More "How To"s

**Labarum** · 06-23-2007, 12:44 AM

Do we need more "How To" stickies at the top of this newbie forum?

How to choose your razor.
How to choose your brush.
How to choose your soap or cream.
How to choose your blade.

We have a "How to lather" and "What works for me" is "How to shave"

The information is available elsewhere, but the newbie can be overwhelmed by information - a few lines with just the most basic advice might be good sitting at the top of this section in stickies.

**rtaylor61** · 06-23-2007, 12:49 AM

Originally Posted by Labarum

Do we need more "How To" stickies at the top of this newbie forum?

How to choose your razor.
How to choose your brush.
How to choose your soap or cream.
How to choose your blade.

We have a "How to lather" and "What works for me" is "How to shave"

The information is available elsewhere, but the newbie can be overwhelmed by information - a few lines with just the most basic advice might be good sitting at the top of this section in stickies.

No, we don't need more stickies. Why? New guys join and ask questions, which leads to participation. They ask questions, they become active members and participants. And then, based on their learning curve and participation, they begin to help new members. Otherwise, we could just post a web page with all of the answers. Some items of discussion may deserve stickies, but not everything. If stickies were the answer to everything, we wouldn't need forums. Just information pages. I've seen this topic discussed on numerous forums, and the consensus is always the same. Too many stickies are a bad thing.

Randy

**Labarum** · 06-23-2007, 01:28 AM

Originally Posted by rtaylor61

No, we don't need more stickies . . . Too many stickies are a bad thing.

Are there any other opinions out there?

**Taz** · 06-23-2007, 04:55 AM

Originally Posted by rtaylor61

No, we don't need more stickies. Why? New guys join and ask questions, which leads to participation. They ask questions, they become active members and participants. And then, based on their learning curve and participation, they begin to help new members. Otherwise, we could just post a web page with all of the answers. Some items of discussion may deserve stickies, but not everything. If stickies were the answer to everything, we wouldn't need forums. Just information pages. I've seen this topic discussed on numerous forums, and the consensus is always the same. Too many stickies are a bad thing.

Randy

+1

**Austin** · 06-23-2007, 05:18 AM

Labarum, this issue has been discussed at length by the moderators. The consensus was what Randy stated.

**escargot** · 06-23-2007, 05:42 AM

I agree with Randy. I only joined here recently and have been amazed by the friendliness and responsiveness of the members. Every day, people ask similar questions, but everyone's skin/beard and experience is slightly different. Nobody ever gets a response like "read teh faq n00b!"*, and I hope it can stay that way!

* Well, maybe there's no need to worry about that -- everyone here is old enough to have facial hair!

**copperhead** · 06-23-2007, 05:58 AM

Originally Posted by rtaylor61

Too many stickies are a bad thing.

+1

**Kyle76** · 06-23-2007, 06:00 AM

I would agree with Randy as long as this forum does not become like some in which I have participated where nearly every newbie question gets a response like, "Have you done a search yet, idiot?"

**Patrick D** · 06-23-2007, 06:16 AM

A newcomer could be having problems with just one thing which isn't easily answered by just reading or watching. For those of us who has had the light bulb lit and have said out loud, "Oh, I get it", some of the questions asked may seem an easy one to self-research.

So often though, the question asked doesn't really define the actual problem, like "Is my rash because of the products being used?", when in reality it's going in the wrong direction with a stroke.

The one on one imput from the members here usually get it down to the real problem and solution, which often causes the light bulb to get lit and "Oh I get it!" being muttered aloud by many of the newcomers.

Judging from the current batch of newcomers, the videos and instruction threads appear to give many all the basics to get started just fine. "I've been getting great shaves except for..............." is where the active give and take from the forums helps eliminate the "except for's" from the equation and helps fine tune a new shaver going for BBS.

**BarryR** · 06-23-2007, 06:24 AM

I'm a six week newbie with a slightly different take. The answer depends on how the experienced shavers feel about answering similar / same questions repeatedly. I agree that the responses are always patient and polite, but I sometimes feel that I'm asking questions that must have been answered many times before Searching often doesn't work because of the limited search capabilities and tendency to wind up with many matches.

Perhaps a newbie guide to classic/basic threads would be useful.

**Jim** · 06-23-2007, 06:32 AM

+3

Barry look here for more info

**galpman** · 06-23-2007, 07:58 AM

Originally Posted by Goosemeplease

+3

Barry look here for more info

+4

**BarryR** · 06-23-2007, 08:31 AM

Originally Posted by Goosemeplease

+3

Barry look here for more info

I'm aware of ShaveWiki, and used it when I started off but that's very brief, limited info for each topic. Links to 'classic' threads would provide more detailed info.

**Leisureguy** · 06-23-2007, 09:12 AM

I like the give and take of the questions and answers. I wrote the book to answer a lot of basic questions, but I also direct the reader to join the forums and ask questions and help newbies. That's what it's all about...

**BarryR** · 06-23-2007, 09:20 AM

As long as the 'experienced shavers' don't mind, it works for me! You guys are very patient!

**letterk** · 06-23-2007, 11:11 AM

Originally Posted by BarryR

I'm aware of ShaveWiki, and used it when I started off but that's very brief, limited info for each topic. Links to 'classic' threads would provide more detailed info.

It's a light right now, but we're hoping to keep adding information. It's up to all experienced users to make it feature rich. BUT, the forum is for discussion, something that can't happen in the Wiki.

**BroJohn** · 06-23-2007, 11:18 AM

My own take is that stickies can be overdone. That hasn't occured here at B&B due to the discipline of the moderators.

I do think that a 'How-To' sub-forum as part of the Newbie Check-in could be beneficial in collecting together all the newbie topics. Perhaps a 'How-To' section in the Wiki would be worthwhile, but I think a H-T sub-forum would be more readily checked by new folks than a Wiki entry.

-- John Gehman

**scagooch** · 06-23-2007, 02:12 PM

I like discussing things. Stickies are great too but I think some stickies can become dated( new products become available)

**croweml** · 06-23-2007, 03:54 PM

Originally Posted by Labarum

Do we need more "How To" stickies at the top of this newbie forum?

I think this is a good question. I see and certainly don't disagree with any of what several of the moderators have written in this thread in reponse to this question. I'll just add a thought from my 'newbie' perspective.

As a newbie, I can't overstate how valuable the information in the 'How to lather', 'what works for me', and 'how to prep' stickies was and is to me. In fact I keep reading and re-reading them as I work through these components of wet shaving. I can only assume that other 'How To' stickies would be equally valuable. Actually, I assumed that more stickies would be added as they were researched and developed, and am a little surprised to read in this thread that there has been and continues to be an effort to limit the number of stickies that are posted.

mike

**rtaylor61** · 06-24-2007, 12:37 AM

I'm not saying that ALL stickies are a bad thing, but let me re-state my opinion, and why I feel the way that I feel about stickies.

A new guy joins the forum. We have stickies for everything. He reads them, gets the information he wants and moves on.

OR

A new guy joins the forum, asks a few questions, and gets replies. And then he replies. And becomes an active member. He participates and becomes comfortable within the forum.

And then another new guy joins. And asks questions. The former new guy, being able to relate to the questions, offers up his personal experience. And participates even more. And a valuable member of the forum is born.

Stickies have there place. But if they become a "tell all, end all", then members are not needed. Just stickies.

Randy