Newbies Forum - and Poll

[Patrice Lemée]

I'd like to see an experienced and learning subforum. This would pretty much leave shop talk devoted primarily to new makers.

That is also the option I think would work best.

 

[thegeek574]

I would offer this as a slightly less drastic question to try first. this comes up every time you start a new thread on another forum I frequent:

They also do something similar the first time you post, which pops up a full screen warning to check with the search feature before you posted the thread. Some people end up ignoring it, but they often get the thread locked if they do. It seems to have done an excellent job of cutting down on the thread over and over and over and over.

 

[Jeremy Barnard]

A experienced forum sounds like a good idea to me.

 

[12345678910]

Don't think it will work well at all. I see an experienced members forum becoming stagnant and stale, while the new members forum will be still full of pages of the same questions.
Also, you would be pushing some makers further away by requiring a paid membership to post occasionally on something they like.

I don't think it will bring anyone back to the forums, I think it will only be serving a few in the community of many.


-X

I'd hate to lose access to Brian Fellhoelter and others with the unpaid memberships.

 

[Patrickknives]

Very confusing, I agree there are getting to be too many of the same questions, however, if there is not someone to answer it will overflow into the other forums. Maybe we can discuss other options that meet as many needs as possible, will never meet all. If we move the newby questions I think we will have to move all questions and have a seperat discussion forum

 

[Dan Pierson]

I think that the Experienced sub forum is less bad than a Newbies forum however I think that
both will make this a worse place for knife makers. I only have time to follow a limited number
of forums, other makers probably feel the same way. If I have to chose, the experienced forum
would likely win. I wonder how many experienced makers will chose to dedicate their time to
reading newbie questions.

 

[Hankins]

Stacy
Agreed I have avoided Shop talk for several years because it is more of the same every day.

 

[Grayzer86]

Is there a possibility of setting up an experienced makers section that is accessed not by a membership but possibly a set amount of time you have been a member. Its not that I don't want to buy a membership because I am soon anyway, I just thought it may help keep some of the other basic users with great knowledge and skill from being locked out. Basically I am talking about a section that you would only be able to post in after 6 months or a year or whatever. This would eliminate the first time posters asking if they can make a knife out of a frying pan, car hood, tinfoil, every day.

 

[Shawn Hatcher]

I'd hate to lose access to Brian Fellhoelter and others with the unpaid memberships.

The fact that Brian doesn't have a paid membership here speaks volumes. This thread illustrates that some folks are willing to try new things to improve the situation. Hopefully it isn't too little too late.

 

[12345678910]

The fact that Brian doesn't have a paid membership here speaks volumes. This thread illustrates that some folks are willing to try new things to improve the situation. Hopefully it isn't too little too late.

What does it say to you ?

 

[Shawn Hatcher]

What does it say to you ?

I think it would be more beneficial if the folks who run this place were to ask that question of Brian. And also ask the other esteemed makers who participate in the Custom and Handmade Knives subforum, but not in here.

 

[12345678910]

I think it would be more beneficial if the folks who run this place were to ask that question of Brian. And also ask the other esteemed makers who participate in the Custom and Handmade Knives subforum, but not in here.

I agree

 

[daizee]

I think splitting the forums would divide and shrink the community - this is speculation.
What if there were another perpetually active sticky for Newbie questions? It could run for 50 pages or so, then be archived and another one created.

Title proposal: "New makers: Ask basic beginner questions here".

 

[Nader E]

You just have to go to the bottom of the page, change the "Thread Display Options" drop down from "one month" to "the beginning" and then hit the "show threads button"
I see 13,000 threads on 528 pages

wow. 2.5 years on this forum, daily and Iv just figured it out. Thanks buddy

 

[AVigil]

Put up a "New Makers Fourm" area for them to post for the first year. After a year membership they should be familiar with what to post in Shop Talk and be allowed to post there.

Chances are the "New Maker Forum" probably will be busier then Shop Talk

 

[Gody]

I think it´s a tough question to answer. I dont really feel like an experienced maker (being a hobbyist who makes maybe 20 knives/year) and I dont really feel like a newbee, since I´ve made knives for about 12 years.
However, I voted for an experienced and learnings subforum as I believe it would be an improvement. I just hope that it will be created in such a way that guys like Brian Fellhoelter, who contributes a lot, but does not have a paid membership, will be able to participate.

Brian

 

[tryppyr]

Pointed question... what if someone has content that is appropriate to both experienced and new makers? Are we going to end up with duplicate and ghost topics?

 

[Fred.Rowe]

This is why many of the more experienced smiths are posting in Custom and Handmade looking for a place to discuss the more advanced aspects of knife making.
But thats a poor forum for discussing technical and procedural opinion's. That would take a forum for those that don't want to talk about the best steel for this and that, but are rather involved in the finer points of knife making.

There is an apprenticeship to be served if you want to become a good knife maker.

 

[Dave Behrens]

Let's just think for a minute. This thread alone has been born out of more experienced makers frustration with additude-nal newbies, most of the time justifiable frustration. What makes us think the rude newbs who won't do any research on theire own or bother to read the stickies will stick to their own forum.

I say leave ST as is, because adding these other forums will change nothing and just gum up the works of this forum even further.

What would help fix the problem, is the more experienced among us ignoring the stupid repeated questions by newbs (the home depot steel HT etc.), not responding at all if they show any attitude, and handing out infractions to the newbs who act in a rude manner then banning them if they do not change. A lot of work but the only way to affect real change.

Example:
New Poster: "I bought some steel from Lowes, and made a knife-like-object. Duhhhh...can I HT with a propane torch?"

Myself: Welcome to the forums, please refer to the Sticky Threads in Shop Talk, they can and will answer any questions you may have about knife making and more. YOu can learn much more by reading than posting.

Leave it at that. There is no need for anyone to offer the real answer to that question as it has been a million times before.

 

[JBS TOOLMAKER]

There is an apprenticeship to be served if you want to become a good knife maker.

Not to get off topic but could you please elaborate a bit and explain this ? I know several guys who are damn "good" knife makers and never had help from anyone other than books and forums, or years of machining experience.