The topic is topics

[jimandy]

From terry (in another thread)
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr> but this constant feeding of non-information and garbled-de-gook sure sounds like it's time for the forum members to review the situation in that light. <hr></blockquote><p>Hmmm. don't I recall a certain topic on how to make noise with electricity?<p>But I agree with your quote above and rather than bury my response in learner's topic on x-ray repair, thought I'd get the ball rolling here. For starters, it would be interesting if the forum guru did a check on suspicious posts by doing a reverse lookup on the IP that is being logged. If someone states their location is Pago-Pago, it's a good chance something is amiss if the IP tracks back to Bellsouth. Not saying that it couldn't happen, but 'twould be interesting, eh what?<p>Next, I see many suggestions to newbie posters on how best to pose questions, but I wonder if there is a topic in the archives that could be dredged up from time-to-time to refer a poster on how to better structure a "how to" or "help me" question.<p>Finally, for those posting in the forum who are struggling with English as a second language, have they ever heard of babblefish? No, it's not perfect but maybe, in some cases it might help.<p>Your turn.

[dr_when]

High,<p>I nede sumwun too help lern me too slodder. Oh happy sunshyn for dat. I ther forim kweshtin for me also thank...<p>ooB

[terri]

Good point, dr_when. A certain minimum level of communication must be assumed. I learned to slodder when slodder was 50-50 precint lede and tinne. I am pretty forgiving about language deficiency and expect to have to go back-and-forth a couple of times to clarify a point, but when the same request for details is met with either the same response or another irrelevant garbled response, I figure it's time for the querent to re-think his/her question or consult a native-language expert. I too, find it hard to believe that someone would throw a situation like that at an inexperienced technician. Especially with medical equipment. To me, this whole thing smacks of a jest. I hope I am wrong.<p>jimandy: Yeah, and I said I was embarrassed about that. And I didn't string it along. Name is Terri, by the way, not that I haven't messed up other people's names myself.<p>I'm sure a few people have thought of some kind of index or search function to do what you suggest, but for myself, given that the question is both legitimate and posed with reasonable clarity, I decided that would be fixing something that wasn't really broken, and I doubted if Nuts and Volts would want to pay for the additional setup time. Besides, it would reduce the fun factor.<p>And, given reasonable speed and depth of external search engine web crawlers, I suspected that most of the details which appear in this (and other) Forums (Fora?) are available anyhow. But this is an unsupported suspicion --I have not actually tried it.<p>[ March 22, 2005: Message edited by: terri ]</p>

[jimandy]

Terri, (yes, I think I got it right this time)<p>I'm sure all accepted your apology, especially since the topic was making a valid point. (My comment about being "violated" was supposed to be in the same humorous vein.)<p>I don't want to suggest that a "formula" for writing a problem specific topic should be required reading for participation. Soon that would raise the question about moderation and I bet the members don't want to go down that road. Of the few unmoderated forums I have visited, this one is perhaps the most civilized. It's gratifying to know that there are members here who knock themselves out trying to extract the essence of a post and guide a less articulate poster into meaningful dialogue.<p>Asking people to stick to a format in a forum is like herding cats. However it doesn't hurt to suggest some essentials for certain "how to" inquires. My suggested list:<p>1. Give a background for the question – i.e.
"I just bought a bifurcated tromboline to ease the pain of a bunion and to avoid surgery..." instead of – "my doubletapered flutereamer has never worked, why?"<p>2. State the problem (or need) in terms of function before delving into the technical. as in "It is supposed to fit in my shoe but the nine volt battery conflicts with my arch support..."
rather than "Can the nine volt battery be replaced with one of the flat cells that come on a roll of ten year old Polaroid film?"<p>3. State the level of knowledge or experience attained by the poster so others posters can structure responses at a suitable level:
"I've just learned how to tie my shoes with those stringy thingies which I learned from reading Don Lancaster are called laces. But I have mastered the shoehorn and hold classes on it at the local junior college...."<p>4. Promise (and deliver) on a follow up post regarding the success or failure of suggested solutions: "Wow, Terri's idea to use solar cell shoe laces really worked..."<p>There now. I'm done.

[terri]

EXCELLENT:<p>(a) Points<p>(b) Sense of humor<p>Kudos!<p>[ March 22, 2005: Message edited by: terri ]</p>

[jimandy]

Thanks Terri.<p>Now about this problem with my Whitfield pellet stove...

[Enzo]

A forum is like a conversation in a bar, we can all discuss things, but we have to put up with the occasional incoherent soul, or some bad attitude or whatever, yet overall we enjoy it.<p>It seems that in some political arenas, folks are on a hair trigger to jump in and legislate ANY deviation from the straight and narrow path. I would hate to see that here. We can chose to focus on the occasional poster who is either illiterate, hostile, drunk, ill informed, or inarticulate. But mostly we should focus on all the other posts who are not those things.<p>Why should we add a bunch of hoops to jump through and try to make sure that no one EVER does anything to rock the boat? It is far more interesting to remain unfettered. I mean is it really that big a problem?<p>Regardless of communication skills, if someone asks how to put the smoke back into a resistor, I will just more on to the next topic. If it appears they are trying to ask a legit question, I want to help if I can.<p>Babelfish is a great thing, and I use it trying to correspond with french speakers mainly, but a fun thing to do is translate something into another language, and then cut and paste it back through to retranslate back into English. It can be amusing to see how it returns.<p>Not always this good, but my favorite - perhaps apocryphal - is "Out of sight, out of mind" comes back as "The invisible are insane."

[terri]

I agree in principle, Enzo, but... that one was beyond the ken. As I mentioned, I've been pretty patient with some posters, but...<p>Good analogy about the bar conversation. You sound pretty experienced in that area. (Insert dry humor emoticon.)<p>And there's the one about "The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak," coming back as, "The booze was strong, but the beef was bad."<p>Now, jimandy, I know nothing about Whitfield Pellet Stoves, but...<p>[ March 22, 2005: Message edited by: terri ]</p>

[John Brown]

Wow!
"querent"!
That's cool.

[dr_when]

No, "querent" is not so cool and not in the dictionary (at least any I know of).I thought I knew all the "Q" words from playing Scrabble. <p>"querist" is in the dictionary,however.<p>Bob

[Bernius1]

JOHN ! Politically correct, it's not 'querent', but "alternate lifestyle rent".
I think the best reproof is no response. I think the line was crossed with the 'hydrogen' thread for buffoonery, but I always enjoy reading the remarks of other listers. I really have to read EVERY thread, because most divert from the topic to an informative tangent. Like f(x)=Sin(e) as 'S(e)(x)'.
If you took all the respondent posts with either a schematic, an algebraic derivation, or a fully described methodology, like the thread about laser printers for PCB transfer, you'd have the best hobbyist book out there. The only tough part would be getting the royalty checks to Dean, Dave, Terri, Stephen, Phil, My-P71, and the rest. But I have read many things here that occur in no textbook. Thanks to all. I think the more experienced should list a 'most amazing/effective solution' that they've personally found in life. I'd solicit Bob Pease, too. How much is in THAT cranium ?

[terri]

"Querent" is used in the Tarot, where a person (the Querent) comes to the Reader with a Query. As, "How do I increase the power rating of a Zener," the Querent asked.<p>And the Reader crosses the cards, reads them, and interprets them as, "The Tarot says, 'parallel it with a resistor.'*"<p>"Alternative life style-ent," indeed! !<p>-----<p>* (That's my unique solution for the day.)

[jimandy]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>
"Querent" is used in the Tarot, where a person (the Querent) comes to the Reader with a Query. <hr></blockquote><p>So that would make the "Reader" the "Queree" ???

[John Brown]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>querent<p>\Que"rent\, n. [L. quaerens, p. pr. of quaerere to search for, to inquire.] An inquirer. [Obs.] --Aubrey.<p>Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
<hr></blockquote>
There was no reproach intended in my earlier post. I'd just not encountered the word before.

[terri]

No reproach sensed, no offense taken.<p>I looked "querent" up in my 1953 Random House Unabridged Dictionary, and it wasn't in there, but "querist" was. Anyhow, I've been using that word for years. Must be a dodecaquaternary meaning or something.<p>"Queree," indeed! If I'm the "poster," you must be the "postee." Or the Board is. Or something.<p>Me get headache. Me go now.<p>[ March 23, 2005: Message edited by: terri ]</p>