Forum Moderators: open
The SE on WebmasterWorld is below par IMHO. I'm not sure why but I'd guess it has to do with the sheer volume of information there is to index and the probable server load it would create if it were really good and used often.
So, here's something I was thinking of. What if the threads that cover the more basic info were flagged and made searchable by an onsite SE. This SE would only be allowed to search and index the flagged items (a few thousand threads perhaps?). If it were fine tuned for performance and speed it would make it easier for the newcomers to locate stuff by themselves.
And each time a moderator or admin found a thread that covered some of the basics in a unique, useful way, they could add (or suggest) the thread be added to the SE's index.
Totally impossible, impractical?
When I've been trying to learn more about an issue, the best information has often been contained in some much-earlier thread that I didn't initially locate, which happened to be cross-referenced by some kind soul in the course of a more recent thread.
One way or another, it would be really helpful to provide some sort of "best of" section containing the most detailed, comprehensive threads concerning particular topics, or at least flagging the threads that contain the essence of a solid tutorial on particular topics.
Alternatively, perhaps the best, most useful threads could be meta-tagged in some manner with information indicating the topics that are discussed in that thread, or even with a simple flag.
Alternatively, the algorithms being used to generate results need to be modified to push the best, most useful discussions to the top of the results. Currently, I rarely find the best, most useful discussions of a particular topic at the top of the list of threads discussing that topic. Admittedly, that might be my fault, but then again, perhaps the algorithms aren't growing as fast as the inventory of threads needed to be searched and sorted.
Seems like an interesting project, allowing some SEOs to work the other side of the game for awhile.
One way or another, it would be really helpful to provide some sort of "best of" section containing the most detailed, comprehensive threads concerning particular topics, or at least flagging the threads that contain the essence of a solid tutorial on particular topics.
Isn't that the same as the Library links at the top of each forum?
Cheers
Perhaps I'm just being dense, or perhaps there are some improvements that could be made to the usability (organization, labeling, whatever) of the library feature that would make it easier to navigate and use.
I really don't know the best way to deal with the problem -- enhancing the search algorithnms, flagging the best threads with meta tags, enhancing the library concept, or what.
Perhaps my perspective isn't representative of other new members, but I have the general impression that there is an enormous wealth of detailed, useful information on this site that is hard to find.
Aside from my own experiences, the only other proof of a potential problem that I can point to is the large number of redundant posts and threads submitted by relatively new users. Perhaps some of this redundancy would diminish if the best prexisting threads were more easily found.
I won't name any specifics, but in one forum you can go into the library and find threads that cover all the basic/intermediate and most frequent questions... then you can go to another forum and find that there isn't much covered at all.
Added: Just wanted to add a suggestion on the libraries... I notice in some libraries a lot of the threads have to do with 'news events' such as a new browser/software release etc. Perhaps the focus of the libraries should lean more towards information on how to do things and less towards 'news' type threads.
