A humble suggestion regarding "The Rules"

[YOUR KONG]

Last month I noticed that there was a new rule in the entrance screen to the messageboards: "Oh yeah, don't bug the web folks with silly questions. Only smart questions."

Can we change that to something like: "Use the Search button to check the archives before you post. We talk about a lot of things here and there's a good chance that somebody asked the same question and got some answer already. You'll save everybody--including yourself--some time."

Because:
1) "What's a good compressor for $500?" isn't a silly question - but is *is* one that has been asked and answered many, many times.
2) I remember once a guy needed help plugging his 1/4" soundcard out to a tape deck. That is a silly question - but the boardmembers were very nice and helpful to him.

It seems to me that silly questions don't seem to get the angry responses that an oft-repeated question does.

Forgive me if I'm out of line - the magazine and the boards are great and I appreciate the work everyone puts into them!

[Curtis]

Screw the rules - this is about dialogue - why constrain it?

Ask any question - anytime - as often as needed.

[YOUR KONG]

Ask any question - anytime - as often as needed.

Because then they get angry!

No, seriously - there's no harm in using the search engine first. And then if your question still isn't answered (say you're looking for a $500 compressor that smells pineforest fresh, but none of the reviews mention how the compressor smells), then it makes sense to post it to the forums, thus adding to the body of knowledge that is summoned by ye olde Search Engine.

[inverseroom]

I'm with Kong. That rule is a bit rude. We should have rules, so the board won't get cluttered with uninteresting stuff, pushing the good stuff off too quickly--but we should also be really polite to people who break them. I am a newbie for life, myself, and have probably annoyed people with my dumb questions, but occasionally one transforms itself into a really good thread--there has to be enough openness to allow that to happen!

[wayne kerr]

Well I read that as "don't email Hillary with some kooky jive - she's busy enough without having to settle petty squabbles between computer geeks with way too much time on their hands." It says WEB FOLKS, meaning, I think, the administrators of this board. So post away with your $500 pine-scented compressor questions, just don't email Hillary because someone called you a jerk!

CM

[phalex]

Peoples opinions change, the same question needs to be asked, maybe not three times a week, but maybe monthly, just because people hear new equipment or trends change. If this board has to stay on-topic, and questions can't be repeated, what are we going to talk about?

[awolski]

Long time lurker, short time poster here.

My take on the whole thing is that there's new gear coming out all the time. So maybe there's some hot s$%t new cheap pre or compressor out there that everybody hasn't heard yet. So if you look at responses that are 6 months old, you might not hear about something that was introduced at the latest trade show or whatever.

I think it comes down to a tug of war between home recording folks and pro recording folks. The home people are much more likely to be interested in quality at a specific price point than the pro folks. This is because their gear often doesn't make them any money, it just costs them money.

SOME pro folks don't want to waste their time looking at questions that don't concern pro recording techniques. It seems that people are more than willing to help if the question is about $1500/channel pro gear, but get all up in arms if the question is about $500/channel prosumer gear.

This is obviously not everybody. I have been helped on several occasions by people who might be considered "pro".

I have loved Tape Op for a long time and the magazine has always given me the impression of being inclusive rather than exclusive. Heck, a good portion of the interviews are with people who tracked some masterpiece at home on prosumer gear and only mixed in a "real" studio. I relate to these people and don't see them talked about too mucch in any other magazine. I would hope the board could be the same way - inclusive rather than exclusive.

Same thing with boards. I haven't found any board that is specifically geared to home recording where people are as open minded and well-informed as they are on this board. So can't we all just get along?

But yeah, I read Hilary's new rule as meaning "don't bother the administrator with petty squabbles" too, but the statement seems to be open ended by design.

[phalex]

Long time lurker, short time poster here.

My take on the whole thing is that there's new gear coming out all the time. So maybe there's some hot s$%t new cheap pre or compressor out there that everybody hasn't heard yet. So if you look at responses that are 6 months old, you might not hear about something that was introduced at the latest trade show or whatever.

I think it comes down to a tug of war between home recording folks and pro recording folks. The home people are much more likely to be interested in quality at a specific price point than the pro folks. This is because their gear often doesn't make them any money, it just costs them money.

SOME pro folks don't want to waste their time looking at questions that don't concern pro recording techniques. It seems that people are more than willing to help if the question is about $1500/channel pro gear, but get all up in arms if the question is about $500/channel prosumer gear.

This is obviously not everybody. I have been helped on several occasions by people who might be considered "pro".

I have loved Tape Op for a long time and the magazine has always given me the impression of being inclusive rather than exclusive. Heck, a good portion of the interviews are with people who tracked some masterpiece at home on prosumer gear and only mixed in a "real" studio. I relate to these people and don't see them talked about too mucch in any other magazine. I would hope the board could be the same way - inclusive rather than exclusive.

Same thing with boards. I haven't found any board that is specifically geared to home recording where people are as open minded and well-informed as they are on this board. So can't we all just get along?

But yeah, I read Hilary's new rule as meaning "don't bother the administrator with petty squabbles" too, but the statement seems to be open ended by design.

Well said.

[saultime]

I haven't been around here that long, and I've gotten a lot of use out of the search function--and I still manage to ask questions. I've found that the search option helps me to ask better questions...after reading the posts of yor, I can be more specific.

yes, I enjoy the dialogue on this board. Divirsity of oppinions is a good thing.

[awolski]

(say you're looking for a $500 compressor that smells pineforest fresh, but none of the reviews mention how the compressor smells

[vvv]

...after reading the posts of yor, I can be more specific.
quote]

Yes, yor is quite the poster, ain't he?

Uh, are we allowed to joke any more?

OK, well, right, that wasn't much of a joke...

[Moon Unit]

My take on the whole thing is that there's new gear coming out all the time. So maybe there's some hot s$%t new cheap pre or compressor out there that everybody hasn't heard yet. So if you look at responses that are 6 months old, you might not hear about something that was introduced at the latest trade show or whatever.

Does the search function start at 6 months back? I don't think so. I'm pretty sure you can find very recent posts by using the search function, as well. Unless I'm wrong.

It seems that people are more than willing to help if the question is about $1500/channel pro gear, but get all up in arms if the question is about $500/channel prosumer gear.

Not really. If people were constantly asking "what's the best $1,500 compressor?" they'd get just as annoyed. It's just that not many people ask "What's the best $1,500 comp," so it's refreshing to see something different, and that's why you'll see it greeted more openly.

[Meriphew]

Peoples opinions change, the same question needs to be asked, maybe not three times a week, but maybe monthly, just because people hear new equipment or trends change. If this board has to stay on-topic, and questions can't be repeated, what are we going to talk about?

Good points Phalex.

[damian]

What? There is a search button?

Hmmm... learning new stuff all the time...