Tiny Portal Classes?

[parentingdiscussions]

Well that might be that it is going to keep growing, but don't you think once you have such information as I spoke of the there will be less time spent for support because people will have step by step video instructions? That right there will tell you that it will be less work for the support team, of course you are right there will always be need for support, but maybe not so much as you might think if this ever happens.

[turboguy]

Robert I think you are right on with that.   If people can find the information themselves it saves people a lot of support time and effort.  I mentioned I was a recent convert from vBulletin.    I have had my eye on SMF and TP for a while and used the excuse of the really lousy results I got trying to use their tech support to finally jump ship.   

Most people just can't understand the terminology of script, and even though it is easy for some, it can be down right difficult for others.

Robert's quote here was exactly what I ran into at vBulletin.  They were more interested in impressing me with their technical vocabulary than solving my problem despite my telling them up front that I was dumber than a brick.   After spending 80 hours reading every php command in vBulletin once I figured out how to fix my problem I could have told myself or any other idiot in two or three sentences how to fix it in words anyone would have understood.

Right now I am trying to learn very basic stuff about TP (and SMF) and it is an area here that could use some improvement for dummies like me.   For those in the same boat I will say I found answers top some of the things I had wanted to know in a list of newbie questins the  RebelRoseNetworks.    Basically I found things that covered in a few minutes about half of what I had spent hours hunting for here.   For those in the same dumb as a brick stage at me that is probably a good resource.   I am planning to start on the phpvidiotutorials in the next day or two and have some good books coming from Amazon. 

My suggestion would be to start a sticky thread for the dumb as a brick newbies like me to tell you what exactly they are looking to find simple explanations for.   Use these questions to come up with a good F.A.Q. for newbies and in the long run it will save a ton of support time and questions.  Find a couple of dumb as brick newbies who would be willing to proof it and let you know if it makes sense to them.

[tick]

Well that might be that it is going to keep growing, but don't you think once you have such information as I spoke of the there will be less time spent for support because people will have step by step video instructions? That right there will tell you that it will be less work for the support team, of course you are right there will always be need for support, but maybe not so much as you might think if this ever happens.

Well not really.  As it is right now there is step by step instuctions on how to do things.  People will still need one on one support.   Answer me this how are you going to have a video showing code edits that need to be made.  With all of the different mods going on there is now way to have a video showing how to edit things.  The different variations of the way the code could look is unlimited.  I just cant see putting the time into this for the reason of the information is already there.  Not trying to bash your idea because in theory it is a good idea.  But in reality I dont see it saving any time support wise or making things any easier.   Just my two cents.  Tick.

[parentingdiscussions]

You are not bashing my idea if the idea can work, as for all the script? heck man I see examples in here all the time so what is the difference? Besides, there are ways of capturing video off the computer, screen shots, that can be made into movie files. simple and yes it can work, I am sure of it.
I also think that maybe it can start out small and turn into something later on, but people will want to learn, and everyone has to learn somehow, and paying someone to do it for you? that isn't always good either. 

[tick]

and paying someone to do it for you? that isn't always good either.

I agree with you on this.  My point is just it would take a huge library of video to cover all the possibilities of different instances of the way the code could be looking from the users point of view. Just my opinion is the info is all here.  I dont see it being any more simple than what it already is.  But that is just my opinion.  I wish you best of luck and hope it all works out.  Tick.

[parentingdiscussions]

Not long ago, and this was some time back, when I first started using a forum which was NUKE! I was always lost when it came to script, people were telling me, you have to Bla bla bla and bla bla but not before you bla bla, I was back then like "What The Heck" not only that but after six months of trying to get the piece of dodo to work, it never was that great and so out went my search for an alternative program.

When I first installed SMF I really screwed things up, and I needed help to figure out what it was that I was doing wrong, I spent hours upon hours reading how to from this site and I just couldn't understand a word of it, not one. Then one night in came this person out of no where and helped me set my site up, and did all what needed to be done and that was that, but then again I still needed to learn this stuff on my own.

Although it has been a while, and I am starting to get the idea's but not due to any help, but on my own, but it shouldn't have taken me that long, and wouldn't you know it, now I know how to do what needs to be done without the help, but you wouldn't believe how long it took me to figure most of it out, and I still am not 100% sure I am getting it right all the time.

You say, it is out there for anyone, and that is all good, but you have to think back to when you first started out, and how you had to learn all the coding and fun stuff, and there isn't no way in the world you can make be believe that it was easy, it takes time and work, and trial and error, yes everyone must try to learn the basics first, then go onto the hard stuff, but if I would have had more visual aids, and someone talking to me step by step, it all would have went a whole lot faster.

Do you think that if you go to college for this kind of stuff they sit you down in front of a computer and say, learn it on your own? Not always, there is always someone to show you the how too.

[tick]

I see your point and hope you see mine.  I did not mean for this to turn in to a debate on our views of this.   Tick

[Lesmond]

I have been reading this topic with interest, I feel that most of the team members would not have time to do most of the the things you have talked about, although many have shown an interest, I do know that one of the team is compiling as we speak, a full doc section for TP, and I am sure when it is released it will be very helpful to our members, (cant say when it will be ready so don't ask!) so all I can say is keep an eye out for it,     

[IchBin]

We can't even get people to read stickies or docs in here. I see this as just another step in the way support can be provided, but I don't see it minimizing support IMO.

[bloc]

I think we are discussing actually two levels here..support for specific code or support issues are hard to press into a 5-minute video. A general guide to work an area in TP for example, is just the ticket though.

Its really the same issue at any site offerring extended docs, how much time and talent for the thing, that are available - will determine if it will be created or not. For this site right now its hard pressed..but thats not to say it isn't possible.