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I think that all the membership should do their part in helping to police the site, the post by Harold above makes it easier to report any posts that seem to be going awry and a timely intervention by a moderator may well calm things down.
I also think that as many are lurkers but well may read virtually all new posts this feature can allow them to report anything that seems wrong without the need to go onto the open forum but still contribute to the well being of the forum which is what the overwhelming majority want.
The rules of the forum are all understood by anyone who's been here for more than a month, so step up to the mark and and do your part and report any dangerous ideas or bad behaviour and lets keep it the only place to be if you want to discuss or learn about refining precious metals.
 
I quietly spent months reading and researching before I even considered processing my first little bit of PM's. When I made a mistake, I returned to the seach tool and did the leg work. Generally, I have found the necessary information and fixed my own mistakes. Unfortunately, I now have a problem which is beyond my ability to solve. I am tired of wearing sip-on shoes and would like to learn to tie my shoe laces. Could some one post an instructional video and then pay me to watch it? I think this has taken up enough of our time and effort. Let's close this topic and move on to more useful matters.

Max
 
Post by Harold,

If you highlight the you'll see that it enables you to make a report on the post in question. Click the and follow the instructions


Thanks Harold, that's good to know. I never new that button existed, i needed my Magnifying Glass to see it though :x
 
For the record, all readers already have the ability to place notice of a post that is in violation of our simple rules. Did anyone take note of the bottom right side of their screen? (Note that I use subsilver2)

Do you see the :!: ? (It's colored
red, and in a square box}

If you highlight the :!: you'll see that it enables you to make a report on the post in question. Click the :!: and follow the instructions. That notifies moderators that something is amiss. You can also send a PM at any time. Readers can be very useful in controlling what we must see on our screens.


That's interesting it's blue on my screen in a triangle with rounded corners...I use Safari.

Texan
 
OK, I going to give a disclaimer on this particular post! I am aware that I am still a relative newbie byself, and don't deserve to be anything but humble and attentive. I know that this is not my site, and the owner, moderators, and other old timers here who count, might have a different direction intended for it than what my suggestion may portray. But I might as well say what I'm thinking, anyway, because the worst that can happen is everyone can just say "nuts" to it!

What I'm seeing on the many new posters is that there are different types. Some just shouldn't even be reading this stuff, much less posting. While some others arrive here with an earnest intent, but don't realize the full scope of impact of the content on this site, and the extent of the participation efforts of it's members.

It appears that most of those posting in this thread think that some kind of segway into the subject would be part of the solution, accompanied by some specific rules to clue people in on the general atmosphere here (and enforce it if necessary). I agree with both of these ideas.

The question is, "How do you get new people, who may be (foolishly, but commonly) looking for a fast answer, to actually read and understand the basics of what the purpose of this site is, and how to not demolish themselves before they figure it out." (It would be a dark day for us all, to see the headline: "Child messes himself up on recommendation from crazy chemistry site," you know what I mean?)

Although there is no sure fire way to accomplish total perfection on this, I think something optimum can be done.

First, to get people to read the preliminary stuff that you want them to, it needs to be interesting, and that means to give them something they want, along with it.

It seems that most of the "I want some info fast" people actually want to do a recovery, not a refining, whether they know it or not.

They don't know the attitude of the site, and they usually have no idea of the real safety precautions required, either.

I think that a very basic, down and dirty, simplified recovery, which would probably not be very economical but would be more of a educational experience. This would be similar to the idea of what Hoke does in the beginning, with her testing. Except it would use some actual PM bearing materials that people usually ask about.

This would be interwoven with safety precautions, and a little bit of "scare the heck out of them" examples, so they don't take it lightly; between each step. By mixing some simple recovery steps with the related safety material, they would see that the safety requirements go hand-in-hand with accomplishing what they were interested in, in the first place, and it would relate it immediately and directly to each step they do. That would allow them to realize that safety and success go together, rather than safety being something that "the other guy" should do.

They would also be exposed to the manners and rules of the Forum, at the same time.

I guess a few different categories of simplified recovery, to start with, would include a couple kinds of escrap, and some basic karat gold stuff. lazersteve's processes, with peroxide and Chlorox would be pretty good starters, maybe. Or even HCl with a pinch of nitre, even if they dissolved base metals at the same time, and dropped the PMs with #00 copper grounding wire hooked over a jar lip, at least they would get enough results (the magic of chemistry mixed with the awe of gold), to get them to read the safety stuff mixed in, and automatically begin to get the idea of the atmosphere of this site, and get the idea of continuing in that vein to become proficient in actual refining, and taking some pride in what they are learning and doing.

The downside is that it might encourage someone to begin, who really shouldn't. But still it seems like it would be better to direct them to the "Getting Started" section, which has all the safety intermingled within it, than to just have them land here from a search engine, and jump right into something way more dangerous. And when they click to go to this "Getting Started" section, they first land on the "Forum Rules" page, with a few, brief, basic, things required for them to get the idea of manners, and so forth, and a link to the Complete Rules Page, with a statement that it should be read it before they start posting, or be at risk of...whatever.

The upside is that it could provide a buffer zone for the members and moderators, by preventing most of the stuff that has been going on lately, where somebody shows up who is totally off the planet!

If it is graduated slowly into more complex (and efficient) processes, a new person can choose for himself which level to start at, depending on his experience (and how confident he is that he won't clobber himself by beginning at a level which is too advanced for him). If reference is continually made to procedures on the beginning levels, in order to do a new process, an inexperienced person would have to go back and read them, if he tries to skip them, and thus be exposed to all the safety precautions and negative effects which are possible if they are not followed.

If somebody did do something really dumb, after all that, I don't think that anyone would think we didn't try to prevent it.

And with very simplified processes, in the beginning, how many questions could they ask? And many of those could be put into a FAQ, to reduce the bother to members and moderators, down considerably from what it is now.

It may sound complicated, but it could be done a little at a time. I mean, this site will probably be around for quite a long time, no? And getting more and more newbies all the time! It could get ugly!

And it would make it less likely that some parents will be saying that their "poor little Johnny" (who's actually 19!) did who-know-what to himself, as a result of reading something here.
 
A good start would be to email them the links with the list of terms (glossary), Hoke book, Getting started info, and basic instructions on when and how to post would be a simple start when they register. And maybe point most in the right direction.

Richard
 
I suggest moving Steve's "Welcome to All Newbies" thread to the top of the "Basics" catagory. Where it is now is somewhat hidden unless someone goes to the "Data" catagory.

Steve is there anything that has appeared on the forum since you did that thread that needs adding?

Texan
 
:idea:

what about creating a quiz that you have to pass in order to be able to access more detailed areas of the forums?.. like some specific questions answered in Hoke's book, etc..

just a thought, I have no idea how difficult that would be to execute from a web-designer's perspective..
 
WOW!
They say that everything happens for a reason.......and that phrase was hard to understand when my chainsaw was dropping on my hand,45 feet in the air,3 weeks ago.
However this is the first time I have seend this thread and now I know that me getting hurt was certainly for a reason......for had I seen what that individual wrote,back when he wrote it,I would surely be,banned,in an intervention,in a 12 step program,or....I can't say anymore.
I am suprised and proud of your restraint harold,you know how I would have handled that situation.
Good job old friend.
 

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