Suggestions for Forum posts

( I looked for a better category! move it if you have a better idea)

Maybe a thought…
If a relatively new user starts a new topic, prompt them for basic items- like board type, product links, formatting & code tags, good photos, and annotated schematics.

This will save someone asking within the first few posts !

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OR just direct them to read the pinned post re 'How to get the best out of this forum'

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  • If only they would. :woozy_face:
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How about a catapult? No that was a meme.

How about a template?

Or a helper like Clippy?
"It looks like you're trying to do something stupid, like posting on the forum"

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There is a related discussion here:

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[Pert did beat me to this one]
Discourse (the backbone of the forum software) supports templates. See Standard text for new topics (template). It is (was) unfortunately not possible to make that kind-of a type over (user will have select text to type over it. With the template the forum can "instruct" the user to provide details.

Discourse does also support tagging; see How do you feel about tagging? which can force users to e.g. specify operating system, IDE version and other things like the board used. The problem with the latter is that it is a maintenance nightmare if one wants to add every single processor board in existence; I'm specifically thinking of all the ESP stuff.

Tagging sounds valid- only when the beginner starts a topic, with less than five prior topics etc…
Just to steer them in the direction of good posting habits !

Obviously some categories need not be as aggressive ! :hugs:

It's indeed quite useless to tag an operating system in the Bar Sport category :smiley:

And I highly doubt the users will catch up on this either.

Imho this applies to the forum as well, there's way too many categories.

Bottom line is, can it be made more easy for the user to help us help them?

This sounds promising.

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The forum guide started life with my own standard text, which I was pasting into topics where the OP was provided little or no information.

There's nothing to stop any of you writing your own copy and paste text, indeed some helpers already do this.

Perhaps in bar sport the selection of operating systems could be replaced with a list of drinks from which the OP can select their favourite.

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I came up with a better prompt..

NEW USER: If you can’t read or don’t want to read - or put in effort - you may as well stop now.

Just toss your parts in the floor and walk back and forward over them in bare feet.`

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