A Cycling Sub-forum?

[Declan]

Hi all,

Recently, I have noticed a lot of questions about cycling, and it got me thinking..

Should we have a section devoted to cycling, and cycling questions? Instead of clogging up other sections such as 'New To Hobby' and 'Tropical Discussion'

All opinions welcome.

D.

 

[Truck]

i dont think we should, because everybody doesnt want to be hanging around there all the time (Well i enjoy helping others and that) but theres a dedicated pinned topic on cycling

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Declan

We started the New to the Hobby forum for cycling question since that's the single most important thing a newbie needs to learn about. Most of the other questions can usually be posted elsewhere on the forum.

 

[doresy]

I think the already pinned post on Cycling is more than enough.

In fact, as there a sooooo many questions on various stages of cycling it is obvious that new members to this forum are missing it. Therefore my suggestion is that when new members are sent the validation email it includes direction to that posting. I appreciate that not all new members will be novice fishkeepers but will not be offended if they are asked to view the post on Cycling before asking for help

 

[TylerFerretLord]

People read validation emails?

 

[Declan]

People read validation emails?

i know I didn't, however though, when a new member clicks the validation link, maybe it could show them a select few important topics, such as cycling, stocking, common illnesses..

D.

 

[andywg]

I think the already pinned post on Cycling is more than enough.

In fact, as there a sooooo many questions on various stages of cycling it is obvious that new members to this forum are missing it. Therefore my suggestion is that when new members are sent the validation email it includes direction to that posting. I appreciate that not all new members will be novice fishkeepers but will not be offended if they are asked to view the post on Cycling before asking for help

Do you really believe that the sort of person who so desperately wants to post their question on the forum that they haven't bothered to use search (if we ever get it fixed. How long now?), haven't looked at the questions in the other threads near the top of the board and have failed to read the pinned threads will actually stop, read their validation email and then go looking for the information?

It's been said before (by me and other people) and I shall repeat it here: if everyone who joined this forum could use google and the forum search then we could lock emergencies and new to the hobby as it has all been covered to death.

 

[Declan]

if everyone who joined this forum could use google and the forum search then we could lock emergencies and new to the hobby as it has all been covered to death.

I would disagree with that for two reasons.

1. Google, as wonderful, and useful at times it may be, they are thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of sites 'dedicated' to fishkeeping. Finding the right one, is almost a stroke of luck. Yet once you have found the 'right' one, you then have the problem of contradicting information, working out which is correct, and which is incorrect, is unlikely.

2. The search facility on this forum has been down for what? 3/4 weeks? So should such a person come along with the patience to try and search the forum, will be disappointed by the fact that it doesn't work. I severely doubt after that point that anyone will sift through the old threads, as their problem may not have been asked for days or weeks. And I understand things have been slow recently caused by illness, work, Christmas, but this a 4-6 week period, so once this is over, and 'traffic' is back to usual, then we could be having maybe 30-40 new threads every day, which I believe accounts to about a page and a half of threads, so working your way through that would need the patience of a saint.

D.

[Hope that doesn't come across as stressy.]

 

[andywg]

if everyone who joined this forum could use google and the forum search then we could lock emergencies and new to the hobby as it has all been covered to death.

I would disagree with that for two reasons.

1. Google, as wonderful, and useful at times it may be, they are thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of sites 'dedicated' to fishkeeping. Finding the right one, is almost a stroke of luck. Yet once you have found the 'right' one, you then have the problem of contradicting information, working out which is correct, and which is incorrect, is unlikely.

So instead you post on a forum (such as emergency) where the main person who replies just puts the symptoms into google and posts the first link. At least with google you can look at the sites and see the expertise of the people who run Wet Web Media as opposed to the mostly inexperienced people who respond to many of the posts in n00bs and emergencies.

2. The search facility on this forum has been down for what? 3/4 weeks? So should such a person come along with the patience to try and search the forum, will be disappointed by the fact that it doesn't work.

But if they can use google they will use the site:fishforums.net query to ensure they only get search results from the forum

[Hope that doesn't come across as stressy.]

Why care? It's only the internet.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

Why care? It's only the internet.

i agree with andy, no point putting extra links and stuff in, people won't use it.

no need for a seperate forum, the vast majory of the queries relating to cycling and all the pinned topics are already there in the new to the hobby section it's just mixed up with a few other bits and it's easier for newbies if they can start up one topic in there about their new tank, we can follow through the cycle with them and alo talk about stocking, decor, filter media, basic hardware stuff and all the other little bits and bobs of newbie stuff that they need.

if people really care about making the experience of the newcomers to the hobby/forum better then hop over to the new to the hobby forum once in a while and answer some of the basic questions and direct people to the links. often seems like there's only a handful of us who regularly post there to help newbies out and we always appreciate another pair of hands.

 

[Tolak]

By leaving cycling questions in the New To The Hobby section it exposes the newer aquarist to the next steps; stocking, decor, and all the other little things involved. While their tank is cycling they may learn a few things that will help them in the near future.

 

[waterdrop]

Yes, agree with Tolak and MW there. I'd also like to comment that although I agree that most of the information in "New to the Hobby" has been covered to death, one of the delightful things about the medium of a forum is that a beginner can receive this same information packaged in what at least seems to be near to a personal letter and often for a beginner, that can make the difference between begin drawn in and being put off.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[toshapetriji]

Agree with Waterdrop on this one. Someone new to the hobby feels that some direct advice for their particular situation is like having an expert next door.