Request for "Newbie" section on this forum......

[Danub]

Rather than one newbie section (or maybe in addition to) is it possible to have "section sticky's"
Maybe a newbie stickied (w/popular acronyms and links on the first page/s) as well as a newbie thread for different areas?
I am new to NAZA but not multi rotors. . . . When I asked questions in a "newbie questions" thread. . . I was asked to start a new thread.
The challenge I see by doing that is in a year there will be 30 newbie threads in each section making it more difficult for a new user to find information without asking.

Maybe a "new user" (stickied thread) in each area? ex: hoverfly, wookong, naza, mikrokopter, multiwii. . . etc.

Just my thoughts

 

[RuralFPV]

There are two types of newbies. One like the OP and I who would rather just drink from the firehose than bother experienced users to death with easy questions that could be answered with a search. Then there are all those who most of you are talking about in this thread. They want it all layed out infront of them so they can say "Shutup and take my money!!!"

As convenient as the first group might find it, they can live without it. The second group will never read it to begin with and THEY are the people that need it the most.

ChrisViperM has what I would think would be the most important thing that the people in group two need. They need to see that these things are no joke. This isn't some rubber-band wind up toy you play with in the living room or even fly in the open over peoples heads unless you REALLY know what you're doing. I think if you could drive one thing home to that group, it should be that.

Make that the first thing people see and put it up in videos for those with short attention spans. After that, you start in with the technical stuff.

 

[HPL]

There are two types of newbies. One like the OP and I who would rather just drink from the firehose than bother experienced users to death with easy questions that could be answered with a search. Then there are all those who most of you are talking about in this thread. They want it all layed out infront of them so they can say "Shutup and take my money!!!"

As convenient as the first group might find it, they can live without it. The second group will never read it to begin with and THEY are the people that need it the most.

ChrisViperM has what I would think would be the most important thing that the people in group two need. They need to see that these things are no joke. This isn't some rubber-band wind up toy you play with in the living room or even fly in the open over peoples heads unless you REALLY know what you're doing. I think if you could drive one thing home to that group, it should be that.

Make that the first thing people see and put it up in videos for those with short attention spans. After that, you start in with the technical stuff.

You realize that the OP is not a newcomer. He is one of the experienced pilots trying to look out for us beginners. I certainly will be reading as much of the pertinent stuff as I can, but some of it is of little use without some background, which is where the newcomer section comes in. I don't, however wish to spend the next three years making mistakes through trial and error when I can benefit from other's experience (no reason to reinvent the wheel, as they say). I have a friend who says that there are three kinds of people, those who can learn from other's related experience (either by reading or listening), those who can learn by direct observation, and then there are those who just have to pee on the hot fence for themselves. You can pretty much tell me that a device whipping around at 10m/sec with spinning, razor sharp blades can go rogue, and I'm going to know not to fly it over crowds of folks or near anything I hold dear. The unfortunate thing about the two example videos is that nobody was injured, and the only damage was to the devices (what do we call these things anyway?) themselves. Better object lesson if one had caromed off a car and then sliced the nose off the pilot. That would make a point. Personally, I'm scared of the little Ladybird with which I have been practicing something with 6 eight or ten inch props will probably be terrifying.

I want to know into which of your three groups you are putting me.

HPL

 

[RuralFPV]

You realize that the OP is not a newcomer. He is one of the experienced pilots trying to look out for us beginners. I certainly will be reading as much of the pertinent stuff as I can, but some of it is of little use without some background, which is where the newcomer section comes in. I don't, however wish to spend the next three years making mistakes through trial and error when I can benefit from other's experience (no reason to reinvent the wheel, as they say). I have a friend who says that there are three kinds of people, those who can learn from other's related experience (either by reading or listening), those who can learn by direct observation, and then there are those who just have to pee on the hot fence for themselves. You can pretty much tell me that a device whipping around at 10m/sec with spinning, razor sharp blades can go rogue, and I'm going to know not to fly it over crowds of folks or near anything I hold dear. The unfortunate thing about the two example videos is that nobody was injured, and the only damage was to the devices (what do we call these things anyway?) themselves. Better object lesson if one had caromed off a car and then sliced the nose off the pilot. That would make a point. Personally, I'm scared of the little Ladybird with which I have been practicing something with 6 eight or ten inch props will probably be terrifying.

I want to know into which of your three groups you are putting me.

HPL

A) Nope, didn't realize that. My point still stands. Could use a little editing but you get the point.

B) Obviously you're in the group that seeks out the information themselves rather than seeking to be what we in the HAM community call "Appliance Operators". IE. people who want nothing to do with understanding how things work and instead just want to push the buttons and see the lights change.

Newbie sections are written for newbs that will read them. Newbs that will read them aren't the ones that REALLY need them. As I pointed out, it's convenient for us newbs but we'll find that stuff out one way or the other. I'm fully for this type of thing, I just don't see it as a solution to repeatedly asked questions. They're not asking the questions because the information isn't out there...

 

[HPL]

I'm assuming the Viper is not new as he/she has 900+ posts (although at my current rate I could have that in less than a year and will still be a novice) and also because of some if his posts that I have read. I certainly will attempt to seek out what I can, but am lazy enough to wish that I could just start out a wizard. ;-)

One real problem is that search functions don't always work the way one would like and sometimes threads just disappear. That's kinda how I learned to save my more flushed out responses to questions I have been able to answer on other forums so that I don't have to re-formulate the answers and then re-type them.

 

[Bartman]

There are two types of newbies. One like the OP and I who would rather just drink from the firehose than bother experienced users to death with easy questions that could be answered with a search. Then there are all those who most of you are talking about in this thread. They want it all layed out infront of them so they can say "Shutup and take my money!!!"

As convenient as the first group might find it, they can live without it. The second group will never read it to begin with and THEY are the people that need it the most.

ChrisViperM has what I would think would be the most important thing that the people in group two need. They need to see that these things are no joke. This isn't some rubber-band wind up toy you play with in the living room or even fly in the open over peoples heads unless you REALLY know what you're doing. I think if you could drive one thing home to that group, it should be that.

Make that the first thing people see and put it up in videos for those with short attention spans. After that, you start in with the technical stuff.

questions are welcome here. some sites and their "search first" policies are much more of a turn off than having new people express their enthusiasm by asking a question.

posts with questions break the ice and good information comes from it. no matter how many times a question has been asked, there is always new stuff and new people that make each time around worthwhile.

there's one group here, people interested in building/flying multi-rotor helicopters, and they should all feel welcome to jump in. also, when an old member moves on, new members take their place. it's an ongoing process and the policy of being open to repeat questions helps everyone to feel at home and welcome to use the site.

i don't love the idea of a "Newbie's" area because it creates levels of membership and there are some people new to multi-rotors that might have a big leg up on some of us in other areas. So who's really the "Newb"?

 

[Bartman]

..............I just don't see it as a solution to repeatedly asked questions. They're not asking the questions because the information isn't out there...

quality search at a forums site is something of a fantasy. you might get what you're looking for, you might not. if you don't like a question you don't have to answer it, someone else probably will. and in answering questions for each other, a few new guys might get to know each other and that's how the community grows.

don't get aggravated by people's questions. help where you can and you're doing your part.

 

[ChrisViperM]

You can pretty much tell me that a device whipping around at 10m/sec with spinning, razor sharp blades can go rogue, and I'm going to know not to fly it over crowds of folks or near anything I hold dear. The unfortunate thing about the two example videos is that nobody was injured, and the only damage was to the devices (what do we call these things anyway?) themselves. Better object lesson if one had caromed off a car and then sliced the nose off the pilot. That would make a point. Personally, I'm scared of the little Ladybird with which I have been practicing something with 6 eight or ten inch props will probably be terrifying.

HPL

Good point....read here, especially Post # 16: http://www.multirotorforums.com/sho...arned-the-hard-way/page2&highlight=cut+finger

i don't love the idea of a "Newbie's" area because it creates levels of membership and there are some people new to multi-rotors that might have a big leg up on some of us in other areas. So who's really the "Newb"?

The whole idea is NOT to find a way to seperate the "old" guys" from the "new" guys....this is done anyway with your status above the Avatar (in my case ist's "Full Blown Hucker", and due to the fact that English is not my mother language, it took me a while to realize that Full Blown Hucker is not the same as "Full Blown Hooker" which would be a slightly different meaning :tennis:

My intention was not to create a place where every newcomer has to post his questions and the "regulars" can post in the "Big Boys" section, is was more meant as a place where beginners have the opportunity to gain some basic information and get an overview of what is involved in this industry, like the lobby in a good hotel.....but I got your point

.....there is actually a lot of good points from everyone in this thread.

I see the following scenario in my head: Jack (or whoever) is a pretty good photographer and saw some videos or fotos made by Multirotors, and that stuff looks grat. He thinks in order to sharpen his profile he could also use one of these "things", so he Googles around a little bit and finds lots of offers on the net (in various price brackets) about Ready To Fly Copters....everything Plug'n Play. (something which was not here a few years back). At the moment he doesn't know anything about transmitter/receivers, flight controls, LiPo's, motors, rotor blades, FPV, UHF, legal issues, insurance.....Everything looks like Plug'n Play, so with that he can worry later....can't be that difficult. His decission what to buy might be based on the type/weight of camera he wants to use, and if he is lucky (in terms of his wallet) he comes to this Forum and would ask for some advice or a "shopping" list of what to purchase. We are all a bit in a hurry when it comes to new "toys"....so is Jack. IF the forum would have a place - call it "Beginners Corner", "Noob Room", "Entry Point"...call it as you like - in an eye-catching form, chances are big that Jack would have a look at it before asking for a shopping list and think again if it is really that easy. As somebody mentioned alread, this can also be a place where there is a lot of stickies, tutorials, mini-Wiki, dictionary..... just to have a place where sombody new can get a good starting point and which is easy to find.

If I want to start with Photography, I can buy 10000 books about every aspect of it, I can get from Beginners Guides to Expert Nude Photography everything I can dream of, and I won't do any damage if my pics are useless crap. How many books about Multirotors you can find (at the moment 3 books in German and one book in English - which is a translated book from the German ones) ???


In the present form, if a "beginner" is clever enough to seek basic information BEFORE his purchase, how should he tackle that if he can't find information in a STRUCTURED way. I am a far cry away of being an expert and I have no idea how forums work behind the screen, but I like to help people new to this "hobby", but it would make it a lot more easier if they have a chance to get some very basic information forehand....always under the impression they want to understand what they are doing, but my impression is that everyone posting in this thread is pretty intelligent and wouldn't mind to find information.

At the end of the day I am as much a guest and a member on this (great) forum as everyone else....and it's Bart's playground....so whatever the decission will be, it's ok with me...


Chris

 

[BorisS]

i am also not a friend of separation in what ever class one can come up with. But it is a fact the the forum is getting packed with the same old info over and over again. At least a section were these threads are collected and the section is called the basics, would be nice !
If the topic comes distribution, and there is a thread that has CADs file in it for two nicely thought through copperplates for building your one distribution for 20$ able of 200A plus that is great info for everyone ! If in the meantime we have 20 question/threads which distribution should i use the hobby king 60A for my
Cinestar or the multiWii 80A whatever, eventually the really informative thread for all will be lost, as a result on the third results page after a search.

So it would be nice to somehow sepereate the standard help threads from the really informative threads. Either by separating the basic threads daily business thread or picking out the on going go information threads so they are around and can be found easily.

What i am getting at is that there is great info in the forum but also great info that have been lost and that a bummer !

Boris

 

[HPL]

Wow!! That thread to which you linked was pretty scary. Good safety tip that I might not have gotten otherwise though. Props off!! unless actually ready to fly. Which also brings up this question. Do the threads on the counter rotating engines go the other other way like they do on many power saws so that the nuts won't unscrew due to shaft rotation?

 

[Bartman]

Here's an idea......tell me what you think (Like I really needed to add that!)

How about we designate someone who has been around a while with no commercial associations to shops or manufacturers, and we designate that person as the site FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) moderator and give him a thread to manage where questions from around the site can be brought in, answered, and stuck at the top of the general discussions area. if there's a thread associated with the question he can post a link to the thread and maybe that thread will stay the place to discuss that topic. I say maybe because there are no guarantees and I'm not going to chase everyone down that doesn't play along. Keep in mind, humongous threads become counter-productive after a while so the FAQ Moderator would have to start a new thread from time to time and change the link in the FAQ area.

What says the site?

 

[HPL]

i am also not a friend of separation in what ever class one can come up with. But it is a fact the the forum is getting packed with the same old info over and over again. At least a section were these threads are collected and the section is called the basics, would be nice !
If the topic comes distribution, and there is a thread that has CADs file in it for two nicely thought through copperplates for building your one distribution for 20$ able of 200A plus that is great info for everyone ! If in the meantime we have 20 question/threads which distribution should i use the hobby king 60A for my
Cinestar or the multiWii 80A whatever, eventually the really informative thread for all will be lost, as a result on the third results page after a search.

So it would be nice to somehow sepereate the standard help threads from the really informative threads. Either by separating the basic threads daily business thread or picking out the on going go information threads so they are around and can be found easily.

What i am getting at is that there is great info in the forum but also great info that have been lost and that a bummer !

Boris

I think that this is a good example of why we might need some stickies that have vocabulary lists and explanations of acronyms. I am impressed by the language abilities of the non-native english speakers, but when one mixes a bunch of acronyms, tech jargon, and sometimes somewhat confusing syntax, things can get a bit out of hand, so to speak.

Perhaps there could also be a way to rate threads and then every once in a while, collect the threads that are rated very useful in some common location. Lots of work, I know.

I see that while I was typing my suggestion, Bart was suggesting the same thing. (quicker on the draw)

 

[Bartman]

hpl, maybe you'd be a good candidate to moderate the FAQ area? I can also make a button (next to Member Map, below the site header) that would direct new members to the FAQ area

 

[HPL]

hpl, maybe you'd be a good candidate to moderate the FAQ area? I can also make a button (next to Member Map, below the site header) that would direct new members to the FAQ area

I might be willing to be "A" moderator, not "THE" moderator. Remember, so far all I know is that I don't know anything. I may not even know when I have read something helpful.