Should repetitive questions be made into part of the FAQs?

[CG]

There seem to be a lot of "What film / camera / developer / paper / tripod do you use" or "What's the best camera / lens / film ...?" open ended queries. They really have no answer. Everyone really tries their best to help by saying what they use. Not usually very helpful till somone says it's unanswerable other than by experience and guides the person to a fair starting point.

Could newcomer / repetitive / vague questions get answered maybe better than they are now and more efficiently if they became part of the FAQ?

I'm not dissing the more specific inquiries such as what to shoot from a helcopter at 3000 feet. Or whether so and so has been a good store to deal with. These sorts of questions really can't get an answer from anywhere but a diverse set of users and their experiences.

Best,

C

[Randy H]

But how many will actually look in the FAQs before posting their questions? Or peruse the articles from the main page? I would venture to guess it is less than 10%. And how many actually "search" for related threads to their questions/comments before starting a new one? I am probably as guilty as any about asking really stupid questions, only to find the info I need has already been addressed a hunnert times before.

[QT Luong]

If someone wishes to write such a FAQ, that would be great. The task would consist of determining what are those most frequently asked questions (easy if you read the forum on a regular basis), and then select the best answers posted and quote them with maybe a bit of editing to make them fit together.

However, like Randy wrote, I think this would only partly reduce redundancy. When people are posting, they are often looking for interaction above all.

[jetcode]

The articles on the front page are pure treasure, I read all that and want more, which I get by looking at photographs by others. I think this forum is rich with information.

[Terence McDonagh]

People ask this question all the time. Maybe the first FAQ could be if there should be a FAQ.

Just kidding. Just kidding.

[Vaughn]

This begs the question if there should be a FDT section also. (Frequently debated topics)

Vaughn

[Terence McDonagh]

Not THAT old argument . . .

[Ed K.]

Well, this is a question that has no exact answer that will satisfy all

Some thoughts:

• Stronger urging of posters to search first, so that older threads will be consolidated.
• Thread spanning, vitual combining of related threads.
• A "send to gems" feature, where readers can send a snippet quote to be considered
  as "gold standard" information. When enough readers have sent a snippet section in,
  reviewers add it to the "all time classic gems of wisdom" section.
• More detailed sub-categories!
• A peer-reviewed large format Wiki where articles can be submitted, reviewed,
  and if enough validation votes come in, the article moves into the permanent
  Wiki section. Allowing some of the long time users the privilage of posting
  a decent article might be a way to have many hands do the work of creating
  a really great resource.
• I agree - a category for often debated subjects that have no clear winners.

[CG]

If someone wishes to write such a FAQ, that would be great. The task would consist of determining what are those most frequently asked questions (easy if you read the forum on a regular basis), and then select the best answers posted and quote them with maybe a bit of editing to make them fit together.

However, like Randy wrote, I think this would only partly reduce redundancy. When people are posting, they are often looking for interaction above all.

I appreciate the thoughtful replies and the offer to have a FAQ section should such items be written.

A couple of thoughts and questions:

Possibly some of the existing questions and their existing answers could become the basis or starting point for a few good FAQs.

Would a Wiki approach be useful? Get a good start and then gradually improve it in an incremental manner as people rewrite and expand / clarify?

Could a FAQ section start small, and get filled as people write more and better?

Could I participate - if I could start in about as month as one large responsibility I have elsewhere gets fulfilled. I would be pleased to write a very basic response to the "What camera?" and "What lens" questions in particular. They are terribly important to the utter novice, and yet without a sense of the novice's situation and purposes, difficult to give a simple and definitive answer to. But good general guidance can be written.

Thanks,

C