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I'd suggest to add a separate section (subforum) for each (or most of) the software products, dealing exclusively with issues pertaining to installation/deinstallation/activation/deactivation/installing 64bit version on.../using product with ... graphics card/etc.etc...
For example, since the launch of Photoshop CS4, the main Photoshop forum section has been cluttered with installation/activation issues to a point, where other issues go unnoticed and people lose interest in the forum. During the last days, I've read at least 2 comments in the Photoshop section, that they have decided to stop using the forum for exactly this reason.
I'd have to look, but I can surely retrieve these comments, if need be ...
kind regards.
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I think you are giving Joe and Jane sixpack too much credit for recognizing the root of their problem.
Many times they simply state something like - My program does not work, how come?
To add seperate forums as you suggest would just confuse everyone as to where to look for problems and to those answering them.
And the time to jump from forum to forum.
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such a nonsense!
There is a huge difference in
USING the program vs. installing/deinstalling (etc.) it. Don't say most of the people here are dumb!
If Joe and Jane sixpack wouldn't know that it's an installation issue, how come that they are capable of saying so in the thread title ??
And just look at today's Photoshop thread titles (all on the first page):
Installing Photoshop CS4 on a 64 bit Laptop. Tick Box?
Adobe Photoshop CS4 says license expired on first day of usage.
CS4 will not deactivate (Updated)
I can't install adobe cs4 photoshop, windows?
CS3 Extended activation error 194:8
Unable to get Photoshop CS2 to work
Increased RAM stopped my loading of Photoshop...why?
no "help/updates" on new install on vista
Cannot get download manager to work
BUG: Toggling interface on/off causes missing menu toolbar items and icons in Photoshop CS4!
Strange problem in PS CS4 32-bit only
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I can follow your reasoning but it's not a good idea.
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Because (a part that it's from me) ... ?
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Maybe a 'sticky' about installation/update issues, pointing to a FAQ section????
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Good idea. Would certainly help.
But installation (etc.) problems that can't be solved via FAQ and are subsequently posted here should go into a separate section.
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Christian Davideck wrote:
Because ... ?
Because it's hard enough now for a newcomer to know where to post. And most of them wouldn't get it right!
I think Kath's idea is more like it. A pointer to the KB articles on installation and update issues, activation, licencing service, etc.
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John Joslin wrote:
.... for a newcomer to know where to post.
If a newcomer entitles his thread "installation problems with Photoshop CS4", he will find the Forum "Photoshop // installation issues". If you say the contrary, then you are really taking people for idiots here.
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Christian Davideck wrote:
... you are really taking people for idiots here.
Not idiots — lost souls, confronted with a gargantuan colossus of obscurity.
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If you have different forums for installation, graphic cards, etc., and Joe and Jane Sixpac knew where to put it, who would change it when it turned out to be in wrong fourm, or the question evolved to cover more than one topic?
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curt y wrote:
If you have different forums for installation, graphic cards, etc.,
No, the ideas was to have ONLY ONE additional subforum, where all these installation/activation/deinstallation issues would go into ... (not multiple ones)
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Bad idea.
Clueless users would now have two sections to post in the wrong place.
Even if it worked, what would be accomplised? Nothing.
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Ramón G Castañeda wrote:
Even if it worked, what would be accomplised? Nothing.
Uncluttering.
see:
Christian Davideck wrote:
since the launch of Photoshop CS4, the main Photoshop forum section has been cluttered with installation/activation issues to a point, where other issues go unnoticed and people lose interest in the forum. During the last days, I've read at least 2 comments in the Photoshop section, that they have decided to stop using the forum for exactly this reason.
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Wrong. You would end up not with one but two cluttered sections.
Bad idea.
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Ramón G Castañeda wrote:
Wrong. You would end up not with one but two cluttered sections.
Wrong, all of the forums I've seen offer a more specific categorization. It works everywhere. People are not as stupid as you depict them.
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Christian Davideck wrote:
…People are not as stupid as you depict them.
No, not all people are stupid. But some of them are in fact more clueless than anyone can imagine. You'd have questions in the wrong place in both sections.
Having everything in one place makes it even easier to help people out. Segregated installation sections get little attention and, thus, less answers.
Perhaps strictly from the point of view of casual visitors that only post questions without helping others it might seem more attractive—because they don't know any better.
Users with installation and/or activation questions are usually the most clueless of all and more likely to post in the wrong section, even in the wrong forum.
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Ramón G Castañeda wrote:
Having everything in one place makes it even easier to help people out. Segregated installation sections get little attention and, thus, less answers.
Perhaps strictly from the point of view of casual visitors that only post questions without helping others it might seem more attractive—because they don't know any better.
OK, these are some valid examples for genuine disadvantages. I grant you that.
Personally, I don't think that this offsets the advantages, at least you come up with logical arguments instead of just saying "bad bad" like our other beloved folks here
Anyway,
nobody has dealt with this so far:
to a point, where other issues go unnoticed and people lose interest in the forum. During the last days, I've read at least 2 comments in the Photoshop section, that they have decided to stop using the forum for exactly this reason.
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the reason may have more to do with the POS forum software that makes it so difficult to get around as compared to the way it used to be. many many regulars who would answer questions and discuss are just giving up. and if a post makes it to the second or third page, because of bugs in the forum navigation, it has like a nil chance of getting answered.
adobe is killing it's own forums and you think it'll get better if they spread things out more to make it even MORE difficult to navigate?
it's not the newbie questioners who have a problem with this place christian, it's the answerers. adobe has made it actually painful to answer questions here in any volume. before the switch over i answered 10 to 15 questions a day in PS win. since, i'm lucky if i post there 10 to 15 times a week.
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dave milbut wrote:
to a point, where other issues go unnoticed and people lose interest in the forum. During the last days, I've read at least 2 comments in the Photoshop section, that they have decided to stop using the forum for exactly this reason.adobe is killing it's own forums and you think it'll get better if they spread things out more to make it even MORE difficult to navigate?
it's not the newbie questioners who have a problem with this place christian, it's the answerers. adobe has made it actually painful to answer questions here in any volume. before the switch over i answered 10 to 15 questions a day in PS win. since, i'm lucky if i post there 10 to 15 times a week.
Dave, yes, these are all valid points.
I just think the new forum system and the issue of an additional subforum (similar to the "feature requests" subforum) are two different pairs of shoes. As far as the latter is concerned, I gave my point of view, you guys gave yours, I think I'll leave it at that.
dave milbut wrote:
... POS forum software that makes it so difficult to get around as compared to the way it used to be. many many regulars who would answer questions and discuss are just giving up. and if a post makes it to the second or third page, because of bugs in the forum navigation, it has like a nil chance of getting answered.
Yes, I second that. It's nevertheless true, that "if a post makes it to the second or third page", "it has like nil chance of getting answered" in the old forum system, too, isn't it ?
And what do you mean with "bugs in the forum navigation" ?
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It's nevertheless true, that "if a post makes it to the second or third page", "it has like nil chance of getting answered" in the old forum system, too, isn't it ?
nope. speaking only for myself, i made it a point to check all threads in the ps win, and bump those i couldn't help with...
And what do you mean with "bugs in the forum navigation" ?
this kinda continues what i was just saying above... in the old forums you could quickly skim through threads and help where you could. this forum makes that impossible because it takes 10-15 seconds for each thread to load. AND you don't go back to where you last read in the thread, you're taken to either the 1st or last post in the thread AND there's the fact that if you're not on the 1st page, you're reading a thread say on page 3, you click back and instead of being back on the 3rd page, the forum jumps you back to the 1st page. THAT'S specifically why it's so difficult to keep up with threads once they scroll off.
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OK, I see Dave. thanks
And I think the old forum was also accessible via NNTP, which is no longer the case, right?
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Christian Davideck wrote:
OK, I see Dave. thanks
And I think the old forum was also accessible via NNTP, which is no longer the case, right?
correct. another whole section of long time helpers and contributors just abandoned. it's a shame, really.
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Jive can't talk to NNTP? It's really sad, that people leave ...
Dave, do you think you could explain something to me ...?
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Dave, do you think you could explain something to me ...?
i could try... i can't say i'll do better or worse than any of the other way more knowledgeable people here but shoot...