Topic: The beginner and help section is losing great contributors (Read 605 times)

I'm just wondering...
Is it possible to create a kind of rule of the thumb in reporting e.g. if someone creates a topic in Bitcoin Discussion when there's a really similar topic that has been opened (and discussed and had the proper answer) in a months time (or later on in a few months time) then the topic should be reported to be locked and OP has to be pointed to the old topic, to check it for the answer? (My favourite is: Bitcoin is better than gold/cash/etc... and similar ones...)
I know that for the most of the people it's always easier to ask and not to search for something, but we should stop it somehow and let people start searching (on the site, or use google.)

More spams just because the inactivity of that board moderator?

But I read some post (don't know where it it) beginners & Help section is one of the highly moderated board in this forum for all time.So it means we need more moderator for that section to make the basement more strong.

The bitcoin discussion section hosts a lot more meaningless shit than there in my experience. It seems pretty staid to me. Perhaps it's been tamed by a nameless white knight.

You said you won't mention it again, and I'm not prodding you to, but I think that's kind of messed up (though I'd have to read the comment myself to judge it).  To me, if you're visiting the B&H board, starting threads, and trying to help noobies you're a strong candidate for sainthood.  I can't bring myself to un-ignore the board, much less visit it, and not to mention even posting anything there.

I've seen the B&H section, and there are some things in this world that cannot be unseen no matter how hard you try.  I think if the US needed a more effective method of "enhanced interrogation" techniques, they ought to glue the terrorists' eyelids to their foreheads and force them to read the B&H section from beginning to end.  They would be singing like canaries after about 5 minutes.

You're a merit source and a legendary member here.  You're not some shitposting crackhead who'd gargle a dong for 1 merit, so I can't see why you'd be accused of such.

Actually I am pertaining to a reply with the same concept but in a different choices of words to construct the sentence, I feel that I am stealing someone else's works.

I often see a lot of them especially in the Alts Section and Bitcoin Discussion, it's obvious that they are just posting for their bounties . Some reply with the most common answer where everyone knows and it seems that they are just repeating it. Maybe it should be added as one of the things to report to the moderators (I think its from welsh thread)

To be honest, it isn't really annoying. It's just that I use it as a filter. It's like the rich farmers that we have in England, they drive round in old cars, and have holes in their jackets, and you would think they had to dry out their tea bags and use them again. The reality is that they can buy a million pound field out of petty cash. An all caps titled thread is probably of low value in my experience, and unfortunately if there are any gems buried in there, they will stay uncovered.

One has to be careful, because forums can suck you in , and absorb enorous amounts of time. Any trick that makes one's time more productive is welcome.

I think you are talking about this- Topic title style guide

Although, you might find this annoying there could still be some posts which deserve some merit. Whether that's from the original poster or not. Theymos put out some advice a few years ago about formatting the title correctly which might be a great help to a few of the users around here. I'll see if I can find it.

No - apologies if my post was misunderstood. It refers to a criticism of me that was made by another legendary several days ago. It pissed me off at the time, as I thought I was helping the forum. Anyway, I've moved on from that, and I won't mention it again.

I gave you an apology merit - do such things exist? If not, I hope I won't get into trouble for introducing yet another merit concept.

Now for a positive suggestion. How about everybody who has posted in this thread popping over to the beginners board, and adding a good reply to at least one of the threads there. If you can't find a thread that you like, then you can always start a new one.

Is that referring to my comment? That's not what I meant at all. You're doing a sterling job. It's the nomeriters starting threads in weirdly florid language about the painfully obvious that I find cloying.

I am sure that the Beginner and help section has not been ignored, I feel the enthusiasm of people every day.


Yes, what you said is completely correct. I can get answers to almost every question in time. I didn’t feel neglected.
You are all helpful people, thank you very much for your selfless help to beginners. It is because of you that let us know crypto more clearly and stay away from fear. In the beginners section of other forums, I have always met those who are not good, they always try to convince me to buy something I have never heard of, but here you are sincere.
Thank you for your help！

I tend to visit the board every day if I can.

I might go back to starting threads again, despite being accused of fishing for merits by starting threads. That's a bit of an odd accusation to make about a Legendary merit source, but itdid make me stop and think about starting threads.

I don’t really find there to be a lack of mid-to-high ranked members that visit the Beginners & Help board regularly to provide answers there. There aren’t that many topics created or content-bumped there on a daily basis, so currently it seems reasonably well visited by high-ranked members in relation to this factor. Even some merit sources are around there regularly, so on both accounts the sections seems currently unneglected to me.

And would that decision help the forum in any way. If everyone out of the activities of spam poster puts boards on ignore I guess almost every boards should be empty by now because spammers has access to some main boards even this present board. All I was trying to state is that the B$H board needs attention more often

I understand why some forum members do this. On the bitcointalk spam hotbeds were formed, where almost all posts are of poor quality and non-constructive. B&H is one of these sections. Most newbies come here for easy money, they aren`t really interested in crypto questions and details, they just want to hear from the enlightened higher rank members how to make a profit on bounty campaigns. Such questions are often asked precisely in this thread, so many participants put on ignore the entire B&H board, since the amount of spam exceeds the quality of a few decent posts. I think they are guided by the rule that if a newbie writes really good comments, then in any case he will be noticed - just not in B&H thread.

There seems to be a high number of threads from noobs fishing for merit by 'educating' other noobs and that gets pretty old to come across pretty rapidly. If I were running it I'd somehow encourage more people to start threads asking questions rather than reams of threads answering questions most people don't have.

This days there's more introduction message on the Beginners and help board that there actually are quality posts that would lead to a quality discussion,i really do not understand what's special about telling the forum "I'm from A country and invested in bitcoin since B years now,hope I'm welcome here", if you weren't,you wouldn't be in here posting,would you..

It's basically a sign that such user has basically nothing to offer,the first thing to be done on the forum is to go through the sticky threads and anyone who does so wouldnt introduce themselves like we're in some round table discussions
You're by a mile one of the most active high ranked member/merit source on the beginners board and definitely your efforts are appreciated..
I understand it's not so easy to find meritable posts nowadays

May be you are right and I am agree with that. If reputed members ignore Help & Beginner section then how newbie will learn from them. I agree with that lots of spammer there. But it doesn't mean we should ignore full board. But I have seen few well reputed members still helping newbie there. The problem is there are no active moderators although global moderators take care about reports. I believe we can motivate spammer even not all but at least some of them who have good intention to learn something. I would like to request please don't ignore Help & Beginner board and help them as much you can. Ignore full board means ignore newbie, so they will not find right way and will continue spamming. Most of them are don't know they are spamming. 

I'm managing to find a few posts to merit, but I'm still well under my target.

There are a couple of threads with all caps titles, and I'm ignoring those. In general, I fnd that capitalisation is a tool used by people who don't have much to say, or don't have any original thoughts.

That was a good thread, I'll admit that.  As far as those rules are concerned, that's what the "report to moderator" button is for, and I think more people should use it instead of making threads about rule breakers in general.

If they made worthy posts, I'd be all for that--but I suspect that if B&H became known as a section where merits were handed out freely, it would become much like Meta is nowadays, with people just trying their luck but mostly writing nonsense that they hope will earn them a merit.

For me, it's a sanity-saving device keeping sections like B&H on ignore.  Last I heard it was mostly people talking about how they can rank up, earn merits, and earn more money.  There isn't much input I could give without flying into a rage.

I'm also of the opinion that boards like Bitcoin Discussion ought to be given priority as far as getting cleaned up.  That should be the cornerstone of the forum, but it's currently a big spammy mess of nonsense.

There are actually plenty of highly ranked members who visit that subforum regularly and help with answering questions and giving advice. Some members have put the whole section on ignore and that is their choice. But it still gets plenty of attention from knowledgeable users.
Just check how long it takes for a thread-starters to get help with their problems and you will notice that in less than 15-20 minutes a SR. Member+ is offering some help.

You aren't spamming if you are making meaningful posts.  Also. it's useful if newcomers to the world of crypto reply - they can add a different perspective to the replies. Another problem is that very often people with a good technical knowledge forget that new members may not know the basics. If you don't understand one simple basic concept, it can be difficult to take advantage of the reply.

I have seen that the Beginners and Help is improving, I have seen a lot of High rank members who answers different question regarding crypto and the forum itself.

Sometimes I feel not to post anymore in that section because after a few minutes there is a high rank member who answers the question immediately. Dont want to spam

Aside from Beginner's & Help, there is google who can answer your queries.

Ps: I have seen a lot of active Legendaries lately.

Since the dawn of the time when bitcointalk transformed from a forum to a workplace where newbies could come and join shitbounties by shitposting and other low effort tasks the B&H became what is it today. People are making accounts in this forum not to talk about cryptocurrencies but to grab a bite at every opportunity that allows them to snatch some coins.

For the low income countries its an ideal way of making a living and that where some restrictions should be put in. They do bring in a lot of traffic but strict moderation is needed in many sections of the forum. But liberalistic pricks will always find ways to complain. Try removing some threads and they will start threatening moderators for doing so claiming that they are doing a good amount of contribution to the forum when they are actually plagiarizing.

Beginners is the new blood for the forum, and I agree that we should encourage good new members who post there. I haven't put the whole board on ignore, but I do add  some members to my ignore list if they are spambies or a distraction.

It looks as if I am going to have to spend today on the computer - Bitcoin has dropped again, and Theresa May - the UK's treasonous unicorn of a prime minister, is trying to give Gibraltar to the Spanish, So what I can do for the beginners board is to allocate 20 sMerits to reward good posters today, and I'll award them in ones and twos, so there should be a few new members who can profit from this. Also, there is no limit to the number of posts that a member can make to pick up sMerits. In fact if today is a really good day, I can double or treble the number of merits I can award.

You know my guidelines guys - no spamming, plagiarism or misuse of quoting. I don't reward bounty of announcement threads either. Now lets see what I can find.

Here is one post, and this illustrates the sensible use of quotes.
https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/m.48205462

Since OP actually missed the initial thread you've referenced him to, started by@Luchinono,ill extract one of the most valuable reasons as to why the B&H section is at the state it is right now, and why it's on some users ignore list

Earlier we had a discussion here with the same topic. You can start over there. It will be healthy for you, us and for the forum itself.
https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/beginners-board-5071007

 The major and most important part of a building is its foundation and if not properly done can lead to a complete destruction.

This is the section I might get needed attention concerning the issue. But firstly let me thank those that has still up till now contributed there part to the B&H section despite the appalling spamming and unhelpful activities of some members

  The B&H section is a very vital and crucial section of the forum in fact it's like an orientation and guide section for newcomers and also assistance section for all and needs more selfless contribution.

It can be discouraging bumping into redundant post in any section of the forum and it being on a constant can lead some members to giving up(pushing the ignore button) on the section but there is no place where two wrongs makes a right that action can deprive future member of your contribution.

There are various notable member of the forum that has put the section on ignore for reason best known to them well it's a personal decision and I must respect that but I appeal that there be a consideration and rather than placing the whole section on ignore let the individual that contribute to spamming be placed on ignore rather than the section it self.

Beginner and help is meant to develop future good members or spammers of the forum so if neglected the forum would still feel the negative impact.