How to inform new, enthusiastic, would be boaters?

[RLWP]

How much does it cost? / Is it cheaper than living in bricks and mortar?

 

 

That's an interesting example. It's not unusual to find new boaters expecting it to be cheaper than a house - they read it in the Guardian or something. People pointing out that in their experience it isn't can get accused of giving a new poster a hard time because of their negativity

 

It isn't negativity, it's that persons reality.

 

How do we put over reality without being accused of negativity?

 

Richard

[MtB]

 

That's an interesting example. It's not unusual to find new boaters expecting it to be cheaper than a house - they read it in the Guardian or something. People pointing out that in their experience it isn't can get accused of giving a new poster a hard time because of their negativity

 

It isn't negativity, it's that persons reality.

 

How do we put over reality without being accused of negativity?

 

Richard

 

 

I don't think its possible.

 

Dammit was that too negative?

 

 

MtB

[MtB]

P.S. But to answer your question seriously, I think the point being covered in an FAQ would do the trick as the new member reading it before they composed and posted their question wouldn't feel as though they were having cold water poured by an old hand at the game. They'd just see the info and try to square it with their preconception that boating must be cheaper. Then their questions would be from a more informed viewpoint.

 

Same would hopefully happen with new posters wondering how much/whether boating will reduce their environmental impact over living conventionally in a house.

[p6rob]

How much does it cost? / Is it cheaper than living in bricks and mortar?

 

Although you can get a figure for fixed annual costs like licence, insurance, it's not possible for anyone to answer as we're all different and so are the boats.

Different insulation affects heating costs, fuel used for travelling and charging.

 

I live fairly modestly on my 40ft boat. It costs roughly equal to living in a bed sit in an undesirable area. However, my monthly motoring costs have varied significantly because of different distances travelled to work/ friends.

 

Closely followed by...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pumpout or cassette?

 

Cassette, well, porta potti for me. It's portable and I've rarely been passed a boatyard when they are open, so pump out wouldn't work in my case. I can load the porta potti in the car and drive it to an Elsan if necessary. It can be grim though.

[patty-ann]

Thing is if people post and get sidelined to search for themselves they probably not bother. People like to be fed information not search for themselves so guess its a case of keep repeating. I have to keep reading cos i keep forgetting, there is so much to learn

[Marjorie]

I'm a newbie, so I know you're not really asking me, but maybe this is useful:

 

It's not massively easy to find relevant things using the search function on here, I've found (maybe there's some knack to it that I haven't cracked) - but some of you oldies (in experience, not years) have somehow found links to previous threads for me that didn't come up when I thought I was putting relevant words into the search. I don't think anyone who is asking a question that has been asked before would mind a steer in the direction of a previous similar thread or two - I certainly don't.

 

The thing about a lot of the 'standard' questions is that it depends on your frame of reference (of course) - for me, living on a boat is WAY cheaper than living in a house, but that's because my house was in London with a considerable mortgage. I also spend a fair amount less on energy (although more on maintenance, and now I have a car which I didn't before, so that make it different again). Maybe sometimes, because you've answered the same question a gazillion times, you get a bit shorthand about it, and then when newbies respond they sound like what they are saying is "I only want to hear you if you confirm what I already think", but what they mean is "Let me give you a bit more information about me specifically so you know where I'm coming from". I can see why that would be annoying - again, a prod in the direction of a similar thread, or even a hint as to a good phrase to search for might work (it would for me).

 

Whichever way, you are all clearly kind, helpful people, which makes it especially unpleasant to feel the sharp end of your frustration, or to feel like you've overstepped a mark you didn't realise was there.

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

Brilliant post,,Brilliantly put,

 

& I can't find some links or information wanted sometimes either, but I think the difference is,,, Trying to look in the first place,,

To All Nubies reading this thread, Most Members have been, and still are incredibly patient with me, So Don't stop asking Questions, I will Always try and help or answer if I can, just like many other members would, & do, the main difference being, They will actually know what they are on about !.

Edited June 17, 2014 by Paul's Nulife4-2

[Starcoaster]

Problem is, who is going to write/collate all this info? Team effort? People will disagree on different things!

 

Quick plug for Tony Jones's Liveaboard Guide, which is essential reading for newbies who don't know where to start.

[Guest]

I'm a newbie, so I know you're not really asking me, but maybe this is useful:

 

It's not massively easy to find relevant things using the search function on here, I've found (maybe there's some knack to it that I haven't cracked) - but some of you oldies (in experience, not years) have somehow found links to previous threads for me that didn't come up when I thought I was putting relevant words into the search. I don't think anyone who is asking a question that has been asked before would mind a steer in the direction of a previous similar thread or two - I certainly don't.

 

The thing about a lot of the 'standard' questions is that it depends on your frame of reference (of course) - for me, living on a boat is WAY cheaper than living in a house, but that's because my house was in London with a considerable mortgage. I also spend a fair amount less on energy (although more on maintenance, and now I have a car which I didn't before, so that make it different again). Maybe sometimes, because you've answered the same question a gazillion times, you get a bit shorthand about it, and then when newbies respond they sound like what they are saying is "I only want to hear you if you confirm what I already think", but what they mean is "Let me give you a bit more information about me specifically so you know where I'm coming from". I can see why that would be annoying - again, a prod in the direction of a similar thread, or even a hint as to a good phrase to search for might work (it would for me).

 

Whichever way, you are all clearly kind, helpful people, which makes it especially unpleasant to feel the sharp end of your frustration, or to feel like you've overstepped a mark you didn't realise was there.

Rest assured that even those who have been around yonks have still to fully master the black art that is the forum search function.

 

On a forum I moderate on there is a useful feature that I think would be great if it could be implemented here.

 

When you compose a new thread you first have to give it a title. The forum software then searches for similar titles and before you enter the text in your post it brings up similar threads and asks if you want to read those first to see if any of them answer the question.

 

It obviously means if things have changed since the other post were made they may not be fully up to date but in most situations I think it would work well.

 

Although a mod. I don't know how the technical side of it works or if it could be implemented here.

[Marjorie]

Problem is, who is going to write/collate all this info? Team effort? People will disagree on different things!

 

Quick plug for Tony Jones's Liveaboard Guide, which is essential reading for newbies who don't know where to start.

 

Yep, that's a good book.

[Paul C]

Well to earn a bit of extra cash, I want to be a Brain surgeon,, Where would I start ?.

 

GCSE Biology and another science (and other GCSEs including A-C at English and Maths), then onto A-Level Biology and 2 more including another science (not sure on that), then get your head down and aim for A grades at the A levels, then do a bunch of applications for med schools?

[RLWP]

Rest assured that even those who have been around yonks have still to fully master the black art that is the forum search function.

 

On a forum I moderate on there is a useful feature that I think would be great if it could be implemented here.

 

When you compose a new thread you first have to give it a title. The forum software then searches for similar titles and before you enter the text in your post it brings up similar threads and asks if you want to read those first to see if any of them answer the question.

 

It obviously means if things have changed since the other post were made they may not be fully up to date but in most situations I think it would work well.

 

Although a mod. I don't know how the technical side of it works or if it could be implemented here.

 

We do have another data sorting facility - the tags. In earlier versions of this software they were used to bung in an explanatory line about the thread title and that's how we still use it. In fact, if you use sensible tags (BCN for instance) you can find threads by tag. The software offers you threads that way anyway

 

Richard

[Paul C]

Okay looking at the original post, unquestionably a FAQ on aspects of boating is a good idea, however the information would have to be collated and presented in an easily-comprehensible form. Much as one would like it to be good, the search function on forums is rubbish and even if it did work you inevitibly have to wade through pages and pages of unrelated drivel. And there's a spectrum of information in between, from solid/good advice to only vaguely useful etc.

 

Pictures are always nice too - to break up an article - but then someone has to find the pics, and arrange the text around them in a coherent way etc.

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

 

GCSE Biology and another science (and other GCSEs including A-C at English and Maths), then onto A-Level Biology and 2 more including another science (not sure on that), then get your head down and aim for A grades at the A levels, then do a bunch of applications for med schools?

Right,,,,,, What's a GCSE ?.

 

 

 

 

 

Only fooling,,,I got one in Thickanomatry ,,,somewhere.

[Guest]

We do have another data sorting facility - the tags. In earlier versions of this software they were used to bung in an explanatory line about the thread title and that's how we still use it. In fact, if you use sensible tags (BCN for instance) you can find threads by tag. The software offers you threads that way anyway

 

Richard

Yes that could work however how many of us remember to use them and there are still loads of members who use the tag section incorrectly, as you say in the same way as we used to sub title the main thread title. It also still requires somebody to do some form of search.

 

In the method I mentioned it's all done for you as in...

 

'Could this be what you are looking for?'

 

No additional input required.

[Delta9]

I see a lot of people say that the search function here doesn't work very well, so I knocked up a quick custom search.

 

http://cwdfsearch.weebly.com/

[Guest]

I see a lot of people say that the search function here doesn't work very well, so I knocked up a quick custom search.

 

http://cwdfsearch.weebly.com/

"Safari cannot open the page because the server cannot be found"

[Starcoaster]

Works ok in Chrome.

[Marjorie]

I found that going out into Google and searching there usually finds me a pertinent thread or two that I couldn't find by using the internal search function.

[Guest]

Works ok in Chrome.

Working here now.

 

Seems neat on a first look. Bookmarked.

Edited June 17, 2014 by The Dog House

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

Nope, not on my HTC Phone either.

 

Didn't someone else recently mention that if you went straight to Google, then Type your query ending it with CWDF it would find it on here ?

 

Sorry Marjorie, you was quicker.

Edited June 17, 2014 by Paul's Nulife4-2

[Wanted]

What about the answers that we haven't worked out the questions for yet?

[Guest]

Nope, not on my HTC Phone either.

 

Didn't someone else recently mention that if you went straight to Google, then Type your query ending it with CWDF it would find it on here ?

I suspect this is what is happening here, but you just don't need to add CWDF. It's quite neat, obviously you can't filter by author, date etc etc but that is exactly what makes CWDF search facility hard to use sometimes.

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

What about the answers that we haven't worked out the questions for yet?

Thats easy,,, it's 42

[Wanted]

Thats easy,,, it's 42

Easy?

 

http://www.intellectualloafing.com/discussionsfolder/runningdebatesfolder/42themeaningoflifetheuniverseandeverything.htm