We all would like to have a more streamlined, searchable and information rich forum. If this is to be achieved, it will require diligence and cooperation from all.

Doing this by moderation alone is like trying to untangle a fifty pound box of Christmas tree lights.

I would like to make some suggestions (compliance is not required, but your help would be appreciated).

1. Please use the search tool as much as is possible to find your answers.

2. If you can't find what you are looking for, try to find an existing thread that is on your topic and post your question/comment there. The proliferation of redundant threads is probably the biggest problem with the forum's organization. (Personally, at the time of this post, I have 384 posts and this is the FOURTH topic that I have started.)

3. If you think that a new thread is warranted, please think about future searchers and include pertinent keywords in your title so that others will have an easier time finding this information.

4. Try to stay on topic. (Most of us are pretty good about this already.) We all like to have fun and we should because this is a fun project, just try to think about the poor guy who is attempting to find his answer in the "Zoom lens thread".

I have also been toying with the idea of expanding the FAQs area with threads like "Ballast FAQs", "Lamp FAQs", "Wiring FAQs", Optics FAQs ect. To make it easier to find answers to common questions. I am a bit worried about too much redundancy though.

Thanks for reading this. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

excellent idea Deathray

i totally agree that we need some good faq's about different parts of the projector.

i also think a new guide should be done. one that will include all the up to date information that has been collected.

Thanks DR Bev. The first installment, Ballast Facts, FAQs and Links has been posted and pinned.

Please post any suggestions reguarding the new help pages here so we can keep that page clean and informative.

Thanks

Can we have the ability to search for 3 letter words? please?

We've tried but the boards won't let us set it for 3 letters. We'll be upgrading the forums soon, perhaps then.

I have to disagree with this point. I do my best to try searching for answers before posting, but I find the biggest problem is when you do search, most of the threads the search returns are about 20 pages long, and the search gives you no indication of where abouts in the thread your search terms have been found.

When you search you have the option of showing your results as threads or posts ( pair of check boxes on the right lower corner) the default is threads which in general isn't very helpful. Check the show posts option and you will see only the posts. This should make things much much much easier. Hope this helps and makes LL that much more pleasurable.

Thats brillient, I thought it was just vBulliten that did that, dunno how I managed to not notice that option before

Any possibility on a forum change still?

I've had trouble using the search option on the forums. Things that I've seen in the past that should be easily searchable with 2 words seem impossible to find. I was searching for 'CT-522A dimensions' as an example... and it took me over an hour to find the thread I was looking for. Many useless results of dimensions came up. I think that's probably why there are so many duplicate posts about things. I love the forums, they are a great resource for information, but they could be so much better with a better search tool in my opinion.

Maybe more static pages with some of the standard LL information could help out this community. I think the large amount of information that is here could be organized in a more useful way. The wiki is a good start, but I 'luckily' ran across that after weeks of looking around.

Since I'm complaining, the default 'most recent' as opposed to 'most relevant' search option is a little annoying too.

I'm really just trying to give some constructive criticism here.

Any comments?

As a newby I could not find out what FFC refers to. Can you help?

Go here and click on [Advanced Usage Help]. Or did you already know that stuff?

Flat Flexible Cable

Its a thin piece of plastic with thin stips of copper just like a regular circuit board but flexiable to connect to circuit boards.

I think that there should be a thread for the various bulbs that can be used.

You mean a topic like the compatible monitors list? A list of all bulbs which have been successfully used? That would be a rather daunting task but if anyone wants to compose one we'd sticky it or put it in the wiki or something I'm sure.

Its not a bad idea, but the models and availability can change quite rapidly. I could design one for us if we think its something we want.

SamuraiJack

what if you gave the ability to delete post to the person that started the thred. as he\she would know more on weither or not the post has relivance to the thread, and shorten the workload of the mod\admin. also this would be nice so the thread starter could get rid of all the "nice work" post that can clog the thread pretty fast.and lastly would be a nice cover page where you can find faq and anwsers in the first post.