Faq

OTK

there is a link marked FAQ on most pages on this site. It points here:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/faq.php
which is a not very helpful FAQ about vbulletin

Why not point it at a FAQ about boards.ie? And if someone asks a question in feedback which is answered in the FAQ you could point them to the answer rather than displaying photos of animals.

common questions seem to include:

• significance of stars under names,
• how to get into soccer forum (even though it is already a sticky)
• limitation on free speech
• change of user name
• susbscription benefits
• banning/unbanning procedure
• why search doesn't work
• why the site sometimes runs slowly

Also the charters are too long and inconsistent. Why not have a common charter for the site covering items like

• no libel
• attack the post not the poster

and then just a couple of rules specific to each forum. Most other sites operate without forum specific rules at all.

hullaballoo

I think you're right, OTK. I think there are/were plans to develop some sort of universal charter at one point. I'm not sure how it's coming along. It may have stagnated.

On the other hand, there are various places where you can find the answers to these questions easily:
1. The stickies in Feedback;
2. The stickies in Newbies & FAQ, and;
3. The stickies in Help Desk.

Beyond that, I'm not sure to what extent we could make those issues more clear.

ecksor

My signature links to a list of things that I wish were FAQs ...

OTK

I have signatures turned off which I think is the default setting for new users, so I didn't see your link. Could you link your FAQ to the link on the main menu? Or maybe this would require development. I don't know.

I didn't even notice the newbies/faq forum. There are hundreds of forums and some users may not ever click on the 'sys' menu.

Nevyn

A lot of thos questions can be answered by browsing the biki.

Hobbes

no one read the wiki anymore? *sob*

Terry

I have written an up to date FAQ.
Anyone want to proofread it?

tbh

Terry wrote:

I have written an up to date FAQ.
Anyone want to proofread it?

yep, send it my way if you want. All those years in QA finally paying off!

brianthebard

Am I the only one that thought the title of this thread was Fag?

Faith

No, no you're not.

ecksor

Terry wrote:

I have written an up to date FAQ.
Anyone want to proofread it?

I'll have a look.

Terry

Only after you reset your post count to zero.

I sent it to Hullaballoo last night and he's going over it too.
tbh, you should have recieved it too.

There are a few things that I forgot to put in, but I mentioned them to hullaballoo afterwards.
I'm sure everyone who looks at it will have a few things to add themselves anyway.

EDIT:
I would also like to submit the following, to be included at the end of the FAQ:

There are no stupid questions, only stupid people.- Herbert Garrison.

Diogenes

OTK wrote:

[*]limitation on free speech

Um theres no limitations on freedom of speech, you can say whatever you like, unless the mods/admins feel your behaviour needs censoring/banning because it is racist/offensive/abusive/obnoxious/misogynistic. It's just that boards.ie is libel if they allow your statements to stay on the site. You're more than free to say/feel/write your opinion, boards.ie just isn't legally obilged to broadcast your opinion.

Tell you what you want to spout these opinions, fine why don't you wander into a traveller halting site and rant about "thieving knackers" or onto Moore St and rant about "Scrounger Immirgrints(sic)" or to a woman's support group about "whingy birds" or wander up to a Garda and call him "pig scum". You'll find your right to free speech is much more curtailed.

I'm not claiming you hold any of these views I'm merely pointed out that real life (tm) holds more severe limitations on your right to "free speech" (tm) and claiming boards is limiting free speech is patent bollocks.

I'm sorry I do subscribe to the John Gabriel general internet theory, it doesn't mean someone doesn't mean some gets to complain that his free speech is being limited because he cannot say what he likes on a webite.

OTK wander down grafton street with a megaphone, hurl abuse at ethic groups, talk ****e and attack the garda and see how far you get with your limitless free speech...

hullaballoo

It's in the works at the moment. I've to splice the stuff Terry sent me with what I have myself. ETA: this evening.

OTK

Diogenes wrote:

OTK wander down grafton street with a megaphone, hurl abuse at ethic groups, talk ****e and attack the garda and see how far you get with your limitless free speech...

I'm sorry I wasn't clear. I accept that the right to free speech is never absolute and meant to suggest that the limitations to free speech on boards be outlined in the FAQ. For example, libel & racism are forbidden.