, don't waste your time responding with a wisecrack.
That will be 2 cents, please.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf, Parkerfield KS on Monday, July 07, 2014 - 04:03 pm:

....................


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Chuck Hoffman - Gold Country of Calif. on Monday, July 07, 2014 - 10:31 pm:

Anyone else want to contribute? I'd at least like to get enough for a cup of coffee.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Danial - Veneta OR US Earth Solar System on Monday, July 07, 2014 - 11:15 pm:

Only if I get a receipt! I need every tax write-off I can get. I'm not sure what the tax code for it is, but I'll file this one under "Vehicle Expenses"


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