welcome to the forum post

[edhewitt]

I have noticed that new members almost invariably ask very similar questions, most of which have been well answered. Would it be worth having an automated resposnse to someone's first post welcoming them, and showing them how to do a search, and why they should.
I don't mean this to be a rude or sarcastic thing, but something that might be useful, I have noticed that some members have an almost template as their welcome response, so I just thought this might be an extension of that.

And yes I know I am guilty of not searching often enough too.

[Tarkus]

There are too many members around bash out "Check Wiki" to last a lifetime. If your gonna take the time to write that nastyness then just write the answer and help a new guy out.
Or just say nothing...
J.M.H.O.

[mainaman]

Listen guys, and we are all guilty of this, people like to ask questions. It does not matter how many stickies and wikis we have, it is easier to ask with two sentences than to go read several multi page threads in hopes to find an answer. Sometimes new members do not even know what to ask, or do not ak the right question.
Answer shortly and politely and link a few posts that concern the OP question, or just do not reply if it irritates you to have to answer the same thing over and over.

[ace]

Good point! I was one of those weirdos who read the entire forum prior to getting involved in SR shaving, but that's just my style and academic experience. I agree that, for most new people, there is too much to read and so many differing opinions, that asking a question is sometimes the easiest way to get started. I can understand the frustration generated by seeing repetitive questions, but these are not repetitive questions for the new guys asking them. I wouldn't ask those questions now, because I've already learned the answers, but for most new guys it is the obvious way to begin their SR journey.

[edhewitt]

Aww, now I feel mean, it wasn't meant like that. But point taken.

[Damo]

Hello Gentlemen,

Having benefited from the early advice on this forum, and as someone who is continuing to do so, I agree that there is a wealth of information on here already. As others have pointed out, it is difficult sometimes to locate the goldmine of information you are looking for. Now, Wiki is fantastic for discrete pieces of information such as, what a certain hone does or what the grind of a razor is. The thing I have sometimes struggled with is finding information to help me with progression, and what I tend to notice is that this correlates with some of the more popular threads, such as when to progress to the next stage of honing, or whatever.
Now, these gems of information are often already on SRP, but are sometimes difficult to locate. When they become more formalised, they are a fantastic tool - I will use Stroptober as an example of a thread which is well cited now. Other examples are of people who post up about "how to do" threads, such as the scales without tools thread.
I wondered if on Wiki, as well as having general information, we might get some of the seniors on here to create articles created around the idea of progression? "how to start up" "how to maintain your own razors" (a big one for me when trying to decide the next stage after a strop - I went for a barbers hone in the end). Whilst I agree that threads on barbers hones exist, I was doing a lot of cross referencing to compare and contrast different options. I am sure there are other progression examples others might benefit from.
D

[edhewitt]

Thanks damo, that's the sort of thing I was thinking, and maybe even a few links to the different areas, that way it'd be nice and easy. Then any further info could easily be asked, and readily answered.