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Beginers forum under General

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ThistyViking

NewBee
Registered Member
Nov 15, 2003
529
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0
A large number of the ongoing general mead questions are actually guestions by new meadmakers.

If you established a dedicated general forum (perhaps "Help for the inexperienced Meadmaker" or some suitable tile) You could establish a useful refrence for new meadmaker of sticky and possibly some locked topics to provide information in a controlled and understandable way. There are so many options and people who advocate them that Information overload can result IMO. There is room for a couple contrasting opinions naturally, but endless ardent debate of every variation is more than the new meadmaker is comfortable with IMO (as mentioned in some posts by them).

Possibly sticky topics,
Sanitation.
Recomended recipes for first batches.
MeadMaking Glossary (for those that didn't find it on outer site)
Equipment descriptions and uses.


I'd be willing to administer and be responsible for providing Timely responces to inquiries if you think that would help.
 
T

TeaTruck

Guest
Guest
Re: Begineers forum under General

Most of the posts are by new mead makers, and there is a lot of duplication. However, if you eliminated all posts that weren't breaking in to uncharted teritory, this forum would soon dry up all together.

I don't think most new mead makers are overwhelmed by the amount of information provided. They just prefer to ask their questions in a manner specific to their own situation, rather than paw through old posts, no matter how well answered previous questions may have been answered. It's nice to be part of a discussion with several people with similar interests, rather than just read back issues of an ask the experts column.

ThirstyViking, if you wrote an article about mead making--for beginners or otherwise--I would love to read it and I'm sure it would be most useful. However, beginners are still going to want to be able to discuss their questions freely.
 

ThistyViking

NewBee
Registered Member
Nov 15, 2003
529
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0
You seem to misunderstand me...

The fact that they have to "PAW THROUGH" tons of old posts is the point. They would still be able to post thier questions, all questions wouldn't be eliminated. A number of people have expressed confussion about the wide range of methods styles and recipes all jumbled together making it very difficult to choose when first starting out.

Never did I say I wanted to eliminate posts by new people. I thought they should have a dedicated forrum other than general mead questions to better serve them, than throwing them into a catch all category where all sorts of things get posted, and scroll off the bottom of the first topic page.

I know it is too much hassel for most people to bother looking through 25 topics on two pages for the guy who asked for a first timers recipe 2 weeks ago. When I tried to do a context search of Got mead, i got the impression that this forum wasn't covered by it from my results.

The Vollume of new posts suggests to me that they would be better served with a beginners forum.
 

Norskersword

NewBee
Registered Member
May 19, 2004
683
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I agree with Viking. It would be nice if it were easier for newbies like me to find answers to our questions. I also think less newbies would be afraid of asking stupid questions. ;)

I would still look at the general forum though, for learning purposes.
 

ThistyViking

NewBee
Registered Member
Nov 15, 2003
529
0
0
That was my point, not trying to restrict posting in general forum, and certainly not from reading there. If there were a dedicated area, then repetitive posting is cut down.
Lets look at one topic only... Sanitation

There are only so many times I want to type out complete description of sanitation methods :) Think i have posted on that several times to different people. And then had to track down one of my posts and link to it in many other messages.

A sticky thread at the top of the mead maker forum with 3-4 well laid out posts of alternatives by some of us more experienced meadmakers, would address the needs and provide a handy refrence point to send people to.

As I said there are several topics that fall in line here.

I want to make mead... how do I start?
First Mead Recomendations
Aging
When do I rack?
Sanitation
Yeast Selection
Yeast rehydration and Starters
Boiling, Pasturazation, Sulfite, or None of the Above
Equipment
Mead Glossary

I don't know that that is anywhere near complete
list of the questions a new maedmaker, But it cuts a Sizeable chunk out of the repetitive questions. And gives a dedicated forum for asking questions that may have been missed so that refrence posts can be edited and gaps filled in.

Hey I think the Forums here have made a great start, This was just an area I though we could flesh out a little better, Not wanting to assign a load of work for someone Else I volunteered.
 
F

Forum Admin

Guest
Guest
'K John, you asked for it. I'll create a 'Newbie Nook' in the forums for the starters, and you can admin it. Just remember, you asked!

Vicky - trying to figure out why the other forums are suddenly gone again ::sigh::
 

ThistyViking

NewBee
Registered Member
Nov 15, 2003
529
0
0
thanks, i did ask for it. Sorry work has been slow. grandmother has been in and out of hospitals last few weeks. Vertigo, Pacemaker, and other things. My apologies for slow development
 
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