New users & repeated questions - an idea.

[Gepard]

There's lots of posts created every week with repeated questions. Whilst I'm all for refreshing the feed every month or so to see what people have to say a lot of common questions can be answered simply by using the search function. 

I'm no forum developer, but would there be a way to implement a sort of 'pop up' for new users - say a week - that reminds them to search for their question before posting? 

I think this would be a good way to cut down on the number of repeated posts we see on the forum as the pinned ones don't seem to be having much effect. 

Additionally, when creating an account perhaps a sort of checklist that allows players to say how long they've been playing would work out well. That way beginners could be redirected to selected pinned posts so they may read up about the sport?

 

[Robert James]

I can’t answer those with actual ways to do it as I no longer make forums. 

When I used to make forums I used to have to do a lot to permissions and user groups, I.e once you’ve made 10 posts you’re not a newbie anymore your a not so newbie. 

One way I tried to get people to read pinned threads was to limit what the new users could eee on every part of a forum that needed people to look at it, they can then post on that post (the perm to post disabled after they effectively levelled up) by posting on those posts only, it at least told me they had read something, but the posts were only visible to that person alone and admins mods etc. 

So in affect, they just have to write READ on every post that was pinned and then they would ‘level up’ and be able to post everywhere. 

Probably a mod/plug in that does it a lot easier now though, plus I was 12/13 at the time