I haven't really been following this and never got around to writing a proper reply.
But I see the new forum has already been created, so...
My first thought was that it won't help because people are already asking questions which have been asked many, many times before.
It's rarely a case of them not being able to find the information - they're just too lazy to look in the first place, or they make one half-arsed 30 second search attempt before reposting the same questions.
So it could end up just creating admin work for little benefit.
On the other hand, at least it does it provide an easier way to answer those questions, if it means someone can just post a link to the relevant thread.
Is it possible to make it a read-only forum? I think the best use of the new forum is as a reference only, otherwise what should be your handy dandy go-to response to each question will just become another jumbled mess of updates and answers specific to each new user's set up. The order of the questions will also keep changing, as new posts are made in each thread.
If, after reading the FAQ response, people still think it doesn't cover their specific situation then they can ask in the other forums. If enough people keep asking variations of a question already in the guide, that would be an indication it wasn't answered there properly and should be revised or expanded.
As it is, all you're really doing is giving people a new place to keep re-asking the same questions.
FAQ might not be broad enough as a title, based on the suggested topics. An FAQ is usually a series of questions, each with one short, correct answer. But a lot of things in MusicBee can be approached in multiple ways, depending on each user's specific needs. N00b questions about setting up a library etc. would belong better in something with a name like a
MusicBee Beginners' Guide which could have more detailed answers or instructions.
(Also there are now separate forums called
FAQ and
Questions. A newcomer with a question is not going to know which of those is their best place to start.)
Hmm, that complete copy of a long existing thread is also not what I would do.
This is a chance to create something new that is much cleaner and conciser.
Having seen the new FAQ forum, this is what I actually logged in to write.
That first post there about false virus alerts is an example of the wrong way to do this.
The new forum should be a curated list of the most commonly asked questions, with clear, concise responses to avoid it becoming another seemingly random collection of threads that just looks like every other forum. Otherwise, users with questions still won't be able to find the answers they need and end up just posting the same questions again.
Imagine you're a new user who has just downloaded MusicBee and gets a virus warning.
You're smart enough to know that's probably not right, and find your way here to check.
You see a forum called
FAQ and decide that's a good place to start.
So far so good.
There's a thread with
virus/trojan in the title. Awesome. That's what I'm looking for. Yay me for finding it. I am awesome. *click*
Hmm. The first post is from 2016... How do I know this information still applies to me in 2020 (and beyond)?
Maybe if I read to the end.. Whoa. This goes on for three pages! I don't have time to read three pages.
I'll just ask again and see if someone can give me an up to date answer...
Aaand we're back we started.
