topic We NEED an editable FAQ in SAS Programming

We NEED an editable FAQ

art297 — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 22:03:57 GMT

Regardless of whether I've misinterpreted Peter C's latest post, the Forum NEEDs an FAQ that we can all edit and keep up to date.

In my experience that is the best way to let users know such things about not posting long threads (and why), why they should identify when their questions have been answered and who provided the correct and/or helpful answers, and other protocol matters.

We NEED an editable FAQ

FriedEgg — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 16:50:47 GMT

Typically in the software used by this site a nice way to implement user managed FAQs is by allowing the posting of documents. Another option is to have a moderated FAQ section that is not open to public posting but allows a user list to post and moderate content as needed.

We NEED an editable FAQ

reneeharper — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 18:22:48 GMT

Which of Peter's posts are you referring to? Can you provide the link?

We NEED an editable FAQ

art297 — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 18:39:17 GMT

I probably misinterpreted what he was saying, but I was referring to http://communities.sas.com/message/107121#107121

However, the point is still valid. Long posts that really take up a lot of unnecessary band width should really be discouraged. But, we don't have a place on the forum that users can refer to in order to see what is expected, what is frowned upon, etc. One isn't going to read the entire forum archives to discover posting guidelines and advice.

Re: We NEED an editable FAQ

DLing — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:35:06 GMT

Slightly different from the rules of how to post, I would really like to see people search for question and answers before they feel the need to post a question yet again. Perhaps this should be the first rule in the FAQ (search before post).

WIthin the relatively short period of time I've been here, I have noticed many re-posts of essentially the same question by different people, thus a well managed FAQ section would go a long ways to helping new people find answers/content, and freeing up contributors to work on new questions instead of re-hashing the same answer to the same questions over and over and over...

Re: We NEED an editable FAQ

art297 — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:47:25 GMT

While I only pointed out one example for the need, DLing has pointed out another. We have a user modifiable one for SAS-L which covers both our points as well as a number of others: http://www.sascommunity.org/wiki/SAS-L

That could be an option. We create and maintain a similar one for the Forums on sasCommunity.org. However, its existence and suggestion to read would have to be on the Forum's main page.

Brings up an interesting technicality. Where SAS-L is "owned" by the users, the Forums are owned by SAS. However, both venues have extremely similar needs.

We NEED an editable FAQ

Peter_C — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 08:29:10 GMT

Art

since I was not making points outside the thread, your comment surprises me.

Please could you expand your interpretation of my (so brief) posts in that thread - in particular how FAQ might make a difference.

I would like to understand the inference I created.

best wishes

Peter

We NEED an editable FAQ

art297 — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 00:30:08 GMT

Peter, I had misinterpreted your comment about lines of code thinking, at the time, that you were implying that some of the posts included too many lines. However, I didn't retract my post, as some posts do contain too many irrelevant lines of code or output that I am sure are not welcomed by those who receive the posts in aggregate forms.

My only point is that I think a FAQ summarizing such protocol issues, and useful tips, would be a welcome addition. And, as I mentioned in a subsequent post (but don't recall anyone commenting on it), putting such a FAQ on sasCommunity.org but linking to it on the Forum's main page, seems (to me) like a good idea.

We NEED an editable FAQ

Peter_C — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 08:58:59 GMT

Art

thanks for clarification

I agree - since Communities.sas.com seem dis-inclined to host FAQ, our public space seems appropriate.

And since I have received posting from sasforum admins saying there is an announcement about the Logon troubles over the last 48 hours, it seems a pity communities.sas.com has no Announcements area

peter

We NEED an editable FAQ

reneeharper — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 10:44:53 GMT

Hi Guys.

We have the ability to post the FAQ and I do have a partial one started. If I start a document will a few of you collaborate with me to get the basics down? Then we can open it up to a larger crowd.

PeterC -- we do have announcements and they run from time-to-time. Only administrators and forum owners can create an announcement for now. I would love to hear what kinds of things you guys expect to see in announcements. Does it vary by space? For example, I put an announcement about the free ODS book in the SAS/GRAPH and ODS Reporting community. For the login issues, I only put the announcement on the main page.

Another question -- I don't usually send the announcements as email, but decided that the login problem was worth it. What do you think about receiving announcements in email?

-Renee

We NEED an editable FAQ

Peter_C — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 11:30:11 GMT

that login failure was a "killer".

A banner indicating that the problem was acknowledged would reduce the undoubted flood of messages to ForumAdmin. (might be handy to have a box ready to acknowledge such a problem on the login page).

Forecasting when resolution was hoped for is worthy of posting "somewhere" on the Communities home page

Ending such loss of service should (, must imho) be notified by email (at least to recently-active-users - because some people will have stopped looking)

I thought the Announcement link in the email would/should link to the explanation that belongs with the announcement of resumption of normal service.

The announcement in my email linked only to the Communities home page, where I could see no announcement!

Maybe I was too late to see it, but I guess it is still somewhere and that page could have been linked in the resumption email.

A document about the issue could have been created - perhaps in an "forum admin" type area.

I would place any Announcement service solely in the hands of Forum Administration

just my $0.02

Glad to hear a FAQ will be established.

I'm happy to add my "penny-worth"

it should be reasonably simple to define "recently-active-users" as having posted within the last NN days.

peterC

We NEED an editable FAQ

art297 — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 12:18:08 GMT

Renee,

I'd be glad to help.

Art

We NEED an editable FAQ

DLing — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 13:50:33 GMT

My time is rather limited, but I am willing to help out on occasion.

We NEED an editable FAQ

art297 — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 13:54:10 GMT

Renee, In answer to your question about announcemnts I, for one, very much appreciated getting the notifications via email.