Furm Rules, Navigation and Being Nice

[smallwisdom]

Hello,

I'm a newbie. I've been trying to figure out how to use DVD2SVCD for about a month now, and trying to navigate this forum while doing so.

So far my experience with this forum has been decidely poor. I use the search engine, try all kinds of different phrases for finding the answer to my question and have very little success. If someone *has* run across the same kind of problems (and had their problems answered) then I certainly can't find it. Instead, what I do find is a lot of nasty people replying to every single newbie with rudely written comments about how the question was asked in the wrong forum or how the question was stupid and shouldn't have been asked at all.

I am beginning to wonder if anyone ever actually helps with useful responses to newbie questions or if this is just some kind of a club where you can’t actually join until you’ve suffered through trying to use an undocumented program for 2 years?

If this is your intention then fine. If it is not, I would suggest that you add a rule to your Forum Rules about flaming people for not interpreting the forum rules the same way as the flamer. If someone posting a response has something to say that is useful and on-topic, say it. Otherwise, don't.

And if someone is posting in the wrong place or to a question that has been previously addressed, then *kindly* point out the correct forum in which to ask the question and direct them towards the answer since chances are the person, like me, hasn't been successful in picking the correct combination of key words to insert in the search engine to find what he or she is looking for.

Thanks,
S

[dani82]

most newbie questions has been asked & answered repeatly, some members find it easier to point out the forum rules than to direct them to an old thread with the answer they need; can't blame them (needle in a haystack)

if you sound very desperate & lost, you might actually get some extended help.

i'd been trying to figure out DVD2SVCD for over ayear, even with the guides, i still don't get it (but to be fair, i only give it a try every 3-4 months)

[ammck55]

@smallwisdom:

I'm surprised that you waited a month to post.

DVD2SVCD is highly documented, if you're having a bad time with it, here's a suggestion or two:

I'll assume you have the latest build of DVD2SVCD and the appropriate ASPI driver installed, preferably to the same folder on your hard drive. Read the instructions on the "About" tab, this is an excellent place for Newbies to start. Find the DVD2SVCD guide by using the link on the home page, I printed a hardcopy to hold in my hand when first setting the software up, but I'm an old geezer, you may want to tile your windows so as to see the guide and the interface simultaneously. :) From there, it's a matter of following instructions and figuring things out. I know that sounds vague, but without a blow-by-blow explanation of your system specs, a description of the problem/s you're encountering, or your log file, there's really not much else we can tell you at this time.

Read the Stickies. Learn the terminology. Lurk, dig, search, and of course, post on your problem. If the level of discussion seems a little intimidating to you in the DVD2SVCD Basic Topics forum, post in Newbies, that's where most of us start.....and some of us stay. :)

Not being able to understand how to manipulate the software isn't a flameable offense, but being lazy is. Explain the work that you've done, where you're stuck, or what you don't understand, and someone will help you. Period.

The intention here is to help others in the use of these superb tools. It's been so long now that I can't even remember whom to give credit to, but the saying goes something like, "Help us to help you!"

ammck55

[pepipocpoc]

Hello, smallwisdom.

Firstly I was nearly as disappointed as you are. BUT ; there is a major but. It's now two years I use this forum (firstly as a guest), and I figured out how it should sometimes be painful for some members to write over and over the same answers to the same questions. And now I feel confident enough ( thanks, ammck55 ;) ) to contribute myself, I feel nearly the opposite (and opened a thread about it recently). I mean, if you read "rude" answers, what can you say about people who just ask their question (sometime not having searched at all, nor trying to read anything) and won't give any feedback when they are answered :( ? It's much more than simply well-behaviour ; feedbacks helps to help...

Well, as a matter of fact, it's much better when both question and answer are polite. Just a simgle last remark about the search engine. It sometime is a pity to see how thread titles can be poor ; they ough to be clear and summarize the problem well enough. Like yours :) .

Bye. And merry christmas :D .

[r6d2]

A good improvement of the search engine would be to be able to look for phrases, or words that are close to each other (ala Google).

Sometimes you search for several words and the engine returns many unuseful threads.

But AFAIK, vBulletin does not allow this as of now. :(

[mf]

Once vBulletin 3 comes out, you'll have the ability to create a flatfile "Archive", which google will crawl automagically, which will enable you to use google's sitesearch to find things easily.

[Tantabootsy]

the other side of the "rude" members is, that you're forced to search on your own, and that's a good thing, I think.
I mean I know other forums where the rules are taken very laxly and there are so many redundant posts because they're always the same. here you're forced to grapple with the issue you wanna try/ know on your own, first. and that also helps continuing the learning-progress, and keeps you kind of independent.
maybe sometimes you hate it searching for two hours and more to get what you want/ need (I sometimes really hated it! ;)).
But I think it's good to be forced to abide the rules because that keeps the forum straight and "clean".
And if you ask the right way -e.g. by saying at first, that you've already searched but found nothing and that's why you post- you're treated okay here.
but yes, the search-engine has to be updated but I know that's not up to doom9.