"Valuable Threads" Forum Area

[zamar23]

Hi everyone,

We all know, most of threads in any forum repeat content of others again and again - thats because different people tend to ask the same newbie questions. But there're some threads that make noticeable contribution to the whole forum, making it different from other forums, and frequently linked to from other places. Yes, they can be found by using Search feature, but most people prefer Easy way of looking for things - they just post same question again, and the answer received in most cases would be incomplete and less informative than in some of quality threads earlier posted and gone.

Yes, there is a definite trend to keep Sticky area limited in size and basic in content, otherwise it gets no sticky staff run area anymore. To keep most valuable threads from being lost behind the myriad of trivia, I suggest to setup a new Forum Area in each forum section: Most Valuable Threads. Such threads can be picked by staff based on member suggestions or for other reasons, or they can be posted for voting by a forum member. If voting passes a set threshold of votes by a set time (say 1 month), the thread should be placed in Most Valuable area. I'm far from questioning competence of the forum staff, just suggest to introduce some democracy elements in best material selection. Lets not forget, this forum is clearly North American one!

To start the process, I suggest a few threads to be placed in Most Valuable area:

Wave Frontier Toroidal T-90 Multi-LNB Satellite Dish
Best Way to Receive Whole Ku Arc With Fixed Dishes
Sat System Structure Optimization

I invite everyone to place their thread suggestions for Most Valuable Threads area here. If our request is denied , at least everyone will have a shortcut to de-facto section (this thread) with most valuable info links from this forum FTA area.

 

[willie8605]

I think maybe the 'Most Valuable Threads' could go in the FAQ section. Just b/c it is an FAQ doesn't mean it is for newbies. It could be split up into sections like "Beginner's FAQ" and "Advanced FAQ". And yes, I do agree that there are some very useful threads that are above just newbie level, like Linuxman's best way to receive whole Ku arc thread. I think this is a good idea.

 

[zamar23]

Good idea to split FAQ on Newbie and Advanced stuff. :up

 

[Anole]

After studying all the peace-meal answers on switches, I finally understood most of the variations.
But to answer questions that everybody posed, got to be repetitive.
So, I started a thread with some of the answers, and let members contribute ideas, questions, and anything else they wanted.
Then, when that had run its course, Iceberg exported just the facts (left out all the discussion) and made the Switches Simplified FAQ.
IMO, it worked out pretty well.

Some of the great threads on the forum, are too long to hand to a newbie.
One or two in particular, are for mounting big/heavy Primestar dishes on SG-2100 motors.
So, I'll often give a link into a thread, starting at the post that's most relevant.

In other cases, I'll tell someone to just scan through a thread and look at the pictures for encouragement and education.
Especially threads on mounting multiple LNBs.
No need to read all the dirty details. -

AND, I keep a list of about 50 threads that have some of the best and most common reference material!
Just one example, is where AcWxRadar does a in depth, and step-by-step on motor setup.
It had all been said before, but he pulled all the secrets together in one place, and presented them very well!
That would be my first recommendation, if you are collecting suggestions.! - :up

I think the FAQ department is the place to put this info.
Biggest problem, is getting anyone to look at the material... often even after we point 'em to it.
I've given short answers with lots of reference links, and been criticized for "too much reading material".
So, whatever you propose, really needs to broken down into bite-sized pieces, and then point the reader to just that one bite.

 

[zamar23]

I keep a list of about 50 threads that have some of the best and most common reference material!
I think the FAQ department is the place to put this info...

PLEASE, post this List here in bold, PLEASE.

Yes, FAQ Section is a good place. But some advanced material is hard and time consuming to dissect on small pieces, so they are left in common pool unattended. Also, not everyone needs elementary peaces, its more suited for newbies. That's why having a (non-dissect) Advanced Material Section in FAQ is excellent idea. It doesn't matter, who started a thread, as a thread starter is not always its major contributor.

But what I dislike a lot, such proposals remain unattended until they naturally die left forgotten behind familiar trivia.

That's why I ask EVERY ADVANCED MEMBER on this forum to post a List of most admired threads in this thread! It will serve its purpose, if nothing else change.

 

[willie8605]

I've given short answers with lots of reference links, and been criticized for "too much reading material".

People just want to know/understand everything at once without putting in any effort. It's probably the biggest downfall of the 'internet age' we are in right now. Everyone expects instant results. I don't know how many forums I have seen (not on satelliteguys) that consist of everyone asking questions and no one actually doing anything to answer them. People rely too much on the internet to give them answers and never really stop and think that it is people just like them that are providing the answers. What happens when the people providing the useful info are no longer around and everyone is just asking questions that can't be answered? I think research is half the fun, especially with hobbies. I wish I could speak on behalf of a lot of people in my generation, but unfortunately, I can't.


Have you all seen the movie Idiocracy? Hopefully it doesn't happen!

That's my rant for the day

 

[Anole]

Have you all seen the movie Idiocracy? Hopefully it doesn't happen!

OMG! I do so recommend [ame="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0387808/"]Idiocracy (2006)@@AMEPARAM@@http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTQwMjc4MjMyNl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwOTk0NDczMQ@@._V1._SX93_SY140_.jpg@@AMEPARAM@@BMTQwMjc4MjMyNl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwOTk0NDczMQ@@@@AMEPARAM@@SX93@@AMEPARAM@@SY140[/ame] to everyone, for a good laugh!

PLEASE, post this List here in bold, PLEASE.

Then what good would I be here? - -
Tell ya what. I'll put it in my will. - :up

I also archive interesting pictures from the forum.
Mostly dishes, motors, mounts, or LNBs that I might want to get.
Usually I can find where it was originally posted (I know -who- posted most of them).
So, I look up a link to the old post and give that instead of reposting the same picture.
And as we all know, a picture is worth a good thousand or so words!.

There's some great research back in 2005/6.
The current fad/lust for mini-BUDs is not new!

Mounting offset Ku dishes upside down to get low flying satellites is not new.
It was well documented on the forum (with pictures) long ago!

There is a reference site for everything BUD, that look like it was published in the 50's, but it's still a valid reference!
I'm sure it was someone here who mentioned it long ago (and still do, occasionally).
Every newbie BUD-wanna-be should read it!
No need to duplicate all that info - but come back to SatGuy's to discuss what you learned.

edit:
Hey, here's a resource most folks overlook.
The Tip of the Iceberg.
It's full of valuable info, and nobody seems to reference it.
Did ya even know about it?

 

[zamar23]

Anole

I referenced Geo-Orbit site on several occasions in HOW TO SETUP A MOTORIZED SATELLITE DISH Tutorial. It is excellent site with more specialized info, an average reader could ever imaging. As to the second link, it is well written for newbies, but I usually look first at Thinking about stealing satellite TV? thread, then at Sponsor Promo threads in technical Sticky area, and I'm done with Stickies.

Now going back to business, this thread was not purposed for jokes, despite I like them a lot. I was thinking it was brought down until someone found it here. We can keep joking of course, meanwhile keeping an eye on the very ball of "Most Valuable Threads" topic. If you keep moving forward - and what's supposed to be more dynamic than signals from space - then links to old valuable posts won't slow down your inspiration, and neither interest of your readers.

 

[Sadoun]

Most Valuable Threads.

Yes, this is a great idea. Basically, all classical "keeper" threads should be moved to Most Valuable Threads. :up

 

[avg1joe]

It seems like this sort of thing gets suggested regularly and I haven't noticed any progress on it. Stickies have been suggested. This mvp thread idea is interesting and I have nothing against the idea.

I started thinking that maybe someone should put all this basic (or not) instruction on a separate website we could refer to. Want to know which way to skew your dish go here... Why can't I hear the sound on a channel, click this link. I'm sure most of this info exists elsewhere already. The question is who would be motivated to do something like this and who would satguys be willing to link to consistently. How about the sponsors?

What if Sadoun, SatAV, WSI, etc. started building this info into their websites. We link to the information. Newbies go there and maybe they stick around to buy something. I'd recommend that all the sponsors do it so that no one has a monopoly on the referrals.

If the sponsor was significantly swiping ideas from someone who had posted in a thread here perhaps they could buy those ideas, graphics, quotes, etc. by giving them a gift certificate to their site.

 

[zamar23]

Well, actually sponsors already have quite a few instructions posted on their sites. And they sponsor SatGuys to provide a communication medium to discuss and promote products and solutions they offer. I think, keeping Most Valuable Threads in SatGuys Advanced FAQ area is a better idea. There is no need to dissect material on small peaces, since it isn't aimed at newbies, but at addressing growing needs of advanced FTA warriors, and to help others to grow in their FTA journey. No need for a separate site either. This site is a very good fit.

 

[MikeinBaja]

I like the ideas being discussed, but am concerned that the forum "menu" would get cluttered very quickly with stickies, making navigation difficult - strictly a structure issue.

What about a separate "sub-forum" under the FTA section that is titled something like "Resources" or "Research" or "Tech stuff" or whatever and have the mods post all the great ones there as stickies? Could be set up so only mods could post. That way it doesn't get too cluttered.

There are some awesome resource threads - but they are a little hard to find and are sometimes frustrating to try and hit the right search parameters - assuming that you knew that they existed in the first place.

Just my 2 pennies worth.

 

[guapoharry]

L@@K!!! VALUABLE THREADS!!! L@@K!!!

I like the idea. But the sensationalism is kind of over the top.

There's a SatGuy who uses bold font on every post. They are on my ignore list.

The ideas speak for themselves, IMO.

 

[zamar23]

What can possibly be wrong with highlighting a Thread Title in a forum post, using features available in Reply Field? That's what they are for. Some posts in threads not on your Ignore List are very long. To catch key points easily, they are to be highlighted - its just a basic Correspondence or publication prep approach well suited here. Structured message is much easier to read. Not everyone is equally trained to catch key points fast, unless they're underscored by some means, especially newbies to the field. Look at any textbook - are they also about sensation? Just my 1 cent.

 

[gillham]

I DON'T THINK HE WAS TALKING ABOUT YOUR POST!

 

[zamar23]

Mounting offset Ku dishes upside down to get low flying satellites is not new. It was well documented on the forum (with pictures) long ago!

Anyone can support this claim by a link with particulars? Any signal reflection physical explanation of the phenomenon?

 

[Mr Tony]

Anyone can support this claim by a link with particulars?

old thread about it
http://www.satelliteguys.us/free-air-fta-discussion/76701-inverted-dish.html
http://www.satelliteguys.us/free-ai...7-upside-down-inverted-dish-installation.html

 

[zamar23]

Thanks Ice!
I knew it - you keep everything for yourself.

 

[Mr Tony]

A long time ago I use to have a ghetto setup of 61.5 & 148 on my TV aerial mast
(complete with duct tape).....the 61.5 dish was inverted

 

[guapoharry]

...
I knew it - you keep everything for yourself.

What do you mean by that?