Submissions for FAQ

[arn]

I'm putting together a Mac Rumors FAQ...

If anyone has any thoughts or topics which should be coverered, please submit them here.

This is not a faq for this site specifically - but a FAQ for those who are new to the Mac/Apple Rumors scene.

I started on one at http://www.macrumors.com/faq.php3 but there are certainly topics to add...

arn

[eyelikeart]

that was great....I'm glad u mentioned the thing with the urls...I'm so tired of people trying to look into that stuff way too much...

[Hemingray]

Hehe... kind of embarrassing when you're one of the people that contributed to the prompting of an FAQ... "iphone.org" :D

...oh! And for God's sake, mention something about the Newton! ;)

[Beej]

I've always wondered how long a piece of string is... maybe you could help out? :D

[mischief]

Alphatech and several of our other Techie members have given tech support, perhaps compiling them by subject into h-linked archives would cut down on the "how do I (insert arcana) in Mac OS (N.n.n) ?"

A similar archive of Hardware advice and mods would streamline the forum traffic tremendously.

Adding a disclaimer about accuracy and liability along with links to the relevant TIL pages from Apple would make a formidable resource. You could sell such compilations as a Tech-help CD-ROM.



Also: posting links to Moto/IBM's latest spec pages for their current PPC's, similar pages for Hypertransport, DDR, SCSI, etc., etc. This would make for a more coherent discussion by eliminating inaccurate tangents. If we can just go to FAQ's and look up the standard in question we can really say what we mean.

[cleo]

Hey Arn -

I think a FAQ is a fabulous idea. It would be good to include a section on MacRumors etiquette with examples of the kinds of posts that just waste bandwidth and are not appreciated (such as the "look at this rumor that I made up about Apple making a machine that does my laundry, files my taxes, and makes my breakfast all at once!"-type rumor and the "I was too lazy to find my original post and read the responses, so I'll just start a new thread asking the exact same question"). Also, a "What's all the fuss about the iWalk," with pointers to relevant threads, might help keep that pointless discussion to a minimum.

Also, I noticed a couple of pretty egregious spelling and grammar errors - if you want someone to proof the final version, I'd be happy to do so. That's what I do for a living, and this is oh-so-much more interesting than the dreck I usually have to read!

Clelo

[teabgs]

I think this is a GREAT idea. It would be very useful. Also, what if there was a glossary to go along with it so that someone could look up terms that they're not familiar with and not have to post questions to ask about it?

[irmongoose]

hmm.. arn, i guess there alot of work waiting for you to do, eh?




irmongoose

[AmbitiousLemon]

seems a bit like what i would call a dummy list. the kind of thing that only the people who know this stuff will read. people will come by and still say all the dumb thinks listed and those who have read the faq will respond by "didnt you read the faq? go here [link]"

probably still a good idea but with so few people even able to read the articles cited in threads before commenting on them and with so many people starting new threads when there is a thread saying the same damn thing on the front page of the website im just wondering if we are just going to use this as another way of telling people how dumb they are instead of actually helping people. but what can you do right? give the people the info and let them do with it what they will, cant say you didnt try.

sorry for the back and forth but im really two minds about this one.

(o and maybe you need something explaining the difference between the various rumor sites as far as how accurate/conservative they might be. politely of course.)

[BeerDrinker29]

AmbLem. is right. Don't bother with it. People won't read it, except for members who have nothing better to do.
I would rather have you concentrate on putting up news and relaxing.

[BeerDrinker29]

Originally posted by BeerDrinker29
AmbLem. is right. Don't bother with it. People won't read it, except for members who have nothing better to do.
I would rather have you concentrate on putting up news and relaxing.

Oh I forgot, if you skim the AI boards you will see they are planning a similar thing.

[AmbitiousLemon]

whoa there i didnt mean/say to forget it or anything. perhaps i misspoke or you misread not sure which, but i didnt mean to say it wasnt worthwhile.

[dualburn001]

Put it on how to take a picture of your desktop. It seems like I see a post about that once a week.

[suneun]

I have a friend who refuses to believe that we actually usually don't know what's going to be released at each Expo. He keeps insisting we must know, or that the rumor sites know, or that a friend who works at Apple knows.

There should be a FAQ question along the lines of... "We don't know, we're guessing (educated and uneducated). We get it wrong sometimes (a lot of times)." Sort of mentioning the mentality around Expos with Jobs' anti-leaks mentality...

[Durandal7]

On a side note about the FAQ, I seem to remember reading something about Mammals.org being part of an abandoned OS X campaign. It had something to do with Darwin and how OS X was the choice of higher organisms. I'm not sure if this was true or not.

[voicegy]

I looked at http://www.macrumors.com/faq.php3
and am impressed with the "look and feel" and the questions that have been posted there. Keep it conservative, structured and clean, and it'll be nothing but a great addition.

Fill it with "behavior" expectations and "spelling" edicts, and it will seem elitist. There are several people here who are worthwhile reading; however, their grammar and spelling leave a bit to be desired. Perhaps because these gentlemen post from other countries...that's quite forgivable, and for an occasional misspelling on my or anyone else's part, well...it's not really worth running it through the washing machine prior to post.

teabags, the Glossary idea is pretty cool.

Mischief has excellent input. Some of those would be worthwhile and helpful.

But just be careful of "clutter" (as I see you are anyway, arn!) and it'll be dandy.

(of course, don't forget to continue to promote the wonderful Macrumors mug and other items on the FAQ page!)

:p