The KB obsession

[+malibu43 142]

I already posted some suggestions/my feedback on the KB (or Knowledge Base, if some would prefer ) in the thread that was for KB feedback.

 

But in addition to what I already posted, maybe it would be a good idea to have the first thread in the knowledge base be a Table of Contents (sort of a tree structure, so you could see what's going on), maybe with links as well so you could go straight to the topic from the ToC.

 

And I fully second (or third or whatever) the suggestion that the search funtion be looked at/investigated/improved. It is one of the worst I've ever used. Not that it can't be used, but it can be very difficult to find what you're looking for.

 

My 2 cents.

Edited March 25, 2008 by malibu43

[jtin 0]

I agree... I remember those days when there was no KB... questions left and right and would usually end up in everyone- even the veterans learning something.

 

I'd personally write up a FAQ with questions like:

 

"Where do my skins go?"

"How do I install terrains?"

"What is a .CAT file?"

 

In fact, I think I will. :yes:

[+Tailspin 3]

Yeah, we're all guilty of being harsh from time to time, but you have to realize what its like to have to answer the same basic questions all the time. I'd wager that most people wouldn't have the patience it takes to do so without being a little "short' with someone now and then. Some of you might want to reserve some criticism until you've walked a mile in our shoes. However MJ does raise a valid point. Everyone deserves the benefit of a doubt. The problem is with the Thirdwire series sooner or later you're going to have to learn to do things for yourself or you're not going to get much out of the sim.

 

You can give a man some fish and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you'll feed him for life. All we're really trying to accomplish is to teach you how to fish. Sometimes we fail in the method...we're just as "human" as anyone else.

[tank03 1]

I think the KB is a very powerful tool, but in it's current format it is a bit difficult to navigate. The problem, from my end, is that when I have an issue and consult the KB for answers, I'm not thinking, "Is this a beginners question, or an advanced question?". I'm thinking in terms of, "Is it related to missions, terrains, a/c, ground objects, game settings, etc?". I usually end up scrolling through a lot of stuff before I find what I'm looking for because I just don't know where, exactly, the answer is stored.

 

Having said that, one must ackowledge that the KB contains an ENORMOUS amount of info that has been meticulously and carefully reaped over many years by some very dedicated and generous people. With that much information, no matter how it's organised, there is going to be some issues. That's just the nature of the beast. I do agree with one poster who suggested leading off with a FAQ of very specific (newbie) questions: i.e. How to install terrains, How to install a/c, How to reset the years, etc. All those questions that we seem to be seeing again and again.

 

I'm not too upset about having to answer the same questions from new members. I see it as an opportunity to get to know the new guy and share what (limited) knowledge I have. Since I'm not a modder and have no skills in that area, I view responding to those kinds of questions (when I can) as a way to contribute back to the community.

 

At any rate, I think the info contained in the KB is quite important and it says something about this community that we are willing to share that much info freely. And, contrary to what someone said about CA resembling SmHQ, I totally disagree because the fact that we have a debate like this; a group of people trying to find to ways improve the TW and CA experience for OTHERS, says something about the great community that we have. I've rarely met such a generous and supportive group of guys; and that is nearly as much a draw to TW as the games themselves.

[Guest 531_Ghost]

yes, "KB" as in Knowlwdge Base

 

is it a "must have" to read and remember all of it before guys can post here on CA?

I mean, WTF ?

Those of us who are around this game for a couple of years have no prob to find a way through the mod jungle,

but the new guys ( and every new release naturally draws new guys to it) ... hey, they often want only the answer for a simple question,

and not a whole lecture about 1000 things plus a kick in the ass into the direction of the friggin KB!

And, interestingly, its always a certain group of so called" old hands" which do this s**t, they literally "jump" those new guys with the " KB- read or die" s**t,

instead of giving a simple, direct answer or, th emost simple thing, leave the question alone until someone else shows up to answere it.

Those "old hands" should know better than stepping into every friggin "trap" and go for the KB- rea dor die + kick in the ass time and time again.

The other group of the"jumpers" are those "old hand duplicate" wannabee kids, those wise mouths should switch to giving simple answers instead of

mirroring the other , older group of jumpers....

 

The KB is now a huge collection of al kinds of things related to modding TW games, but NOT a pre-requisite for everyone here on CA!

Usage is vouluntary, but reallly doesnt prohibit from asking every possible question in the forums. And those of us who read those

questionf for the X't time, hey, stay away, dont answer, or do it in a nice, short, precise thing, and if you refer to the Kb, then with a direct link to the

material which deals with the question... but not the ass kick + read the KB or die s**t!

 

CA becomes more and more like SHQ in those dark days where every fart got regulated to death!

Moderators should make sure that all goes along nicely, and not start to run this site like they see it fits to their personal preferences.

 

 

Crusader aka MJ

 

To most of this I can relate. Well said. As one that answers questions on another forum regarding CH Products and the programming of them, I can't count how many times I or others have answered the same question, over and over again. Even after writing a Dummies Guide and Revvin a FAQ. Not to mention the Help File Bob Church wrote. But, you'll not see me there or here, or SimHQ for that matter provide nothing less than what you ask for. If what you seek is in the KB, then, if I have time I'll gladly link you, the asker, to the answer you seek in the KB. We, the community of sim based sites aren't very many. If information you seek is at one and not another, in my opinion, please, feel free to link the information. I think you'll find my Moderation techniques here, and there (SimHQ) the same. If you ask nice you'll get what you ask for. If you come in with an attitude (complaining without providing positive feed back or providing information to back up their claim, or, a "fix") and others pounce as a result, I'll Moderate. I have in the past, and will in the future, for as long as I'm here (CA), or there (SimHQ).

[WarlordATF 1]

If i can answer a simple question i'll try to do so, but the KB is a goldmine of info if your willing to dig a little. Sometimes the KB is not specific enough and i have seen a few posts directing people to the KB, when the exact question is not answered there.

 

It all comes down to helping each other, even if a question has been asked before i think we can give a general answer and then direct the person to the KB for more info.

 

People have put alot of effort into the KB and its really the best place for answers, but it usually only takes a few minutes to tell someone what they want to know. So try to give them the basics and then point them to the KB.

[+Brainless 1]

I agree, it does need some 'rearranging'...even I found it a little difficult to navigate. It's still a work-in-progress, so things can always be changed to ease the brain-strain

 

We'd thought that breaking it down into the various sections, Beginngers, Intermeaditate (sp?) and Advanced would be better...obviously it's not working as well as we'd hoped...

 

So let's hear some iders guys!! How do you think in should be set up, to make if easy for someone just coming into the sim to find things???

 

Seperate threads like we had before, or something similiar to now, but with easier navigation?? Direct Links? Give us some direction, and that's the road we'll try to follow

 

WRench

kevin stein

 

Well I'm hoping my 'Brainless Guide' could help with all this if only I could get some feed back from those I PMd about this perhaps I could get this started and get some reaction as to whether this will be any better than the way we are doing it now. I guess there will always be those who want help with particular issues and this generally is what all you guys are so good at.

[+Dave 2,318]

But as Brainless said, if we can get people to post. They want solutions but don't want to give any feedback. Can't fix it if we don't know whats broken.

[+Brainless 1]

But as Brainless said, if we can get people to post. They want solutions but don't want to give any feedback. Can't fix it if we don't know whats broken.

 

IMHO that's exactly right. Everyone needs to participate because everyone views their problems differently. We are all individuals and have diiferent needs and ways of doing and looking at things. Once the guide is up and running I hope everyone will participate by posting their problems and then giving back their way of finding the solution. This will hopefully help others with similar problems .The Guide will be by you for you not necessarily by the 'clued up' - we will always need their help - but by the 'clueless' like me who find their way to things with other members help. It's the ones that just get want they want and go away, taking and giving nothing back to help someone else that are the selfish people. We are not all modders with their wonderful skills but we can all contribute something and that way this site will be better and better than it is now and even now it's one of the best.

 

Long live CombatAce.

 

P.S. Can someone get back to me soon please so I can forward my Guide draft for intial verification to get this up and running.

[+DoctorQuest 107]

Hate to beat a dead horse here, but has anyone looked at the forum search function.

 

I went to the top level of the KB forum and did a search on "cockpits". It returned no results. I can't believe that is true.

 

Again, the KB is a great idea and we should all be willing to work with it, but it really needs a working search function.

[sparkomatic 7]

Have to agree that the search function has left me angry on more than one occasion...it either gives not much or too much of the wrong thing...heck, once or twice I even copied the title from the file in the download section, pasted it into the search window and it did NOT find the file...and yes I checked that already...

 

As an example, went to search files, typed in "F-15" and received 81 pages of hits, this was page 3...

[+Brainless 1]

Hate to beat a dead horse here, but has anyone looked at the forum search function.

 

I went to the top level of the KB forum and did a search on "cockpits". It returned no results. I can't believe that is true.

 

Again, the KB is a great idea and we should all be willing to work with it, but it really needs a working search function.

 

I think you might find this is being updated and worked on by a number of people here. We must all be patient while Work is in Progress.

[+Dave 2,318]

Hate to beat a dead horse here, but has anyone looked at the forum search function.

 

I went to the top level of the KB forum and did a search on "cockpits". It returned no results. I can't believe that is true.

 

Again, the KB is a great idea and we should all be willing to work with it, but it really needs a working search function.

 

Erik is aware of the search problem. So stay tuned on that.

[+DoctorQuest 107]

Erik is aware of the search problem. So stay tuned on that.

 

Sounds good. Let me know if you need someone to help test it.

 

Thanks!!

[+Dave 2,318]

What if we Wiki the KB? Like Bunyap did for the weapons? Which is still up. But with him gone my fear is it will disappear one day. Thoughts?

[sparkomatic 7]

eh..."wiki-search" inst much better...I usually use google to find what I want in wiki...plus doesnt wiki allow anyone to edit...cant see that being a good plan in the wrong hands...

 

I like the way you are thinking though, for me though wiki has its own issues

[+Dave 2,318]

Well then what does everyone else think? We want the KB to be easier to read etc. But will it get used. Or will it just be the same thing over and over again? Are we beating a dead horse? You all are the community and its for you, what do you all want?

[arf16 0]

I think the wiki-KB is a good idea since people could still add articles there like we do here. Someone should keep an eye on it though so some jerk doesn't add a bunch of BS for chuckles.

[+Viggen 516]

I think the wiki-KB is a good idea since people could still add articles there like we do here. Someone should keep an eye on it though so some jerk doesn't add a bunch of BS for chuckles.

 

my thoughts exactly.

[Rambler 1-1 9]

sounds good.

[+Dave 2,318]

Ok then we will look at the Wiki thing. Could be something good here.

[+Dave 2,318]

Well we did kind of nail down a search function issue. It ignores sub forums altogether. GR Viper found this, he can explain it better than I.

[Gr.Viper 131]

Basically, if you want to find a paricular thread you need to know where it is

Search in downloads section shows a great choice of big sections like Lock on, TW series etc. Unfortunately if you point at one of them search will not display any results, because planes, skins and other stuff are in their corresponding sub(sub)sections.

And search via upper-right popup on forums seems to suffer from the same problem. It ignores subforums. Hardly noticeable in normal places, it makes search from the "main page" of KB impossible as all info lies at least one level deeper.

 

The only search that really finds stuff at the moment is the one you go to after clicking "More Search Options" in that popup. This one looks through subforums, and if you point it at KB can give some answers But it doesn't cover downloads section...

[+Spectre_USA 7]

It does seem a little better, but searches for aircraft designations usually draws a blank, even from "more search options" area.

 

But who would want to search for aircraft designations anyway?

 

[JediMaster 451]

It seems thrown by hyphens/dashes. Using names is less problematic, assuming the mod is listed with its name, of course.