I am wondering about proper guidelines for posting a question and starting a new thread in this group. If you will bear with me for a moment I would like to explain that in detail. As new users join the group they tend to ask a question before learning how to browse through the old threads for information. As many of you "seasoned vets" are aware this is probably a minor annoyance that you quickly rectify.

Now say somebody posts a question about perhaps "drum processing". Of course this has been dealt with before and the individual should have checked the old posts. The latest dated message dealing with this subject may have been greater than six months ago. (or perhaps a year)

If the question is only answered with "go check the history posts" does this introduce the following two problems ?

1. What if newer information has come available since then ?

2. More importantly, what if a member who is new (since the last question)to this group wishes to contribute additional information that is unique and considered by the person answering to be of value ?

Thanks for the patience.

-- GreyWolf (dwd@telusplanet.net), November 16, 2000

Answers

This is an open forum as I understand it. Participants have the freedom to respond to questions or not, as they see fit, as long as they are within the parameters set by the forum maintainers, independent of what someone else posts. If the "go check the history posts" response doesn't cover enough ground, than they should certainly chime in with their experiences. Anything of value should be posted.

Meanwhile, on more than one occassion, older threads have been visited by folks with newer or more relevent or just plain ol' good concrete specific information with specs and citations and so on, which they then add by posting. Witness the recently "updated" questions on film holder repair.

There is no reason why an individual cannot respond to a queery off forum.

-- Sean yates (yatescats@yahoo.com), November 16, 2000.

If feel that previous threads do not answer your question then submit it. I think this forum was established to share information. Don't be intimidated by the answers, everyone was a beginner at some point.

-- Dave Anton (daveanton@home.com), November 16, 2000.

Good point. I think what we want to avoid is having tons of redundant posts rehashing the same answers. This wastes time of the respondants, as well as of people browsing archives in the future. In view of that, here is what I would recommend.

1. Always browse the archive for old postings, doing a search on the titles using your browser in the relevant categories.

2. If nothing comes close to answering your question, a new question is clearly called for.

3. Otherwise try to "resurect" the relevant thread by asking for precisions within this thread. Many readers use the "New Answers" link and would see your post.

4. If that fails to elicit new answers, start a new thread, but be sure to reference the old thread(s) by URL in your question, so as to avoid duplication of answers.

-- Q.-Tuan Luong (luong@ai.sri.com), November 17, 2000.

I am pleased that my question about drum processing elicited such a warm response from Mr. Grey Wolf even after my careful review of ALL the old, related posts; emails direct to other users; web searches; and trips to the local camera shop to look at equipment failed to answer my particular question!

-- Malcolm Fox (foxmalcolm@aol.com), November 17, 2000.