as far as searching goes,

[markass530]

This had been bothering me for a while, and after reading the last post I Felt I had to say something. I'm really really good at finding things on the internet, I've been known for it since I Had one of the first cell phones with a hand cuffed version of the internet on it. But I've asked several questions on here, either couldn't be searched for (info on practical experience for example) or stuff I really had spent a good amount of time looking for. and I got 5 comments telling me to search for it, for every 1 I got that was helpful. I Make a concerted effort to only solicit help on things that specific to practical experience in a matter now, but I'd e surprised if that ratio changed at all. just because someone recently signed up for an account, doesn't mean they are a "n00b" either, Some people do their due diligence and lurk for a considerable amount of time, so they they will have an idea whats going on before they ask a question.

 

[auraslip]

If you've ever been a member of other online communities, you would know that this forum is unusually excellent with answering questions with out snark.

But yeah, the search function isn't the greatest. I usually use google, then google image search, then the forum search, and finally ask the question.

 

[dogman dan]

A few forum members are tiring of answering the basics over and over. But the wiki still needs a lot of work, I've done too little there for sure.

But when you keep getting questions about how to wire 4 lipo packs into 12s 10 ah, you kind of know they didn't search much. I don't mean the seach button, I mean they didn't see the battery FAQ sticky right there on the top of the battery page. or the advice to go look there on the bottom of each and every one of my zillion posts.

The really green ones, I don't expect them to have enough of a clue to know what to look for. I'll never forget how green I was once. So I like to be the bear hunter to their Jerimah Johnson. I'll never be able to fully pay back the patience they ( es gurus) had with me that first year.

 

[hydro-one]

Dogman , you have paid it back a hundred times over!! Your mining the karmic gold now....and u know it !

I also have hard time finding stuff. I have gone to google to search the forum, search engine does suck. Ive spend thousands of hours reading builds and equipment (eg if you have a HT35, read the 200 page sales thread) threads stuff, thats the real gold.

heres a tip, the longer the thread the better it is,,

 

[melodious]

I looked at the wiki yesterday. It's awesome and put in terms most can understand and interpret. Granted, there are only a few topics available, but what is currently available is spot on. Once the E.S. website changes, I think having an available link to the wiki would lessen the repeat "help me" threads.

 

[gestalt]

+1 on using google to search the sphere.

as far as I know, any imbedded search function on a website/store/forum that I have ever encountered has been straight hot garbage. on the rare occasion I do use the E-S search box the highlighted key words that hang around is enough to send me running for google.

 

[cal3thousand]

The only problem I have with searching with Google on ES is that it repeatedly brings up threads based on signature information. So, if you searched for Diamondback, you'll get a crapload of posts that I posted but not necessarily to Diamondbacks.

 

[dogman dan]

That's a good point. Makes me glad that I changed my sig to a battery faq in just a few lines. But who notices the sig? not newbs.

 

[cal3thousand]

That's a good point. Makes me glad that I changed my sig to a battery faq in just a few lines. But who notices the sig? not newbs.

Going to change my sig to a hyperlink to a thread with that same info.

 

[e-beach]

......... Your mining the karmic gold now....and u know it !

You mean there is gold in them ES pages? And me drifting around the beach with my metal detector today pulling up old salt water corroded pennies when I could be grinding through pages and pages and pages of ES posts looking for that bit of information which answers the question that I didn't ask. :lol:

OK, all jests aside, the imbedded search function isn't that great for finding information. It might give you thread after thread after thread to grind through but lets face it, the e-bikes around here are mostly custom. So that bit of information you are looking for may be hard to find. Now consider a noob who doesn't understand it anyway yet. What chance have they got but to ask a question? I have been-there-done-that.

Now, after almost 1 year as an ES e-biker I consider myself still green, and, although I am about to open my first DD hub motor to replace the series and since wires, replace mosfets in a blown controller and enroll in my local adult school machine shop to upgrade my wooden in-triangle battery box to welded aluminum, I will still need to ask questions.

So then the question becomes, "how to we answer all those common questions, those kinds of things that are not so custom that we can lump together and point people to?"

The answer, of course is the wiki.....but it needs work.

Have you ever went to the wiki and searched "flat tire prevention" or "flat tire" or even "tire"?

Check it out and see what you get.

So here is my suggestion. Start writing the wiki. Save the links in some sort of place where you can easily access it and when a common question pops-up post the link and move on to what ever it is you like to do.

 

[brumbrum]

The forum seems a bit slower than i remember it being around two years ago. From my experience of forums/communities dedicated to interests and hobbies newer member usually tqke up the position to answer the questions of completely green members. That does not seem to be the case so much on here. The forum seems to rely on a handful of very experienced members.

I would be more than happy to answer green questions as i saw fit but would never want to give out information that i was unsure about. I have done several bike bilds and a number of differing kit builds over the past two years, but i know nothing about electronics and that is where this forum splits in personality and where it can become a little cliquey.

It is a tough forum to get settled in.

 

[cal3thousand]

The forum seems a bit slower than i remember it being around two years ago. From my experience of forums/communities dedicated to interests and hobbies newer member usually tqke up the position to answer the questions of completely green members. That does not seem to be the case so much on here. The forum seems to rely on a handful of very experienced members.

I would be more than happy to answer green questions as i saw fit but would never want to give out information that i was unsure about. I have done several bike bilds and a number of differing kit builds over the past two years, but i know nothing about electronics and that is where this forum splits in personality and where it can become a little cliquey.

It is a tough forum to get settled in.

Do it in the wiki. I guess the point of the wiki is to allow peer review and correction of things as necessary.

 

[bigmoose]

Jump in brumbrum, you help will be appreciated by all. If your answers need tweaking, I am sure someone will chime in with a bit of a refinement. Not a problem. The idea is to spread the information, the technology and the eGrinn!