The search function is your friend

[pompeiisneaks]

That's where I'd put it. A sub forum with some stickied posts at the top with the stuff you want people to read.

I'd go with that position too.

For Phil - But are you proposing a new sub forum where anyone can post (more or less specific) posts/questions? Or, an area only accessible by moderators to sticky threads from other areas. The first option sounds problematic to me. We really appreciate the work you do and I for one, don't want to see you becoming overloaded with work.

Could be fun to have a curated top page though...

I can do most of anything anywhere, I could make the forums open to anyone, but pin and lock threads we don't want touched etc.

Just need to sort that part after. For now I'll create a new section that will sit at the top and hold an FAQ section.

~Phil

[pompeiisneaks]

OK created and I put one post in to test it out. Please do fire in that thread and I can sticky it and lock it.

~Phil

[martin manning]

I see this:

[ijedouglas]

I see this:

I get the same

[Stephen1966]

I see this:

I get the same

Ditto!

[jabguit]

Same here

[WhopperPlate]

Ditto

[pompeiisneaks]

Try now.

~Phil

[ijedouglas]

Try now.

~Phil

Looks good now. Thanks Phil

[WhopperPlate]

Try now.

~Phil

Looks good now. Thanks Phil

Ditto

[pompeiisneaks]

cool, go ahead and post that faq and I'll sticky it.

I thought when I created them I told them to import from existing forums for their permissions... that didn't seem to take so I had to go redo the permissions manually.

~Phil

[Stephen1966]

cool, go ahead and post that faq and I'll sticky it.

I thought when I created them I told them to import from existing forums for their permissions... that didn't seem to take so I had to go redo the permissions manually.

~Phil

So I see the post I created is now locked. Great! Thank you for facilitating this, and for your time. I read the copy five ways to Sunday, but I still missed a mistake, a missing preposition in the sentence:

Google Search is especially handy if you want quick, relevant results but the top search box has a gear icon which, when you click it, takes you to the advanced search page where you will find clear directions on how to use a variety [of] search terms for more specific results in both search engines.

Hardly the end of the world, but if you want to edit it, any of it in fact, be my guest.

What I see we have now is a FAQ sub-forum where anyone can post. Underneath the two threads we have made, I see the 'New Topic' button where anyone can post a thread of interest to them. Under your FAQ header though, you have the strapline:

Forum to hold pinned articles with details on FAQ's that fit globally in the forum.

Articles/posts, freely posted there may not, at the moment or ultimately, become pinned. I sense a little hesitancy on the part of the members to post anything else there yet, but now, I have an idea for a FAQ and I don't know whether to post it here, there, or PM you personally so that you can validate it as a genuine FAQ and not just some random idea of my own. The idea (incidentally) is: Gear you need to start building amps. But does it qualify as a FAQ - besides your obvious common sense, perhaps there is some statistical analytic tool to assist you?

If the intention really is to only hold pinned articles, then perhaps the FAQ sub forum should be out of bounds to ordinary members like myself. Curated, as it were.

Do you see what I am saying?

[Stephen1966]

So I have a thought...

FAQs could be anything you know is a FAQ and that pops up a lot and you know it's of general interest. FAQs might also be elected by ordinary members when generic questions appear in the more focused sub-forums. Only moderators could do the transfer and pinning to the FAQ section though, as done presently, and maintaining this, the 'New Topic' button might be disabled there to prevent any oblique posts which properly belong in one of the other discrete sub-forums. Pinned posts don't all need to be locked, especially if the subject matter/technology/best practices are evolving over time.

This idea would involve a certain level of self moderation, but this is what we are good at here, and it could save you a load of time.

I propose you disable the 'New Topic' button though if it is possible.

[pompeiisneaks]

I can unlock it again to let you edit it, in fact it's done, just let me know when done. We don't want 'replies' there so I'll relock it again when you've updated it.

As for new posts, I'm fine with anyone posting, but I'll basically look more to all of us to determine if it belongs there or not and if not I'll move/delete depending.

the stickiness and locked state is also more of a community decision, I'm just helping make it all happen. You all tell me what you think we should do.

~Phil

[Stephen1966]

It's done.

As for new posts, I'm fine with anyone posting, but I'll basically look more to all of us to determine if it belongs there or not and if not I'll move/delete depending.

the stickiness and locked state is also more of a community decision, I'm just helping make it all happen. You all tell me what you think we should do.

Well, I'm not complaining, my only reservation was that you need to have been round here for a while before you start to clock what are really FAQs. New members, occasional visitors, aren't likely to have a handle of the frequency of certain subjects.

There're plenty of common-sense members posting meaningful content in the appropriate sub forums however, and calling it out when things get awry - good call then! I think treating the FAQ as a place where anyone can post content they know is of general relevance is a good idea - alongside the complementary Garage Talk and Technical forums it kinda fills a gap that needed filling.

There have been many instructive posts/threads that could be located there.