Author Topic: "Beginner" topics  (Read 2088 times)

Lilburner

"Beginner" topics
« on: May 25, 2019, 01:50:39 PM »
I had a suggestion that came to me secondhand some months back to have a "beginner" board. I couldn't really picture how that would work. Everyone is a beginner at something, and new users don't necessarily equate to beginners. But a lot of our topics do tend to assume some prior knowledge.
 
I think I figured out something helpful, though. Not just to new users, but to everyone who wants to find a quick refresher on various topics without digging through the search engine.
 
The idea I had was to put sticky posts at the top of boards titled something like "Topics of interest to beginners, new users, and archival purposes", which would be a post filled with titles, possibly short summaries, and links to posts within that category. Splitting it up by category would also allow an experienced prepper who's an expert at say gardening but short on first aid find important information in a specific area.

We need help three ways.

1) Write base level topics on things you're good at, even if historically you just assumed "everyone here knows that". Even as an experienced prepper, just about every time I read something targeted at beginners, I take away a tidbit or two. So it would be more helpful than you think.

2) Link in articles, blogs, lists, etc helpful on particular topics and give a brief summary of them. Same as above - even if everyone you know already knows that.

3) Nominate existing topics by linking them in this thread with title and URL.

Thanks for helping!
A strong conviction that something must be done is the parent of many bad measures.
~ Daniel Webster

Starlady

Re: "Beginner" topics
« Reply #1 on: May 26, 2019, 10:49:10 AM »
Wow, that's a massive undertaking.   I'd like to ask if those who've joined in the past year have issues with the search feature, perhaps we need to separate out some categories?   Perhaps a pinned post on how to use the search feature?  Is it possible to make more sub-sections:  in Homesteading we could have Soap, Solar, Alternative Cooking, etc., and in Hunting, Fishing we could split out big game, small game, fishing, trapping, wildlife questions, etc.; add an Herbal section under medical....just a few ideas.   

That's a big undertaking too, but could be done a few minutes here and few there over a couple of months.  We already have soooooooo much information out there just organizing it better would make things easier without re-writing what we already have.  I'd help with that.

There are so many opinions on most topics, i.e., some canners don't follow the USDA rules; we can't all garden the same way due to multi zones in GA-weather-soil; etc., that a base level article that includes all the 'I thought everyone knew that info' could be pages and pages long.  Unless I'm misunderstanding the intent here, which I frequently do when not face-to-face, LOL!
 
Not shooting you down, just offering what might be an easier solution to reduce search results.

"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." Albert Einstein

Country Singer

Re: "Beginner" topics
« Reply #2 on: May 26, 2019, 10:20:09 PM »
The genesis of this idea came from another member who wondered if people new to prepping might be overwhelmed, reluctant to ask questions because they are worried about being seen as asking "dumb questions", and most importantly, not knowing at all where to begin...i.e., it's not so much that they can't operate the search function, it's that they may not know what to search for.

I think where we go with this is a "New to Prepping? Start here!"-type subforum that's near the top of the board so that it's easy to find.  Then have a stickyed post that's a very basic beginner's overview that lists "Prepping Priorities".  This would also provide newcomers a place to ask intro to prepping questions that are less likely to get lost in the discussions that those of us that have been at this for a long time have on the board. 
“Our country demands all our strength, all our energies. To resist the powerful combination now forming against us will require every man at his place.
If victorious, we will have everything to hope for in the future. If defeated, nothing will be left for us to live for.”

Starlady

Re: "Beginner" topics
« Reply #3 on: May 26, 2019, 10:44:24 PM »
Ah, gotcha…..thanx for the explanation. 
"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." Albert Einstein

 

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