Job Discussion Forums

[Lynn]

It's been brought up before that the same questions are recycled here. Jim, Glenski and others have kindly done a search and posted the results for the original poster.

I've taken a look at the stickies. Maybe we should just include FAQ and post the links to the same topics.

What do you think?

[Captain Onigiri]

I remember when I was just out of college (O so long ago) and finally had a computer with a modem. (It was pre-internet, you had to dail a bulletin board) I asked a friend what F A Q meant. I had never seen that word before. He rolled his eyes and sighed, "It means Frequently Asked Questions. You read that first so hopefully don't ask stupid questions." We don't know how much computer savvy a person has when they first log on. As people who live in a very foreign culture, I would hope we would be the first to have empathy with the idea that ignorance shouldn't preclude participation. Maybe just making the heading for the stickies a bit more remedial like, "Answers to Common Questions about Working in Japan" would cut down on those pesky repeat questions. Errors present opportunities for teaching, or so the sanctomonious book about teaching I've been reading says. Not that the repeat questions will ever go away completely. Some students are ignorant. Some are just lazy.

[JimDunlop2]

Sorry to be cynical but I chose the last option on your poll... Maybe this would change over time if enough old-timers got into the habit of referring n00bs to the FAQs, stickies or x-ref posts where things have been discussed/re-discussed a hundred times before.

But I think, as someone else pointed out here http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/job/viewtopic.php?t=18598 some people use it as an outlet for their own self-esteem...

The mods would first have to be willing to actively lock threads and be a little rude from time to time.... E.g. The answer to your question can be found HERE and HERE... <Thread has been locked>... End of discussion.

Now if you excuse my I have to go do some sit-ups and then brush by pearly-white teeth.

[PAULH]

[JimDunlop2]

Paul: It sounds like you think I'm saying you're not doing a good job... I'm not... You're doing just fine as far as I can tell...

I was however pointing out what it would likely take for things like FAQs or stickies to get more mileage. Every forum is different. I have definitely visited some where the MODS see things in a different way than the mods here -- where they will (for example) actively lock or move discussions on a regular basis.... Even if they run the risk of offending some people and at the expense of spending much more time to do this kind of thing. Of course everyone's time commitment does vary too, right? I understand if you feel that you have better things to do with your time than to play Dave's ESL Cop looking out for Netiquette jaywalkers...

The reason why I took the time to bring that up even was because Lynn's poll seems to indicate that updating/revamping the stickies may or may not result in less dumb questions being asked.

The real poll answer I was looking for (but wasn't there) would have been: " Yes. We should cut and paste other links that have answered the same questions over and over... Even though no one reads the stickies. People will post the same questions anyway."

It was not meant as a stab at you or Dave or the other mods.

[denise]

Damnit, my friggin' computer just ate my reply.

I voted (or I think I did--maybe my vote is in internet limbo also) for the last option. Seeing repeat questions doesn't bother me, though. Things are always changing on these fora--new members, regulars going MIA, etc. Plus, it's nice to get some personal attention. Why join a forum with other real live people if only to read a FAQ sticky and not interact with those people?

d

[PAULH]

Stickies have been updated


Take a look and tell me if I missed anything. Work in Progress.