Suggestion: Beginner forums

This subject has been brought up a few times in the past and we had mixed thoughts about it. The idea is that most of our forums are quite intimidating to brand new gardeners, and that we should create some forums that are specifically for beginners. They would be a place where beginners would feel comfortable asking any question, no matter how elementary, and they would have confidence knowing that they wouldn't be butting in with their "stupid questions".

I'm keen on this idea because we're planning to setup some new features for DG that are made specifically for newbie gardeners (I'll have more on that topic within the next few days).

If we created beginner level forums, do you think some of ya'll would be willing to haunt those forums and answer elementary questions?

dave

I would - most definitely! I think it's a great idea to help our beginners feel more comfortable right off the bat.

--Ginny

I think it's a really good idea too!

I think it's a great idea. The whole thing where on "Home" lists recent posts has gotten me into other forums that I would never have gone looking for. So I think this newbie place will get traffic. Dave's is for every gardener ;0) novice or advanced. Besides that, some of us are novices in some areas and experienced in others. I'll be looking for this to get up and running. Thanks, Dave.

I'm in! Will it just be one forum, or a set of "Beginners" forums ("Beginner 101")? Just curious, especially since I don't think I've ever made the rounds and covered all the new Home forums yet.

Shoe.

I think it's a great idea, Dave. I haunt most forums anyway and who knows....I might learn something new!

I'll help....

Maybe some of us 'old hands' could adopt a forum....I'd volunteer to help with seed starting and seed saving...however they are incorporated into the scheme of the new features.

Seems like some of us answer the same questions every spring as newbies get things too wet or too dry, and they also need help in the autumn finding ripe seeds and properly preserving them. Folks can't help it if they're just staring out, and so many don't come from a long line of relatives who were born with a shovel in their hands. What a lot of us take for granted is a total puzzle to others and they should have a welcoming place to ask questions.

I'm in...

Dave that is a really good idea!!!

I have been a member since 2004, but I have only used DG actively for a year or so, because it just seemed to BIG. I would gladly help were I can, eventhough I am not one the experts ;o)))

I really don't understand. Does that mean the other forums are for "advanced" questions? There are no stupid questions, and I have enjoyed helping anyone with a question that I could answer. And asking my own, too. I dunno - hate to be the devil's advocate here - but I would hate to think my question was stupid and should be relegated to a beginner level. And at what point do I graduate? Can you help me out here?

I would be interested too on when would we move up into the regular forums... when do you know it is a 101 question and when is it a normal forum question?I am with ceejaytown I would always wonder what if it is a stupid question or a 101 question... maybe just me.

I don`t understand it like that Ceejaytown.
I think it is ment for new begginers to feel more “safe” till they get going. I would have been glad for it when I started. I don`t think it is ment to be a place were you graduate and can go on to a higher level?
I can imagine that the older members can ask question as well.

Just correcting my spelling ;o))


This message was edited Jan 17, 2007 8:33 PM

Some of the forums can be overwhelming, but then again, maybe it is just me. I think having a newbie forum would mean you could ask questions, mainly focusing on brand new gardeners. I don't think it means you are "grounded" to the newbie forum. It's just as it implies, a place for newer gardeners to begin. Anyone can still visit any forum. It's a special place for those new to gardening.

FWIW My take on it is that this is more about giving the new, more inexperienced members a place where they feel absolutely comfortable about asking anything on their minds. Hopefully, that may lead to them getting more involved in other forums more quickly. I don't think it really has anything to do with placing a dividing line between beginner and advanced types of questions.

Just my 2 cents worth.

I think it's a great idea, it was very intimidating for me, as a daylily novice, to see terms floating around, and feel hesitant to do what felt like "butting in" to an ongoing conversation, to ask a rudimentary question.

Once I'd been on DG for a few months, and realised how friendly "all y'all" are (I just love that) it was easier, but at first, I'd have been grateful for a forum like that.

I'm with Ceejaytown on this one.

I feel it would separate members and there are people who always feel like a beginner, (including me). Will Admin be grading posts as to their level and moving them from one forum to another? If there was a wholesale ignoring of simple questions going on (which I personally haven't seen) then thats a membership problem rather than a forum one.

I don't think we need to segregate on experience level, I think the less experienced gardeners often gain a good deal from a usual thread and many people here are happy to answer questions as they go along. If you just ask the one question you've only so much to learn, join in a whole discussion and the opportunities for picking up extra knowledge a much more numerous.

The feedback has been good - thank you!

To answer the question: yes, it would be intended to give a "comfortable" place for people to ask questions. We have indeed heard many times that members are afraid to go into the main forums with their questions because they feel the questions are too newbie oriented.

Having a special place set aside just for new gardener questions would really make it more comfortable for newbies in that boat.

Of course, as always, they would be available for those interested, and those who didn't like them can certainly avoid them.

dave

I'll help. I try to pick up the ones I find throughout the forums now, but it will be nice to have them all in a few forums so they can be monitored more closely, rather than just happening upon them by chance.

Will you put something on the main page so newbies know about it? I'm thinking that coming into a site this size must be a bit intimidating at first, and pointing them to a nice, friendly starting place with helpful threads to read would be good.

We gonna call it the Bunny Slope? Just kidding.

I think it's an excellent idea!

"Bunny Slope" - I love it! :) I think we'll stick with "Beginners", though.

Yes, we'll make it visible and noticeable.

Do ya'll have any ideas on exactly which categories might be needed? I'm thinking Vegetables and Landscaping as two obvious starters.

dave

Definitely one for questions about the various aspects of of DG, and navigation/how to questions.

And, uhhhhh....no grades will be assigned (*grin*) and I seriously doubt we'll be moving threads around.

I like the Bunny Slope name! I think it's cute!

I think there should be a forum on general plant care (which could cover watering, pruning, etc), maybe one for sick plants (bugs, diseases, etc), and one for propagation (seeds, cuttings).

It would also be nice if there could be some educational "stickies" in the forums, maybe FAQ's or tutorials about some of the common things like seed starting, fertilizing, pruning so people can go to the forum and get some good background info without even having to ask a question. Sometimes it's hard to find the info you want by doing a search because the info is spread out in 10 different threads, but if we could capture some of the basics that every newbie needs to know and put those all together in a sticky at the top of the thread, it'll be much easier for people to find the info they need.

Ahh will have to ask; what does Bunny Slope means ;o))

Great stuff ecrane3 - thanks!

As for the topic of stickies, we are actually in the very beginning planning stages (well, we've actually been working on it for 2 years, but we're now finally getting serious) about making an "Articles" feature for DG. The feature would allow for articles of all kinds and would largely replace the need for those kinds of stickies.

One day soon we'll be launching an entire new site as a complement to DG that is more newbie-oriented. More on that later.

Dave

Great idea, count me in

Paul

zest, Bunny Slopes are the beginners ski slopes. The easiest ones.

Ahhh okay thanks, did not know you called it that ;o)))

Dave, what a great idea. I don't consider myself as an expert on any subject, but since I have several areas of interest, I would be willing to field questions, about vegetable gardening, tomatoes, daylilies and lilies and iris. Sometimes experience is the best teacher, but knowing someone else has had the same problems/experiences could calm some fears among newbies. So cudos to you. Like the idea tremendously.

I like the idea too and would be happy to help with growing tropicals indoors - I don't know much of anything about "real" gardening. How about one for indoor gardening?

Keyring,
Try this one; http://davesgarden.com/forums/f/houseplants/all/
Is that what you wanted?
;)

I know about that one - thanks. I thought Dave was looking for suggestions for beginner forum categories?

I honestly think (thought) that Dave's was pretty much for all levels of gardeners. I think making a Newbie forum will just make for even more segregation than we already have due to the regional forums. Frankly, I think its a terrible idea. Thats just my opinion.

Janis

I think it's a great idea. I don't think I know enough to help out, but I have gotten that impression sometimes that the breed-specific forums are so "high level" with detailed questions like "does this specific type of this specific plant grow better in pH5 or pH6?" Meanwhile, I'm thinking "ooh! Pretty plant! Wonder if it'll grow in my yard with the deer eating it?"

Sometimes the folks that have lived in their one yard in their one climate all their life ask such advanced questions that a beginner would be afraid to ask a real basic question, for fear of nobody wanting to waste their time answering.

IMHO.....

I would rather see the "Stickies" on threads. Maybe they can be renamed. After all, if someone is interested in coleus,,,hehe...they would automatically go to the coleus forum. That's where "INFO" should be.

Also, I have seen many posts from people about being afraid to post.....don't know how to add a pic. etc. Also, many have not taken the time to go though all the tabs at the top to see how rich this site is already. i.e. Searching plants/people for certain zones, finding people, etc.

It's all here, just have a hard time finding stuff sometimes.

Hap

Dave,

I too think this is a grand idea. Although I have come a long way, I have a lot longer way to go to learn all I need to know and to learn what I don't need to know.

There have been many times that I have had a simple question, wanted a simple answer, went to the correct forum and was completely ignored. This can be quite intimidating and having some seasoned gardeners that are willing to preview that forum and to answer questions without being pompous, etc will make the newcomers welcome in everyway. This kind of assistance will lead the new member on into the other forums more comfortably.

Stickies are all fine and dany, but they certainly don't answer every question and can be tedious to sort through.

Molly

Here's the current ideas for the forums we might need:

Houseplants - Gardening Indoors
Vegetables
Landscaping
Flowers (Annuals, Perennials and Bulbs)
General Gardening Questions

Any others we can think of that we'll want at the moment (of course, we can always add more later)

dave

I'd say at least one for flowers, but most likely "annuals", "perennials" and "bulbs"

Thanks - I updated my list above.

dave

Those sound great!

I think there should be a "how to use DG" one too...I think someone suggested that earlier but I don't see it on the list, and I think that one would be really valuable. Especially for people who aren't super comfortable with computers, it is sometimes hard to figure out where things are on the site, how to post pictures, etc.