Community information improvements needed

[Bucic]

It's a challenge to one's temper to be trying to help a rookie only to find out he didn't read the FAQ or sticky posts. However from my observations the information we take for granted as easy to find actually isn't.

 

An example for today - the comprehensive autopilot / trimmer post. Long story short - I can't find it!

 

First I went 'the rookie way":

1. ED Forums » English » Digital Combat Simulator » DCS: Ka-50 Black Shark » DCS: Black Shark User FAQ
   
2. used my browser 'Find' function (usually Ctrl+F) to search for trim and autopilot. I get How does the trimmer work and how am I supposed to use it? A brief explanation but no further links. Searching for autopilot returned nothing on the first user FAQ topic page. Funny enough my Rookie pilots - Quick Intro sticky is no better in this regard :)
   
3. Forum Search function - trim and then autopilot: http://forums.eagle.ru/search.php?searchid=4361315 http://forums.eagle.ru/search.php?searchid=4361316 Nothing looks like an 'ultimate topic'
   

 

I've seen EtherealN linking to the topic of interest recently but I can't seem to find his post. In the end I've given up, referred to my old notes I kept to find the BS Auto Pilot description and operation

 

I could be wrong, there could be a clear path to get to the topic. In such a case please provide the path. In any case I keep stumbling on similar culprits from time to time while helping rookies and I'm going to report such cases here.

Edited February 4, 2012 by Bucic

[Bushmanni]

I had this same issue when helping a friend in learning DCS BS. There's lots of technical information about how autopilot works but not so much about how to use it and deal with the usual problems.

[bluepilot76]

It's a challenge to one's temper to be trying to help a rookie only to find out he didn't read the FAQ or sticky posts. .

 

What exactly is your role here?

 

I would rather a newbie would come on and get involved than get lost reading through hundreds of pages of posts and then head off again in frustration, scared to ask because some 1000poster will lose his temper.

[Devrim]

A moderator (or a new one) can gather them together. But already I was complaining about there's no enough subforums releated Ka-50.

 

We need more subforum sections for these threads to organize.

 

I can do it, for example. :beer:

[Nate--IRL--]

Added to my sig - I am forever searching for that thread.

 

Nate

[Bucic]

As a temporary, but perfectly good at the same time, solution I'd like to see:

* the comprehensive autopilot and trimmer topics linked in the respective FAQ entries

* same for other FAQ entries - best topic on the subject linked for further reading

 

To be honest apart from the specific edit introducing the link I mentioned I don't have any other grand ideas to improve resource finding. It was not my intention when starting this topic but feel free to drop your ideas. My one idea would be to investigate either adapting a service like stack exchange, see http://askubuntu.com/questions/37632/is-there-an-alternative-to-microsoft-office-visio for example, or at least some of the more modern knowledge base solution 'tricks'. One would be to make use of topic ratings, tag clouds etc.

 

A question to ED or mods - how does the wiki fit into the whole picture of DCS related knowledge sharing? Are wiki contributions preferred?

 

Added to my sig - I am forever searching for that thread.

 

Nate

So I'm not crazy after all :D

Edited February 4, 2012 by Bucic

[BigfootMSR]

I believe the post you were looking for is this one...

 

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=36246

[EvilBivol-1]

Thanks, of course we can edit the FAQ to add some links.

 

Personally, I think the wiki is the best place to organize community knowledge resources.

[dooom]

i am sure i included ivank 's post in the wiki

[WildBillKelsoe]

In solidarity with Bucic. Agreed. :thumbup:

[Bucic]

i am sure i included ivank 's post in the wiki

Yup, you sure did. A point to the wiki then. TBH I've never wrote a single wiki. Maybe it's time to try it.

Wiki Publisher: the Wiki Publisher extension lets you create Wiki articles on MediaWiki servers without having to know MediaWiki markup language. You can publish new and existing documents to a wiki page, transparently with Writer. Wiki Publisher supports essential text attributes such as headings, hyperlinks and lists, as well as simple tables. Images are also supported if already uploaded to the wiki site. Automatic images uploading is not currently supported. This is the perfect extension if you want to make existing documentations and specifications available on MediaWiki servers. Just load the document and invoke the Extension via the "Send – MediaWiki Server" command. A dialog box guides you through the publication process.

http://www.libreoffice.org/features/extensions/