How do you deal with lazy forum members on your own forums?

[ApexSpeed]

Over the years, I've developed a lot of patience with the general population of my forums, but in the last couple of months, I have received THREE e-mails from forum members that had the same question.

"How do I make a post in the forum?"



Now, I try to be patient with my member's stupid questions (usually because people refuse to read directions or instructions), but this one makes me flip out every time it arrives. I understand that there are a few individuals on my forums who may not be tech savvy, but if you are using a computer and browsing a discussion board with an intent to post a Classified ad selling an expensive item on the web, should you not also be remotely bright enough to figure out how to hit the "New Post" button?

Would you feel guilty ignoring the questions like this?


Ugh.





The laziness and stupidity of people NEVER ceases to amaze me.

[Wayne Luke]

Maybe you should make a "Help" forum with some basics such as How to Post. Then your other members will relieve you of this horrible burden.

[ApexSpeed]

Thanks for the sarcasm.

For as snide and short as programmers and IT guys usually are with Customer Service, I would have thought that there would be a BIT of understanding.



:rolleyes:

[Cromulent]

Bah I'm an idiot :).

[peterska2]

I get the odd how to post one, but the most common (and frustrating) one is emails through sendmessage.php asking how to register. I get about 3 or 4 of them a week. I'm sure more people email me than actually register without my help.

On one of my sites we set up a help forum and put a couple of threads in about the very basic stuff. On another I expanded the FAQ a bit for some things, but need to expand the registration and posting parts of it still.

[forumguy]

I get the odd how to post one, but the most common (and frustrating) one is emails through sendmessage.php asking how to register. I get about 3 or 4 of them a week. I'm sure more people email me than actually register without my help.

On one of my sites we set up a help forum and put a couple of threads in about the very basic stuff. On another I expanded the FAQ a bit for some things, but need to expand the registration and posting parts of it still.Ha ha ha ha!! What do you say?

"Uhm click the 'register' link, maybe?"

[peterska2]

How did you guess? :p

But yes, thats pretty much what I say. I give them the link to register.php too then they can click it in the email.

I guess it explains why not to many of my users actually post - they get stuck registering so don't even try posting. :(

[MRGTB]

Thanks for the sarcasm.

For as snide and short as programmers and IT guys usually are with Customer Service, I would have thought that there would be a BIT of understanding.



:rolleyes:

I don't think he was being sarcastic. Thats exactly what I would have said also. In fact I would have said create a FAQ section. And do a Questions and Answers there. To answer these type of questions to help members get used to using the forums.

[forumguy]

But considering the person can't post. How are they gonna navigate to the FAQs?

[MRGTB]

Theres a bit of a difference between not knowing how to make a post and clicking a simple link on the forums that leads to a FAQ section on a forum board.

I don't mean the FAQ section that comes with vbulletin

[forumguy]

But really. Clicking the "post reply" button. And clicking an FAQ link are the same. What FAQs do you mean?

[MRGTB]

But really. Clicking the "post reply" button. And clicking an FAQ link are the same. What FAQs do you mean?

OK, I guess they are just as easy as each other. Guess there's no hope for the dude then. :D

[forumguy]

Exactly. Why would you want to register on a forum and not know how to use it?

[Wayne Luke]

Exactly. Why would you want to register on a forum and not know how to use it?
I have seen styles out there that make it more difficult to figure out how to post and some people like using small micro-fonts on their buttons that make them very 'leet but practically unuseable at the same time. It also depends on your target audience and whether they know what a thread is or would topic be better? Or if you even show the "post reply" button. Is the quote button the reply and what are those two buttons on the side of that? Or "How do I enable the quick reply?"... etc.

On my site I have quick reply without requiring to click.. I would say 99% of my users have never even looked at the "Advanced Editor" and don't know how to add polls, attachments and such. Very few of them actually create new threads either but reply quickly and often when a new thread is created.

[WurkAnimal]

I send them the faq links!

[JakeS]

At the top have a message in big bold writing saying "If you don't know how to post then your in the wrong place you dumby" :p

[MRGTB]

Yeah I must admit, the quick reply button, when setup to require a click can throw people (especially because it have no writing on it).

It would be better if that button was a little larger and accually did say "Quick Reply" on it.

[WielerArchieven]

I send them the faq links!

That's what i will do, except that i will change the phrase FAQ to Help, as
most of my users don't even know what FAQ means :rolleyes:

[---MAD---]

I would simply ignore them. Its probably someone that knows whats going and knows it annoys admin's that are hungry for active members :).

[forumguy]

Yes, why would you want them to post? They're probably someone that doesn't know how to use a forum thererfore could create spammy posts. There's an 80% chance this is what will happen.

[Cromulent]

Yes, why would you want them to post? They're probably someone that doesn't know how to use a forum thererfore could create spammy posts. There's an 80% chance this is what will happen.

79% of all statistics are made up :). There is a 92% chance that this statement is true.

Still I guess the point is valid.

[wirewolf]

Nobody knows their forum and how to navigate around it better than us, Admins and Mods. I try to look at my forum from the point of view of a first time member (not easy sometimes). One very easy thing to do is to create a static help page (kind of a mini site map) and have a link to it at the top of every forum page.
I have one here - Quick Navigation (http://shipmodeling.net/what_to_do.html), and my first time members' use it a lot until they get the "feel" of navigating around the forum.
John

[ApexSpeed]

The general problem I have found is that no matter what I do to create FAQs, Photo Posting tips and instructions, or anything else to help computer-phobes around our forums, the basic issue with anything today is that PEOPLE DON'T READ anything that is directional or instructional.

Besides the fact that most of my users who don't know how to register or post are only there to sell something in the Classifieds. It's probably better though. If you aren't capable of figuring out how to make a simple post or register for a basic discussion forum, you probably shouldn't be selling an expensive race car on the internet to begin with.


People are lazy and want a quick solution or answer without actually looking for it—even with an FAQ or, like we have, a dedicated forum for site problems, guidelines and tips. I can't make things any easier, and if someone can't even type out a full sentence to ask for help, I can't waste my time with them.


These are actual e-mails we've received in the last 6 months...

"how do you post?"

"I cannot register."

"hi , i forgot how to post a message? thanks"

"cannotlog in cheers"

"I would like to post a question but am unsure of where to start?"

"Whats my password?"

"I can't log in or change my password?"

"Hello,still haven't joined the 21st century.lol.I can't figure out how to place
an add on this website.i would like to sell my car.thanks jim"




We try to laugh these off, but I think it's the lack of people's willingness to try to figure something simple out on their own that always strikes a nerve with me. :rolleyes:

[Doug Nelson]

I have (I think) more than my share of these users, since my site is popular with tech newbies. I've taken numerous steps that have all worked out well.

1) I made a tour movie, posted it to youtube and then embedded it in a template page. I put a link to the template page on my navbar, and include it in the welcome email.

2) I use the Welcome Headers plugin available over at vb.org. It shows different messages depending on where they are in the registration process, including links for lost passwords, resending activation emails, etc.

3) I bought an addon module for Outlook (no longer necessary for Outlook 2007, which has the function builtin) that lets me respond with boilerplate answers at the click of a button. This is probably my #1 technique for avoiding headaches. I wrote detailed responses for all my most common questions, all slanted towards showing them how to do whatever it is they want by themselves.

[forumguy]

79% of all statistics are made up :). There is a 92% chance that this statement is true.

Still I guess the point is valid.Don't question my percentages! :)