FAQs

Trojan

Hey all,

I think it'd be a good idea to have some FAQ threads at the top of the forum for certain subjects, particularly popular questions on Java etc.

I was thinking about something like 3 or 4 similar to :

[*] Java FAQ
[*] asm/C/C++ FAQ
[*] Web programming FAQ (ie non-Java cgi, php etc)

Thoughts?

Al.

deRanged

I reckon that's a good idea.
Maybe code snippets too?

e.g.
sockets is a recurring theme - putting a c and a java socket example up might be a good idea.

dahamsta

Well, how about posting them in this thread, and linking to it from the Charter?

The PHP FAQ

adam

Baz_

yeah dahamstas idea pwns, if you have too many stickys it looks ****, but if you have a series of faqs (somewhere) linked to from the charter, its a lot less cluttered at the top.

Trojan

Originally posted by dahamsta
Well, how about posting them in this thread, and linking to it from the Charter?

The PHP FAQ

adam

Cos I was thinking that it'd be nice if people can add to them. So they're *our* FAQ, not just the usenet one. Look at some of phobos' recent Java answers for example.

Basically I'm talking about 3 or 4 threads which both linked to the official faqs, resources, etc, and also contained posts from us. That's why I think just using this thread is not enough.

So, after reading this, do you still think that way?

Al.

Baz_

Okay I didnt click on dahamstas thread, so I thought it was on boards (lazy me), but what I was thinking is that you create as many faq threads as you want, with as many links (to posts, sites, etc) as you want, and have a main charter, or faq, thread that links to all these faq threads. Then people can go to the main faq thread and see that there is already an faq containing threads about [place language here] and can go to that faq, search for their answer and then if they dont find it there ask away.

Now I know that it rarely works out as a perfect system but thats the way I would think to be the best way.

leeroybrown

Yeah, it always takes a while to find decent FAQ's, API docs and Sample code when you want to do something in a language you're new to. And it would save people who post on Programming regularly from spending all their time digging up that Bookmark for some newbie.

Although it could become a pretty long thread after a while.

Trojan

Originally posted by Baz_
Okay I didnt click on dahamstas thread, so I thought it was on boards (lazy me), but what I was thinking is that you create as many faq threads as you want, with as many links (to posts, sites, etc) as you want, and have a main charter, or faq, thread that links to all these faq threads.

ok, so you're thinking of just normal non-sticky threads in the forum, which are called "XYZ FAQ", and which are linked from a master thread which is sticky? Sounds plausible.

Next thing I'm wondering about is creating a new "FAQ board" where only FAQs (but for the entire site) can be posted, that'd make them easy to find. Then link the FAQ board from each ... forget it, way to much work

btw Leeroy: don't worry about the length, they can be tidied up by subject area or something. Also, could make each post include a "keywords" section.

Al.

Zab

Is the idea that this would be a ( highly moderated ) question answer forum. ie. each question would be posted by a boards memeber, and answered by another, with incorrect answers etc. deleted? Or do you plan on just taking bit's from various posts in the forum ( that would seem to make more sense ).

Zab.

Trojan

Originally posted by Zab
Is the idea that this would be a ( highly moderated ) question answer forum. ie. each question would be posted by a boards memeber, and answered by another, with incorrect answers etc. deleted?

Yeah,a couple of "highly moderated" threads to avoid crud, but located here. The question really is should there be one main linking thread, which is sticky, and the rest unsticky, or else a couple of stickys which were more specific.

Al.

Baz_

I dont think you should deleted wrong answers, just make sure that the wrong answers are righted. I think that if one person thinks the wrong answer is right, then the likelihood is that another person does, and to show in a thread how their thinking is wrong would be very helpful at clearing up confusion.

phobos

I have noticed that there are many questions related to Java on this board as of late. It shows that it's quite a popular language, and one that is being adopted by programmers every day. What I will do (if ye want) is write articles covering things from

"WTF :mad: java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError??"

to

"I want to write web applications (but don't know it yet) using Java"

That is just an example of posts that I have jumped in and provided solutions to over the past few weeks. I will try my best to give a fairly open explanation on the particular topic (not biasing my answers to my favourite particular methods), but leaving it up to the individual as to how they might want to implement what they've learned.

There are other people on these boards that I know could take an equal stab at this one, (I'm looking at Enygma, and a few others at least). As the Open Source Development Admin on IJUG (Irish Java Users Group), I think I should be able to pull together something that would be helpful to many people that browse boards.ie/Programming

;-phobos-)

Baz_

gg phobos:)

Trojan

Originally posted by phobos

"WTF :mad: java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError??"

to

"I want to write web applications (but don't know it yet) using Java"

That is just an example of posts that I have jumped in and provided solutions to over the past few weeks.

In fact that's the particular post that makes me believe an faq is not just nice to have, but required...

Al.

leeroybrown

btw Leeroy: don't worry about the length, they can be tidied up by subject area or something. Also, could make each post include a "keywords" section.

OMFG, this almost sounds like organisation.


It does sound like a pretty good idea, especially for the simple nagging problems that always stop peoplke from getting going (eg. The classic "NoClassDefFoundError" as mentioned by phobos).

It shows that it's quite a popular language, and one that is being adopted by programmers every day.

As someone who is still putting up with poor lecturers (in fairness to them, they have to put up with people who still have trouble with OO Programming and even simple C after 4 years of college), I have to say that colleges seem to be doing a lot of Java these days. Java is a very nice language but I'm not the worlds biggest fan of the JVM and its inefficiencies.