Experts, your thoughts and suggestions on a TA FAQ
Dear all,
There's been some suggestions on FAQs and howto-type questions here and in the CS Expert Input thread.
I'm sure we've all answered similar questions a number of times and it might be an idea to put up a FAQ type section with the most commonly asked questions that we can direct people to.
To see some of the thoughts, these topics were where things have been discussed (but please ignore the flaming posts Nico and I have been making at each other, I think it's all resolved now):
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/20521750/Suggestion-FAQs-HOWTOs.html
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/20525867/HOWTO-Create-an-autonumber-that-has-letters.html
I'm in favour of slightly more in-depth FAQ/tutorials that can cover the basics, which we can then help questioners to customise to their own needs.
JDettman has suggested simpler FAQs for the most commonly covered issues, if they're not covered in depth on other sites.
What does everyone think ? Your input is much appreciated!
There's been some suggestions on FAQs and howto-type questions here and in the CS Expert Input thread.
I'm sure we've all answered similar questions a number of times and it might be an idea to put up a FAQ type section with the most commonly asked questions that we can direct people to.
To see some of the thoughts, these topics were where things have been discussed (but please ignore the flaming posts Nico and I have been making at each other, I think it's all resolved now):
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/20521750/Suggestion-FAQs-HOWTOs.html
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/20525867/HOWTO-Create-an-autonumber-that-has-letters.html
I'm in favour of slightly more in-depth FAQ/tutorials that can cover the basics, which we can then help questioners to customise to their own needs.
JDettman has suggested simpler FAQs for the most commonly covered issues, if they're not covered in depth on other sites.
What does everyone think ? Your input is much appreciated!
I liked the idea, but it degrades the interactivity. In fact it turns the whole system upside down and a new EE should be created: You post solutions and experts comment on them to validate them. Instead of the questioner, this is the answerer(s) who accept the solution and give the points.
Finally, I prefer to find a thread containing a dialog between people. It gives humanity that a FAQ doesn't have.
Finally, I prefer to find a thread containing a dialog between people. It gives humanity that a FAQ doesn't have.
I'm now answering Q's here for three years and indeed have seen many similar questions.
For some situations I started to make "standard" text files to copy/paste in Q's, but almost every time these needed changes to "fit to the questionner" or because my insights did change over time.
Perhaps it would be more "fruitfull" to start a cooperation with e.g. the www.mvps.org/access site to extract successfull samples/solution from EE and have them posted there to refer to from EE.
It could also support people visiting that site to come over to EE when not finding the solution or not understanding the sample.
Basic weakness of EE will be the question structure that's just one level and no specific search on this type of information.
A site like www.mvps.org/access has already a structure and a search function in place.
Perhaps when the long expected rewrite has been finished the engineering team could try to setup a structure for this in EE, but it will have to be structured totally different as the present structure.
As ornicar states, the "human touch" in EE is essential.
Users and programmers "in trouble" normally ask a collegue when stuck instead of pressing F1 for the helpfile. The Assistent that's "forced upon" by microsoft office wasn't welcomed as a new way for help but instead irritated most people.
EE functions more or less as that collegue on the work floor.
Nic;o)
For some situations I started to make "standard" text files to copy/paste in Q's, but almost every time these needed changes to "fit to the questionner" or because my insights did change over time.
Perhaps it would be more "fruitfull" to start a cooperation with e.g. the www.mvps.org/access site to extract successfull samples/solution from EE and have them posted there to refer to from EE.
It could also support people visiting that site to come over to EE when not finding the solution or not understanding the sample.
Basic weakness of EE will be the question structure that's just one level and no specific search on this type of information.
A site like www.mvps.org/access has already a structure and a search function in place.
Perhaps when the long expected rewrite has been finished the engineering team could try to setup a structure for this in EE, but it will have to be structured totally different as the present structure.
As ornicar states, the "human touch" in EE is essential.
Users and programmers "in trouble" normally ask a collegue when stuck instead of pressing F1 for the helpfile. The Assistent that's "forced upon" by microsoft office wasn't welcomed as a new way for help but instead irritated most people.
EE functions more or less as that collegue on the work floor.
Nic;o)
listening
I have tried many FAQ's and KnowledgeBases and they give a "generic" answer that never meets my specific needs. I do like the human interaction and input from the various exeperts.
ASKER
For those who feel that a FAQ would dilute the interaction between askers and answerers, I don't think you need to worry.
What might happen at the moment is that when someone provides a particularly good answer, we often post a link to the PAQ. The questioner then comes back asking for clarification, help with particular details or how to customise the solution to their own situation. Sometimes they'll come back and say that they couldn't make head or tail of the PAQ because it has so many other comments in it. Particularly when it is a long thread where the expert has had to spend some time winkling out pertinent information.
I think a FAQ would make it easier for the questioner to come back with the right questions to ask. If it fixes their problem straight away, great, but if not they can come back with more information for the expert(s) to help them out, helping both the questioner and the expert to resolve the problem.
The human interaction will always be there, and unlike calling Microsoft, you're speaking (well, posting) to someone who can actually help you out if you need guidance with the solution rather than just someone who reads you pre-prepared KB articles.
What might happen at the moment is that when someone provides a particularly good answer, we often post a link to the PAQ. The questioner then comes back asking for clarification, help with particular details or how to customise the solution to their own situation. Sometimes they'll come back and say that they couldn't make head or tail of the PAQ because it has so many other comments in it. Particularly when it is a long thread where the expert has had to spend some time winkling out pertinent information.
I think a FAQ would make it easier for the questioner to come back with the right questions to ask. If it fixes their problem straight away, great, but if not they can come back with more information for the expert(s) to help them out, helping both the questioner and the expert to resolve the problem.
The human interaction will always be there, and unlike calling Microsoft, you're speaking (well, posting) to someone who can actually help you out if you need guidance with the solution rather than just someone who reads you pre-prepared KB articles.
Hi shanesuebsahakarn,
First, I'd like to thank you for your outstanding contribution to EE:
Questions Answered 337
and congratulate you for your great performance:
Date Account Created 01/16/03
Expert Points 122914
IMHO, a FAQ section can give very little help, if any, as I can recall for myself, reading FAQ's all over the net, and it is exactly what it mean to be: Frequently Asked Questions, but unfortunately, most of the times, my questions were not so frequent (for some peculiar reason...), which mean that I had to spend hours, reading thousands of words, just to find out that I had to keep looking for the answer somewhere else. What I’m trying to say is that in a case that a questioner is looking for an answer, Murphy lows DO work (sometimes, even extra hours…), and almost every time, the FAQ will give partial solution, if any.
The above thesis can be absolutely wrong for others, of course, and it just could be the perfect solution for many questioners, which is why I wouldn’t totally dismiss your suggestion.
The bottom line is: give it a try, but if EE decides to go for it, lets go one step beyond, and implement some mechanism to test the benefits that it gives to the questioner, so it can be improved accordingly for a better future.
Welcome to EE & Keep up with the excellent work
Sincerely,
Nosterdamus
First, I'd like to thank you for your outstanding contribution to EE:
Questions Answered 337
and congratulate you for your great performance:
Date Account Created 01/16/03
Expert Points 122914
IMHO, a FAQ section can give very little help, if any, as I can recall for myself, reading FAQ's all over the net, and it is exactly what it mean to be: Frequently Asked Questions, but unfortunately, most of the times, my questions were not so frequent (for some peculiar reason...), which mean that I had to spend hours, reading thousands of words, just to find out that I had to keep looking for the answer somewhere else. What I’m trying to say is that in a case that a questioner is looking for an answer, Murphy lows DO work (sometimes, even extra hours…), and almost every time, the FAQ will give partial solution, if any.
The above thesis can be absolutely wrong for others, of course, and it just could be the perfect solution for many questioners, which is why I wouldn’t totally dismiss your suggestion.
The bottom line is: give it a try, but if EE decides to go for it, lets go one step beyond, and implement some mechanism to test the benefits that it gives to the questioner, so it can be improved accordingly for a better future.
Welcome to EE & Keep up with the excellent work
Sincerely,
Nosterdamus
Shane,
Can we put this in the Expert Input T/A for debate and until a decision is made
Computer101
E-E Admin
Can we put this in the Expert Input T/A for debate and until a decision is made
Computer101
E-E Admin
ASKER
Sure, can you move it ?
I can PAQ it and you can make the question in the topic area but point to this. All who are involved should post in the Expert Input TA but use this as a reference
C101
C101
ASKER
OK, I'll do that - can you PAQ and refund for me, thanks.
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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Got it,
Thanks
Keep your chin up and keep the ideas coming
C101
Thanks
Keep your chin up and keep the ideas coming
C101
Computer101
E-E Admin